Comments on: Pop goes the Radio(head) http://kev.elbowroomdesign.com/228/pop-goes-the-radiohead/ improvising ideas and inspiring change Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:41:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Harrison http://kev.elbowroomdesign.com/228/pop-goes-the-radiohead/comment-page-1/#comment-222 Harrison Sun, 30 Sep 2007 08:25:39 +0000 http://kev.elbowroomdesign.com/228/pop-goes-the-radiohead/#comment-222 Radiohead covers are always fun to hear because they seem like such an eminently "uncoverable" entity. Radiohead songs are already very often complete. What can someone add to one? An artist like Dylan or Cohen, who writes perfect songs but can't sing them, leaves the door wide open for a crooner or chanteuse to sweep the song off its feet and showcase its perfection; not so with Radiohead. And it's a pro and a con of their music, I think, that it is so uncoverable. On one hand, as I said, they're already complete, but a good song should stand alone and Radiohead's songs don't. More interesting, however, is the latest trend of sampling them rather than covering them. I guess I'd blame Kanye West, who is making it his personal mission to fold indie into hip hop because their music is better than his. Radiohead's music is so perfect for intellectual hip hop, and when it works, as in the Lupe Fiasco track "Us Placers" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU-w4IAJePw), it's dynamite. Radiohead covers are always fun to hear because they seem like such an eminently “uncoverable” entity. Radiohead songs are already very often complete. What can someone add to one? An artist like Dylan or Cohen, who writes perfect songs but can’t sing them, leaves the door wide open for a crooner or chanteuse to sweep the song off its feet and showcase its perfection; not so with Radiohead.

And it’s a pro and a con of their music, I think, that it is so uncoverable. On one hand, as I said, they’re already complete, but a good song should stand alone and Radiohead’s songs don’t.

More interesting, however, is the latest trend of sampling them rather than covering them. I guess I’d blame Kanye West, who is making it his personal mission to fold indie into hip hop because their music is better than his. Radiohead’s music is so perfect for intellectual hip hop, and when it works, as in the Lupe Fiasco track “Us Placers” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU-w4IAJePw), it’s dynamite.

]]> By: dan http://kev.elbowroomdesign.com/228/pop-goes-the-radiohead/comment-page-1/#comment-221 dan Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:45:41 +0000 http://kev.elbowroomdesign.com/228/pop-goes-the-radiohead/#comment-221 Talking along such lines, you should look around for a cover of Bjork's Unravel by Jason Mraz. It reminds me a lot of John's Kid A. I'll send it to you if it tickles your fancy. Talking along such lines, you should look around for a cover of Bjork’s Unravel by Jason Mraz. It reminds me a lot of John’s Kid A. I’ll send it to you if it tickles your fancy.

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