Thom Yorke isn’t happy about it, but this month his band’s former label is going to release a retrospective package in several formats called Radiohead: The Best Of. “It’s like when you move house: you don’t want to peer through the window and see what they’ve done with the wallpaper because it will only upset you,” Yorke said. But it’s not all bad news. The release gives us an opportunity to look back at some of the band’s video highpoints from the past 15 years.
Directed by Brett Turnbull
Radiohead’s first shot was a marvel on an otherwise generic album but offered a taste of things to come with the static-charged guitar riffs in the middle, Yorke’s otherworldly falsetto at the end, and the song’s blatant grousing about anything and everything throughout. This video, though, is pretty much generic too.
Directed by Jake Scott
Possibly the prettiest four-minutes the group willingly committed to tape, this song from The Bends came with a hyper vivid video of little baby Thom getting pushed around in a supermarket shopping cart while throwing a bunch of hissy fits. It should have been the trailer for Meeting People Is Easy.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
The great leap forward, this fairly straightforward single was plucked form the otherwise disorienting and claustrophobic classic, OK Computer. “This is what you get when you mess with us,” Yorke sang. The video portrays him in a car about to run over some poor old geezer on a dark country road until–spoiler alert!–the Karma Police step in.
Directed by Shynola
Now things start to get really weird. The band disappears completely from this stark piano ballad–at least for the first few minutes–along with its video that just features a formless figure swimming in the most cluttered ocean ever. They should really call one of those home makeover shows for that.
Directed by Chris Hopewell
Stop-motion Thom wanders through a dense forest looking a lot like a hobbit and happening upon all sorts of weird little critter happenings. What’s really odd is how the surreal images fit so well with the propulsive, menacing grooves of this Hail To The Thief standout–especially if you’re wasted.
Though many high profile bands have openly used alternatives to fossil fuels for their stadium tours, Radiohead is the first to ask fans to consider their transportation methods, and offer incentives to fans who try to reduce their carbon footprints.
Radiohead is one of the first high profile bands to commission a study from Best Foot Forward to definitively determine what the greater pollutants of touring might be. Best Foot Forward analyzed transportation methods both Radiohead and their fans for their stadium and theater tours in 2003 and 2006 (view a copy of the report here).
So, what is the biggest kick to the earth when it comes to stadium shows–those giant buses? The price of beer? Radiohead weren’t afraid to ask. Sadly, fans, it’s you. The 36 page report shows that fans’ travel to and from the shows accounted for the greatest proportion of the CO2 generated during each tour.
Following the report’s recommendations, Radiohead are encouraging fans to consider public transport where available, or to carpool. They don’t want you to stay home…just to think and consider reducing CO2 emissions where possible. Some of the venues have also helped by offering incentives to fans coming by public transport or in a car filled with fellow fans.
After the next Radiohead tour, the band will invite ticket holders to submit information on their methods of travel so further research can be done on carbon emissions and methods to reduce them–the ultimate in nerdy fan fun. Radiohead’s production team also plans to post news updates on how the band is trying to reduce their own carbon emissions on tour without losing any of the sound and fury that stadium shows typically demand.
Radiohead’s upcoming North American tour is sold out in many cities. For more info and ticket availability, check
www.radiohead.com/tourdates.
May 5th - Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL
May 6th - Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
May 8th - Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA (Sold Out)
May 9th - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC (Sold Out)
May 11th - Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge, Bristow, VA Sold Out(Sold Out)
May 14th - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, St Louis, MO
May 17th - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX (Sold Out)
May 18th - Superpages.com Center, Dallas, TX Sold Out
August 1st - Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago, IL
August 3rd - Verizon Wireless Music Center, Indianapolis, IN
August 4th - Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH
August 6th - Parc Jean Drapeau, Montreal, Quebec
August 8th - All Points West Festival Liberty State Park, New York
August 9th - All Points West Festival Liberty State Park, New York
August 12th - Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden NJ
August 13th - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA
August 15th - Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, Ontario (Sold Out)
August 19th - Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver, BC (Sold Out)
August 20th - White River Amphitheatre, Auburn, WA (Sold Out)
August 22nd - Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco, CA
August 24th - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California (Sold Out)
August 25th - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California (Sold Out)
August 27th - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
August 28th - Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA (Sold Out)
Don’t have time to search out this week’s essential MP3s, streams and viral videos? That’s why we’re here.
Radiohead: “All I Need (Live at the BBC)”
The best track from In Rainbows gets a faithful makeover in front of a reverent BBC audience. But listen closely and you can quietly hear Thom Yorke baring his soul on the lyric, “I’m an animal/ Trapped in your hot car.”
(via Six Eyes Media)
MP3: all_i_need.mp3
Dizzee Rascal “Sirens (Acid Girls Can Hear It Too Remix)”
As if this British rapper’s thick-accented rhymes weren’t mind-blowing enough, someone has gone and turned this song into full-tilt old school rave anthem. Anybody have a glo-stick we can borrow?
(via Online Home)
Flight of the Conchords “Business Time”
The funniest HBO singing comedy duo since Tenacious D delivers the least sexy slow-jam ever, plucked from its forthcoming Sub Pop album. We so want to hear R. Kelly cover this.
(via Julio Enriquez)
The Kooks “Always Where I Need”
The only flop-haired U.K. band worth keeping around, The Kooks return with another deceptively scrappy rock tune featuring chugging guitars and a shout-it-from-the-rooftops chorus.
(via Done Waiting)
Cut Copy “Lights and Music”
With its dizzying beats and driving bassline, this New Order-ish track is capable of transporting you to a booming nightclub without ever having to leave your couch. What are you going to do with the 15 bucks you just saved?
(via Sean Ryan Online)
Hayes Carll “I Got a Gig”
While Ryan Adams busies himself trying to win his model ex-girlfriend back with sniveling blog posts, the rest of the world can move on this Texan songwriter whose Townes Van Zandt style of barroom rock sounds so authentic it’s kind of freaking us out.
(via Left Over Cheese)
MP3: I_Got_A_Gig.mp3
Tina Dico “On the Run”
The occasional Zero 7 collaborator and full-time Danish pop star breaks out of her down-tempo shell, convincingly rocking out on this burly new track from her latest solo album, Count To Ten.
(via box.net)
MP3: 0as94ovswg.mp3
It’s hard to choose just one summer festival on which to blow your George W. Bush-endorsed tax rebate check, but the decision just got a little easier now that the likes of Beck, Wilco, Broken Social Scene, Devendra Banhart and Cold War Kids have jumped onboard the certifiably eclectic lineup of San Francisco’s first Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. Set to take place August 22-24 at Golden Gate Park, the three-day concert also boasts previously announced headliners Radiohead, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Jack Johnson, as well as a slew of Bay Area locals such as Matt Nathanson, The Coup, Goapele, Dredg and Two Gallants. Tickets, priced at $225.50 (plus fees) for the three days, will go on sale Sunday, March 30 at 10am PST. Visit www.sfoutsidelands.com for details including ticketing information and the full lineup.