Radiohead dropped an atom bomb on the industry this week with In Rainbows, the suprise album of the year.
With no distribution deal in place (Radiohead is currently unsigned), the band elected to release the record digitally via their website. In a stunning move, payment for the download is left to the listener's discretion.
From a business standpoint this is a terrific decision. First of the money will be going straight to the artists instead of going to retailers and the record company. Also it shows the band realizes that people would have downloaded the cd for free anyway, and doing this allows them to at least do it on their own terms.
..Oh and by the way, it's an amazing record.
Music review websites have been blog-ed down this week as everyone tries to get their two-cents in about the band's first new material since 2003's Hail to the Thief. The new album is an eclectic batch of songs that sound neither re-hashed nor completely new.
One of best cuts, "Nude", is typical of In Rainbow's sound: ghostly vocals floating over a smooth rhythm guitar ocean. Other highlights include the uptempo groovy grunge-fest of "Bodysnatchers" and the beautiful "All I Need", which swells from almost nothing to a dramatic finish.
What others had to say:
* "All of it rocks; none of it sounds like any other band on earth; it delivers an emotional punch that proves all other rock stars owe us an apology." - Rolling Stone
(full article here)
* The Chicago Tribune posted a nice little article which includes commentary about each song on the album. See that here
* Radiohead performed the tune "Bodysnatchers" last year at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn. See that here
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