We Hate Radiohead

And the big news update on the current "innovation" that Radiohead has stumbled upon: 

"Nearly one third of all of Radiohead's fans paid essentially nothing for their copy of In Rainbows.

According to a BBC survey, 29 percent of all fans who downloaded In Rainbows (review) paid either nothing or 1p for the record. The band self-released that album through its website, dubbing it a "social experiment," in allowing fans to name their own price for the record." -Aversion.com

Remember when I said that Radiohead was releasing their album on the internet for a "buy-it-for whatever" and then give you the option for an $80 box set?

Well, it slightly backfired. Only slightly. Well, maybe not so slightly.

Not only are the fans of Radiohead jipping Radiohead out of hard earned money...but their also griping about something so insignificant even your younger brother with OCD and a degree in Tabloids wouldn't notice it.

"Some Radiohead fans feel as if the band sold them a bill of goods with the downloads to In Rainbows.

Fans took to the online message boards with beef about the bitrate at which their copies of In Rainbows downloads were recorded, 160Kbps, despite the fact that industry standard is 128 Kbps for most download sites, including all but iTunes' premium music files." Aversion.com

Well, it seems a magical tug-o'-war of cause and effect has unearthed magically on the unicorn steed of the underground. Cause: Radiohead offers ONLINE ONLY dowloadable music for a price of your heart's content TRUSTING you will acknowledge their blessings upon the underground musical world and give them a nice tip, at least one pleasing to a Delivery Boy...other than that, spend $80 on a spiffed up box set.

Effect: A third of their fans say "fuck you! free shit!" and buy hard musical vibrations for virtually $0 - $2.50 (yes, this means you as well, Papa). They enjoy this new bonanza of the $15 of money bills by spending it on either junk food or pot. HURRAH!

But is it possible Radioheads cruel rebel-ity is still showing, hidden in their steeds wind-blown mane? Does the rainbow really lead to a pot of gold with Radiohead's name on it in sparkles?

Possibly so. They might actually be smart.

Possible Effect #2: Radiohead forsees this problem. They know that the only people who will pay little or no money are silly little pre-teen scensters who dared to be "different" and downloaded it unto their iPods so everyone can say "Oh wow! What an eclectic music choice!". They also know that these same people would be quite pissed off about miniscule things...par example: a broken nail. Big bitrates, damaged keratin...tomato, tahmahto.....Thus, Radiohead has screwed the ones we HeadHeads loathe. HURRAH IN YOUR FUCKING FACE.

I have to say my position has flipped regarding In Rainbows. Apparently, Radiohead knows what they are doing. 

The karma police have struck again.