Radiohead's Staircase

I've got the airing of this full session written in my calendar for July 1st - indeed that's what was said when it was announced - but for right now here's Radiohead performing a full new song called "Staircase" from their live session In The Basement (which is producer Nigel Goodrich's web-show)(via):

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Countdown til somebody rips an mp3 of this in 3, 2...

ETA... 1! Here's an mp3! And art-work! (via)

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The Dark Cell, The Pillar Of My Soul

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I was listening to Radiohead's The King of Limbs on my way to work this morning and thinking to myself that whenever I listen to the album I always find myself wishing there was more of it. And then I wondered if that weren't just a euphemism for me wishing there was just one song on it that I loved loved. Oh I like several of them quite a bit, but if I were listing my favorite Radiohead songs I'm not sure just how high TKOL's best tracks - "Codex," "Separator" and "Lotus Flower"? - would place. But if you take their last album In Rainbows there are at least four songs - "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" and "Reckoner" and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and the heart-swelling "All I Need" - that'd easily rank crazy high. I guess it's true that TKOL is just a more laid-back sorta beast; less inclined to hook than to gently pulse. But still. I like Thom best when he stirs my insides.

Anyway we appear to be getting a little more after all, if you count a series of official remixes as such. Maybe they'll manage to up the drama a little bit? Pitchfork reports:

"On July 4, Radiohead kick off a series of limited edition 12" releases featuring remixes from their latest album, this year's The King of Limbs. The first 12" contains Caribou's remix of "Little by Little" backed by Jacques Greene's take on "Lotus Flower".

XL and Ticker Tape will be handling the releases, which will come out throughout the coming summer via independent record stores and Radiohead's website (for audio junkies, WAV files of the remixes will also be available from Boomkat and Radiohead's site)."

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Back to the Basement, Radiohead

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Maybe they've done some in the UK and I missed it, but it doesn't seem like Thom and the gang have done any press at all for The King of Limbs, does it? I mean they really don't need to, they've got an insane fan-base (hello!) that does the work for them all on their own, I guess. But I'd still like to hear them talk about the songs some. If anybody's seen any interviews, share them in the comments!

Anyway the band will be playing the entirety of the record live on July 1st on Nigel Goodrich's web-program From the Basement. They did this with In Rainbows as well, and it ruled. Here's that whole thing below. Can't wait!

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If You Want To See What...

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... the fancy packaging for "The Newspaper Album" version of Radiohead's latest album The King of Limbs looks like, there are several images and a talk with its designer Stanley Donwood (he's designed all of Radiohead's stuff for a long while now) over at this link. It's shipped to those of us who already ordered it and comes out in stores on May 9th. Want!

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Limbs Less

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In case you were wondering, maybe you'd seen ridiculousness like this perhaps, there will not be a second album of material released from Radiohead's The King of Limbs sessions. Since the disc that was released felt so abbreviated, and the super-size album coming out in May is split into two records, some people wondered... well stop wondering and enjoy what you got, says guitarist Ed O'Brien!

However, they are releasing a record with two extra tracks this Saturday in honor of Record Store Day. But it's only being released in Europe and Japan! Well fuck you very much too. No doubt mp3s of the songs will be online within hours, but still. Gimme! Dammit.

ETA Dead Air Space, Radiohead's blog, just updated this information:

"This vinyl will also available in the USA & Canada on the 14th June."

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I Really Dont Know What To Say...

... about this. (via)

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Do you?

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Quote of the Day

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Pitchfork chatted with Win Butler of Arcade Fire a little bit about the upcoming film version of their Grammy-winning album The Suburbs, called Scenes From the Suburbs, directed by Spike Jonze, and about that Grammy win:

Pitchfork: Some people are saying that Grammy moment could mark a turning point in music culture. As someone who's actually in the band, do you even think about stuff like that?

Win Butler: Sometimes. I basically think of everything in terms of Radiohead, and I do remember when Radiohead's OK Computer lost Album of the Year to Bob Dylan. So I think it's a meaningful for people who are into music right now-- I would be excited if a band I liked won a Grammy. We'll see if people remember it half a generation from now.

I think that the sentence "I basically think of everything in terms of Radiohead" might be the finest bit of advice ever given, in words.

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