Radiohead - "In Rainbows"

[Trevelyan]

For the about two of you here that may actually care, Radiohead's seventh studio album entitled "In Rainbows" is actually being released this coming Wednesday! :) They are taking a quite unique approach to releasing this album. It will only be available through online download on 10/10, and you actually get to choose the price you want to pay for it.

Also, starting December 3rd, they will send out a discbox set. Here's the info:


"Well, well, well. Radiohead, err Jonny more like it, announced that a new Radiohead album will be released on October 10th. Yes, you read it correctly. October 10th. That is next week.

It will be called In Rainbows and the way it will be released is quite interesting. First off, it will only be available on www.inrainbows.com initially. Secondly, it appears that they are releasing this album without a signed deal with a record company. Of course, many of us have been saying for years that they don't need EMI or any label.

If you go to the site now, you'll notice that there are two options for pre-ordering: Discbox and Download.

What is the difference?

DISCBOX

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/Trevelyan/inrainbows.jpg


THIS CONSISTS OF THE NEW ALBUM, IN RAINBOWS, ON CD AND ON 2 X 12 INCH HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL RECORDS. A SECOND, ENHANCED CD CONTAINS MORE NEW SONGS, ALONG WITH DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS AND ARTWORK. THE DISCBOX ALSO INCLUDES ARTWORK AND LYRIC BOOKLETS. ALL ARE ENCASED IN A HARDBACK BOOK AND SLIPCASE.

THE ALBUM DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY COMES WITH THIS PACK. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE FILE DIGITALLY FROM THE 10TH OCTOBER 2007.

DISCBOXES ARE BEING MADE TO ORDER AND ARE PRICED AT £40.00 INCLUDING POSTAGE. SHIPPING WILL BEGIN ON OR BEFORE 3RD DECEMBER 2007.

Tracklisting:
CD 1 AND VINYL
15 STEP
BODYSNATCHERS
NUDE
WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI
ALL I NEED
FAUST ARP
RECKONER
HOUSE OF CARDS
JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE
VIDEOTAPE

CD 2 AND VINYL
MK 1
DOWN IS THE NEW UP
GO SLOWLY
MK 2
LAST FLOWERS
UP ON THE LADDER
BANGERS AND MASH
4 MINUTE WARNING

DOWNLOAD
If you don't want to pay for all the extra stuff, you can simply download the songs on October 10th. How much does it cost? YOU DECIDE. Radiohead is letting you choose how much to pay. No really, it's up to you.

Tracklisting:
15 STEP
BODYSNATCHERS
NUDE
WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI
ALL I NEED
FAUST ARP
RECKONER
HOUSE OF CARDS
JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE
VIDEOTAPE"

[Wyatt_Junker]

They are contractually free to do whatever they want to at this point, but I think Ani DiFranco's sovereign approach has always been more realistic, and in the end, a better business decision; that is to say, keep feeding her fans a middle option (something tangible and cheap) short of two extremes like in this case.

What is forty pounds, like 80 US??? That's retarded. I don't care if it does come with a TV dinner, a handjob and a scraggily tuft of Yorke's asshair.

I cringe whenever the artist, who's finally experienced freedom for the first time, slips their label leash and prematurely ejaculates all over their hard work of years past. The pretend businessman, a serious play: Death of a CD Salesman. But hey, they're only disrespecting themselves which is their right to do.

IMO, value is not subjective whether its art, rent or bread. If it were, then they'd also give away free concert tix. Following that, free lunches on Fridays. And Sunday? Well, they'll come over to your house and mow your lawn, of course! I suppose socialism is nice once you have your previously won windfall carefully tucked into your subconscious mind to where you don't need to think about it anymore. Why, of course, you're an artist. Wouldn't want to be bothered by the particulars anymore. You've evolved beyond that. You occupy a nebulous corner of space now, atop an ethereal cloud. The little people can pay whatever they want.

But why am I arguing? I like their music. I will download it and not pay a cent. If that's the new economy of kindness, then consider me mean. Until someone savvy enough realizes that its okay earn your keep, I guess we'll just keep pretending how novel the new marketing is which will make all of us, I am sure, feel so good about ourselves, especially Radiohead. Yes, they are finally saints. Not just artists. I guess that's what they always wanted, to treat their fans like soup kitchen dropouts.

But I'm inserting way too much mind read here. Okay, here's the dope. Left-brained creatives aren't the best money handlers. We understand that. They are romantics, poets, noisemakers. Annoying as roomates, but fun to listen to. Sometimes it takes the RIAA to make them relevant, to get them out of their solipsist rants, slap some sense into them, get them to show up on time at events, get their hair done, rehab work if need be etc. etc. Take misfits and make them strut. It was easier in the day when you could just shoot at the fool's feet at the saloon and shout DANCE DANCE.

So, they made some albums. They always felt guilty about it perhaps due to the association to the labels, they felt they were ripping off their fans. Its an overreaction. So now, we have this overreaction. Just give the shit away. Some fans will overreact to that and send some money their way. More will not. Sooner or later, the band will understand that the world doesn't work that way, upon the good graces of a dedicated few. And fans aren't as loyal as they used to be. Shit, as their own label direct, they could peddle a CD for half of what the labels did, and still make a boatload more since they aren't just scoring off the royalty anymore(.80 cents a disc). Now, sell it for $5 and you make $4 after press costs.

But... pay no mind to me. I'm sure my viewpoint is in the minority. I am probably overstating it merely to get the point across. Okay, okay, I'll admit it. I hate Lenin and anything that resembles that bald fukker's retro economic past, and yes, those who tow the line.

We used to have a vending 'machine' at my old work. It was a cardboard box and had snacks in it. The sign read, 'Pay Using Honor System'. Well, guess what? It never balanced. Every month the inventory ~ money was always, always way off.

Value implies ownership, once you commit to it, you invest yourself into the art. Remove that, subtract a little bit of the passion from the work. If there's no skin, there's no risk and if there's no risk, there's no relationship. Not sure if loyalty can ever be had in a valueless economy. The fans will have to determine that one.

Radiohead can afford to play that game. Most little artists cannot. And at one time, Radiohead was one of them. EMI was never the enemy in that sense. But that line will not get any play.

[BabyBeastie]

Illegal downloads make it impossible to make money on CDs.

But they weren't concerned with making money on album sales. No band does that anymore.

CD's are just promotional items these days.

Radiohead will clean up with a world tour.

[Trevelyan]

They are contractually free to do whatever they want to at this point, but I think Ani DiFranco's sovereign approach has always been more realistic, and in the end, a better business decision; that is to say, keep feeding her fans a middle option (something tangible and cheap) short of two extremes like in this case.

What is forty pounds, like 80 US??? That's retarded. I don't care if it does come with a TV dinner, a handjob and a scraggily tuft of Yorke's asshair.

I cringe whenever the artist, who's finally experienced freedom for the first time, slips their label leash and prematurely ejaculates all over their hard work of years past. The pretend businessman, a serious play: Death of a CD Salesman. But hey, they're only disrespecting themselves which is their right to do.

IMO, value is not subjective whether its art, rent or bread. If it were, then they'd also give away free concert tix. Following that, free lunches on Fridays. And Sunday? Well, they'll come over to your house and mow your lawn, of course! I suppose socialism is nice once you have your previously won windfall carefully tucked into your subconscious mind to where you don't need to think about it anymore. Why, of course, you're an artist. Wouldn't want to be bothered by the particulars anymore. You've evolved beyond that. You occupy a nebulous corner of space now, atop an ethereal cloud. The little people can pay whatever they want.

But why am I arguing? I like their music. I will download it and not pay a cent. If that's the new economy of kindness, then consider me mean. Until someone savvy enough realizes that its okay earn your keep, I guess we'll just keep pretending how novel the new marketing is which will make all of us, I am sure, feel so good about ourselves, especially Radiohead. Yes, they are finally saints. Not just artists. I guess that's what they always wanted, to treat their fans like soup kitchen dropouts.

But I'm inserting way too much mind read here. Okay, here's the dope. Left-brained creatives aren't the best money handlers. We understand that. They are romantics, poets, noisemakers. Annoying as roomates, but fun to listen to. Sometimes it takes the RIAA to make them relevant, to get them out of their solipsist rants, slap some sense into them, get them to show up on time at events, get their hair done, rehab work if need be etc. etc. Take misfits and make them strut. It was easier in the day when you could just shoot at the fool's feet at the saloon and shout DANCE DANCE.

So, they made some albums. They always felt guilty about it perhaps due to the association to the labels, they felt they were ripping off their fans. Its an overreaction. So now, we have this overreaction. Just give the shit away. Some fans will overreact to that and send some money their way. More will not. Sooner or later, the band will understand that the world doesn't work that way, upon the good graces of a dedicated few. And fans aren't as loyal as they used to be. Shit, as their own label direct, they could peddle a CD for half of what the labels did, and still make a boatload more since they aren't just scoring off the royalty anymore(.80 cents a disc). Now, sell it for $5 and you make $4 after press costs.

But... pay no mind to me. I'm sure my viewpoint is in the minority. I am probably overstating it merely to get the point across. Okay, okay, I'll admit it. I hate Lenin and anything that resembles that bald fukker's retro economic past, and yes, those who tow the line.

We used to have a vending 'machine' at my old work. It was a cardboard box and had snacks in it. The sign read, 'Pay Using Honor System'. Well, guess what? It never balanced. Every month the inventory ~ money was always, always way off.

Value implies ownership, once you commit to it, you invest yourself into the art. Remove that, subtract a little bit of the passion from the work. If there's no skin, there's no risk and if there's no risk, there's no relationship. Not sure if loyalty can ever be had in a valueless economy. The fans will have to determine that one.

Radiohead can afford to play that game. Most little artists cannot. And at one time, Radiohead was one of them. EMI was never the enemy in that sense. But that line will not get any play.

Actually, I read now that they will be signing with someone not too long from now so they can release the CD in stores some time during January of '08.

[Trevelyan]

To steal a line from Wyatt, "In Rainbows" is "epically delicious."