FROM
TO
As the music industry tries to salvage itself by suing pre-teens and attempting to establish a death grip over the Mp3 format, Radiohead has greased things up for major record labels.
How?
Because they don’t belong to one.
Authenticity has kept Radiohead one click left of being regarded as a full blown rock band. But somewhere between sad-bastard howls and landscape melodies, there lies intelligent design. And now, with the release of In Rainbows, a once a divisive and experimental hit-or-miss with audiences has become an aural enterprise that we can all stand behind.
Why?
Because they’ll let you pay whatever you want for their new album.
Rather than simply sticking with what works, Thom Yorke and his band of electronic troubadours have continued to push their own envelope. Since 1993 they have used each album as a step in their own evolution. Radiohead has been able to succeed where many have failed: A positive correlation between an increase in uniquity and popularity.
Their new album is no exception. The sonic evolution from Hail to the Thief (2003) to the 2007 release In Rainbows sounds as natural as the transition of monkey to man. Hundreds of subtle changes and adaptations over the past four years have brought this quiet storm into full bodied British thunder. But what’s more is that they have positioned themselves to become the revolutionaries of modern music.
When EMI’s contract with Radiohead expired in 2003, it made them the most popular free agent in the industry. For a group of guys who know how to rock a lap-top, this allowed them an opportunity to tout their big experimental balls.
On September 30th, John Greenwood announced the new album on the band’s blog. Set for release on October 10th, Radiohead cut out the middle-man, created a web page called InRainbows.com and launched their album from Greenwood’s kitchen – allowing fans to download the whole album for whatever price they want.
Greenwood told Rolling Stone Magazine,
"We’re feeling a bit dazed from it all…It’s so mad that you can sit in your kitchen and launch this insanity…but [the album] seems to have gotten
everywhere."
Sound crazy?
It’s not.
The band stands to make more money than they ever would have under a contract, regardless of how much each fan chooses to pay for the album. More importantly, it establishes Radiohead as the peoples champion, the Anti-Metallica. We finally have a true contender in the fight for musical liberation.
Is the album good? I wouldn’t know. I don’t really listen to Radiohead.
But now I have good reason to.
1 comment:
EMI?
Sounds like a Sex Pistols swindle to me....
Post a Comment