Overdub Bootleg- Five Step (Radiohead vs Dave Brubeck)
While I am on the topic of remixes, I thought I’d pass along this remix of Radiohead’s 15 Step and Dave Brubeck’s Take 5, creating the amazing, yet predictably titled 5 Step. The piece was created by Overdub, an artist who makes many so-called mashups. I hate that term…but I love this track. Down load It Here. Thank TJ Broockerd for the tip.
-FF
Amplive
Rainydayz Remixes
February 15th 2008
Self Released
After we were told that Amplive was not going to release the Radiohead remix album Rainydayz because of copyright issues, today at 12:01am, Amplive announced that a compromise had been reached by both the Radiohead camp and himself. He admits that he “probably should have contacted Radiohead” before he committed to the remix project, but something tells me that this regret is not entirely genuine. His confidence and intuition told him that if it were crafted with sincerity and talent no amount of legal maneuvering would prevent his work from seeing the light of day. The record is now available for the next few days on his website free of charge. The record is a bit choppy, but it successfully experiments with and reconceptualizes Radiohead’s defined style. While the bulk of the seven Radiohead remixes are compelling interpretations, there are certainly times when Amplive’s creativity strays from innovation and resigns to sounding like a manufacturer’s scratch on an In Rainbows disc. The third track, Nudez, succeeds overall, but on occasion it devolves into a irrelevant display of blended and broken beats. Conversely, songs like 15 Stepz and Faustz transform the song while retaining important core elements, utilizing Radiohead‘s innate compatibility with electronic beats. Rainydayz sports the talent of Too $hort, MC Zumbi of Zion I, Chali2na of Jurassic 5, Codany Holiday, and Del The Funky Homosapien. I enjoyed the phonic dialectic.
http://www.onesevensevensix.com/amplive
I have recently returned from the Midwest, where I spent Christmas with my family and my wife. It was great to see old friends and how my home town has changed in the years that I have been away. My favorite bar has been by some accounts blacklisted by those who disapprove of new ownership, the intrusion of a malformed elevator shaft into the stage space, and a shift in demographics. Hip kids perceive the fraternity types to be taking over and thus have moved elsewhere. This xenophobia has been transliterated onto the music scene itself. I visited a new venue in Nebraska called Box Awesome. Immediately upon entering, I knew that this joint had collected the cool juice that had spilled over from downtown’s once great music venues. Everything from the art on the wall to the position and quality of the stage and the people circulating the room left the impression that Box Awesome was attached to a scene. It was a happening place that I could easily imagine running into on the Lower East Side or in Williamsburg.
To some the energy that is derived from such a venue is coveted. The covetous nature of what I saw that night is a microcosm of what seems to be happening in independent music. When I entered Box Awesome a band called UUVVWWZ was slated to play. I had recognized Jim, the main guitar player and writer from Mr. 1986, and was expecting a great show. As the band completed their sound check, the lead singer Teal began to hum and moan into the mic. What ensued captivated the audience and had the house moving. The music was nicely awkward with solid riffs punctuated by the jammy interplay between the bass and guitar. But I could not help but scoff at the shrieks of Teal Gardner. UUVVWWZ sounded as if Veruca Salt bitched and screamed until her father bought her a band. They incorporated some of the more vocal forward elements of Sleater Kinney and the more mundane aspects of Deer Hoof. She mostly failed to utilized her words or proffer her utterances as anything other than the whiny shenanigans of a preschooler. When Ms. Gardner sang with a more tender tone it was evident that the band had promise. Even when she screamed there was a raw vociferousness that was pleasurable. But the fact remains that most of the time, she just sounded like a girl whose shtick was to sing by singing badly. UUVVWWZ then came off as noise. This describes a major trend in independent music that has culminated in 2007.
The quest to become the oddest of the odd is not one taken by fools alone. There have been many great and glorious records to come out of such attempts. Others however fail with attention too often placed on what is possible, or what can be done, rather than any consideration of what effect or aesthetic the music might have when it is listened to. Importantly, a premium has been placed on what is disconnected. Caché is derived from the anti-structured expletives that valiantly discourage mainstream attention. The Fiery Furnaces had their try and stumble with Widow City in 2007, while Battles succeeded with Mirrored to produce interesting rhythmic weirdness. Perhaps Battles did well because of the lack of worded vocals. Either way, the critics of 2007 loved any attempt to reformulate the way we listen to music, giving praise to records that if critiqued at another time would be recognized as trite and be doomed to be forgotten. Noise can only be new a few times.
Animal Collective rose to the occasion and released a record with intense creativity when times were fertile for their brand of music. They were not lazy just because it would have been easy to crank out a crap record and still have gotten recognition because of their “pioneer” status. They took it upon themselves to step it up when more people would be looking, although Animal Collective member Panda Bear released what some have erroneously called the best record of 2007. This record was possibly the least important release of the year, but alas, he cloned The Beach Boys in a way that Band of Horses did not. Kudos for that, but I’ll probably never intentionally listen to Panda Bear’s Person Pinch again. This year has been a year in which the discombobulated has thrived and the straightforward has succumbed to the rise of distracted glitchy antitheses.
In 2007 Wilco played us simple songs uncovered and bare of what otherwise might have been expected from a band that pushes their songs to the textural limit of pop. Bright Eyes recorded Cassadaga, leaving Lincoln Nebraska’s former recording landmark Presto Studios for the wider scope of pan-America. Similarly Bright Eyes’ music ranged from intimate to epic, teeming with themes of isolation, alienation, and the large scope of the American experience. Beirut has given 2007 an expanded and improved collection of tracks that out perform much of their previous catalog, proving to us that Zach Condon will be around for a very long time.
This year has acquainted me with bands such as Pela who have written and recorded one of the most undervalued American rock albums of this decade. Other bands like The National and The Twilight Sad have altered indie rock’s accumulated stigma as poorly recorded cock rock. Groups molded into the archetypal formulas of Jet and The Strokes are getting less and less attention. On the unsigned front, Yes, I Attempt (now named Boys Dance, Girls Die) from Montréal have recorded a few tracks that should be getting noticed any time now. Once they book shows, I know it will only be a matter of time. Immovable Objects and The Depreciation Guild have put together two very beautiful and encouraging records. They are delicate, tender, and dense. I am very curious to read what other critics make of these acts as they achieve greater prominence.
This year I have sat in disbelief at critical reactions to many albums. I have a place reserved in my heart for Rilo Kiley, but another release like Under the Blacklight will most certainly jeopardize the charge of my opinion. I almost mistook Spoon’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga for an Oasis record…and that is a bad thing. Stars have been noted for their retro nuanced pop, but they come off sounding like pretentious hacks, who are too self infatuated that they have over looked the fact that they are perhapes the most derivitive band I have heard in a while (Sorry Amy Millan, I’ll always love you). Another much loved artist to make new songs from dated styles is Jens Lekman, who is touted as the ultra euro-romantic. While he is by no means awful, Lekman’s mannerisms never quite have the pop appeal of Belle and Sebastian or the sassy nature of Morrissey, yet he tries to fuse the two into a seamless product. When I listen to him, I am reminded of what he is not, rather than what he has to offer. I know…too bad for me.
The internet has seen a few antics this year. The identity of The Tuss has fueled more controversy with people who usually wouldn’t care. Radiohead released an amazing record and distributed it themselves via the internet for a price to be named by the buyer. They caused a false scandal when it was discovered that In Rainbows would be initially downloadable at only160kbs. Idiots finally found Radiohead’s flaw… they are money grubbing leaches… hmmm. Au Revoir Simone has risen from a relatively little known band to an internet sensation. Based on the amount of internet buzz I expect these ladies to do well in the coming year. While I did not give them the most stellar review, after listening to Under the Blacklight, I am convinced that The Bird of Music has done more musically in 2007 than Rilo Kiley ever dreamed of or cared to try. In fact Rilo Kiley loaned everything cool about themselves to the Brooklyn trio.
After much consideration I have decided to include a Frederick Foxtrott Top 10. It is flawed and conflicted but it covers a good portion of what 2007 had to offer.
Top 10 of 2007
1 Iron & Wine- The Shepherd’s Dog
2 Radiohead- In Rainbows
3 Múm- Go Go Spread the Poison Ivy
4 Pela- Anytown Graffiti
5 Bright Eyes- Cassadaga
6 The National- Boxer
7 Band of Horses- Cease to Begin
8 Wilco- Sky, Blue Sky
9 Modest Mouse- We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
10 The Tuss- Rushup Edge
*Elliot Smith’s New Moon and Sigur Rós’s Hvarf/Heim are respectfully excluded from consideration.
I am looking forward to 2008. It will be the year that Eagle Seagull tours across the nation with their new record, finding their name on many a critic’s top 10 list. Head of Femur will take this year to watch their hard work pay off with their new release Great Plains. Born Ruffians and Stardeath and White Dwarfs will release their debut LPs to audiences eagerly awaiting full lengths. Born Ruffians will be one of the best bands to hit the shelves in 2008 and if Stardeath’s shows are any indication of their abilities in the studio then I am afraid to hear how good they’ll sound next year. As Paper Garden increases its roster of notable artists, both past and present, they continue to impress me with their sensibilities and nose for great music. Peasant will no doubt have huge success in the coming year. Thanks for reading Frederick Foxtrott and we hope to make next year’s reviews more abundant and informative. While from my perspective 2007 was not a great year for independent music, I predict that 2008 will be an exceptional year, serving to define a most crucial time for the independent industry.
Bands Mentioned
Click to access more information
Animal Collective
Au Revoir Simone
Band of Horses
Battles
Beirut
Born Ruffians
Bright Eyes
The Depreciation Guild
Eagle Seagull
Elliot Smith
The Fiery Furnaces
Head of Femur
Immovable Objects
Jens Lekman
Modest Mouse
Múm
The National
Panda Bear
Peasant
Pela
Radiohead
Rilo Kiley
Sigur Rós
Spoon
Stardeath and White Dwarfs
Stars
The Tuss
The Twilight Sad
UUVVWWZ
Wilco
Boys Dance, Girls Die (Formerly Yes, I Attempt) Read the rest of this entry ?
Okay reader…
I don’t owe Radiohead anything. However, I am compelled to respond to the ridiculous claims made by various media publications concerning the ethics of Radiohead’s digital release of In Rainbows. This article by USA Today suggests that Radiohead was dishonest in that they did not disclose that the current release was an MP3 of lower quality than the inevitable physical copy or the “standard MP3.” At only 160 kbps for God’s sake!
People are upset because Radiohead not only gets the money from the sales of the CD and Discbox, but they also get payed for their online release. Hmmm…I am not quite sure where the dilemma is on this one. I am an avid CD shopper. When I tell people this they say, “Wow…You still have CDs,” and I mean a lot of people say this to me. The people who want to have the music now can. The people who want to wait can, or they can pay nothing now and still get the CD (legally or illegally). Look in your collection and be honest. How many burned discs do you have? How long have you gone without paying for music? People seem to have forgotten that music producers owe us nothing, and we owe them nothing.
Fred Mills of HARP online makes the astute point, “Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood essentially stated the other day that it was never Radiohead’s intention to initiate some revolutionary new model of music distribution (labels have been selling downloads for some time, duh) or even to give away its music as part of some elaborate marketing scheme, but simply to prevent it from leaking out to the public prior to the official release of the physical discbox.”
These news articles and blogs have created a false problem. It was well known that a CD was to be released after the download date and that it was of inferior quality.
This quote from American Madness is a lie:
“Next up, the January release: How do you release an album online, let people pay what they want for it and then a few days later mention that you will be selling the official album in January? Radiohead is in for a double payday with this. As I said, shady.”
If people would have been paying attention they might not be so upset.
Consider the following articles:
Pitchfork: “Readiohead Album Coming Out as Regular CD Too” 10/01/07
Pitchfork: “Radiohead’s In Rainbows Primers on XFM Radio” 10/09/07
Yeah the title “Readiohead Album Coming Out as Regular CD Too” is slightly ambiguous. If you prefer not to view the links provided, I’ll directly cite them as well:
“Okay people! Take a couple deep breaths, count to 10, switch the caps lock off, clean up the triple espresso you just spit all over the computer screen, and check this: that new Radiohead album, In Rainbows? The one that the world knew practically zilch about 24 hours ago? The one that drops digitally (DRM-free, no less!) in nine days, for a price of your own choosing? The one that’s also coming out in a deluxe “discbox” in December? Well, it’s also coming out in good, old fashioned CD format early next year.”
And that was written October 1st, 2007!
Also consider the fact that Mr. Edge’s controversial comments about the intent of the download were made the week prior to the release of In Rainbows. He said, “If we didn’t believe that when people hear the music they will want to buy the CD, then we wouldn’t do what we are doing.” This is troubling for bloggers who claim they were duped into buying a free record, only to hear that a CD was on the way after the fact. Radiohead knew their record would be leaked, burned, and distributed by November, so they stayed ahead of the game.
If you truly believe this was a scheme set to maximize profits, you are missing the point. Anyone who complains that Radiohead is getting a “double payday” has bought into a fictitious controversy.
Good luck with that people.
I’ll be listening to Reckoner.
-Frederick Foxtrott
Radiohead
In Rainbows
October 10th 2007
Unsigned
And so begins my obligatory review of Radiohead’s self-released seventh studio album In Rainbows. In a marketing move unparalleled in recent memory, Radiohead surprised the music world with their short notice release. First came the THE MOST GIGANTIC LYING HOAX OF ALL TIME (in reference to the title of their 2004 DVD The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time), then came the light hearted apology from someone in the Radiohead camp (see comment below LP7 article), and then came the digital release of In Rainbows for a price to be determined by the purchaser, buyers throwing as much or as little money at the record as they please. The series of events unfolds daily.
I of course bought the disc-box to be released on or around December 3rd for $81.50 because I am a gimmick sucker who needs the liner notes, artwork, and vinyl records. Damn the greenback’s worthlessness! All of a sudden Radiohead was on every music blog known to man, woman, and child. Even the ultra hip blogs, too cool to blog on Radiohead, blogged about how they weren’t blogging about Radiohead. I on the other hand am compelled to add to the chorus of accolades you have no doubt already read. I will say it from the git’go, In Rainbows is an incredible album.
15 Step makes the perfect transition from Hail to the Thief, incorporating a hyper dense drum intro and Yorke’s gospelesque croon. One might assume that this bridge would continue into some extension of their sixth album, but In Rainbows is not contained within such a linear trajectory. Bodysnatchers reminds us that Radiohead hasn’t lost their pre-post-postmodern charm as recorded on Pablo Honey and The Bends and then perfected on OK Computer. As a delicate and contemplative Rhythm and Blues track, Nude delivers as good as any Radiohead song has ever delivered. The song is so sensitive you can hear the guitar pick click down the chord like a washboard. This song is easily among Radiohead’s best. All I Need is a heavy, erotic, almost oppressively desirous expression. Lines like, “I’m an animal, trapped in your hot car,” spoken with resigned conviction, induce the sense of weighty heat. In some ways In Rainbows is Radiohead’s most sexual album, if not because of the lyrics then because of the soft tension and resignation emphasizing vulnerability.
How do we even begin to deconstruct Faust Arp? Faust sold his soul and Arp co-founded the Dada art movement in Europe after the First World War. Dada was a self proclaimed anti-art movement. With Radiohead’s distaste for the music industry’s standard operating procedures, perhaps the title has to do with contractual relationships with commercial entities. It was only after Radiohead came out the other end of that meat grinder that they had the clout, the authority, and cultural standing to depart from the commercial structure and operate as its antithesis with 1.2 million records sold on their own on the album’s first day. While pinning meaning to a Radiohead song is rarely productive, this song is themed with voyeurism, with being watched, with performance, with expectation, and the relationship between the audience and the artist. Faust Arp is a short and gorgeous tune laced with a poetic string arrangement and provocative lyrics.
Reckoner is the crescendo of In Rainbows. Thom Yorke’s vocal melody and solemn vibrato tear away at the heart. The urban-trap beat contrasts with the violins and the phantom vocals layered throughout this perfectly crafted song. If you listen closely at the end of the track you can even hear the song transform into an up-tempo jingle. Reckoner reminds us why Radiohead is so good. They are prolific in both their creativity and their ability to construct new spaces in which to explore the human condition and the range of our collective experience. Yes, they are that good.
And on and on and on again. So much can be said for this record. In Rainbows balances the complex and the simple challenging the listener as it awes them. The closing track Videotape is a rather straightforward dirge lamenting loss and recognizing regret, wanting moments of our past back. Not to correct them or improve them, but to live them again, keeping everything exactly the same. As the song concludes, drums build into a slow polyrhythmic snare roll, as if to count down the seconds remaining in our lives. In Rainbows is not a retreat from their more eccentric work, rather it is a reaffirmation of their exemption from a linear trajectory. I cannot wait until the disc-box gives me 8 more.
http://www.inrainbows.com
http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace
Other Albums
Pablo Honey- 1993
The Bends- 1995
Ok Computer- 1997
Kid A- 2000
Amnesiac- 2001
Hail to the Thief- 2003
RADIOHEADLPSEVEN
On a website labeled RADIOHEADLPSEVEN a count down can be found, ticking away days, hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. Pitchfork brought this to my attention, however I am not sure, but I think Pitchfork’s math is a little wrong. My clock shows that the clock will reach zero at approximately 4:57 pm Friday the 28th, not 10am Saturday the 29th. So what does this mean? 4:57 pm on 09/28/2007. Any numerologists out there? The only thing this means to me is that it is time to go home from work. So this is 44 minutes from now. I had better publish this so I can say I saw before not after. What is it with all these internet mysteries…41… Pitchfork reports that the band denies affiliation with this site so we’ll have to see if it is simply a virus intended to doom hip kids everywhere… 32…24…I have been watching these numbers for too long. My eyes are beginning to hurt…11…I could probably leave work early but I am too curious to go now. I know it is a gimmick of some kind…10…And that it is working…9…I suppose it is too late to publish this. I think we should go through it together. Author and reader moment by moment…8…There is a line under the ticker that says Now Waiting. What does that mean? I am such a sucker. Is this a mock-up by Pitchfork? Why would they be off by 17 hours?…4…The suspense…2…My workmates are sitting behind me now…It has captured all our attention…1…0…Nothing…it redirected to a black screen. How lame. I am going home…Oh wait…
THE MOST GIGANTIC LYING HOAX OF ALL TIME
I’m NEVER GOING TO RUN AROUND AND DESERT YOU:)How to RICKROLL 21,232 people at once. REAL LP7 coming soon! X REX_HEATHO http://radioheadlp7.com/contact.cfm
Boo!
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