The All Points West Music & Arts Festival which will take place this upcoming weekend at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey has released the set times for the three day festival.
Headliners Radiohead and Jack Johnson get the prime slots on the main Blue Comet stage and Andrew Bird, Trey Anastasio, Kings of Leon and Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals get late afternoon featured positions across the grounds.
Earvolution favorites Pawnshop Roses will be opening the entire Festival on Friday afternoon and we recommend getting there early to catch their 1:00 set on the Bullet stage. It is also well worth your while to catch Grace Potter & The Nocturnals close out the Queen Of The Valley stage on Sunday evening with their 6:45 p.m. set. It also gives us a wonderful excuse to once again run our photo of Grace proudly showing off her Earvolution T-shirt.
The Festival, during which Radiohead will play Friday and Saturday night, begins on August 8th and will finish on August 10th with a Jack Johnson set.
All good things must come to an end. Fans wishing to take advantage of Radiohead's potentially industry-changing pricing system will only have until December 10th to name their price for In Rainbows.
After that date, anyone wishing to legally acquire the new Radiohead disc will have to wait until December 31st when the disc hits stores worldwide.
Radiohead's management has refuted the reports that more than 60% of the people who downloaded In Rainbows opted against paying anything for the album. “In response to purely speculative figures announced in the press regarding the number of downloads and the price paid for the album, the group’s representatives would like to remind people that, as the album could only be downloaded from the band’s website, it is impossible for outside organisations to have accurate figures on sales.” Radiohead further claims that the figures quoted by comScore are inaccurate and and fail to reflect the true market intelligence of their innovative pricing system.
While such statements are interesting and nice, perhaps Radiohead would like to share their figures on which they base their statements and definitively refute the report.
According to Internet research group ComScore, more than 60% of the people who downloaded In Rainbows under Radiohead's potentially revolutionary pay-what-you-want pricing system opted to pay nothing. The study states that of the estimated 1.2 million people that visited the site to download the album, only 38% opted to pay anything, the majority paid no more than $4 and 4% paid more than $12.
The fact that music listeners want to be able to obtain music for free shouldn't surprise anyone. What the study fails to indicate is the number of people that listened to Radiohead's new album solely because it didn't cost them anything to do so. If the RIAA and other like minded institutions use this study to show that people are cheapskates and that this pricing scheme is fatally flawed, they may be missing the forest for the trees. If exposure to this "free" music inspires the downloader to attend a Radiohead concert, buy OK Computer or Kid A or heaven forbid, become a Radiohead fan that purchases future recordings for the rest of the band's life, these "freeloaders" would be helping perpetuate the continued existence of the music industry, not sucking it dry.
Oasis is reportedly mulling whether or not to "pull a Radiohead" and allow fans to download songs directly from their own site. Oasis, like Radiohead, certainly has a big enough base of supporters to release a record without the help of a traditional "record label." The question is do they have a loyal enough fan base, as Radiohead does, to get them to pay at least something for the music. Of course, as explored below, they may not care. But, let's first tackle the "freebie" issue as it concerns the Radiohead model.
Many "news" headlines are saying that Radiohead is giving away the music for free. That is a bit misleading. Radiohead is not simply giving the songs away for nothing. Granted, it is possible to get the new record, In Rainbows, for "next to nothing." But, the deal is that fans have to pay something and instead of the price fixing we've seen in the past from major labels the band is letting the fans decide what to pay for it above a very minimal transaction fee.
While it is true you can pay just the minimum transaction fee, early reports indicate fans are paying significantly above that for the downloads and many are going a step further and purchasing the hard copy special edition version of In Rainbows for 40 pounds (around $80-81 US / Canadian rates), that includes the digital download version, along with In Rainbows on both CD and vinyl (does anyone even have a record player anymore?)> Plus, as if a whole new cd wasn't enough the band throws in a second disc of new songs and a lyric book.
It is early in the process, but the lesson here may not be about the overall state of cd and download sales. The lesson here is may be more about fans wanting good music from strong musicians whom they respect enough to pay something for it. Going forward, the real change here will be that big labels will be less likely to invest in (or I should say "loan to" for accuracy), acts that don't sign to long term deals that include pieces of their merchandising, publishing and other income streams to make up for the reduced sales per unit income, particularly when established bands like Oasis and Radiohead can afford to give music away for next to nothing because they will make up the cash on tour receipts.
The most interesting thing you'll see "post-In Rainbows" will be more unconventional partnerships like the one Madonna is reported to be contemplating with Live Nation instead of a traditional record label. And, since the real dollar payoffs for artist development seem to be in the live music sector, for younger and upstart bands consortium groups of promoters, studio owners and producers are in a position to step into the void to create something new to replace the old record label model that is clearly fading away. That's a topic I've been exploring myself lately and will continue to write and think about.
So, while the times are a changing, one thing is clear. As long as there are guitars and garages music will find its way to the masses. The only question that is up in the air will be who will be getting paid (and how) to help it get there.
The Day The Labels Died: Radiohead To Self-Release In Rainbows
October 10th will be a day that will send shock waves throughout the music industry.
As the digital age has sent record companies scrambling for a way to find new and different ways to profitably disseminate music, Radiohead will send a shot across their reeling bow by releasing their new album, In Rainbows, through their own inrainbows.com site. Currently unsigned, Radiohead are shrewdly gambling that they don't need any help in getting their music into the hands of their fans. In the absence of a label's need to recoup their recording costs, marketing budget and other incidental expenses, the increased profits would go straight to the artist. If Radiohead's business model succeeds, it could start a monumental shift towards artists regaining a substantial stake in the profits from their own recordings.
However, Radiohead won't be reaping untold fortunes just yet. In an even more industry-shaking development, for a DRM-free digital download, Radiohead will be using the same pricing structure utilized by museums around the world: pay what you wish.
Record labels, ask not for whom Thom Yorke tolls, he no longer tolls for thee.
The Sasquatch Music Festival organizers announced that Sarah Silverman will be hosting. My first thought is whether that is really necessary at an event like this? Anyway, beyond her comic observations, there will be, of course, some music. A resurgent Polyphonic Spree and Earl Greyhound are among the performers that also include the Beastie Boys who will be doing both a main stage set and also an instrumental performance. I wonder if they'll be breaking out the guitars and amps from the old days?
Radiohead issued a statement through their management company that they are NOT negotiating a deal with Starbucks for their next record:"Radiohead are currently in the studio working on their next record. They are not negotiating a new record deal with anyone, and will not even consider how to release their new music until the album is finished. The rumour that they are about to sign with Starbucks is totally untrue." While Radiohead is a good candidate to opt out of the major label program, I believe them when they say they aren't going to go the Starbucks route. It doesn't make sense for them. A strong indie or even their own release given their infrastructure on the web and all the new tools available would be the better choice.
Modest Mouse is soaring on the charts with their latest release, but not everyone is happy with the new material. The folks over at Coke Machine Glow have the judged the work a bit too familiar and conservative: "Diminishing returns are making themselves felt here; old formulas have grown stale, songwriting quirks have become rote, and all the band's musical choices point toward safety and stability."
Bono was awarded with an Honorary Knighthood from "Most Excellent Order of the British Empire" - but don't call him Sir Bono. Since Ireland left the UK Commonwealth in the 1940s, its citizens are not eligible for the "sir" title. No worries for Bono, as this is just a stepping stone toward the real title of his dreams: St. Bono.
By now most people realize what a blowhard, asshole Noel Gallagher is and simply ignore his seemingly weekly rants about either how great he is or how bad someone else is. One of his latest targets has been Radiohead's Thom Yorke.
Gallagher felt the need to criticize Yorke's stage show that sometimes incorporates political messages. He's also quoted as a saying "I never went to f****** university. I don't know what a paint brush is, I never went to art school."
On Radiohead's "Dead Air Space" blog, Yorke responds simply and elegantly:
"i did. it taught me to respect other artists."
Seems Noel should take some of his own advice and put a sock in it and stick to writing and playing pop songs.
Did you recall that Radiohead was on the soundtrack for Romeo + Juliet starring Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes? I didn't. But, luckily the music industry is around to try to suck every penny from the fans remind us of such history. Apparently, it is the 10th year anniversy of this release and someone at a label thinks we should be celebrating this commemoration. They've added some new songs to the original soundtrack and hey, they've got Zach Braff in their "top 8" so there must be something cool and relevant about this, right?
Korn, reports FMQB, are putting out a new MTV Unplugged CD. I had no idea that MTV still did those? Anyway, it was reportedly recorded this past December and features appearances by the recently engaged Amy Lee of Evanescence and Robert Smith of The Cure. Lee sings with the boys on "Freak On A Leash" and Smith appears on Korn's take of the Cure's "In Between Days."
The Unplugged special is set to air online first on February 10th, then on MTV proper on February 17th. Korn also has reportedly covered Radiohead's "Creep" for the disc, which will hit stores in March.
Seems everyone wants a piece of Justin Timberlake and Timbaland these days. Duran Duran is the latest to court the dynamic duo for a project. Hey, those boys may be old, but they're not dumb!
If you haven't heard them by now, there are some cool collaborations out between of The Buena Vista Social Club & Chris Martin of Coldplay, Dido, Jack Johnson, Franz Ferdinand, Sting, Bono, Maroon 5, The Kaiser Chiefs, The Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the collection called Rythms Del Mundo go to the Music Rising charity. You check out some of the collaborations here: Dancing Shoes (Arctic Monkeys), Fragilidad (Sting), Killing Me Softly (Omara Portuondo).
Ari Hest has a cover out of Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies." Ari's full length The Break In (recorded with Mitchell Froom) is set for a March 2007 release.
Lots of folks are sending us their holiday songs. Here's one from Ken Tizzard.
Our buddy Rinjo Njori has a new blog "Slave to Shuffle" where he's streaming a handful of songs a day with some commentary on each.
The Democrats may not have Ted Nugent, but they've still got a cool house band for their upcoming celebration concert to mark Nancy Pelosi becoming the first woman elected Speaker of the House.
Scotland continues to be a source for new music. If you missed them, Driveblind played on the Craig Ferguson show, check out the YouTube clip here.
Finally, Schultz Says:
London's High Court awarded Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher 40% of the copyright in the group's enduring classic "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." Since its release, the copyright had been held by Gary Brooker, Procol Harum's lead singer. In claiming entitlement to half the copyright, Fisher pointed to his creation of the song's memorable organ riff; an argument the High Court agreed with, finding the organ solo "a distinctive and significant contribution to the overall composition." As Fisher waited 40 years to assert his rights, the Court awarded him future, not past, royalties.
Brooker and his attorneys see the decision as a time bomb set to detonate and destroy the entire music industry. In a statement through his attorneys, Brooker pleaded that, "the repercussions of this decision are so far-reaching that any musician who has ever played on any recording in the last 40 years may now have a potential claim of joint authorship."
Somewhere in Europe, the heirs of Johann Sebastian Bach must be scratching their heads . . . and contacting their attorney. (Yes, yes, I know -- public domain. Never let a fact ruin a good finishing line).
Apparently no one has told Brandon Flowers that Radiohead is one of the best bands in the world and have gotten to that pinnacle by doing things their own way. Flowers thinks they should deviate from their artistic desires and write more "pop" songs. He's reported as saying "He should feel grateful that he's been given the gift to write pop songs - which he needs to write again."
I sent that quote to a couple of friends who are devout Radiohead fans. Both reactions probably sum up the feelings of the Radiohead fans as a whole. When asked if he heard the quote, my buddy from Ireland, in typical Dublin frankness said "Yeah. What a dick." A friend from DC similarly nailed the absurdity of the quote: "I like Radiohead's earlier stuff more than their later stuff, but Radiohead the band needs to write whatever songs gets their creative juices flowing. Any attempt to write for other people will turn them into The Killers." Well said on both counts.
The annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Held in Manchester, Tennessee, which saw over 70,000 concert-goers last year, has completely sold out all 80,000 advance tickets. According to Billboard, Bonnaroo is now the top grossing festival in the world.
Festival organizers are urging people without tickets to stay home. If you do go, in addition to headliners like Radiohead, be sure to check out some great up and coming acts like Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Dungen, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Be Your Own Pet. All in all around 100 acts will perform over the weekend.
In addition to the great bands, the Bonnaroo folks are hoping to teach some lessons on energy efficiency and conservation. According to their site, their "greening plan includes the use of organic cotton and hemp t-shirts, post-consumer recycled paper, biodegradable concession service items, revolutionary waste management strategies, and cleaner fuel options. In partnership with Tennessee-based company WastAway, Bonnaroo will participate in a revolutionary recycling process that will turn 250 tons of festival garbage into construction material and park benches to be used at future events."
Radiohead is back to save the universe and they kicked off the first of two nights at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pa. last night to a sold-out crowd. The Tower is a perfect and intimate venue to see one of rock's most atmospheric bands.
Radiohead came onstage to the sounds of an FM radio searching through the dial, which found the band opening with the creepy "You and Whose Army" from the Amnesiac CD. Thom Yorke's distorted face was fragmented on the 10 back-dropped projection screens, which resembled shards of glass above the band. This was a very delicate approach compared to their usually more epilepsy-inducing light shows of the past.
"You and your cronies..." pointing his fingers singing as if egging the crowd on much to their delight. Yorke has every right to egg the crowd on. After all, he's the leader of one of rock's most fearless bands.
Not only do they have the confidence to save the universe, on any given night of any tour they play, Yorke and his mates, seem like they have the power to destroy it - BIG BANG STYLE - as they ripped into a blistering "the National Anthem" to a frenzied crowd, and then into "2+2=5" with such precision and intensity, I literally felt my body go numb.
Nobody in the house knew what to expect as far as a setlist. With Yorke's new upcoming solo project "the Eraser," just recently leaked online and due for release a month away, there was a possibility that those songs could've crept into the set. Additionally, this was one of the smallest venues that Radiohead have performed at in over ten years, so it was a very special night, indeed.
No signs of the Eraser, nor Pablo Honey, which at this point solely represents the end of the bands formative years. They never need worry about the imposing success that "Creep" once plagued them with. They have proven themselves so many times in the studio and at sold-out shows that looking back at this point, to when some claimed they were doomed to be a one hit wonder, is plain foolish.
The hauntingly beautiful "Exit Music (for a film)" from the mighty OK Computer album, literally shut the place up, and is such an essential spine-chilling moment of any Radiohead show. The audience was treated to a set that also included the first ever performance of the song "Kid A" from the album of the same name. And the elegant song Nude (an often bootlegged track), followed, which the band has been playing since about 1998.
As for the new material goes, I thought it was very reminiscent of the Bends era Radiohead. Very guitar driven, but with the the swagger and conviction that they achieved on "Hail To the Thief." The new track "Arpeggi" is very reminiscent of "Street Spirit", which is a good thing, but the guitar line is much more brooding.
The band also performed a menacing version of "Myxomatosis" (including Thom adding in a never recorded additional verse), which was probably the best version I've heard. Radiohead used the Tower Theater's natural acoustics as an instrument itself during the song's manic slapback break-down. "Bangers N Mash" had luscious vibe of Talking Heads, introducing what would be a more upbeat Radiohead sound, where "Naieve Melody" meets "Nice Dream," followed by a wailing Dick Dale-esque guitar riff.
The thunder of the cavernous drums on "There, There" rattled the Tower's foundation, and it was followed by the roar of the crowd as the band exited the stage briefly to the cut and paste of "Airbag," which also employed the creative use of the halls slapback acoustics.
Both "House of Cards" and "Spooks" held their weight against heavy-hitting Radiohead classics. The dancy "Idioteque" saw Thom jumping around the stage maniacally as the sample heavy rhythm controlled his flinching movements. "Everything in Its Right Place" was another driving crowd pleaser, and the whole audience was clapping in time to its droning and pulsating rhythm of Phil Selway's metronome-accurate drumming.
The inclusion of yet another new song - "Bodysnatchers" - as part of the encore, was a bold decision on the band's behalf. The track is a strong contender as the heaviest Radiohead song ever (with the likes of "Electioneering") full of those classic Jonny Greenwood chops. "4 Minute Warning" another new song, reminded me of a sort of loose acoustic Beatles-esque "Hey Jude" type number, which saw the band encircling Yorke around his upright piano. The band ended the night with a more acoustic version of "Karma Police" that had the whole audience singing along.
Radiohead concerts are like religious experiences. Last night the sold-out Tower Theater was a temple of the gods. The spectators possessed by these musical messiahs from the otherworld. No one sits, even if there are seats. The whole show is like one long ovation that begins when the band comes onstage until the final notes are played. Well deserved for the band who managed to save the universe more than enough times.
AN HISTORIC SET-LIST:
01 You And Whose Army - Colin is dancing 02 The National Anthem 03 2+2=5 04 Open Pick 05 15 Step 06 Exit Music 07 Kid A 08 Nude 09 Arpeggi (Thom: "Anyone fancy dying on their feet tonight") (Street Spirit) 10 Street Spirit 11 Pyramid Song 12 Myxomatosis 13 House of Cards 14 Spooks 15 Idioteque 16 Bangers N Mash 17 There There
Encore 1: 18 Airbag 19 No Surprises 20 Bodysnatchers 21 Everything in its right place ['Ever and Ever' scrolling on the background screens]
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has been working on a solo project, but wants to make it clear to fans that he's not even considering leaving what many top musicians say is the best band in the world.
According to PRinside.com he says, "Inevitably it is more beats and electronics, but it is songs. I have been itching to do something like this for ages. "As you know the band are now touring and writing new stuff and getting to a good space so I want no crap about me being a traitor or splitting up."
Yorke's solo album is tentatively titled The Eraser.
RadioHead, Broken Social Scene slam music industry
Radiohead's Thom Yorke calls the music industry "a bunch of fucking retards." While Broken Social Scene slam the Idol franchise and the industry (of course, Idol IS part of the industry machine).
We all know the love/hate relationship music stars have with the business side of their industry. We all know they sellout to the big labels and then bitch about what happens to their artistic integrity. I've got a solution for them: don't sign the record deal! Build your own fan base, start your own label and sell your songs over the net.
More soundbytes:
Jessica Simpson - yes she was/is a singer - to star in Baywatch movie.
REM reunited with original drummer Bill Berry for a tune during a Minus 5 show, which is REM guitarist Peter Buck's side project.
Easy Star Records is putting the concluding touches on Radiodread, a reggae interpretation of Radiohead's OK Computer. Thematically, Radiodread will be the Easy Star All-Stars follow-up to 2003's Dub Side Of The Moon, a reggae version of Pink Floyd's classic album Dark Side Of The Moon. Though still in production, Easy Star targets August 15 as the album's release date.
Containing more star power than Dub Side, Radiodread will feature contributions from Toots Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals, Citizen Cope and Sugar Minott. Producer Michael G. recently traveled to Florida to record Toots' vocals for "Let Down" and the track has already been slotted into heavy rotation on the Maytals' tour bus. Cope, a huge Radiohead fan, took time out from recording his new album to lend his talents to "Karma Police." Longtime Easy Star associate Sugar Minott, who will be targeting 2007 for a new release of his own, will contribute "Exit Music (For A Film)"
Junior Jazz, Horace Andy, Morgan Heritage, Frankie Paul and Kirsty Rock will also appear on the reggae compilation.
Radiohead - the band U2's Bono hails as one of the greats of all time - will headline their first U.S. festival since Coachella in 2004 when they head to Tennessee with some of the biggest names in rock for this year's Bonnaroo Festival in June. Tickets go on sale Saturday, February 11, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time through Bonnaroo.com.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Phil Lesh & Friends, Beck, Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Bonnie Raitt, Death Cab for Cutie, moe., Bright Eyes, the Neville Brothers, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Buddy Guy, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Ben Folds, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Dr. John, Matisyahu, G. Love & Special Sauce, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, Medeski Martin & Wood, Nickel Creek, Gomez, Steve Earle, Blues Traveler, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Dresden Dolls, Son Volt, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Soulive and Rusted Root have also signed on for the festival.
HADITL will mark the 10th anniversary of the Help album in 1995. As in 1995, the bands will have one day to each record a new piece of music, which War Child will make available on Warchildmusic.com on September 9, with a CD release following a few weeks later.
War Child CEO Mark Waddington remarked:
As a music fan, I know what the original Help album meant and as the present CEO of War Child I know what it achieved. It was my intention that any new album we made in 2005 should match up to the feats of the past. That's why we have set ourselves the challenge of remaking history and releasing the fastest album ever - again! It's a tall order but we feel with the support of amazing artists we can make it happen and help a new generation of children affected by war.
War Child was founded in 1993 as a response to the suffering of children during the Balkans conflict. It now operates as a network of independent organizations working across the world to aid children affected by war.
Warchildmusic.com offers exclusive tracks from hundreds of artists including Radiohead, Bjork, Tom Waits, Uncle Tupelo, The Dandy Warhols, Iron Maiden and Bloc Party. They have tens of thousands of tracks you won't be able to find anywhere else, including: covers, acoustic versions, live recordings, alternative mixes, remixes, and previously unreleased material.
The band Bono calls the best in the world took top honors for best album of the last 20 years as compiled by SPIN magazine. I certainly have no quarrel with that.
The SPIN top ten is:
1. Radiohead - 'Ok Computer'(1997) 2. Public Enemy - 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ (1988) 3. Nirvana - 'Nevermind' (1991) 4. Pavement - 'Slanted and Enchanted' (1992) 5. The Smiths - 'The Queen is Dead' (1986) 6. Pixies - 'Surfer Rosa' (1989) 7. De La Soul - '3 Feet High and Rising' (1989) 8. Prince - 'Sign O' The Times' (1987) 9. PJ Harvey - 'Rid of Me' (1993) 10. NWA - 'Straight Outta Compton' (1988)
Overall a pretty good top ten. However, I would have made room for The Joshua Tree.
Radiohead Release Entire Back Catalog on Warchildmusic.com
In case you haven't noticed, Radiohead's extensive catalog of music is not available on iTunes, Napster or just about any other download site you may peruse. Recently, however, the band gave Warchildmusic.com, their entire back catalog. The website supports War Child, a British charity devoted to providing food, medical care, reconstruction, and educational and social welfare programs to children in war torn regions. Currently War Child is active in Iraq, Afghanistan, The Congo and Bosnia Herzegovina.
The website offers exclusive tracks from hundreds of artists including Bjork, Tom Waits, Uncle Tupelo, The Dandy Warhols, Iron Maiden and Bloc Party. They have tens of thousands of tracks you won't be able to find anywhere else, including: covers, acoustic versions, live recordings, alternative mixes, remixes, and previously unreleased material.
Pricing on the site is in British Pounds, so while the costs are more than reasonable for those of you in the UK, Americans are going to hurt a little from the weakness of the Dollar. Albums are typically 7.99 pounds (approximately US$15.13) and singles are 99p (approximately US$1.87). Still not a bad price for music you can't get anywhere else and it is, after all, for charity. Also, if you want to buy Radiohead's Just single, featuring live versions of "Bones," "Planet Telex," and "Anyone Can Play Guitar," you can only get it as an import in the US, which means even on Amazon.com it will cost you $12.99, while Warchildmusic.com offers it for 2.99 pounds or approximately $5.66.
The headline makes you shudder, doesn't it? Atease and several blogs are having fun with the fact that Britney recently purchased Radiohead's debut release Pablo Honey. The real story is in the picture below, as it prompts so many questions. Who do you think is more embarrassed - Radiohead or Britney? Will Thom Yorke implode when he sees proof that the pop princess is a fan? Did she buy the CD because there is a baby on the front and thought it might be good listening for her baby? Will Britney cover "Creep"? See more of the photomontage here.
Thom Yorke occasionally lurks around on the message boards at Radiohead.com. Recently he posted a message hinting that the band is back at work on their next album. He wrote:
: Have a cookie.
THAT
would be a bad idea
hey weve started work.(speaking of cookies)
no really.
The post follows speculation that the band was on hiatus while Yorke and Jonny Greenwood work on solo efforts and other projects. Is it for real? Adriaan at Ateaseweb.com seems to believe so and that's good enough for me.
Radiohead's The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of all Time (DVD)
by Heather Huff A while back someone told Radiohead they could have their own television station. In anticipation, the band solicited short films from fans via their website and set about creating their own material while recording Hail to the Thief. The material never made it to television, but was broadcast via the internet on radiohead.tv and was just released on the band's third DVD, The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of all Time.
The 24 short films on the 110-minute DVD illustrate Radiohead's music with dark, bold strokes through primitive animation, claymation, and manipulation of inanimate objects. Their themes parallel the music of Radiohead: Kafka-esque living, melancholy, and chaos (there's even a warning that the excessive blinking and flashing throughout the DVD may induce epileptic seizures). Though, if at all possible, the films may be darker than Radiohead's music -- they are certainly scarier. There are fang-brandishing monkeys, crows with glowing eyes who are murdered en masse, possessed baby-dolls singing about "freak juice," and levitating humans who spin around in the Karate Kid stance. It may sound like a big mess, but each film is surprisingly accomplished for amateurs and fits well with the soundtrack.
The Radiohead footage gives a glimpse of the band in the studio, though much more of Thom Yorke than anyone else. There is an intimate clip of Yorke with an acoustic guitar singing Morning M'Lord, also known as Good Morning Mr. Magpie, a song whose status as unreleased defies explanation. Also included is an alternate version of There, There, with Yorke on guitar and Jonny Greenwood on bass. I had always believed the big drums were what made the song a standout on their latest album, but apparently I was wrong; this version is every bit as good as the one on HTTT. Greenwood's bass line is just as powerful as the three-man drum section on the album version, though perhaps wielded with more finesse. Other musical bonuses include: Yorke alone on the piano singing A Punch Up at a Wedding, Yorke again alone on piano singing Fog to a small crowd, and an amphitheater performance of National Anthem -- though you won't see the band at all, you'll be looking at close up of some poor girl's face the whole time.
Radiohead also adds a bits of nonsense throughout. A scary looking figure calling himself Chieftan Mews introduces each episode and closes the DVD with a recitation of No Surprises. My guess is that this chieftan is a doctored photograph with Ed O'Brien's moving mouth superimposed, but who knows? It's all nonsensical. Yorke gives a couple of interviews with the voice of a drugged monster, while O'Brien answers most of his interview questions with a loud squawk. There's also a clip of O'Brien dressed as Santa Claus and reading a Christmas story. You'll probably question their sanity, but it's refreshing to see this veteran band goofing off and not taking themselves too seriously.
What's with that name? According to Thom, it is the name of a photomontage created by German artist James Heartfield, who changed his name from Helmut Herzfelde to protest German Nationalism. Heartfield manipulated photographs to make artistic statements, most notably against Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. It's a big jump to say that in selecting this name Radiohead paints themselves as Heartfield and certain leaders of today as Nazis, but then you wouldn't be too surprised, would you? Regardless, you can count on the DVD delivering the band's trademark not-so-subtle political statements.
The overall experience of the DVD is overwhelming, scary and downright trippy. Diehard Radiohead fans will love it, while casual listeners will probably lose their patience. Stick with it though because like Radiohead's music it is a cohesive, well-constructed package and something you'll understand more with each experience. The short films are inspired and the Radiohead footage alone justifies purchase, even if it is hard to get your hands on. You can only buy the DVD through Radiohead's archaic website, which means those of you outside the UK will pay a hefty fee for shipping and those of you in the US will get killed on the exchange rate. The damage for shipment to the US is around $30. You can watch the trailer and order the DVD here.
The All Points West Music & Arts Festival which will take place this upcoming weekend at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey has released the set times for the three day festival.
All good things must come to an end. Fans wishing to take advantage of Radiohead's potentially industry-changing pricing system will only have until December 10th to name their price for In Rainbows.
Radiohead's management has refuted the reports that more than 60% of the people who downloaded In Rainbows opted against paying anything for the album. “In response to purely speculative figures announced in the press regarding the number of downloads and the price paid for the album, the group’s representatives would like to remind people that, as the album could only be downloaded from the band’s website, it is impossible for outside organisations to have accurate figures on sales.” Radiohead further claims that the figures quoted by comScore are inaccurate and and fail to reflect the true market intelligence of their innovative pricing system.
Oasis is reportedly mulling whether or not to "pull a Radiohead" and allow fans to download songs directly from their own site. Oasis, like Radiohead, certainly has a big enough base of supporters to release a record without the help of a traditional "record label." The question is do they have a loyal enough fan base, as Radiohead does, to get them to pay at least something for the music. Of course, as explored below, they may not care. But, let's first tackle the "freebie" issue as it concerns the Radiohead model.
Apparently no one has told Brandon Flowers that Radiohead is one of the best bands in the world and have gotten to that pinnacle by doing things their own way. Flowers thinks they should deviate from their artistic desires and write more "pop" songs. He's reported as saying "He should feel grateful that he's been given the gift to write pop songs - which he needs to write again."
The annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Held in Manchester, Tennessee, which saw over 70,000 concert-goers last year, has completely sold out all 80,000 advance tickets. According to 
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has been working on a solo project, but wants to make it clear to fans that he's not even considering leaving what many top musicians say is the best band in the world.
The band Bono calls the best in the world took top honors for best album of the last 20 years as compiled by SPIN magazine. I certainly have no quarrel with that.
