Font Size is Everything

Coachella 2010 Lineup Announced

Take a look at the lineup for the 2010 Coachella Festival, which was revealed Tuesday to much fanfare and general interweb acclaim. Thankfully organizers have once again created a poster that lists the act by day and relative popularity/font size- Meaning the bigger the font size the more important your band may be. And see there on Sunday too, where Thom Yorke is listed with a bunch of question marks next to his name? That's not a typo, nor is it questioning his appearance dear readers. According to the festicle publicity contingent it is specifically how Yorke wanted to be billed — with four question marks following his name. (I thought the New Yorkers sounded a little bit cheesy. ed)

Those is in the know will recall this is how he was also billed when he played a spate of solo shows last year in Los Angeles, either because he never got around to deciding on a name for his backing band (which included Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, producer Nigel Godrich, and seasoned session hands Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco), or because he simply did not want to. According to his publicist, "that's also the case with Coachella — Yorke will once again play with a band and, once again, they will not have a name. Or, more specifically, they will be called "????" "

So here you go folks. Question marks and all… Start getting the microbus tuned up now!

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, better known as "Coachella", is a three-day annual music and arts festival organized by Goldenvoice. It is held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley.

This Generation’s Asia - (Without the Suck Part)

Hmmm, what’s it been now? Nearly a fortnight since I’ve reported the goings on of the most important band in the universe. This time out though I’ll be focusing on their diffident and prolific frontman… No it’s not the fifth coming of Van Halen but something so much better.

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke has recruited Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Beck and onetime R.E.M. drummer Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refosco for a new live group that will make its debut this Sunday and Monday, October 4th and 5th, at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre. The singer announced the unlikely union on Radiohead’s Dead Air Space website yesterday. The news ends weeks of speculation surrounding the usually reserved Radiohead frontman, who has been seen in Los Angeles recently, DJing at the Roosevelt Hotel and being summarily “papped”.

“In the past couple of weeks I’ve been getting a band together for fun to play The Eraser stuff live and the new songs etc. to see if it could work,” Yorke writes. “We don’t really have a name and the set will not be very long cuz… well… we haven’t got that much material yet! But come and check it out if you are in the area.”

Yorke has reportedly long expressed a desire to bring the textural Eraser to the stage, but so far his solo performances have amounted to him sitting alone onstage with an acoustic guitar and piano. That should change with this new, nameless band. (Your suggestions of course are always welcome in the comments section.) I’d like to offer Headless Chickenfoot as a nod to Thom's band name past yet tying in his Red Hot Chili brethren. Of course the circle would have been complete with Diamond David Lee Roth in the mix; alas a guy can dream.

It’s been a hectic month for Thom who has released unleashed a pair of new Radiohead tracks (“Harry Patch (In Memory Of)”, “These Are My Twisted Words”), his own 12” single last week. Lastly, Yorke’s song entitled “Hearing Damage” will be featured on the New Moon soundtrack in short order.

The Hardest Working Man in Show Business

Thom Yorke to Release "The Hollow Earth" Next Month

Radiohead frontman and red pants wearer Thom Yorke recently hinted that the band is not currently planning to release another album conventionally.

He went on to elaborate that he still had a lot of time for the album as an “artform”, but explained that to release another batch of songs in that format would "kill" Radiohead.

"None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off," he told The Believer magazine.

"I mean, it's just become a real drag. It worked with [2007 album] 'In Rainbows' because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we've all said that we can't possibly dive into that again. It'll kill us."

Yorke added that Radiohead "need to get away" from releasing albums in the traditional format. (Observant readers will note two brand new Radiohead songs have recently surfaced and prove Thom to be a man of his word.)

And now information about another actual physical release, a solo, next month has been uncovered. Exclaim Magazine’s Brock Thiessen made contact with a source at beloved Sonic Unyon distributors who confirmed a limited 12-inch of two new Thom Yorke songs, “Apart By Horses” and “The Hollow Earth,” to be released on September 22nd. The release, by ATO’s TBD Records, is limited to only 4,000 copies in North America, 4,000 in Europe, and 300 in Canada. That in mind, you may want to get pre-order in now.

Presently, insider speculatation is that one or both of these new Yorke songs are his contribution to the forthcoming New Moon soundtrack.

Great news indeed from an artist who continues to break new ground with every step he takes.

Thom ‘Bleeping’ Yorke’s Favourites

The Best Of Bleep

I have to admit I absolutely love a good playlist. I love to construct them, to analyse them, to deconstruct them and to listen to them. At best they tell us minute details of a persons psyche at worst they tell us minute details of a persons psyche. (Exactly) I was thrilled then to learn today that a number of my favourite musicians and artists would be constructing playlists for our listening and dissecting purposes for online digital boutique Bleep.com

Bleep.com was launched in January 2004 by independent music and film company Warp. Being one of the first and most innovative music download stores, Bleep has since gained a Digital Music Award for Best Music Store, had over 1.8 million downloads, and cemented a reputation as one of the best download boutique store catering to passionate music fans.

To celebrate Bleep’s 5th birthday, a select cast of people working in music were asked to pick their 5 favourite releases or tracks from the entire Bleep catalogue. These are people who are fans and customers of the store; who have worked closely with the retailer, or simply have an interesting viewpoint on music. They range from producers, musicians, journalists, designers, art directors, label bosses and even the curator of popular music at the British Library (the biggest known music collection in Europe).

Great stuff indeed, I encourage you to have a look around and discover some music that has influenced some of the artists we respect and follow. I was impressed with Thom Yorke’s eclectic selections which help to explain some of the minimalistic electronic trends in his own music over the past few years.

How about you? What are five selections that would form your personal playlist? (Remember I’ll be analyzing these and looking for uncorrected personality traits and psychological abnormalities.)

I’ll get things started with my own list.

1) The Stranglers – The European Female
2) Lou Reed – Andy’s Chest
3) Wire – French Film Blurred
4) Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – Frenzy
5) Bon Iver – Blood Bank

Your Face Gave it Away

Grammys sign up Thom Yorke and others for New Ad Campaign

Thom Yorke once proclaimed me to be “the only one here tonight that didn’t have pimples…”. Unfortunately he wasn’t complimenting me on my ivory snow like complexion but rather commenting on the fact that most of the fans that waited around his tour bus that hot August night were decidedly younger than me.

Bastard! I still have a complex when I go to all ages shows…

News today that Yorke’s blemish free visage would be used by the Grammy’s this year as part of an ad campaign in which composites of nominated stars' faces are created from the titles and lyrics of songs that influenced their musical development. The Yorke ad pictured at right, contains references to artists ranging from Scott Walker "Psoriatic" to the Liars "The Wrong Coat for You Mt. Heart Attack"). One of the biggest references in Yorke's ad goes to electronic genius' Modeselektor, whose "Kill Bill Vol. 4" is inscribed into the forehead of the Radiohead singer. Bjork's "Unravel", which Yorke has previously cited as one of his favourite songs ever, also gets a nod, as does Madvillain's "Meat Grinder". A TV ad narrated by Yorke is rolling out as the broadcast gets closer, but for now, there's a spot featuring Stevie Wonder's musical development.

In addition to Yorke's face, print ads from L'il Wayne and Rihanna come with slightly more popular nods of infuence. Lil Wayne's ad pays tribute to Jay-Z's "Can't Knock the Hustle" and Young Buck's "Pocket Full of Paper" for instance. The most notable presence on the Rihanna visage is Destiny's Child's "Say My Name".

Thom and the Radiohead boys are nominated for a Grammy this year in the Best Rock album category for In Rainbows, and I still haven’t started colouring my hair.

Cryptic Radiohead Announcement

Another cryptic Radiohead message. Follow the links and enjoy. I suspect it will be archived for a period if you miss it.

helo

there will be something on the box tonight

its another test

but right now we are entangled in cables

however

weather permitting

our technical experts will resolve the entanglement

itll be broadcast as a quicktime h.264 stream

if youve got a mac you could read it with quicktime player

if youve got a pc you might need to download the installer (click here to download and install)

then

www2.radiohead.tv

try it about 10 pm gmt

Stanley

RADIOHEAD WEB EXPERIMENT UPDATE

After more than a few technical delays last night at www2.radiohead.tv earnest viewers were handsomely rewarded. After sitting through everything from, a monkey puppet DJing in silence to Thom Yorke spinning his own remixed version of his solo "Harrowdown Hill," the band eventually achieved "web" magic. Thom Yorke last year admitted his desire to cover his "favourite song ever," Björk’s "Unravel." Last night, he got his wish, playing only the piano for a simple, melancholy version of the Homogenic standout; the rest of Radiohead (minus drummer Phil Selway) added gentle ambience. The test broadcast concluded with a soundless video of Radiohead artist Stanley Donwood writing "To Whom It May Concern" and then "I Give Up" in chalk on a mini-blackboard. While the testcast ended up being a success content-wise, we’re hoping the technological lapses are repaired by the time the band’s next rumored webcast airs at some point this early evening.

Isn't it great being a music fan right now?