Umm. Wow.
Creep from Matthijs_Vlot on Vimeo.
Archives For Radiohead
A couple of weeks ago I spent $130 really well, and wasted another $130 at the same time. Robyn and I went to see Radiohead.
This video has some language in it. But it’s pretty much how what she experienced one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. It’s amazing what sitting next to somebody who is experiencing the same event you’re enjoying in this manner does to you…
Meanwhile, I was watching something more like this… (skip to 1:44:08, I can’t get the timed embed code thing to work…)
This has been bouncing around in my brain all evening.
Partly because of the title, I’m no longer surprised when they say dumb and harmful stuff. But especially because of this line: “They don’t, they don’t speak for us”…
Here’s why they don’t speak for Christians. Christians who want to speak for Christians, and for God, have some parameters for their message that come from the Bible.
2 Corinthians 5:20
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Colossians 4:2-6
3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Romans 10:14
“14 How then will they call on him [Jesus] in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
Romans 15:18-20
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation
Luke 4:18-19 (about Jesus)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Oh yeah, and that has something to do with how Christians should think about themselves… (John 20:21)
“21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.“
There’s a lot of stuff there, and a lot that I didn’t copy and paste, about talking about Jesus, and sharing the gospel – which is talking about Jesus. Not a whole lot there about railing against people you don’t like and calling them bullies.
I am a pretty big Radiohead fan. I am thrilled to be going to see them in Brisbane at the end of this year. But I can understand the substance of Westboro Baptist’s assessment, which they put forward when justifying a protest at one of their shows this week.
“freak monkeys with mediocre tunes”
This is actually a pretty culturally engaged assessment. For many years Radiohead have used this little critter as their emblem. Unfortunately for Westboro it’s a bear, not a monkey.
Image Credit: Wikimedia
Anyway.
Here’s some more that is wrong with Radiohead. Or at least, more that Radiohead’s continued success in their post-melodic era.
“Meanwhile, God is undoing this nation and effecting all of your lives, with the moth that quietly eats the very fabric of your national garment. Radiohead is just such an event.”
And so, here is the Phelps family, with hangers on, outside Radiohead’s show in Kansas (via Pitchfork).
Paranoid Android is one of those iconic song covers that everybody who is anybody has in their repertoire. Or so it seems. This is a very cool pastiche of extant YouTube covers of Radiohead’s hit.
Apparently Radiohead loves it. Which isn’t surprising.
Radiohead has just released a new track. Called Staircase. In an interestingly Justin Bieberesque fashion. It’s available as a video before it’s available anywhere else. I love the way they’ve continued to play around with distribution.
In my alternative reality version of the present Weezer are a really cool band from the 90s who went out on a high after recording Pinkerton. Sadly, in the real world, they’ve recorded four forgettable albums since Pinkerton. Or maybe five. I don’t know.
This cover of Radiohead’s Paranoid Android from the cool 90s band Weezer is pretty awesome.
Here’s some vintage Weezer.
Radiohead. They’re a complicated band. So I’m sure you’ll appreciate this visual guide.
Via Stereogum.
It might sound a little bit like this…
All the tracks from disk one of the Essential Billy Joel, played at once. I managed about a minute.
Have you seen the film clip for the new Radiohead song Lotus Flower. No? Oh well. Watch it below, then check out this awesome shirt.
Sometimes all-caps are ok. King of Limbs is out early. Get it. Got it. Good. Lets talk (in the comments).
Slight language warning on this one… sadly it’s the line that made me choose this song to accompany this post.
“You want me, well come on and break the door down.”
Here’s my liveblog of the first listen to King Of Limbs (a title that sounds a little bit like a Stephen King novel):
Track 1: Bloom
Opens with weird rhythm. By the middle of the track the beat is starting to sound a little like raindrops on a tin roof or something. Not as listenable as early Radiohead, but typical of anything post Hail to the Thief (and by that I mean In Rainbows and Thom Yorke’s The Eraser. The raindrop effect is a little emphasised towards the end where the sound is dramatically similar to actual rain. Albeit electronic rain.
Track 2: Morning Mr Magpie
Guitars. Actual guitars. Possibly looped on something computeresque. It sounds like a proper song. Robyn says it sounds like they put an ADHD kid on the drums. Better than Bloom. I reckon. Sounds like a bit of theremin in the background. Guitar riff at one point reminds me of one of my favourite Radiohead songs. I Might Be Wrong. Though, I might be wrong.
So far it sounds like the album is set in a creepy garden.
Track 3: Little by Little
More guitars, slightly Beck-like drums. A little bit acoustic. Moving closer towards “radio single” territory. But still not quite there. Still a bit of weirdness. Sounds like some of the instruments are kitchen implements.
“Little by little, by hook or by crook… I’m such a tease and you’re such a flirt”
Very layered. I like this one best of the three. So far. I think. So does Robyn.
Track 4: Feral
Almost immediately reminds me of Like Spinning Plates. But, Like Spinning Plates performed by a DJ having some sort of fit.
This album, so far, is probably the love child of Amnesiac and In Rainbows. Neither of which are my favourite Radiohead albums – but both of which have their place. I liked it better when Radiohead were angsty loners desperate to be loved. Not self-assured loners determined to be weird.
Track 5: Lotus Flower
Robyn asks “have you played much Radiohead to me” – I have to confess “not much, but I’ve played a lot more of their old stuff than their new stuff” – because it’s true. I’d much rather play the stuff that I don’t have to explain liking than the stuff I do. We sing their old stuff on SingStar. That’s not going to happen with this album yet. But this song is nicer. Possibly single material. It’s not going to get the Sports Tonight airplay that Muse does – I think suggestions that Muse are a wannabe Radiohead are long since dead.
This song is much, much, nicer. Almost pleasant. Robyn says “they all sound the same”… this one is Bjork meets Sigur Ros.
You can watch the official clip for Lotus Flower on YouTube (which to me suggests this is the single). Thom Yorke dances like a crazy man.
When you click through to watch that on YouTube it only has 310 views. So you feel like one of the early, special, few. But it has more than 5,000 likes. Methinks something is amiss.
Track 6: Codex
Some keys. Nice. And wind chime sounds. More keys. Space age keys. A little haunting. And then an Oasisesque lyrical opening. Yorke’s voice almost sounds like Liam Gallagher in that song he did with Death In Vegas (Scorpio Rising) {youtube link}… for about a second. Robyn says “this one belongs closer to the realm of music. I really like it. Best track so far.
Track 7: Give Up The Ghost
We’re back in the garden. Birdsongs. Acoustic guitar. With rhythmic slaps. Closer to the category of “easy listening” than anything else so far. Lilting and haunting. Ghosty. Which I guess fits with the title.
Track 8: Separator
Hard to define. Much less sonically busy than the other tracks. Perhaps more optimistic.
“If you think this is over then you’re wrong”
One can only hope that they are talking about their career.
Summing up: This could well be a horror album (like a horror movie) – not a horrible album (though there are people who think that horror movies are by nature horrible). The title, and the tone of the first few tracks, is, as I mentioned, a little Stephen King. As is the graphic on the album website.
It’s a challenging album – full of the stuff that makes people not like Radiohead, but also showcasing why it is that they’re a polarising force and the verdict isn’t unanimous. Yorke’s voice is enthralling. They have the ability to create a mood and a reaction like no other band I’ve ever heard. Unless “fairy floss pink” is a mood – in which case U2 is blessed with similar abilities.
When the final track clicked over in iTunes and “My Iron Lung” started playing – I’ve got to admit – I miss the old Radiohead. But the new Radiohead is still better than 90% of the music being produced these days anyway. So I’ll stick with what they’re giving rather than sticking with nothing at all.
The King of Limbs reminded me of the only Stephen King book I’ve actually read.
Radiohead’s new album The King of Limbs is available for preorder online. I’ll get a piece of that. You?
Paranoid Android is one of my favourite Radiohead songs. Here’s Thom Yorke singing it with an acoustic guitar.
And here are Australian comedy band Tripod singing it a capella.
And here’s an 8 Bit version of the song.
And a bonus, because it was on YouTube and I saw it – here’s another one of my favourite Radiohead songs. Live.
I know Ben has a bit of a thing for posting Peanuts Comics. But there’s no monopoly on ideas in the blogosphere… is there?
And I like this one (found here). I think it explains my fixation with Radiohead.
And this tangentially related piece of street art is also pretty cool and postworthy.
Via this tumblog.
Bill Bailey is one of my favourite comedians. In the world. He’s such an incredible musical talent. Here he plays possibly the world’s first performance of Dueling Sitars, and then some “hindi-indie” – tackling Radiohead’s Creep. Indian style.
Brilliant. Amazing.
Here’s a folk song.
And a Killers take down.
And a U2 take down.
And a quite amazing burst of piano…
