Song o' the Week #28

Donovan and I took an impromptu drive up to Cornell to visit Bishop, as well as to see some bands including The Rural Alberta Advantage, Deer Tick and Hold Steady tomorrow. On the drive up, we played every Radiohead album from The Bends to In Rainbows. I felt like I needed to post this song because it was right when our excitement was at the peak, before it slowly formed into frustration.

Radiohead- A Punch Up At A Wedding (No No No No No No No No)
iTunes / amazon

-Chandler

Song o' The Week #25

It's been a long time since a song o' the week for two reasons. One is that there actually hasn't been a song that's captivated me for most of a week lately, but also because work takes up a lot more time and energy than school does. So when classes start again you can count on rather steady song o' the weeks. If that's what you guys look for.

Anyway, I listened to this song before we left for VT, and it was stuck in my head the whole time. Incidentally, I heard it when I listened to Thom Yorkes solo set from the Latitude Fest the other day, but have the earlier recording from I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings basically on repeat. The more I listen the more I feel like it's becoming one of my favorite Radiohead songs. Yorke's voice just sounds so sincere and vulnerable as he's pleading throughout the song, I can't help but fall in love with it. Can you?


Radiohead- True Love Waits (Acoustic)
iTunes / amazon

-Chandler

Some Radiohead?

I've recently been trying to suck up as much Radiohead as I can, especially b-sides and EP's. I figured I'd post a few of them here to not only sway someone to fall in love with Radiohead, but also to show their amazing versatility.

Photo from Dead Air Space

Radiohead- Worrywort
"Worrywort" is off the Amnesiac b-sides and the Knives Out single. It's not only my favorite track that didn't make one of their albums, it's up there with my favorite tracks of their entire collection. Everything about it is so fleeting, and it's almost like after you listen to it just sort of floats away. Just me? Alright.
iTunes / amazon

Radiohead- The Amazing Sounds of Orgy
I get really weird imagery when I hear this song. Like corpses coming back to life and dancing around Yorke as he sings. Especially towards the end, I can just picture a bunch of goblins and ghouls on puppet strings eerily moving about. Just me again? Anyway, it too is off the Amnesiac b-sides and the Pyramid Song single, and I adore it.
iTunes / amazon

Radiohead- Gagging Order
Going in a completely different direction, "Gagging Order" is a much softer song than the one above, but just as much satisfying. As one of the few good songs off the Com Lag EP, this is a breathe of fresh air in comparison to the regular Radiohead sound. It just goes to show, Yorke + acoustic = money. But then again, Yorke + anything = money.
iTunes / amazon

DEAD AIR SPACE
Radiohead MySpace

-Chandler

RADIOHEAD RECORDING NEW ALBUM

"So we wanted to do it as it was meant to be seen – darker and louder."

Now if you've read f/k for a while, you very well may know that Radiohead, collectively, is our favorite band. This means that hearing news of them getting back in the recording studio is mind-blowing, especially since they usually take more time between albums.

Not much has been said, all we know is what bassist Colin Greenwood has told us in this interview with BBC.

In light of this fantastic news, I will leave you with an overdub of two great songs, Radiohead's "15 Step" and Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Take Five". Enjoy.

Radiohead/Dave Brubeck Quartet - Five Step

-Bishop-

Song & Your LOL Moment o' the Week

Along with the 19th installment of Song o' the Week comes a really great LOL moment. The song o' the week has been a brief hiatus, but I'm glad to say it's back. Until I run out of material. Anyway, this is a Radiohead-themed post, so I hope that's not a problem. Donovan and I had the pleasure of seeing Marissa Nadler a while back, and her voice is just as haunting live as it is in studio. Which fits "No Surprises" perfectly.

Marissa Nadler- No Surprises (Radiohead Cover)
Marissa Nadler MySpace / Website

Now to the real reason for the post. Donovan pointed out that when Conan started in 1993, his musical guest the first night was none other than Radiohead. What makes this great is not only young Conan, but check out the hair on Thom.


Radiohead - Creep (Conan O'Brien 1993) from Guillermo Delicia on Vimeo.

Also, 38 days until Conan returns.

-Chandler

Radiohead + Brubeck = Five Step

This mash-up of Radiohead and Dave Brubeck is really something. It features two songs that were made for each other: “15 Step” and “Take Five.” They fit togetha like peanut butta and jellay to make "Five Step." The moment that the saxophone comes in, you start to wonder if you’ll ever listen to the original again. I hope you enjoy.

Radiohead vs. Dave Brubeck - Five Step (Overdub Bootleg)

Overdub on MySpace

-Chris

I Have It All Here On Videotape

This post has no other purpose then letting me shout out my love for Radiohead from atop a mountain, but unfortunately I don't have a mountain. What I do have though, is the internet and, of course, this lovely blog. So for everybody out there reading this, let it be known, "I Love Radiohead!"

Now, with releasing six critically acclaimed albums, from 1995's The Bends to 2007's In Rainbows and in between releasing arguably one of the greatest albums of all time, with 1997's OK Computer Radiohead has solidified themselves in the argument for greatest band of all time.They have composed masterpieces from "Karma Police" and "Paranoid Android" to "15 Step" and "The National Anthem", and can also be considered one of the most influential bands of our time.

I'd like to go off record and say that "Videotape", the closing track off In Rainbows, is my favorite Radiohead song. I am saying it off the record because it changes as often as Chandler's diaper, and so I very well may change my mind before I finish this post.

"Videotape" strips Radiohead of their home field advantage, consisting of numerous layers of intricately woven melodies and counter-melodies. It exposes them and gives them a sense of vulnerability. And let me tell you, they show that they can strive in any environment. Yorke's vocal frighten and calm simultaneously. The spectrum of frequencies that the timbral piano excretes chills the body as if a light feather has gently crawled up your spine. As Yorke's layered vocals start to blend, emotions begin to swirl around the body and once the verse returns they begin to align as if to shoot you upward, ascending you to unsurmountable heights, where the narrator starts the song.

I could go into heavy detail about every moment in every song that I find fascinating, but I don't have that kind of time and I highly doubt any of you would read all of it. Many of the people who view this post very well may just be here to watch the video and/or download the mp3, but for those of you who made it this far, I appreciate you took the time to hear [read] what I have to say. Hopefully since you read this you will enjoy and appreciate the music that much more than those who didn't.



Radiohead - Videotape
Buy Album: iTunes
Visit Radiohead's website (Good luck navigating through it!)

-Bishop

Music Movies Monday #4

I've decided to have a Radiohead edition of MMM, because they deserve it. We're going to start off with the most obvious music movie, last night's stellar performance of "15 Step," when Thom and Johnny were accompanied by the USC marching band. Donning those awesome Radiohead shirts, the band turned in as great a performance as Yorke and Greenwood, and the trombones playing the bass part was just fantastic. Although, I'm sure the people at the Grammys would have instead liked to have seen another performance by Coldplay, the greatest band on EARTH!




Next up is one of my favorite music videos of all time, the video for "Just." I get chills every time at the last scene. What does he say?!



Last year Radiohead let their fans make music videos for a couple of their songs, and this one was my favorite/weirdest. Tobias Stretch must have worked for countless hours making this, and it is just flat out weird.



Finally, what Radiohead video post would be complete without this?



There are so many other great videos of them, but I think the post is long enough as it is.

-Chandler

Jay-Z + Radiohead = Jaydiohead

Yes, it's true. A DJ that calls himself Minty Fresh Beats has created the ultimate mashup album. It's called Jaydiohead, a collection of songs in which he lays Jay-Z vocals over Radiohead songs. My good friend Pat Martucci had me listen to it this afternoon and I'm hooked. The best part is that the album is totally free. You can download it right here in a variety of formats. For those of you that are all about instant gratification, I've posted the song, "Dirt Off Your Android" below. It's incredible how well these mashups work; Minty Fresh Beats splices and dices the original audio to create the perfect marriage of rap and rock. Enjoy.

Jaydiohead - Dirt Off Your Android

Minty Fresh Beats MySpace Page

Download Jaydiohead Album Free


-Chris

Why Microsoft!? Why!?

Some of you may or may not have heard of Microsoft's newest program, Songsmith, but if you have you know what a terrible idea it is. The program allows a person to sing something and it will create a background for it with chord changes and all. This just goes to show how lazy and uncreative people are getting. Now, no longer will Brittney Spears will no longer need to hire people to write her songs, all she needs is Songsmith (although she'll probably need someone to sing into the computer still). The last time I checked, music is in existence so people can express themselves in their own, unique way. It is also a timely process that requires a lot of talent to make things come together, have the outcome be something worthwhile. But now Songsmith has come along and it is killing any creative spirits that are left. Now don't get me wrong, I am all for technological advance, but Microsoft has stepped into territory that they shouldn't have.

Now, this first video is a legitimate add for this new program, it's so bad that at first I thought it was a parody, but no, it is not. Brace Yourself!


Although this is a sub-par, and over-played Radiohead song, this is what Songsmith came up for as a background when Yorke's vocals were played into it. I also put up the mp3 of the original Creep at the bottom, so you can compare notes. Again, brace yourself.


Go ahead, give it a whirl.

Radiohead - Creep
Buy Song: iTunes

-Bishop

Song o' the Week #4

The real song of the week for me was "Summertime Clothes" off Animal Collective's upcoming LP Merriweather Post Pavilion, but even if I attempted to upload it I'm sure Web Sheriff would find a way to take it down. So, alas, a different track must be selected.

Thom Yorke's debut album The Eraser was released in '06 to mixed reviews, which is reasonable considering how parts of the album sound like decent Kid A rejects. Closely related to the familiar Radiohead sound, Yorke's solo effort is reminiscent of past material, just a little more electronic. The standout track is "Black Swan" which sounds like it could have a been on In Rainbows, with it's digital sounding drum beat and minimalistic guitar. The addition of great lyrics make this song a great little addition to the Radiohead fan's music library. And I chose that picture of Thom because I wonder what happened to make him look so miserable.


Thom Yorke- Black Swan


-Chandler

Radiohead song made better!?

I have recently run across a great new a artist by the name of Son Lux. NPR's All Songs Considered have named this kid, Ryan Lott, their best new artist of 2008, and I am beginning to see why. I have had his CD, At War With Walls & Mazes, on repeat for the past few days and this undefininable music has stirred emotions that I didn't even know existed.

After searching Hype for more of his stuff, I ran across his remix of Radiohead's Nude. I have never really been a big fan of remixes for several reasons, but a Radiohead remix is even more unsettling to me because how can you make it any better? Son Lux has proven me wrong. His take on Nude is timeless, it keeps all the great elements of the original while sprinkling some of his own brilliant ideas on top. Give it a listen.


Radiohead - Nude (Son Lux Remix)



-Bishop