FISTFULAYENRadiohead – Scotch Mist
Forget about how they gave the record away and let people pay what they want. Just check the songwriting, the performance, the BAND:
These guys are at the top of their game. I don’t agree with Mick that this is a weak release. I’d rather hear these songs than anything on OK Computer today. They’re seasoned pros with nothing to prove. They’re just doing what they do. It’s beautiful to watch.
The press is getting it wrong. It’s not that they’re setting out to change the music industry. They’re doing what comes naturally: making their art, connecting with their fans. They’re just using the tools that are at their disposal, taking off the rules and doing what feels right. And by doing that they *are* the new music business, because that’s what all artists will do. And what will separate good from bad won’t be access to distribution anymore, it’ll be if the art is any good or not, if it CONNECTS with people.
I’m sick of people saying “oh that’ll only work for Radiohead, it’s not the new model for the industry”. Those people need to stop look for the silver bullet, stop looking at what Radiohead is doing *specifically* and look at the paragraph above. The muse they are following *will* work for others, even if the execution is different. If the art doesn’t connect with people it doesn’t stand a chance, though.
Quality and relevance rules the future of media.
Like I said, it’s beautiful to watch someone getting it so right, from the music to the ideology to the execution. Please don’t read too little into it.
Buy the $80 discbox
Buy the MP3s from Amazon
Buy the US CD release for $8
ian
john wrote:
the youtube link doesn’t work anymore. go here for all the performances. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=radiohead
cheers
Posted 02 Jan 2008 at 9:56 am ¶
Jonathan wrote:
I love Radiohead, but I’m not feeling that I need to listen to this album multiple times. It’s rare that I want to listen to any album more than once, but maybe I’ve heard too much.
I think I’m an anomaly…I loved “Kid A” best. Go figure.
Posted 02 Jan 2008 at 3:12 pm ¶
jonathan wrote:
Totally agree that this is the start for the new model of the music industry. And in fact, I think it actually *won’t* work as well for bigger acts like Radiohead, who have come to define success as dropping a record and raking in massive amounts of cash.
Instead, this is the way that smaller acts, who are used to having to hustle for their money by touring and selling merch and who consider success merely being able to make a decent living doing something they love, will be able to take market- and mind-share away from the major label acts who have exploited the labels’ historical choke-hold on mainstream distribution.
IMHO the quintessential example of this shift is the difference between how Trent Reznor, an artist used to selling millions of CDs, and Saul Williams, an artist used to having to open for bigger acts just to get a proper gig, have both viewed the results of their Radiohead-esque release of Saul’s latest album. This interview is a great read and I think Saul represents the prototypical music artist of the future: http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9848536-7.html
Posted 12 Jan 2008 at 12:57 pm ¶
Chris b. wrote:
Radiohead is at a point in their career where they don’t have to prove anything to anybody. Those who are true fans will find something fascinating about their craft. IN RAINBOWS is true genius! Those who know will go.
Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 2:14 pm ¶