Thom Yorke to perform on Later...

Thom Yorke is set to do a performance on 'Later...with Jools Holland' show. The show will be broadcast this Friday (December 1st) at 11.35pm on BBC2. [thanks Paul]

Creep double covered

Singer Abigail Holdsworth will release a cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' on single in January. And you can buy yourself in on the actual cover.

Ms Holdworth, who goes under the artist name Abigail's Party has become the first artist to sell advertising space on the cover of her CD.

Seemingly taking her idea from the website Million Dollar Homepage, the singer has divided the front cover of the Creep single into tiny squares which she sells for a whopping 150 UK Pounds a go.

The single has already fetched more than 20,000 UK Pounds in advertising revenue which she is using to finance its release. She says she will carry the idea over to her full length record if the single is a success. "The idea is that all the advertisers will get VIP tickets to my gigs and be kept up to date with how well the single is doing."[from gigwise]

Jonny Greenwood: Composer of the Year

Jonny Greenwood has confirmed his versatility after being nominated favourite artist in the 4th annual British Composer Awards by Radio 3 listeners.

The station chose his work Popcorn Superhet Receiver from nine orchestral works commissioned by the BBC over the past year. The piece was inspired by radio static and the extended, dissonant chords of the Polish composer Penderecki's Threnody for the victims of Hiroshima. "It is a great example of Radio 3's unique cultural patronage" said Roger Wright, controller of Radio 3.

In May 2004 he became composer in residence at the BBC, composing several pieces including Smear, Piano for Children and Popcorn Superhet Receiver. Smear premiered in 2004, and in April last year Greenwood premiered his new work commissioned by BBC Radio 3, with music performed live by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Stanley Donwood - The Guardian interview

Stanley Donwood is interviewed in todays The Guardian. Stanley talks about the upcoming exhibition of Donwood & Tchock in Barcelona, which starts tomorrow.

The reclusive artist behind Radiohead's striking album cover art opens an exhibition of his work in Barcelona this week.
Dead Children Playing, at the city's Iguapop Gallery, will feature paintings and linocuts by Stanley Donwood and the collaborator he calls "Dr Tchock" - widely believed to be a pseudonym for Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. (The two met at art school in Exeter.)

"My painting Pacific Coast was used for Hail to the Thief," says Donwood, who is sometimes known as Radiohead's "sixth man". "It was inspired by the landscape of LA. I was being driven along in a car and there were all these signs everywhere, big and brash, to catch your attention. I just painted everything I saw."

The cover of the band's 2000 album Kid A, Donwood says, was inspired by a Guardian front page photograph he saw during the Kosovo war. "It was of a square metre of snow and it was full of the detritus of war, all military stuff and fag stains. I was upset by it in a way war had never upset me before. It felt like it was happening in my street."
Pressed as to whether Dr Tchock is in fact Yorke, Donwood replied: "I'm not at liberty to say. I made a promise."

Donwood's most recent cover, for Yorke's solo album The Eraser, is taken from a stark 13ft linocut that the artist shaped with a chisel. "It's basically London being overwhelmed by an apocalyptic flood," says Donwood. "The Gherkin and lots of other buildings are falling over and being swept away. It's a very pleasurable graphic."

Asked if he thought album covers could be seen as works of art in themselves, Donwood replied: "I hope so. There are no plans to bring the show to Britain as this point, but we'll see." So why did they choose to start in Barcelona? "Because it's sunny."

The exhibition opens tomorrow and runs until December 16.

'Dead Children Playing' update

Stanley Donwood says that the upcoming book, 'Dead Children Playing', is scheduled to emerge from the printers on Wednesday.

Stanley: "When I get back from Spain (if I do) I'll be printing 100 woodcuts to go in the signed copies. These woodcuts will not be for sale anywhere else, and will be exclusive to the people who have bought a (ridiculously overpriced) signed copy of Dead Children Playing.

Radiohead take a week off from recording

Radiohead have taken a week off from recording. Thom posted on Dead Air Space that they had "a good week in the studio last week. Finally things are growing."

i just got sent two really interesting requesting type letters this week ( a blessed week off from recording)

i get these things A LOT

but i wanted to let you know about these ones

becuase they ring bells in my head.. maybe they might with you..

1. www.StopGlobalWarming.org

Join the Stop Global Warming Virtual March on Washington.. dont know how many of you know about this in the US
but at last the issue seems to be everywhere for you as it is in the UK. the idea of a virtual petition in this instance seems like genius to me.

(i have also just finished george monbiots Heat book about global warming... and even though he's a mate of mine i recommend it as the ideal christmas present. well... that is if you dont mind being called a sourpuss or a scrooge. lots of my mates went to see him give talk at the sheldonian theatre in oxford which was very inspiring. if a little terrifying. but then what can be more terrifying than watching the trees not changing colour when they should. ok perhaps i should get out more.
it aint very rocknroll. but i long since pissed all that bullshit away.)

2. http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/

supermarket demand for fish ( not that i eat fish or meat ) has meant we are fishing to extinction . what i find particularly offensive are the enormous nets they use that drag everything up and well.... just have a read. supermarkets should be made to source their fish responsibly and governments should act in the intersest of our future to regulate for sustainable fishing. not this mass production/destruction shit. i respect peoples right to eat fish. but evertime i watch the guys in the band sitting down to their whatever it is with scales i quietly wonder how its arrived. and what was destroyed and killed or thrown away to get it....

sermon over. sorry.

we had a good week in the studio last week. finally things are growing.

thm

Radiohead news in brief

Radiohead are nominated with seven tracks on the Dutch Top 2000, broadcast every year on Radio 2. All previous broadcasts were kind of boring, so maybe a good opportunity to get Radiohead higher on that list this year. Vote here.

Jazmin has a collection of Radiohead rag dolls online. For those who want to check them out, click here. And she's also blogging with screenshots of Radiohead videos. For those who can't attend the RESFEST ;)

Thom Yorke's nominated for the OFF THE RADAR award at XM Radio.

Thom Yorke's 'Black Swan' was on 'The O.C.' show in the USA. The edited (radio friendly) version of the song was played 3 different times, but did not appear in the end credits.

And last but not least; 'How To Dissappear in Gatwick':

[thanks Joost, Nick, Seth & Matthew]

Pre-order Thom Yorke's 'Spitting Feathers'

As reported earlier, Thom Yorke will release the b-sides from The Eraser singles in a special release for the Japanse market, entitled 'Spitting Feathers'

The subtitle of the EP '3 b-sides and 2 videos' has been removed. The Analyse video was dropped and therefore not on the EP. 'Spitting Feathers' will be available in the rest of the world online. The cd will be out on November 22nd and you can pre-order at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Here's the full tracklisting for Spitting Feathers again:

1. The Drunk Machine
2. A Rat's Nest
3. Jetstream
4. Harrowdown Hill [Extended Mix]
5. Iluvya
6. Harrowdown Hill [video]

[thanks yasuko for the update]

Two Radiohead albums in Time's all time album list

Here's another list of the top 100 albums of all time you can argue over. Music critics at Time magazine came up with this one. They didn't put the albums in any particular order. But Radiohead are included.

Radiohead are on the list with two albums: 'OK Computer' and 'Kid A'. The Beatles have five albums on the list, more than any other group. Bob Dylan leads all male artists with three and Aretha Franklin leads the women with two. But Pink Floyd didn't make the cut. Not even "Dark Side of the Moon," which is one of the best-selling albums of all time. Here's the full list at Time Magazine.

'Dead Children Playing'; a Book of Pictures

Stanley Donwood sent out the fourth issue of his Taglibro with more information on the Radiohead exhibition in Barcelona and the book 'Dead Children Playing'

Stanley Donwood blogs on his website about the upcoming exhibition:

The idea is to put about twenty paintings up on walls in a gallery in Barcelona that I've never seen. Most of these paintings are quite large. I've held three exhibitions in the past, but none of them have involved large and unwieldy expanses of canvas.
Barcelona? I'm going to have to fly there in a fucking aeroplane. I'd been hoping that I could get there on a train; I even worked out how I could do it. But sadly, unbelievably, I 'don't have the time'. I woke up last night. I don't know what time it was. I was worried about what I might have forgotten. This morning I couldn't remember what it was that I might have forgotten.

Don't forget to check the special 'Dead Children Playing' section of SlowlyDownward.com for a blog, stories behind the artwork and images of the paintings.

2006 Pride of Arizona - The National Anthem

OK, we went from classical arrangements to jazz, reggae and even lullaby versions of Radiohead songs. But here's a marching band version of Radiohead's The National Anthem...

Pre-order your Radiohead calendar for 2007

You've waited almost a year, and for what? That's right, the new and improved 2007 calendar. Printed on recycled paper in full colour, with photos and everything.

Yet again it's a limited edition piece of history, same dimensions as last year 640mm x 225mm. Please note that shipping fees reflect the size and weight of the calendar. W.A.S.T.E. will be shipping the calendar, priced at 15 pounds during December 2006. And let's just hope we can mark a release date and many tour dates on that calendar.

Donwood & Tchock to exhibit Radiohead artwork

Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke will exhibit Radiohead's artwork in Barcelona from November 23 to December 16. The exhibition is entitled 'Stanley Donwood & Dr. Tchock: Paintings, Etc.'.

The exhibition will feature artwork from the Radiohead albums'Kid A', 'Amnesiac' and 'Hail To The Thief', among other pieces. The paintings, created between 1999 and 2005, are accompanied by the publication of a full-colour book entitled 'Dead Children Playing: A Picture Book'.

The exhibition is held at Iguapop Gallery in Barcelona. More information can be found on Stanley Donwood's website, Slowly Downward.

Thom Yorke nominated for Plug Awards

Thom Yorke is nominated in two categories at this year's PLUG awards. PLUG is about the independent music community coming together to recognize their own.

This year you can show your support for these independent artists, by voting. Thom Yorke is not nominated for Album of the Year, but you can vote for Thom Yorke in the following categories: 'Male artist of the year', 'Electronic/Dance Album of the year' and 'Artist of the year',

Nigel Godrich is also nominated for 'Record producer of the year'. Nigel produced both Thom's and Beck's album this year.

The PLUG 2007 Independent Music Awards will be held February 10, 2007 in NYC at Irving Plaza. Artists and presenters will be announced soon.

'Harrowdown Hill' included on charity album

Thom Yorke's 'Harrowdown Hill' is included on the 'Give.Listen.Help.' album to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Thom Yorke is joined by other artists including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Rapture, Feist, Franz Ferdinand, Junior Boys, Cat Power, Wolfmother, the Walkmen. The disc features exclusive and live tracks, as well as B-sides, and will be sold only at Urban Outfitters locations, as well as on the hipstore's website. $8.99 out of $9.99 from every sale will go to the aforementioned foundation for education, screening, treatment, and breast cancer research. The CD will be available starting in mid-November and is limited to 10,000 copies. Pitchfork has the full tracklisting.

RESFEST|10 presents Radiohead

RESFEST|10 presents a very special screening of music videos from Radiohead at the National Film Theatre in London on Sunday November 19th.

The RESFEST press release tells us the following:

Radiohead have done more than most to break new film-making talent with their carefully constructed and always artful music videos. This year’s RESFEST special artist retrospective, Radiohead, the Visionaries: A Decade of Breaking New Talent, celebrates the British quintet’s proud history of championing the latest and greatest visual innovators. RESFEST are screening a hand-picked collection of clips from the past decade of this band’s highly distinctive body of film work. See classic videos from Jonathan Glazer (Street Spirit and Karma Police), Chris Hopewell (There, There) and Shynola (Pyramid Song). Fans of the Oxfordshire rockers will delight in this compilation with - No Surprises, Go To Sleep and Paranoid Android all there – and relish the rarities in this special programme: Monkey Hub’s animation for the acoustic Creep, the Kid A Computer’s Blips, videos from Radiohead TV, and several other surprises!

This is a rare chance to see all of your favourite classic and rare
Radiohead videos on the big screen. This screening is in association with Friends of the Earth’s ‘The Big Ask’ Campaign and all proceeds from ticket sales will go to the charity.

Don’t miss out…
Book tickets now:
www.resfest.co.uk
www.bfi.org.uk

Noel Gallagher is back!

Just for old time's sake... cause it's been a while since a Gallagher mentioned Radiohead. And we missed Noel to be honest...Oasis' songrwiter and guitarist has hit out at Radiohead in interview with The Guardian for refusing to compete in the charts:

"I've never understood that kind of thing. Like the Clash going, 'We're not playing on telly.' Well fuck off then. When we first started we said we were the greatest band in the world. We should have said we were the best band in the charts. 'Cos to me, the world is the charts. I don't give a fuck about Radiohead and all that indie nonsense."

What we did at the seaside (and elsewhere)

Phil posted some pictures up at Dead Air Space. As reported earlier, Radiohead are recording again. Stanley posted a picture yesterday and today you can see him painting... hopefully some new and exciting artwork for the upcoming album. Have a look here.

Thom Yorke's Bridge School performance release?

According to Rolling Stone, iTunes will be selling live performances from past Bridge School performances by more than 70 artists.

Thom Yorke performed at the Bridge School benefit nights back in 2002. However, none of the tracks have been released. The only prior document of the event was the 1997 Warner Bros. collection "The Bridge School Concerts Vol. 1." Rolling Stone reports that iTunes will sell the tracks starting November 14th.

Four Tet remixing 'Atoms For Peace'

In the 35th anniversary issue of Dutch music magazine OOR a Radiohead interview is republished. The interview was originally printed in 1997. For the current issue Kieren Hebden, also known as Four Tet, is interviewed.

Kieren mentions his first Radiohead concert, when the band were recording the video for Creep just after Radiohead released the Drill EP. Kieren: "I was completely blown away by Radiohead. I can remember Creep very well, because the track was played about 4 times in a row to get a good recording on tape" (...) "I am currently working on a remix of Thom Yorke's 'Atoms for Peace'."

Easy All*Stars' Radiodread UK Tour

The Easy Star All*Stars will be performing their reggae interpretation of OK Computer: "Radiodread" in the UK. The album was released at the end of August as most of you all know. Jonny Greenwood has previously commented on the project: "Toots & The Maytals version of 'Let Down' is truly astounding."

Here are the dates for the Radiodread tour:

NOVEMBER
30 Oxford Zodiac
DECEMBER
01 Bristol Trinity
02 Exeter Phoenix
03 London Dingwalls
04 Southampton The Brook
05 Brighton Komedia
06 Norwich Waterfront
07 Whitby Pavilion Complex
08 Kendal Brewery Arts


The video for 'Let Down' featuring Toots and the Maytals is now available:

The Radiodread media player with more info and song snippets is available here.

Happy Birthday Jonny!

Yep, it had to happen one day; Jonny Greenwood turns 35 today. Best wishes to you Mr. Greenwood. And now back into that studio!!!

Jorge Drexler covers Radiohead's 'High and Dry'

Jorge Drexler has recorded Radiohead's 'High and Dry' for his new album '12 Segundos de Oscuridad' (12 Seconds of Darkness).

The Oscar-winning singer/songwriter, who lives and works in Spain, recorded the Radiohead track, trimmed down with just a spanish guitar. You can listen to his version at the Jorge Drexler website.

[thanks fran, trudie, israel]

Ginger Bloke meets Thom Yorke