Music is marketing

I wanted to share a pretty insightful and passionate piece of editorial from Jon Pareles of The New York Times. I worked with Jon a couple of times while in the music industry and remember him as a good dude. I like him even more after reading his probing story into the increasing use of marketing in music promotion, which closes with the following;

Perhaps it’s too 20th century to hope that music could stay exempt from multitasking, or that the constant insinuation of marketing into every moment of consciousness would stop when a song begins. But for the moment I’d suggest individual resistance. Put on a song with no commercial attachments. Turn it up. Close your eyes. And listen.

I feel like too many bands are putting the almighty publicity before the unsightly creative process. It's something I've seen first hand recently and I realize this is coming a career publicist... I'm not immune to the irony. Regardless, read the whole piece here.