Digital download pioneers Radiohead have released a free song through their website.
The song, titled “These are my Twisted Words” is available here. If you want to read some text about it first, go here. If you want to read the Rolling Stone coverage about it, go here. (Summary: “It was leaked last week anyway, so we might as well give it away …”). If you’re interested in anything else about it, google it yourself.
You gotta respect Radiohead a little. This is the band that let people choose how much to pay for an album, even if that was $0. It seems their philosophy is “If you’re into our music, you’ll buy it; if you want to taste it before you buy it, here.”
Of course, they already have the financial and fan base to be so cavalier about it.
Anyway, I was going to include the audio of the new song, but I figure that if you’re interested, you’ll get it, whether you listen to it first or not. But you should. I believe the more people take advantage of the free stuff, the less uptight companies will be about giving it away. It is, after all, a marketing tool.
Since I didn’t include the new audio, I included the video for “House of Cards.” It’s trippy.
From You Tube:
In Radiohead’s video for “House of Cards”, no cameras or lights were used. Instead, 3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects. The video was created entirely with visualizations of that data.
I was perusing my CDs and came across this little gem from the “who’s that?” band-no-one’s-heard-about-of-the-day: Aunt Bettys. This is a PRCD single (EastWest Records PRCD 9440-2), supposedly given away for free to radio stations and the like. I picked it up used for $1.99.
The single, “Jesus” is a great, in-your-face jam, despite the fact it’s 13 years old (side-note, the song is actually older, since it’s a reworking of an earlier Michael Knott song from the album Fluid … but I digress). The whole Aunt Bettys self-titled CD pretty much kicks places where you sit. You can find the album streamed in multiple places around the Internet, in case you’re curious.
The cover art, as you can see from the video, is intriguing: it’s an illustration by a then-young Tim Okamura that imagines Jesus as a bartender. It’ll make you sit and think through your theology, because Jesus isn’t really serving the guy (who’s slumped over, by the way) … but … isn’t Jesus everywhere? Hmmm.
Anyway here’s the mystery: inside the CD, there’s the following text, “‘Jesus’ is the premiere single and video from Aunt Betty’s forthcoming debut album.”
So … where’s the video? In fact, where’s ANY video of the Aunt Bettys performing? I’m talking about the full band, not Mike Knott performing acoustic shows. I mean, if we can find a Dryve video on the Internet, why not Aunt Bettys, for Pete’s sake? Sheesh.
If anyone knows anything about this serious, serious issue, let me know.
Maybe I’ll start a “Release Jesus” campaign. I’d wear that t-shirt … wouldn’t you?
Today’s free mp3 is from the best band named after a C.S. Lewis line, Sixpence None the Richer. This, of course, is not to be confused with the second-best band in that category, Poor Old Lu.
The band’s “Breathe Your Name,” from 2002’s Divine Discontent is available for free on a six-song sampler at Amazon.com. The song features Leigh Nash’s signature vocals and a pretty good hook.
Most people will probably remember Sixpence from their smash hit “Kiss Me” or the follow-up “There She Goes” (the La-La’s remake), but the band’s first two albums — The Fatherless and the Widow and Love, Salvation and the Fear of Death — have some pretty strong work. I remember having a cassette of The Fatherless … and pretty much wore it out. Nash was a wee little teenager at the time and Matt Slocum’s lyrics and guitar work just seem to hit the sweet spot. I’ve included the best song on that album, “Apology,” below.
Anyway, download the song. Spread it around. The band went through a break-up, but is now reunited, which could explain why the free song is available now. It’s a real “Behind the Music” story. Hope you enjoy the music. If you didn’t, delete it. It was free, after all.
Where: video section of home-base two, Target. Browsing, killing time.
Quote: “A Clockwork Orange?” she said, clicking her tongue in apparent disgust.”That movie’s not even in English!”
Let the record reflect.
I’m not sure what that little scene means in the great scheme of things. Is it a sign of a society in a freefall or natural evolution? Is it a sign of internal elitism that needs to fleshed out? Is it a sign of a coming cultural apocalypse?
I don’t know. But I thought I should make a note of it until I figure of out.
