In The New York Times Magazine: To The Fallen Records

Posted by Rob Walker on April 5, 2008
Posted Under: Consumed,Music,War

BATTLE CRIES:
How one veteran tries to use entertainment to to convey the war experience

If you’ve seen the polls tracking American interest in the war in Iraq, you already know: If the war were a TV show, it would be cancelled.

The war, of course, is not a form of entertainment. And the apparent loss of interest is a source of frustration to current and former military personnel. One man has found a way to convert that frustration into something positive — a form of entertainment: In 2006 he founded To the Fallen Records, which has since released three compilations of songs made mostly by current military personnel or recent veterans.

Read the column in the April 6, 2008, issue of The New York Times Magazine, or here.

Consumed archive is here, and FAQ is here. Consumed Facebook page is here.

Further diversion may be found at MKTG Tumblr, and the Consumed Facebook page.

Reader Comments

It is unfortunate that war is indeed a form of entertainment, no less so because the interest has waned (which in itself is a double-edged sword). Unfortunately Heracletus was on to something and it is a sign of our times perhaps that everything has to find a marketing application to justify its existence: even the songs made by veterans and military personnel.

#1 
Written By perfumeshrine on April 5th, 2008 @ 12:31 pm

“… only 6 percent of Americans named the situation in Iraq as the news story they were following most closely; by comparison, 12 percent named the death of Heath Ledger.”
And that is why we get links from the article to Heath Ledger and Britney Spears but not to the Fallen Recors label???

#2 
Written By Jens on April 6th, 2008 @ 9:31 am

You need to write to the New York Times about that, Jens. My site, the one you’re leaving a comment on, the one that I control, DOES link to To The Fallen Records. See above.

I don’t know what the Times site links to or why or how they make those decisions, you’ll have to query them about that. I don’t control what they do over there.

#3 
Written By Rob Walker on April 6th, 2008 @ 9:43 am

It is a shame that even when it comes to war, people need to be advertised and marketed to in order to have any interest. I do think that what the To The Fallen Records is doing is a good thing because they are building awareness and creating an interest involving the Iraq War. Being able to create an awareness about politics in a country were no one really cares i believe is a good idea.

#4 
Written By Brian Angelone on December 17th, 2008 @ 3:56 pm