New Radiohead Album

[saget]

http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/

 

http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Quickindex.html

 

It's called 'In Rainbows' and it comes out in 10 days. Which was yesterday, so now it's only 9 days.

 

What makes this album even more awesome; besides the fact that it's FRIGGIN' RADIOHEAD!!!!!!111, is that you don't have to pay anything for it if you don't want to. Read this article from TIME about it. They're better at word writing than me. It's a little long, but it's worth it.

 

Roughly 12,000 albums are released in an average year, so the announcement late Sunday night that the new Radiohead record, In Rainbows, will be out Oct. 10 is not itself big news. Sure, Radiohead is on a sustained run as the most interesting and innovative band in rock, but what makes In Rainbows important - easily the most important release in the recent history of the music business - are its record label and its retail price: there is none, and there is none.

 

In Rainbows will be released as a digital download available only via the band's web site, Radiohead.com. There's no label or distribution partner to cut into the band's profits - but then there may not be any profits. Drop In Rainbows' 15 songs into the on-line checkout basket and a question mark pops up where the price would normally be. Click it, and the prompt "It's Up To You" appears. Click again and it refreshes with the words "It's Really Up To You" - and really, it is. It's the first major album whose price is determined by what individual consumers want to pay for it. And it's perfectly acceptable to pay nothing at all.

 

Radiohead's contract with EMI/Capitol expired after its last record, Hail to the Thief, was released in 2003; shortly before the band started writing new songs, singer Thom Yorke told TIME, "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'F___ you' to this decaying business model." On Sunday night, guitarist Jonny Greenwood took to Radiohead's Dead Air Space blog and nonchalantly announced, "Hello everyone. Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days. We've called it In Rainbows. Love from us all."

 

While many industry observers speculated that Radiohead might go off-label for its seventh album, it was presumed the band would at least rely on Apple's iTunes or United Kingdom-based online music store 7digital for distribution. Few suspected the band members had the ambition (or the server capacity) to put an album out on their own. The final decision was apparently made just a few weeks ago, and, when informed of the news on Sunday, several record executives admitted that, despite the rumors, they were stunned. "This feels like yet another death knell," emailed an A&R executive at a major European label. "If the best band in the world doesn't want a part of us, I'm not sure what's left for this business."

 

Labels can still be influential and profitable by focusing on younger acts that need their muscle to get radio play and placement in record stores - but only if the music itself remains a saleable commodity. "That's the interesting part of all this," says a producer who works primarily with American rap artists. "Radiohead is the best band in the world; if you can pay whatever you want for music by the best band in the world, why would you pay $13 dollars or $.99 cents for music by somebody less talented? Once you open that door and start giving music away legally, I'm not sure there's any going back."

 

The ramifications of Radiohead's pay-what-you-want experiment will take time to sort out, but for established artists at least, turning what was once their highest value asset - a much buzzed-about new album - into a loss leader may be the wave of the future. Even under the most lucrative record deals, the ones reserved for repeat, multi-platinum superstars, the artists can end up with less than 30% of overall sales revenue (which often is then split among several band members). Meanwhile, as record sales decline, the concert business is booming. In July, Prince gave away his album 3121 for free in the U.K. through the downmarket Mail on Sunday newspaper. At first he was ridiculed. Then he announced 21 consecutive London concert dates - and sold out every one of them.

 

 

I'll pay $5.

[bigredrobbo]

Put me down for $5 if it sounds like Kid A

$10 if it sounds more like Amnesiac

and $20 if it somehow channels The Bends and OK Computer...

[And That]

The article is incorrect in that the new album proper only has 10 tracks, not 15. If you want the bonus material of 8 more tracks, you have to buy the "discbox" which contains a vinyl copy of the album and a CD of the album and bonus tracks, plus some digital photography or something. That costs a very nonnegotiable £40 (~$81 w/shipping).

[saget]

I'd pay the $80 willingly.

 

I listened to the spool of new songs they had in their blog where it was like 5 second clips of all their new songs and a lot of those 5 seconds were very cool.

 

Yeah.

[bigredrobbo]

Y'know, paying for music is a heck of a lot more palatable when you realize that the money is mostly going to the people that made it rather than the "pimps" in suits who'll drop a band like a brick the second their sales look like dipping.

[brettac1]

This is awesome... more bands should do this kind of thing to stick it to their labels. It's not like they make much of anything on a CD, anyhow, and it isn't like Radiohead needs advertising. Record labels suck, Radiohead rulez.

 

Totally out of nowhere, too. I remember myself and Toby being bummed out a while back when it wasn't going to come out until next year, and then all of a sudden it's out in a week and a half. Great news!

[JoeHova]

let's come up with a board consensus of how much to pay.

 

an artist usually get's about $1.50 per album, from what I've heard. So, I was thinking somewhere between $5-10. (of course you have to pay in pounds, so make sure you convert). I'm leaning towards $6, which would be quadruple normal, but is that too little?

 

I tried to buy it this morning, but their site was down.

[LS Brewer]

What a terrific idea. I have been a fan of Radiohead since Pablo Honey and was wondering when the new album would arrive. This makes the anticipation even greater.

[saget]

Just an update here.

 

Radiohead's idea was such a success that Oasis and Jamiroquai are following suite.

 

Now Jamiroquai and Oasis, two major names that are not contracted to a record labels, are rumoured to be considering following Radiohead by offering work for free, according to industry sources.

Not that those are two really big bands, but it's cool to see.

[Schlitz001]

I like the way this is headed, but I like a tangible CD when I buy music. Hopefully I can still run to the local record store and plop down $15 if I want to.

[brettac1]

You will be able to do so in December. This is basically just the band controlling when the album leaks.

[RU Rah Rah]

I think I am going to go in the $5 or $6 range.

[JonnyLungs]

I paid 3.50 pounds plus the 45 pence processing fee.

[Chio151]

Lovely idea really, an advanced leak and you pay what you want. I'd be curious to see how this effects their overall revenue by album. My guess: it goes up.

 

More bands need to change the channel like this. Pearl Jam began offering all concert CDs downloadable from their website, which I thought was a great step. The band controlls the release and quality of their own bootlegs.

 

Oh, and Kid A is worth at least $20.

[brettac1]

You know, you can choose to pay $0.00, and have no processing fee at all. Not that I did, but it can be done that way.

 

Honestly, I've been telling everyone I know that is a casual Radiohead fan to go that route, and that they have zero excuse for not hearing this record. You can get it for free and the band is cool with that.

 

Side note - has anyone gotten an e-mail with an activation code, yet? I'm curious as to whether October 10th is America's October 10th (about 9 hours from now) or the UK's (about 3 hours from now).

[pogokat]

2 pounds .45 p is like 5 or 6 buckks...considering i'll probaably buy this agin, its a fair price

[saget]

Well it's out. I got it, but it's only 160kbs. It's not a big deal, but it's sort of a low bitrate.

 

It's not a problem for me, as I will be buying the discbox as well.

[And That]

I still haven't gotten the email telling me where to download it. Booo.

[saget]

I still haven't gotten the email telling me where to download it. Booo.

Really? I got mine right away at like 12:30am last night.

 

[And That]

I finally got it 2 hours ago, and it was lodged in my spam folder. Yahoo, I curse your name.

[saget]

This album is pretty amazing. I just listened to it once through for the first time and there was only 1 song that I didn't care for.

 

I can't wait till it releases on CD in December so I can get the other 8 songs.

 

I'm really diggin' it so far.

[brettac1]

Wow, Toby, I have Yahoo! Mail and it went to my inbox.

 

Also, I think the reason it's in 160 is so that you'll buy the thing. I would have loved to have gotten to download it in FLAC, but then it would have been the same as the album, so what incentive would there be for me to get it other than to get the cover art and liner notes?

 

I'm really hoping that the other songs that are in the discbox come as a special edition bonus disc, or something.

[iluvlamp]

Ahhh new Radiohead. First mundane thoughts. "15 step": Started like garbage but is musically excellent now 2 minutes in..C+

"Bodysnatchers": Interesting guitar play. Like the ending more then the whole. B.

"Nude": Thom singing at his best. Great guitar overlays and nice back-up vocals by Ed. Radiohead at their best. Not unlike "You and Whose Army" which is one of my all-time favorites. A.

"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi": Drumming is excellent as always. Song seems disjointed to me. Not bad. C.

"All I Need": Just OK. Nothing memorable but a nice song. C.

"Faust Arp": Great Johnny string arrangements as always. Really like this song a lot. Great lyrics. A+

"Reckoner": Didn't really care for it. D.

"House of Cards": Cheesy opening line. Like the music though. Rather boring to me. C.

"Jigsaw Falling Into Place": Love the ominous beginning. Love the timings in the song. Love the build up and love this song. A+. Classic.

"Videotape": This song is whatever to me. It's not bad but the piano gets annoying unlike others songs they have made like this. C.

 

I paid roughly 10 dollars and feel I got my money back. Overall I would say a B- to B album. Those are my random stupid mullings.

 

Please add-on if you want because I just want to listen right now...This isn't a lamp blog I guess:).

 

edited again to say..I could very well end loving everything..just my first thoughts!http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/wink.gif

[saget]

Track 5 (All I Need) is pretty amazing. My god.

[pogokat]

i think its very nice...radiohead albums need to grow...i'm still figuring out eraser, so it may be a while before i reaaly get into this...but i like it alot thus far