This site was created to give you something to do in between episodes of "All You Need Is Hops". To listen click on the Hopscast links on the right side of the page.
Set Lists for the shows can be found on the Hopscasts Page: http://www.allyouneedishops.com/Hopscasts.htm
In honor of Radiohead announcing they are touring this summer – and the fact that Mrs. Hops and I have pit tickets to see them in Virginia – I decided to dust off the oldest Radiohead album, Pablo Honey. As you know the requirement for me to consider dusting off a disc is that I haven’t listened to that album in over a year. With Pablo Honey it’s been much longer than that. Did I just forget about a great album? Was I too distracted by their later works? Was this album just generally not that good? These are the questions I was trying to answer.
After listening to the album again I was amazed that the band I was listening to was the same who would go on to be one of the greatest bands off all time (yes, I feel that strongly). Sadly, there aren’t that many clues on Pablo Honey to have made you realized that in 1993 (can you believe its been 15 years?). That said the album has it’s moments that at least make you hear the link between this album and The Bends.The opening track, “You” certainly is one of those and is quickly followed up by the most famous track, “Creep”. Even fifteen years after its release, “Creep” is still a fantastic track. It was clearly overplayed back in the day, but now that its been in hibernation for a quite a while you can still its original creepy vibe and the wit of Thom Yorke that we’ve come to know quite well. The next track, “How Do You Do?”, is a respectable tune as is “Stop Whispering” the song that follows. Of all the songs album this is the only one that was better htan I remembered. One track that doesn’t sound as good is “Anyone Can Play Guitar”. After such a long period this song sounds dated – clearly reminiscent of the mid-90’s alternative scene. In fact, the whole album suffers this.Pablo Honey just reminds me of every other average to above average mid-90’s alt-rock album. If it wasn’t for their amazing success afterwards since you would put Radiohead up there with other mid-90’s bands like Marcy Playground, The Goo Goo Dolls, Stone Temple Pilots and Blind Melon. How fucked up is that???
Fortunately for Radiohead and their fans this was just the beginning.
Verdict: Pick the best tracks and put them on shuffle.
30) “The Moon & Antarctica” by Modest Mouse (2000)
29) “Turn On The Bright Lights” by Interpol (2001)
28) “Cassadaga” by Bright Eyes (2007)
27) “Builders & The Butchers” by The Builders & The Butchers (2007)
26) “@#%&*! Smilers” by Aimee Mann (2008)
25) “Concussion” by Matthew Ryan (2001)
24) “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings” by Citizen Cope (2004)
23) “Ghosts I-IV” by Nine Inch Nails (2008)
22) “At Dawn” by My Morning Jacket (2001)
21) “Veckatimist” by Gizzly Bear (2009): 2009’s best album is a fantastical journey.Lots of layers of sound, lots to hear. It’s not for everyone but it is a great album for those who like to really lose themselves in an album
20) “The Forgotten Arm” by Aimee Mann (2005): I love any music that tells stories and Aimee Mann is the master of that.A fully conceptual album “The Forgotten Arm” tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck Vietnam vet and boxer from Virginia and his dysfunctional relationship with the love of his life.
19) “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning” by Bright Eyes (2005): Though I love Cassadega (2007) almost equally this album really shot Bright Eyes up to the top of the indie-folk ladder. Songs like “Lua”, “Road To Joy”and “Landlocked Blues” still sound poignant and important 5 years after its release.
18) “Sea Change” by Beck (2002): Beck took all his hipster moves and threw them away in this album. It’s a stripped down melancholy album dealing with a breakup.It made me realize how good of an artist he really is.
17) “From A Basement On A Hill” by Elliott Smith (2004): Released posthumously after his suicide this album can almost be difficult to listen to given his tragic death.The songs hit right to the bone and come from a man dealing with some serious demons.Still, I can’t ever stop listening to it. It’s the “Virgin Suicides” of music.Most will point to “Figure 8” as his best work of the decade, but this album has always hit me on a more emotional level
16) “It Still Moves” by My Morning Jacket (2003):While I have some issues with the sequencing on this album it really shows everything MMJ can be as a band. Soaring highs from “One Big Holiday” (one of the best songs of the decade) to brilliant moments of introspection “Golden”.
15) “The Mirror Conspiracy” by Thievery Corporation (2000):Taking elements from electronic, trip-hop and bassanova Thievery made an album that completely creates a fantastic mood. I can’t tell you how often I hear their music at restaurants, lounges and in movies.For me, they completely awoke my ears to entire genre of music I previously had ignored.
14) “Is This It?” by The Strokes (2001):Rock and Roll! Tracks like "Hard to Explain", "Last Nite", and "Someday" still sound good almost 10 years later.
13) “Year Zero” by Nine Inch Nails (2007):A conceptual album deal with the government and freedom.While Radiohead scored all their press for their business innovation they aren’t even in the same league as NIN who launched an entire alternative reality to promote the record.It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in music.
12) “American IV: The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash (2002):This album introduced an entire generation of hipsters (and me) to the brilliance and honesty of Johnny Cash.Most famous for the cover of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” it also boast several other outstanding tracks. RIP Johnny.
11) “Heartbreaker” by Ryan Adams (2000):His first post-Whiskeytown album is still my favorite. Its filled with honesty and emotion and paints fantastic scnese of youth and lost love."To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" and "Come Pick Me Up" are epic tracks. Some will point to 2001’s follow up album (Gold) but for me this is tops.
10) “Give Up” by The Postal Service (2003):Side project from Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab For Cutie) this album mixes new wave beats and Gibbard’s unique storytelling. Some may hate it, but I love it. It takes me to a wonderful time and place every time I listen to it…and I still do listen to it quite a bit.
9) “Return To Cookie Mountain” by TV On The Radio (2006):There are so many layers of rock, electronic, hip-hop and funk on this album its hard to know where to begin. It has tons of sonic depth but still makes you think.In the oddest of ways I can only compare them to Pink Floyd, despite the fact they have almost no musical overlap.
8) “Neon Bible” by Arcade Fire (2007):After such an amazing debut it was hard to really top themselves.They didn’t quite do that with this album but it was stunner.Eveyrthing from their debut was there: soaring harmonies, dark themes and amazing weirdness.Amazing stuff.
7) “In Rainbows” by Radiohead (2007):Too much attention was paid to the fact this album was digitally released and not enough was focused on the brilliance of the songs.When it came out I thought it might get better over time.Indeed it has. I still find pockets of eupohoria and pain in these songs I never heard.They’re the best band on the planet for a reason people.
6) “Alligator” (2005) by The National:This exploded onto my radar in 2005.It sounded immense.Not from a volume or wall of sound perspective, just from a thematic one.Songs talking about the boss stopping you in the hallway to tell you they’ve been hearing good things, standing tall with high beams shining on your back to the secret meeting in the basement of my brain.I have daydreams of writing a screenplay which would be completely sound tracked by this album.
5) “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” by Wilco (2001):Ah where to begin.This album helped me a lot after 9/11.It introduced me to the concept of noise as a form of art. The pinnacle of everything that Wilco is and was as a band.Pretty close to perfection.
4) “Z” by My Morning Jacket (2005): This was the apex of a fantastic run of three straight dynamite albums (At Dawn and It Still Moves being the others). It saw MMJ take their sound to another level, add in a layer that was mysterious and dark without losing any of the things that made them so much fun to listen to in the first place. There are many layers to this album and all of them are wonderful.
3) “Boxer” (2007) by The National:I went back and forth and back and forth on this one.I had Alligator at 3 and boxer at 6. For me Alligator meant a bit more since it came out first. But after insistence by Mrs. Hops and my buddy Jordan “Hung Like A” Haas I realized that in fact Boxer is the better album.Both are amazing, but Boxer in particular speaks to my generation and my life more directly. I can only compare it to the way Bruce Springsteen (used to) speak to the working class.In addition to crafting a perfect album, they crafted the perfect song on that album. “Fake Empire”.Brilliant.
2) “Funeral” (2004) by Arcade Fire:I said on the very first Hopscast that one day I’d brag to my kids (or someone else’s) that I got to see this band when they were just coming out.The harmonies, wall of sound and general darkness of their music is both uplifting and sad at the same time. Emotional without any touch of sappiness or cheesiness. I don’t understand how anyone can listen to it an not be moved.
1) “Kid A” (2000) by Radiohead:Radiohead are creeping up to Beatles category for me as far as all-time bands are concerned. Yes, I understand the gravity of such a statement and feel absolutely no sense of shame saying it. They are simply amazing.True artists.Kid A was an album I didn’t immediately accept.It was difficult for me to understand what they were trying to achieve and how the music was meant to be digested.Then one day it clicked.The album whacked me on the upside of the head and reconfigured the way I hear music.No other album in my life, with the exceptions of “Sgt. Pepper’s” has ever really done that for me. I’ve loved others more perhaps and treasure them more, but Kid A had a lasting impact on me that still is there a decade later. It’s the standard by which all other albums in the last 10 years have to be judged, and that is why it’s an easy choice for #1.
Best Songs: "Fake Empire" by The National off of Boxer "One Big Holiday" by My Morning Jacket off of It Still Moves "Reckoner" by Radiohead off of In Rainbows
Best Live Shows: Nine Inch Nails - Many to choose from but I'd pick the show at the House Of Blues in Atlantic City Radiohead - Any Radiohead show is amazing, but my first in August 2001 at Liberty State Park in NJ was special. With the Statue of Liberty behind the stage and the World Trade Center and NYC skyline to the left. The National - At the Black Cat in DC Arcade Fire - At the 9:30 club in DC Audioslave -Seriously. They destroyed the 9:30 club. Go ahead and judge.
Most Underrated Artist: Matthew Ryan
Best Year: 2007: In Rainbows, Boxer, Neon Bible, Cassadaga, Year Zero etc. Favorite Album Cover: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
Today a co-worker asked me to make him a mix CD of some bands he might not be familiar with. Here is the track listing of the CD I made for him. It should give a decent idea about what my musical tastes are:
“Wake Up” by Arcade Fire (Funeral) One day my kids will be jealous that I saw them at the 9:30 Club, that’s how good this band is.
“Nowhere Again” by The Secret Machines (Now Here Is Nowhere) Originally from Texas these guys are an arty psychedelic rock band.They’re creating a sound that I just don’t hear from anyone else today.
“Staring at the Sun” by TV on the Radio (Desperate Youths, Blood thirsty Babes) Cool and quirky.
“Jesus Etc.” by Wilco (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) This song was written before 9/11, but the lyrics always make me think of the Towers.The whole album meant a lot to me then, and still does today.
“NYC” by Interpol (Turn on the Bright Lights) Yet another great New York City band.There are a bunch of bands out there who try to sound like them now, but these guys are still better.
“Say Something New” by The Concretes (The Concretes): If this sounds familiar it’s because it got used on a Target commercial.For the record I owned the album before it was on the commercial.The band is from Sweden.
“59th Street” by Amy Correia (Lakeville): She is a little known singer-songwriter but I love her voice.This is from her second and most recent album.Last summer I got to see her open for Josh Rouse in Annapolis, a dream show for me.
“Directions” by Josh Rouse (Home): If I was forced to name my top 5 all-time artists this guy would have to be considered (along with Dylan, Springsteen, Wilco, Radiohead and a few others).I like him that much.His recent work is more in the vain of 70’s singer-songwriter pop (think Carol King), but this is still my favorite tune by him.
“Penelope” by Pinback (Blue Screen Life): A poppy harmonic San Diego band.Their latest album is even better than this one.They also have a faux-metal side project called Goblin Cock with songs like The Revenge of Snufalufagus.
“Free Salute” by Little Barrie (We Are Little Barrie): If I told you these guys played at Woodstock you’d believe me, they’re total throwbacks.
“Bullet and a Target” by Citizen Cope (The Clarence Greenwood Recordings): This guy is incredible, part hip-hop, rock and folk.He was raised in the DC area and is based out of NYC now, but plays DC all the time.He’s one of those guys I can’t believe hasn’t gotten huge yet, though he did have a song in a Pontiac commercial recently. So he’s got that going for him.
“From a Balance Beam” by Bright Eyes (Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground): Bright Eyes is one guy from Omaha.He gained notoriety recently by touring with Springsteen, Fogerty and REM on the Vote For Change tour.
“Devastation” by Matthew Ryan (Concussion): A singer songwriter that has slipped through the cracks.This is a duet with Lucinda Williams.I love the last line “devastation junkie”.
“King’s Crossing” by Elliott Smith (From A Basement On The Hill): From an album that was released posthumously.Knowing how he died (he stabbed himself in the chest…..twice) makes the album fairly disturbing.
“Banquet” by Bloc Party (Silent Alarm): A fun British band.The first time I heard them I realized I’d never heard a band quite like them before.They’re big in England these days.
“The Rat” by The Walkmen (Bows + Arrows): An angry song from a band with DC roots.
“Secret Meeting” by The National (Alligator): Uncut Magazine named Alligator as their favorite album of the year, I ranked it #2 behind My Morning Jacket’s masterpiece Z.
“A Wolf At The Door” by Radiohead (Hail to the Thief): Radiohead is the best band on the planet. That’s a fact.This lyrics to this song “someone else is gonna come and clean it up, someone always does” is my AIM buddy icon.
If you see the Top 5 post below I created my own collage of the cover art from the top albums of the year. Well I had to cheat a bit for the Radiohead release, In Rainbows, because it didn't contain any artwork with the download. However, now that the band will release the music on a proper CD they have also revealed the artwork for it. Check out the create-your-own cover below. Its another fun Radiohead concept.
Remember when music videos didn't suck? Thought provoking, I know. The truth is that there are still bands out there that take the art form seriously. Trent Reznor, Radiohead, Gorillaz and Bjork to name a few. However, for most its just a medium to show skanky women and bands with pretty faces. A good recommendation for music videos that push the envelope and feature great music is Subterranean on MTV2 . Set your DVR's though, because its on at 2AM EST on Mondays.
So in honor of Halloween here are some creepy music videos that are perfect for the occasion.
Bat for Lashes "What's a Girl To Do?":
Radiohead "Wolf at the Door":
and a seriously messed up video, but a brilliant one - Unkle (featuring Thom Yorke) "Rabbit In Your Headlights":
Today the new Radiohead album arrived in my inbox - for the price I was willing to pay for and in a normal unprotected MP3 format. As I had mentioned in a previous post the way they are releasing this album is nothing short of revolutionary. If you look in the comments section of that post Mrs. Hops said "I think this is a move even Trent Reznor would be impressed by :-)" Well apparently Trent does in fact read my blog and decided that it was impressive. Check out what he just posted on NIN.com:
08 October 2007: Big News
Hello everyone. I've waited a LONG time to be able to make the following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label. I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate. Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008. Exciting times, indeed.
posted by Trent Reznor at 10:45 AM.1422 Comments
14222 comments! Do you think he is pissed radiohead beat him to the punch?
Episode 2 links the Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and Johnny Cash. I talk in depth about my love for Radiohead and their amazing development.
2) In This Home On Ice – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3) Cross-eyed and Painless– The Talking Heads – Remain in Light
I mentioned that the Nine Inch Nails logo lifted the typeset from Remain In Light. Here is the Remain In Light album cover and the NIN logo for you to compare.
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4) Terrible Lie – Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine
5) The Bends – Radiohead – The Bends
Did you know that The Bends is another word for Decompression Sickness? It occurs when divers come up to fist after being way below the surface. The first sounds on the album is the ping of a submarine.
6) Everything in its Right Place – Radiohead – Kid A
7) Poor Places – Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The album was originally rejected by their record label – Reprise. They disliked it so much that they dropped the band altogether, but allowed them to keep the rights to the album. They then signed with Nonesuch records for more than they were making with Reprise after several labels tried to get the band. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot went on to hit #13 on the charts, a big deal for a band like Wilco. The best part is that Nonesuch and Reprise are both owned by Warner Brothers – so they essentially fired and rehired the band for more money. The documentary “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” chronicles the making of the album and the story of its eventual release on Nonesuch. It’s essential viewing.
8) Life Worth Livin’ – Uncle Tupelo – No Depression
I love the line in “Life Worth Livin’” - “A beer in each hand and a smile in between”. When Uncle Tupelo split Jay Farrar (the lead singer for this song) formed Son Volt. Tweedy formed Wilco. Son Volt stayed pretty true to the Uncle Tupelo sound, while Wilco has gone a new direction.
9) Hurt – Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around
Cash’s cover remains pretty true to the original Nine Inch Nails version. The only change he made was changing the line “I wear this crown of shit” to “I wear this crown of thorns”. I read a great interview in Uncut about the most influential songs and movies of all time. Trent Reznor picked Johnny Cash’s version of his song as one of his biggest influences. He talked about how he was in a bad place when he heard it (due to drug issues) and how he felt that Johnny’s version brought out the true meaning of the song.
10) Girl From the North Country – Bob Dylan w/ Johnny Cash – Nashville Skyline
Girl From the North County original appeared on Bob Dylan’s album: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. The version that appeared there was a folk song, as opposed to the country version that appears on the 1969 (country) album Nashville Skyline.
11) Come Pick Me Up – Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
Correction: The video for “New York, New York” was actually filmed September 7th, not September 10th 2001. See the video here
Interested in Whiskytown? Pick up Strangers Almanac – its their best album
12) Rodeohead – Hard ‘n Phirm – Horses and Grasses
Before I post my Top 5 Albums of 2007 I wanted to take a moment to look back to my favorites from the past two years and see how they still stack up. Here we go.
Hops’ Top 5 Albums of 2005
1) Z by My Morning Jacket – I still absolutely love this album. When I first heard it I knew it would be something that I’d be listening to for quite a while. Two years later my theory has been confirmed.Long live My Morning Jacket.
2) Alligator by The National – My boys have all grown up since being named the #2 album of 2005. I struggled between this and Z for the top spot at the time and to be honest I still struggle to say which is better. Alligator remains nothing short of a masterpiece and probably should be tied for #1. In 2005 I didn’t want to wimp out and not name a clear winner, now I remember why debated it for so long.
3) Silent Alarm by Bloc Party – I still like Bloc Party, but I don’t listen to this as much anymore. It still stands up and is definitely enjoyable but a bit of overexposure and lots of copycats didn’t help entice me into repeated listens.
4) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-titled) – Like Bloc Party I was disappointed with their follow up album in 2007 which spoils their debut just a bit. However, the energy and incomprehensibility of this album remains. I don’t listen to it very often but enjoy it when I do.
5) Apologies to the Queen Mary by Wolf Parade – I never was totally in love with this album, and I’m still not. Some days I completely loved it and some I just wasn’t in the mood. I don’t know why.I still think it’s a good album overall and many of the songs still get me fired up. It’s very comparable to the Bloc Party and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah albums on this list. All have great energy but none have tremendous depth. I guess that just was my mood in ’05. That said if I were to rank these again this album would probably get pushed up above Bloc Party and Clap You Hands Say Yeah.
FINAL VERDICT: Z and Alligator are epic albums worthy of the top 2 slots any year.The other three albums on this list are all very good, but not something I expect to be lasting the test of time.
Hops’ Top 5 Albums of 2006
1) Return To CookieMountain by TV On The Radio – Mrs. Hops and I just put this on the other day and then we both scolded one another for not listening to it more. It still is leaps and bounds better than most music you can find and there is still so much to hear in it every listen.
2) Everything All Of The Time by Band of Horses – I played this album more than any other last year and that unfortunately made me listen to it less recently. That said, when I do put it on its still as enjoyable as it was back then. There 2007 follow up was good, but it was pretty difficult to exceed the expectations they set with Everything All Of The Time.
3) Modern Times by Bob Dylan – On further listen some of the songs on here shine even brighter when I first heard them. Some are a bit duller. Overall, from start to finish this album still works. I think it would be in my Top 5 if I did it all over again, just maybe not at #3.
4) The Eraser by Thom Yorke – Hearing the new Radiohead album, In Rainbows, you can see how this Thom Yorke effort really set the stage for what was to come. I don’t think I quite appreciated the subtlety and beauty of this the first time around. I was too fixated on the beats and the fact it wasn’t a Radiohead album.Upon further review it’s even more impressive.
5) Every Waking Moment by Citizen Cope – Citizen Cope is still fantastic. I don’t think I can listen to this album and not enjoy it. Its also one of the few albums I can universally recommend. If anything it should be higher now that a year has passed.
FINAL VERDICT:All five of these of these albums still deserve repeated listens today. Return To Cookie Mountain still stands out from the bunch and I feel very good about giving it top honors last year.
On New Years Day my buddy “Cousin” Jeffrey was talking about how he really wanted to fly to Manchester to see Oasis in the front row of a massive concert.This, sadly, is his dream.But I am not one to mock dreams…. just the dreamer.And to be honest, that does sound like it could be fun.
Anyway, this enlightening conversation made me think of my own New Years resolutions. Here are 7 things I want to accomplish in 2007 (music related of course):
1)See Radiohead play live again.Once again, I can’t wait for them to do a proper US tour this year and get a chance to see them. They don’t tour as much as I’d like and I’ve only gotten to see them two times. However, those are two of my favorite all-time shows.I just hope they don’t play the amphitheaters again and do smaller venues. I doubt it will happen though
2)Keep producing the award winning, internationally respected episodes of “All You Need Is Hops”, the greatest Hopscast on the Interweb. The gospel of Hops must be spread to the masses.
3)Check out more local bands.In DC we have a ton of venues like the Black Cat and Iota who put on good shows every night. I definitely want to see a few more local bands that I can see without forking up a ton of money or having to get there hours before the show just to get a spot where I can see.
4)See Arcade Fire again. I loved their last show at the 9:30 club and I’m eagerly awaiting their new album next month. Let’s hope they still play a venue that small. I’m guessing they’re going to be a tough ticket if they do.
5)Continue to dust off my old albums. If you’ve been reading my column “Dusting off the Disc” you know I’ve been revisiting CD’s in my collection that I haven’t listened to for over a year. I’m really enjoying the exercise of going through my collection and intentionally choosing the lesser traveled path. I encourage everyone to do the same.
6)Hit up a jazz club. DC has a ton of jazz clubs and for whatever reason I’ve always avoided going. Considering the strong historical connection to the city I should probably go at least once.
7)Create a binder of my shows. Mrs. Hops had a great idea: take all the ticket stubs from shows we’ve been to (assuming I saved them) and print out the set lists and potentially some photos. It would be a cool thing to have around, a little history off all the concerts I’ve ever seen. It will take some work, but I’d be excited to have that in my house.
What are you musical resolution for 2007?Feel free to comment below or email me at AllYouNeedIsHops@gmail.com
According to the Chicago Tribune "Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are expected to headline the fourth incarnation of Lollapalooza in Grant Park Aug. 1-3."
If you haven’t noticed I have been very interested in the business of music lately. I just think that it’s a really interesting time in the music industry. A lot of external forces are making it difficult to continue to operate record labels in the same way they have in the past. Additionally, musicians have more options than they ever did before.Because of these factors I wonder if this trend of artists and labels making less money will continue or if its just an adjustment period.If I had to vote I would think that it is the former. And guess what?That is a GOOD thing.The best music, and frankly almost all really good music, was created as a form of expression. Its only when your musical choice is dictated by your career ambitions do you start to see the ugly side of popular music and the business culture that surrounds it.
So where is the balance?How can there be a system where artists make money and can still be as creative as they like? How can record companies (and all of the other people who make a living in the business) still generate sizable revenue without turning the music into a commodity? All of these questions are being figured out right now. However, where I’ve struggled is not having any real hard facts to base assumptions on. The article I posted by David Byrne helped a lot.Now, Trent Reznor has chimed in about the recent release of Saul Williams’ new album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust, which he produced.
Here is what Trent posted on his website (NIN.com)
As of 1/2/08, 154,449 people chose to download Saul's new record. 28,322 of those people chose to pay $5 for it, meaning: 18.3% chose to pay.
I have to assume the people knowing about this project must either be primarily Saul or NIN fans, as there was very little media coverage outside our direct influence. If that assumption is correct - that most of the people that chose to download Saul's record came from his or my own fan-base - is it good news that less than one in five feel it was worth $5? I'm not sure what I was expecting but that percentage - primarily from fans - seems disheartening.
So which way is better?I am going to make the following assumptions:
100% of the albums he sold in 2004 were via CD’s, not via digital download
The artist made $1.60 per record (per David Byrne’s notes)
The cut that his “team” (managers etc.) get is the same either way
So here is the revenue Saul Williams generated based on my assumptions:
So you would think that the digital is the way to go? I wouldn’t agree. I’m sure for Radiohead it makes sense but for Saul and Trent it probably did not make FINANCIAL sense. Even though he made almost 3 times the revenue he had to pay for all the costs associated with the album (I'm assuming the record company paid most of those costs the first time). This is exactly the point Trent Reznor makes:
Add to that: we spent too much (correction, I spent too much) making the record utilizing an A-list team and studio, Musicane fees, an old publishing deal, sample clearance fees, paying to give the record away (bandwidth costs), and nobody's getting rich off this project.
But... Saul's music is in more peoples' iPods than ever before and people are interested in him. He'll be touring throughout the year and we will continue to get the word out however we can.
So - if you're an artist looking to utilize this method of distribution, make of these figures what you will and hopefully this info is enlightening.
Best, TR
So what’s the silver lining here? Well people are listening to the album which means he’ll do much better on tour (where artists make their real money) than before. Also, Saul tells Cnet he isn’t disappointed with the results and he’s happy that people are listening to his music (lots of good stuff in that article by the way). In fact, Saul says that its too early to really judge the sales and humorously points out that Trent is just a bit of a gloomy guy in general.Good to see he has a sense of humor.
UPDATE: on the Niggy Tardust order page this was just posted: We have removed the FREE option from our site as it was limited to the first 100,000 customers. For the highest quality download and a 33 page PDF of original album artwork and lyrics, please complete the form below and support The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
Personally, I love random holidays with no real significance. What exactly am I supposed to be celebrating today? That the bank is closed? That I don’t get my mail? To be fair I DID get the day off. This extra time is giving me the chance to make this mega-post inspired by US Presidents. Now I couldn’t think of a song for all of them so if you have any ideas for missing Presidential songs please add them to the comments section. All songs are downloadable.
George Washington – Washington, DC by The Magnetic Field (mp3). When you name the entire city after the man you have to use it.
John Adams – My Winding Wheel by Ryan Adams (mp3). Possibly a distant cousin?
Thomas Jefferson – Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane (mp3). TJ what happened here?Yeah.
James Madison – 15 Step by Radiohead Live from MadisonSquareGarden (mp3).
James Monroe – Doctor Monroe by Casey Dienel (mp3). Last I checked he wasn’t actually a doctor, making Casey a liar.
John Quincy Adams – Theme from Quincy, M.E. (mp3). This was one of my dad’s favorite shows growing up. It’s about a crazy Medical Examiner named Quincy who goes around solving cases. Most of them involved punks who are causing trouble.
Andrew Jackson – Jackson Cage by Bruce Springsteen (mp3).
Millard Fillmore – Blue Moon Rising by Gomez Live from the Fillmore Auditorium (mp3). I can’t claim I really heard of Millard Fillmore…but I have heard of the famous Fillmore West.
Abraham Lincoln – Sucker by Lincoln (mp3). I remembered I owned this CD of a band named Lincoln that my friend Kate gave me a long time ago. I dug through my CD binders and found it. They’re kind of a cross between the Old 97’s and Blink 182. You can decide if that is a good thing of not.
Andrew Johnson – Cripple and the Starfish by Anthony and the Johnsons (mp3).
Ulysses S. Grant – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by The Band (mp3). The greatest song ever written about the South and Southern pride in honor of the man who led the charge to destroy it. I live near Lee Highway and Leesburg Pike and the town of Leesburg. There is nothing named after Grant around here.
Teddy Roosevelt – Teddy Boy by Paul McCartney (mp3).
Woodrow Wilson – Wilson by Phish (mp3). I think this was about a volleyball or some creature from Gamehendge.But it works here.
Dwight D. Eisenhower – Even Rats by The Slip (mp3) off their album Eisenhower.
John F. Kennedy – Halloween by Dead Kennedys (mp3)
Richard Nixon -Rhythm King by Luna (mp3) with the line “Nixon’s in a coma and I hope its gonna last”. Apparently it did.
Jimmy Carter – Jimmy Jazz by The Clash (mp3). Though I don’t know if Jimmy Carter really is all that jazzy.
Ronald Reagan – Airport Song by Guster (mp3). Since they renamed NationalAirport to Reagan National. A source of controversy in the DC area.
George H.W. Bush – Machinehead by Bush. (mp3). Obviously.
Bill Clinton – Freak of the Week by Funkadelic (mp3). “George Clinton…Parliament / Funkadelic….. Dude, aren’t you supposed to be a music major?”
George W. Bush – Christ for President by Billy Bragg & Wilco (mp3).
And for all of those who didn’t get a song – Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America (mp3)
There is an article entitled "Metallica Repents, Sort Of" on Wired.com talking about their plan to release music in the style of Radiohead/Trent Reznor - aka DRM free online. However, the article correctly pointed out that Metallica was the same band who really were on the forefront of the anti-Napster movement and even went so far as to release a list of people who shared Metallica songs online. So as you can imagine some people find a bit of irony in this new approach. What I loved about the article, however, was the comments at the bottom. Some choice ones include: "I have been around as long as Metallica...you all lost all my respect when you f___ed off all your fans for $$$$. As if you didn't have enough!! 2 little 2 late""They killed Napster, now fans will let them die a slow death of their own. Rot in HELL Metallica! You guys are OLD news!""Haha, F U Metallica. Oh I get it, now that your careers are in the shitter, you finally wanna open up to this "new & hip" digital world only NOW in 2008 after years of alienating thousands of your fans by suing the pants off them & treating them like criminals for spreading your music. Too little too late. You & your scum bag lawyers can all go fuck yourselves, you greedy corporate bastards."
... and my personal favorite "I'd rather watch old Testament videos on YouTube than give Metallica another dime ever again!"
Hilarious. I don't know what that last one means but I'm guessing that the person who wrote it doesn't regularly attend Church.
The Inevitable Rise and Fall of Niggy Tardust. Best album name ever?
The Trent Reznor produced album by Saul Williams is now available. Similar to Radiohead's In Rainbows you can pay for it...or not pay for it. Its your call. Order here.
You know who doesn't get enough respect? Marching bands. Yeah that's right. Marching bands, especially really good ones are laughed at. Why? The good ones are really entertaining and work really hard. Often, I enjoy them more than the football games they're playing at. Last week Big Poppa Hops' alma mater, Rutgers, played a tiny Virginia school called Norfolk State. The highlight according to both Big Poppa and Mama Hops? You guessed it - the halftime show. Yesterday I saw a posting about a highschool marching band playing "The Hand That Feeds" by Nine Inch Nails (view here - its not great but they're just in high school).
This got me to thinking about marching that play popular songs. I remember watching the Bayou Classic Battle of the Bands when I was a kid and seeing the Grambling Band play TLC's "What About Your Friends" (or was it Southern that played it?). It got the crowd fired up! So for you viewing pleasure here are some great clips of college marching bands. Before you laugh and call me a geek check them out.
The University of Arizona playing Radiohead:
Ohio State doing their famous "Script" (Michigan fans look away):
And because I didn't want to get My Buddy Brad angry, here is Michigan's band doing "Thriller":
You have to give alot of credit for the merging of marching bands and rock music to Fleetwood Mac. back in the late 70's they got the USC Marching band to help them with their song "Tusk". They even performed this live with the band on stage at their reunion concert. So if you're wondering where Kanye West and Jamie Foxx got the idea to bring on a marching band at the 2006 Grammys look no further than the video below:
Sorry for my lack of posts. In addition to work I was held up with the flu for a week. Not fun. High fever, cold sweats (no vomit though). However, I am a wimp and was worried something was seriously wrong once my temperature broke 102. So I thought of the title to this post. Speaking of the title (from the song "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead) this is hilarious:
And for those of you who are living under a rock and do not listen to OK Computer regularly here is a live version of "Paranoid Android" from way back in 1998.Enjoy:
It’s my obligation to bring you my Top 5 Albums of the year. And I wouldn’t let my Hops fans down. Here they are:
The Top 5 Albums of 2007
1) Neon Bible by Arcade Fire - I think a lot of people dismiss them because they're suddenly trendy but those people are being foolish. This album gets better every time I hear it. I played it on “All You Need Is Hops” more than any other album this year. I don’t think it can be overstated how difficult it must have been to put out and album this brilliant on the heels of Funeral.Amazing stuff that will last a very very long time.
2) Boxer by The National – The National are simply brilliant. If Neon Bible wasn't so damn good this would be an easy #1 pick.But unfortunately they come up short for the 2nd time in 3 years. That said this was a great year for the band and this album is completely deserving of all the press they received. It brings out such a range of emotions by relating to everyday life and the daydreams that fill in the cracks of your day.
3) Cassadaga by Bright Eyes – Definitely his best work yet. "First a mother bathes a child, then the other way around, the scales always find a way to level out" might be the line of the year. The more I take time to soak these songs in the more they are impossible to ignore.
4) In Rainbows by Radiohead - Difficult for them to exceed the massive expectations I always have of them. This album appeared simpler on the surface but there is way more there than I first heard. If you own it listen to it more and you’ll get more out of it. In some ways the method of distribution for In Rainbows is detracting from the quality of music they actually released. Over time I expect that to change and people to realize how much good stuff is on the record.
5) Saltbreakers by Laura Veirs - The top four albums were easy picks for me but the #5 slot was much tougher. However, I keep coming back to this album. It’s so easy to listen to yet it is more complex than it seems. Every few weeks I put it back on and I have a tough time taking it off. Why don’t more people talk about her? She deserves better.
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails, Our Love To Admire by Interpol, Shepherd's Dog by Iron & Wine, Easy Tiger by Ryan Adams, Sky Blue Sky by Wilco, One Man Revolution by The Nightwatchman, Cease To Begin by Band of Horses, From A Late Night High Rise by Matthew Ryan and Emerald City by John Vanderslice
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