Gimmick or wave of the future? Only time will tell, of course, but the tide definitely seems to be turning. No more is the iPod seen as an industry killer. Finally, record labels are waking up to the fact that these devices are part of the solution, not the problem. It isn't that people are stealing all of that great music rather than pay for it, it's that the music stinks and consumers don't feel as if they are doing anything wrong when they go about getting by other means. They'd feel ripped off if made to pay to check out something only to find that it's horrible. And, with radio essentially a wasteland dedicated to playing the same 10 bland songs over and over, there are few legal options for those actually interested in hearing new music.

Until now. Though they may not be the first, Razor & Tie Records is certainly one of the most high profile record labels to jump into podcasting. The label announced today that it is creating a series of podcasts that will feature new music from its artists. It is launching a podcast featuring the band Danko Jones. Other than hearing the name, I've no clue about the band or its sound. If I care enough to check it out, however, than can change. It also will feature "songs from up-and-coming Razor & Tie rock bands, including New York City's indie guitar-rockers Sam Champion, Brooklyn's enigmatic metal band, the Giraffes, and Temecula, CA pop-rockers, The Chemistry, with more to come. The site will continuously be updated with exclusive tracks, song debuts, tour diaries and more."

Now, they'll need to do more than promise songs from "enigmatic metal bands" and "indie guitar-rockers" to hook me, but it's a start, and one that other labels would be wise to follow.