Green Plastic Radiohead

Thom, Ed, and Colin popped in on MTV2’s Subterranean last Friday night. Some highlights were-
-Thom and Colin naming “Hey Ya” by OutKast the single of the year.
-The rarely seen Stop Whispering video.
-Thom commenting on how the crew was so bored with the setlists by the end of the European tour that they complained, so now he changes them more often.
-Ed commenting on how the band hasn’t been in a video since High & Dry.
-Thom ranting about how the record companies are using file-swapping as a scapegoat for people not buying the garbage being released.
(Thanks to Jim and At Ease.)

Atlanta’s delightfully named Creative Loafing magazine has a piece about the intellectual appeal of Radiohead’s music. An excerpt-
“Like a college curriculum, Radiohead’s discography begins with basics, influences and theory (Pablo Honey); moves through seminal concepts, weighing pros and cons (The Bends and OK Computer); and opens its scope into innovation (Kid A and beyond). Each album finds the studious Brits progressing in their path to musical enlightenment: precocious young adults producing a melange of the Pixies and the Smiths; surprise purveyors of two of the finest mortality- and technology- fearing albums of the rock era; trailblazers into an unfamiliar territory of sound and space.
“This studied progression hasn’t been without its compromises and obstacles. A decade ago, Radiohead was trying to break its single, “Creep,” off its Pablo Honey debut (an album the band barely acknowledges anymore). Back then, the eager-to-please lads lip-synched their breakout track at the MTV Beach House, while Yorke sported long bleached-blond hair. And upon the release of Kid A, disgruntled rock purists cried heresy at a band they had nearly canonized a couple years before.”
You can read the entire article here.
(Thanks to Joseph, who runs the impossibly interesting pulk-pull* site.)

In last week’s ‘Arts + Books’ section of The Daily Telegraph (UK, Saturday, 8th November 2003), in Pop’s 50 Best Duets Ever, Number 48 was PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke – This Mess We’re In (2000).
The short passage reads-
“Harvey apparently wrote this song, for her album Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea, with Radiohead’s singer in mind. Her thrummy Fender guitar chugs along on the back of a deadpan rhythm; over the top of this floats Yorke’s ethereal voice, singing of a strange fleeting encounter with a woman. Yorke does most of the singing, with Harvey joining him on the refrain, and speaking rather than singing on the last verse. The song builds inexorably, chillingly, to its bleak conclusion.
KEY MOMENT: The final verse, when Harvey speaks the words that Yorke is about to sing; the contrast between words drily spoken and hauntingly sung is compelling.” [Number 1 was Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra?s ?Some Velvet Morning? (1968).]
(Thanks to At Ease.)

Several people have written in to inform us that Radiohead will be headlining this year’s Coachella festival, scheduled to take place May 1st and 2nd in Indio, California this year. Please be aware this is still just a (highly unsubstantiated) rumor, so don’t book your plane tickets just yet.
As always, we’ll keep you posted. Stay tuned.

The w.a.s.t.e. Ticket Emporium has placed some additional tickets on sale for the November 26th show at the Earls Court Arena in London. While only individual reserved seats are available (you won’t be sitting together if you purchase more than one), it most certainly beats sitting outside.
Also, w.a.s.t.e. tickets are still for the Aberdeen show on December 1st, the Sydney show on April 24th, and the Melbourne show on April 27th.

Isn’t it interesting how you can always tell what comes from the band and what comes from the label? It’s like your boss telling you a joke…you know he thinks it’s funny, but it just…isn’t.
That, and I’ve never seen w.a.s.t.e. use “not” in the 1992/Wayne’s World sense.
4 Steps To Being A Fitter, Happier Radiohead Fan In The Winter Months:
1. Indulge your inner couch potato as the snow pours down with quality
programming brought to you by MTV2 and Radiohead. The band will
guest VJ MTV2’s Subterranean on Friday, November 14th at 1am. And
like all things MTV related, it will air repeatedly until there is no way you
could possibly miss it…accept of course if you forget to turn your television
on. Visit http://www.mtv.com/onair/mtv2/subterranean/index.jhtml
for more info.
2. This Christmas season, you could celebrate the birth of JC (and we
don’t mean Chasez!) OR you could celebrate the February 24th stateside
release of Jonny Greenwood’s score to the award winning British
documentary “Bodysong.” While the film doesn’t quite cover the Nativity scene,
we can guarantee it includes more births (among other subjects such
as death and growth) then you’ll probably ever want to see. The score,
which was written and produced by Greenwood, features jazz group
The Emperor Quartet and has a special appearance by Radiohead
bass player and big bro Colin Greenwood. Stay tuned for more info
on the U.S. release which is rumored to include additional material.
http://www.bodysong.com
3. Think the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is just for kids? Well,
we think you’re crazy but if you insist on some more “adult” alternatives
to the usual festivities then cure your Turkey induced hangover with
2 hours of Radiohead live courtesy of Westwood One. The
“Radiohead Live from Earl’s Court” special airs for the first time on
November 27, 2003 at 9:00 p.m. ET. and will run through November 30, 2003.
Please check http://www.westwoodone.com for exact dates and times.
4. Fa la la la NOT. The only song you want stuck in your head this
holiday is Idioteque. Hear an exclusive live version for a limited time
only when you text RADIO to 2250 on your At&T Wireless. More live
tracks to come…
http://capitolrecords.com/radiohead
http://www.radiohead.com