t.A.T.u. {or ТАТУ}is a multi-award winning Russian music duo consisting of Елена Сергеевна Катина [Yelena Sergeyevna Katina](Лена/Lena for short.) and Юля Олеговна Волкова [Yulya Olegovna Volkova] (It's sometimes spelled as "Yulia," and in America, it's "Julia").
The group was formed in 1999 by Иван Шаповалов [Ivan Shapovalov] in Moscow. t.A.T.u. are the most successful international recording act exported from Russia, with a fan base stretching all over the world. Their debut album, "200 По Встречной"[200 Po Vstrechnoĭ] was the first from a Russian act to reach gold status internationally. With the release of their debut English album, 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane, t.A.T.u. became the first act to receive an IFPI Platinum Europe Award for the same album in two languages.
Much of their early success was based on what was thought of as a lesbian image portrayed by Katina and Volkova, and the controversy that surrounded it. However, in December 2003, it became apparent in their documentary, Anatomy of t.A.T.u., that their sexuality was just part of the group's image at the time, and that they were not actually lesbians. Then in 2004, the group took a hiatus after they split from their producer and Volkova had become pregnant. They were soon back in the studio, and, in 2005, released Dangerous and Moving and ЛЮДИ ИНВАЛИДЫ[Lyudi Invalidy]. In the last year, the group has released a compilation album, negotiated out of their contract with Universal records, and announced the production of a third studio albums "Waste Management" and "Управление Отбросами," which will coincide to the release of an upcoming film titled Finding t.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u.'s image and vocals fit well into pop music, however, the group's sound varies from rock, to dance, to pop and electronica. Their first Russian album was mostly rock and dance influenced, while their first English album was heavily influenced by rock and electronica. Their English follow-up, Dangerous and Moving, was a more traditionally Euro-pop album than the first.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Tatu
R.E.M
R.E.M. is an American college rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in early 1980s by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist/keyboard player Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. Berry left the band after suffering a brain aneurysm on the Monster tour. He is now a farmer.
Although "R.E.M." can stand for "Rapid Eye Movement", which is a certain stage during a person's nightly sleep, it does not have this meaning when referring to the band.
Throughout the 1980s, the band worked relentlessly, releasing records every year from their debut album Murmur in 1983 through Green in 1988. Alongside this hectic recording schedule, R.E.M. toured constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. Along the way, they inspired countless bands, from the legions of jangle pop groups in the mid-1980s to scores of alternative pop groups in the 1990s, who admired their slow climb to stardom and were instrumental in the rise of college radio. The band's politics, aesthetics, and hardworking ethos - largely inspired by the early punk and art rock movements of the 1970s - enabled the group to establish itself quickly as one of the pillars of the U.S.'s burgeoning alternative rock scene. Toward the mid-1990s, R.E.M. was an institution, as its influence was felt in new generations of bands.
R.E.M.'s music stands as a testament to diversity, with their catalog reflecting the changes in time and sound in American music over the length of the band's career. While their early music is full of lo-fi jangly guitars and murmured lyrics - leading to the album titled Murmur, their most recent album, Around the Sun, is more hi-fi and unlike anything done previously. Despite such shifts in album direction and the sound of each album changing substantially, fans are still able to identify an element of each song that retains the R.E.M. feel.
Discography:
Chronic Town EP(1982)
Murmur (1983)
Reckoning (1984)
Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
Document (1987)
Green (1988)
Out of Time (1991)
Automatic for the People (1992)
Monster (1994)
New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)
Up (1998)
Reveal (2000)
Around the Sun (2004)
Duran Duran
Duran Duran (named after a character in Roger Vadim's sci-fi classic, Barbarella) are an electronic pop-rock band that were part of the new wave music movement in the early 1980s. Created by Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (bass) in 1978, with the later addition of Roger Taylor (drums), Andy Taylor (guitar), and Simon Le Bon (lead vocals), the band have sold over 70 million records and are the most commercially successful of the new romantic bands.
Their songs were cheerful, hook-laden pop that fared well on the radio, but what many remember best about Duran Duran are their iconic music videos. Though many of the videos were tongue-in-cheek, the band never quite escaped the glamorous and decadent jet set image their early videos projected.
The band spent on an average more than a six figure sum (£), on first 3 albums videos (each) alone.
Their first singer was Stephen Duffy and the original bassist was Simon Colley. Several drummers and guitarists were subsequently tried, as well as a handful of vocalists after Duffy left Duran Duran early in 1979. Duran Duran performed the title sequence theme for the 1985 James Bond film "A View To A Kill".
Like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran were among the earliest bands to work on their own remixes. From the very beginning, the band had a keen sense of style, and worked with stylist Perry Haines and fashion designers such as Kahn & Bell and Antony Price to build a sharp and elegant image, soon growing beyond the ruffles and sashes of the pirate-flavoured new romantic look.
Although the group never disbanded, it went through several line-up changes over the years - guitarist Warren Cuccurullo was also a member of the band from 1989 to 2001, and drummer Sterling Campbell was a member from 1989 to 1991. The reunion of the original five members in the early 2000s created a stir among music media and the band's fans. Duran Duran released the first album from the reunited line-up, Astronaut, in 2004, which was in turn followed up by many sold out shows in England, most notably Wembley, where the Live DVD of the tour was filmed in 2004/2005.
In October of 2006, it was announced on Duran Duran's website that Andy Taylor had left the band.The band's new album, 'Red Carpet Massacre' is due to be released in October this year.
Deep Purple
Deep Purple is a British rock group, and is also the name of a song composed by Peter De Rose, from which the band borrowed its name. They are considered to be heavy metal/hard rock pioneers together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.
Formed in 1967, Deep Purple's early output ranged from pure pop (such as their cover of "Hush") to strongly classically influenced pieces (such as "April", from their third album). Their first few albums contained incredibly long solos including songs such as "Hey Joe" and "I'm So Glad" with a long solo before they even began their lyrics. Some classic anthems have come from that era of Deep Purple though, including songs such as "Anthem" and "Shield" which set the bar for some very influential songs.
After their third album, though, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore in particular felt the band should move in a harder direction - and felt that then singer Rod Evans and bassist Nicky Simper were incapable of working in that direction. Both were therefore let go, and replaced with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover from Episode Six, producing what is now thought of as the classic Deep Purple lineup with keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice.
The first output of this new lineup was a mixed electric and orchestral album with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, "Deep Purple In Concert", with the centrepiece being Lord's "Concerto for Group and Orchestra". The whole project was reputedly initiated after idle chat with the band's manager about the possibility led to him booking the orchestra and giving the inexperienced composer a deadline to produce the work of a public concert.
Following on from this unusual venture were four very influential studio albums over the next four years - "Deep Purple In Rock", "Fireball", "Machine Head" and "Who Do We Think We Are?" and the seminal live album "Made in Japan".
Though this lineup still recorded some songs with a lighter, pop tone such as "Strange Kind Of Woman" and "Black Night", the influence of their new blood and the impetus this provided to the existing members showed strongly in hard rock songs such as "Speed King", "Child in Time" and the massively successful "Smoke On The Water", which became a tune almost everybody knows, but not everybody can put a name to.
In 1973, creative tensions led to Gillan and Glover leaving the band, and being replaced by previously unknown singer David Coverdale and bassist / singer Glenn Hughes from Trapeze. This new lineup continued the success of their predecessors, recording the albums "Burn" and "Stormbringer" and further successful tours and live albums. However, Blackmore became disenchanted with the increasing funk direction he felt the band was taking and left to form Rainbow (a name inspired by the stage set when they performed at the California Jam music festival) with former members of Elf, who had previously toured with Deep Purple as a support act.
Coverdale then assumed leadership of the band and recruited former James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin and recording "Come Taste The Band". Other members were growing weary, though, and when Bolin died of a Heroin overdose the band split, with Coverdale going on to form Whitesnake and Paice and Lord joining with Tony Ashton to form the short-lived Paice, Ashton And Lord before joining Coverdale in Whitesnake.
In 1984, their best-known second lineup reunited to produce the albums "Perfect Strangers" and "The House of Blue Light". Tensions returned however, as Gillan was fired to be replaced by Joe Lynn Turner, formerly of Rainbow. This lineup only lasted for one album, "Slaves and Masters", before Gillan's return for "The Battle Rages On" and Blackmore's subsequent departure while touring in support of the album, being temporarily replaced by Joe Satriani.
The remaining members then recruited Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse and, revitalised, produced what many regarded as their best work in many years, "Purpendicular", then "Abandon" before Lord's departure to be replaced by former Rainbow and Ozzy Osbourne keyboardist Don Airey. This lineup has since recorded "Bananas" and "Rapture of the Deep".
While not as influential or commercially successful as in their original incarnation, the band have remained a successful studio and live act throughout this period.
Cacophony
Cacophony is a United States neoclassical speed metal/shred band formed in 1986 by guitarists Marty Friedman and Jason Becker. The band also featured Atma Anur on drums and Peter Marrino on vocals, although the main focus of their music was the guitars. Cacophony is often recognized for its technically challenging, neo-classical metal elements.
Band Members
* Peter Marrino - Vocals
* Marty Friedman - Guitar
* Jason Becker - Guitar
* Jimmy O'Shea - Bass
* Kenny Stavropoulos - Drums
Discography
* Speed Metal Symphony (1987)
* Go Off! (1988)
About the albums
Their first album, the predominantly instrumental Speed Metal Symphony, fused classical and hard rock styles with Friedman's preference towards exotic scales (especially obvious in the song "The Ninja"). It featured exceptionally fast, melodic and technical music that could only be equalled by other virtuosi such as Yngwie Malmsteen. It has been heralded as one of the most awe-inspiring instrumental guitar albums of all time. The title track, "Speed Metal Symphony", was an incredible combination of amazing lead solos and fast rhythm guitar.
Their second album Go Off! was a commercial failure. Besides Becker, Friedman and Marrino, it featured a new bassist and a new drummer. The drums were played by Deen Castronovo, however the picture of new drummer Kenny Stavropoulos was included on the back cover. Go Off! featured a more song oriented approach, valuing songwriting as much as display of skill. The guitar playing is more technical and the harmonisation of the lead lines and solos resulted in interesting double harmonies that wildly differed from the common "Iron Maiden harmony style".
Breakup
Though the second album was a commercial failure, it spawned cult followings around the band. Cacophony broke up with Jason Becker joining David Lee Roth and Marty Friedman joining Megadeth. Friedman and Becker have since left Megadeth and David Lee Roth's band respectively (in Becker's case due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Both released several solo albums that include a wide variety of music. Jason Becker's album Perpetual Burn is considered one of the greatest neo-classical shred albums of all time.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: It should be noted that, on iTunes and last.fm notably, Cacophony's music is falsly represented, instead TECHNO music has been posted, presumably as the artist's name is the same.
Garbage
Garbage is a Scottish/American rock group formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994. The band members are Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig (who had made his name as a producer, including Nirvana's Nevermind.)
Garbage released a string of increasingly successful singles in 1995–1996, culminating in the hit Stupid Girl. Their debut album, Garbage, was an unexpected smash, selling over 4 million copies and reaching double platinum status in the UK, USA and Australia. Garbage spent two years working on their follow-up album Version 2.0 which topped the charts in the UK and hit #13 in the US. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards, Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. In 1999, they performed the theme song to the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough. That year, they also contributed the song When I Grow Up to the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy.
The band struggled to sustain their initial success, and the band's 2001 third album Beautifulgarbage failed to match the commercial success achieved by its predecessors. The band struggled to remain together and almost split in 2003, before returning with Bleed Like Me in 2005, peaking at a career-high #4 in the United States.
The band cut short their 2005 world tour, and announced an indefinite hiatus, but emphasized it was not a break-up. Garbage recently announced they were reuniting and are working on a greatest hits album entitled Absolute Garbage, set for release in July.
Sound Garden
Soundgarden was a seminal seattle rock band who helped to define the sound that came to be called grunge. Despite starting years earlier, and having a sound that sooner resembled Black Sabbath or Deep Purple than their contemporaries, they are usually considered one of the 'big four' of the '90s Seattle grunge bands, along with Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam. The band was formed in 1984 by Chris Cornell (vocals, and originally on drums) and Hiro Yamamoto (bass), to be joined later by Kim Thayil (guitar) and Matt Cameron (drums). Thayil joined the band after moving to Seattle from illinois with Yamamoto and Bruce Pavitt, who would later start sub pop records. Yamamoto was replaced by Ben Shepherd on bass after the release of 1989's Louder Than Love.
The band was named after an outdoor art/sound installation called the "Sound Garden" located on NOAA property near Seattle's Magnuson Park, which makes eerie sounds when the wind blows.
Soundgarden disbanded in 1997, following an aborted tour in support of their album Down on the Upside, as a result of increasing tensions within the group. Cornell subsequently formed Audioslave with former Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, while Cameron subsequently joined Pearl Jam, replacing Jack Irons on drums.
Slipknot
There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Slipknot is a nine-piece alternative/nu metal band from Des Moines, Iowa (United States). Aside from their real names, members of the band are also referred to by numbers 0 through 8.(#0 Sid Wilson, #1 Joey Jordison, #2 Paul Gray, #3 Chris Fehn, #4 James Root, #5 Craig Jones, #6 Shawn Crahan, #7 Mick Thomson & #8 Corey Taylor)
Slipknot is known for its strange and often frightening image; the members wear matching uniform jumpsuits all of which have the UPC barcode 742617000027 printed on them (The barcode from their first album Mate, Feed , Kill, Repeat) and each has a unique mask which they are never seen without (on any official Slipknot material) until the interviews on their latest DVD - Voliminal: Inside the Nine, and partially on the music video for the song, Before I Forget. Each member has made a distinct change to their masks after each studio album. Several members have several masks that are interchanged during any one time period, most notably Chris (#3) and Sid (#0).
The band released many different DVDs, the first official one titled 'Disasterpieces' (named after the song Disasterpiece off 'Iowa') filmed at the London Arena on February 16th 2002 by over 32 cameras, including cameras fitted on each of the masks worn by the band. During this show Sid (#0) went into the crowd for the song Spit it Out and someone managed to get the camera from his mask, it was returned after the show. After the success of Disasterpieces going triple platinum Slipknot officially released an old "home video" after that titled,'Welcome to our Neighborhood' It was a short DVD including interviews, live performances of Surfacing, and Wait and Bleed, and it included the music videos for Spit It Out, and Scissors. Their latest DVD, titled, Voliminal: Inside the 9, contains a unique look at the band and their life. It also contains music videos, live performances and interviews with the band members (in which they appear unmasked).
__________
2) Slipknot were from New Haven, Connecticut In the late 80s. Stiemy (bass/ vocals) was previously the singer in FATAL VISION who appeared on the “Connecticut Fun” compilation LP (INCAS,1985). “Connecticut Fun” was also YOUTH OF TODAY’S vinyl debut before officially becoming a “NYHC” band. Stiemy stopped playing music after SLIPKNOT and took up art and a career as a chef. Chang (drums) also stopped playing music after SLIPKNOT. In Chang’s younger years he was a bit of a pyro and torched part of Yale University. ‘F’ (guitar) went on to play drums in another New Haven hardcore band called MALACHI KRUNCH.
__________
3) Slipknot is a jam rock band, based in the US and have existed since the early-mid 90's.
U2
U2 - a Dublin, Ireland, rock band - released their first studio album, Boy, in 1980. Of another ten albums, six have reached the top of the USA charts. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, their latest, has sold over 12 million copies worldwide & won the Grammys' Album Of The Year.
Personnel: Bono - vocals /main writer/ rhythm guitar / harmonica,
The Edge - lead guitar / co-writer/ keyboards / backing vocals,
Larry Mullen - drums / percussion,
Adam Clayton - bass.
The 80s: 1978 was a jumping point year for the band finally finding their sound and Voice. When signed, U2 started with the album Boy, and then went on to more critically acclaimed albums including War , The Unforgettable Fire(featuring the song MLK dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr), Octoberand Under a Blood Red Sky. U2 was seen by many as a political band with more "charisma" than any other, they were called "a different kind" of band. After a short break u2 returned with the infamous album Joshua Tree and American music inspired Rattle and Hum which also gave spark to a movie (by the same name) based on the tour.
The 90s: After promising "to dream it up all over again", they combined their classic rock style with industrial & dance music on new albums. Trying to get rid of the goody two shoes image the Band said they went to Berlin Germany to develop a new expression of who they were. From there they started to make fun of themselves and had a good time of it in albums like Zooropaand Achtung Baby(translated it means watch out baby). Bono took on many stage personae such as "the fly", "mirrorball man", and "Mr MacPhisto" for the gigantic ZOO tv Tour. (artwork feat. make-up artist Nassim Khalifa) Later they continued to make fun of Pop culture and all its extremes with the album Pop and consequent PopMart tour which was announced to be launched at a Kmart store and included a giant golden arch across the stage.
The 00s: At the end of the 90's into 00's U2 became less Image and more reality. With the death of Bono's good friend Michael the lead singer of INXS, Bono wrote more songs from the heart surrounding ideas like life and death, children, hope, and the real world past all the pop culture and t.v. Some say they've returned to a more band-centric sound with albums like All That You Can't Leave Behind & 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb which features a song dedicated to Bonos father who passed away shortly before the album ("tough").
Foundation: The band originally formed in 1976 when Larry Mullen posted a bulletin in his school asking for musicians to form a rock band. The band then consisted of the four current members plus three additional guitarists, including The Edge's brother Dick Evans (later a member of Virgin Prunes). According to legend, Bono originally auditioned as a guitarist but couldn't play. He auditioned as lead vocals, but really couldn't sing. He was, however, incredibly enthusiastic about the band, extremely charismatic, a great writer, and was stragely able to reach the audience when the band played, something he is known for still today. Bono will reach out into the crowd and dance with or mess with someone in the crowd at every concert. He was kept as a member. The extra guitarists would soon leave the band & the group would go through the names Feedback & The Hype before finally settling on U2. By '79 they had their first single, U2-3, & in 1980 released Boy, their first album.
The Name: There are many theories as to the origin of the name U2. For example, U2 was an intelligence airplane that was in use by the United States during the Cold War. Nonetheless the official line on the name's origins remains unknown. The band has been quoted as saying that they did think of the U2 spy plane, but remain hushed about other reasons..
Green Day
Green Day, based in California, USA, consists of Billie Joe Armstrong on lead vocals and guitar; Mike Dirnt, born Michael Ryan Pritchard, on bass and backing vocals; and Tré Cool, born Frank Edwin Wright III, on drums. Close associate Jason White has served as a second guitarist on the tours supporting their 2000 and 2004 albums. Musician Jason Freese has played a variety of instruments with the band, including keyboards on tour.
Billie Joe began the band as 'Devoted to you' Mike joined and began the band 'Sweet Children' in 1986 before changing their name to 'Green Day' in 1989. Tré Cool joined the band after original drummer Al Sobrante (John Kiffmeyer) left in 1990-91. Green Day released two albums, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and Kerplunk! with Lookout! Records before their breakthrough album, Dookie, was released in 1994 under Reprise Records. Just before this release however, many feared the end of Green Day as Billie Joe was at the time spending more and more time playing in his Status Quo tribute band "Status Joe."
Dookie was certified diamond (10 million copies shipped) in the United States. Their second best-selling album, American Idiot, released in 2004, has sold over eleven million copies worldwide, and won the 2005 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". In 2005 Green Day swept the MTV Video Music Awards, winning seven out of eight nominations: "Video of the Year," "Best Rock Video," "Best Group Video," "Best Direction," "Best Editing," "Best Cinematography" (all of which were for Boulevard of Broken Dreams), and the "Viewer's Choice Award" for American Idiot. In addition to their American Music Award wins for "Favorite Alternative Artist" and "Favorite Pop/Rock Album" for American Idiot, Green Day won the 2006 Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."
Green Day went back into the studio and recorded a medley with U2, which was performed on September 25th at the re-opening of the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Songs consisted of Wake Me Up When September Ends, The Saints Are Coming and Beautiful Day.
They are going back in studio to record a new album coming out sometime in 2008. They recently released the new single Working Class Hero, which is a cover first released by John Lennon.
Discography:
1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours
Kerplunk!
Dookie
Insomniac
Nimrod
Warning
Shenanigans
International Superhits
American Idiot
Bullet In a Bible
Singles:
Longview (Dookie)
Welcome To Paradise (Dookie)
Basket Case (Dookie)
When I Come Around (Dookie)
She (Dookie)
J.A.R. (Angus sountrack)
Geek Stink Breath (Insomniac)
Stuck With Me (Insomniac)
Brain Stew/Jaded (Insomniac)
Walking Contradiction (Insomniac)
Hitchin' a Ride (Nimrod)
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) (Nimrod)
Redundant (Nimrod)
Nice Guys Finish Last (Nimrod)
Last Ride In (Nimrod)
Minority (Warning)
Warning (Warning)
Waiting (Warning)
Macy's Day Parade (Warning)
Poprocks & Coke (International Superhits)
American Idiot (American Idiot)
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (American Idiot)
Holiday (American Idiot)
Wake Me Up When Setember Ends (American Idiot)
Jesus Of Suburbia (American Idiot)
St. Jimmy (Bullet In A Bible)
The Saints Are Coming (U2 & Green Day)
Working Class Hero (Instant Karma)
Other than Bullet In A Bible, Green Day have also released other live albums such as 'Bowling Bowling Bowling Parking Parking', 'Foot In Mouth', 'Tune In Tokyo', and 'Live In Tokyo (Comes with the Japanese release of American Idiot)'
Radiohead
Radiohead are a band from Oxfordshire. They are often praised as being amongst the most creative musical groups of their era, noted for their multilayered songs and often radical evolutions from album to album. They were also seen by some to have maintained a spirit of musical and political independence despite recording for EMI, a major label.
Formed by school friends in 1986, Radiohead did not release their first single until 1992. The cathartic "Creep", from their debut album Pablo Honey (1993), became a worldwide hit as grunge music dominated radio airwaves. Radiohead was initially branded as a one-hit wonder abroad, but caught on at home in the UK with their second album, The Bends (1995), earning fans with their dense guitar atmospheres and front man Thom Yorke's expressive singing. The band's third album, OK Computer (1997), propelled them to greater attention. Popular both for its expansive sound and themes of modern alienation, it has been acclaimed by critics as a landmark record of the 1990s.
Radiohead's original influences were alternative rock and post-punk bands like The Smiths, Pixies, R.E.M. (Thom Yorke, singer of the band, refers to himself as an R.E.M. groupie), Magazine and Joy Division. With their albums Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001), the band reached their peak global popularity even as their music became less conventional, turning toward influences in electronic music, experimental jazz and avant garde classical, ranging from Autechre and Can to Charles Mingus and Olivier Messiaen. Although the band's recent albums have polarised listeners and failed to spin off major radio hits, Radiohead continue to be seen as figureheads in the music industry, drawing adoring crowds to their live concerts, influencing artists in many genres and enjoying surprising commercial success for a band of "outsiders".
(1986-1991) Formation and first years
Radiohead were formed in the mid-Eighties at Abingdon School, a public (in American English: private) boys-only school located just outside the city of Oxford, which drummer Phil Selway, guitarist Ed O'Brien, guitarist/vocalist Thom Yorke, bassist Colin Greenwood and Colin's multi-instrumentalist brother Jonny all attended. They began practicing in the school's music room, which led to the formation of their first band On a Friday, so named because of their customary rehearsal date every friday night. The band played their first gig in September 1986, at Oxford's Jericho Tavern. Jonny was the youngest member, and played harmonica until he persuaded the others to allow him on guitar. He soon developed into the band's lead player.
When the five band members left Abingdon to attend university they temporarily paused activity in On a Friday, continuing to practice on holiday breaks, always planning to return to playing full time in the band. After four years of inactivity, On a Friday began releasing demos, among which the most famous was the Manic Hedgehog Demo, and performing live again in Oxford in 1991. Their popularity in the region reached the point of their appearing on the cover of Curfew, a local music magazine. Though Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley had an active independent music scene in the late 80s and early 90s, it centred around shoegazing bands like Ride and Slowdive. Radiohead was not seen to fit into this trend, and commented that they had missed it when they returned from university.
(1992-1995) Pablo Honey and The Bends
As On a Friday's live bookings increased, various record labels began to show interest in them. Eventually the group signed a six-album recording contract with EMI. The band also changed their name to Radiohead at the behest of the label, the title of a song on Talking Heads' True Stories album. The band's debut EP was produced by their managers Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge, who both remain Radiohead's managers to this day. However, shortly after releasing Drill in March 1992, the band hired Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade, known for their work with the Pixies and Dinosaur Jr., to produce their first full-length studio album. Radiohead's first album was finished in three weeks in an Oxford studio.
With the release of "Creep" in 1992, the band began to receive interest from the British music press, not all of it favourable. One journalist called them "a lily livered excuse for a rock band," and the single was blacklisted from BBC Radio 1 for being too depressing. The band subsequently released its debut album Pablo Honey in 1993. They began touring America, issued the irreverent stand-alone single "Pop Is Dead" and nearly broke up over the pressure of sudden success when "Creep" unexpectedly became a smash hit. Although representing a style from which the band would later move, songs like "Anyone Can Play Guitar," "Stop Whispering," "Thinking About You," and "You" also gained considerable popularity for their heart-on-sleeve lyrics, causing Radiohead to be seen as a "British Nirvana." The Pablo Honey supporting tour moved into its second year as the album continued to break internationally, fuelled by "Creep," which remains the band's largest worldwide hit.
Radiohead set to work on their second album. The hiring of veteran producer John Leckie contributed to the sound of the album. "The best part about working with John Leckie," Jonny recalls, "was that he didn't dictate anything to us. He allowed us to figure out what we wanted to do ourselves." Nevertheless, tensions were high as the band felt smothered by "Creep's" success and the pressures of creating a superior follow-up mounted. Recalling these sessions, Leckie recounted: "It was either going to be 'Sulk', 'The Bends', 'Nice Dream', or 'Just'. We had to give those absolute attention, make them amazing, instant smash hits number 1 in America. Everyone was pulling their hair and saying, 'It's not good enough!' We were trying too hard!" The band responded by seeking a change of scenery, touring Australasia and the Far East in an attempt to relax the atmosphere.
The EP My Iron Lung (1994), featuring the single of the same title, was released while the band were touring and marked a transitional stage between the pop-rock of Pablo Honey and the musical depth of their second album. Having developed the remainder of the songs on the road, they returned to Britain and completed the album in a fortnight in late 1994, mixing and releasing The Bends in May (1995). The band finally earned British success and won new fans with their dense guitar atmospheres and Yorke's expressive, falsetto, singing in the singles "Fake Plastic Trees," "Just," and "High and Dry". Yet major success for the album did not come until the release of final single "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", which hit the Top 5 in the UK.
In summer 1995, Radiohead toured with R.E.M.- one of their strongest influences and then one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Introducing his opening act, Michael Stipe said, "Radiohead are so good, they're scary". The buzz generated by such famous fans, along with a series of distinctive music videos such as "Just," helped to expand Radiohead's name outside the UK.
According to Phil Selway, "When The Bends came out everyone went on about how uncommercial that was. Twelve months later it was being hailed as a pop classic. The record company were worried there wasn't a single on it- and we ended up with five top 30 hits from it!" However, while critically acclaimed, in the rest of the world the album failed to match the commercial success of "Creep."
(1996-1998) OK Computer
Thom Yorke said that The Bends succeeded because "we had to put ourselves into an environment where we felt free to work. And that's why we want to produce the next one ourselves, because the times we most got off on making the last record were when we were just completely communicating with ourselves, and John Leckie wasn't really saying much, and it was just all happening".
One new song was already recorded for the album: "Lucky", which was recorded in September 1995 for the War Child charity's The Help Album. Radiohead also contributed two songs to Baz Luhrmann's 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, "Talk Show Host" and "Exit Music (For a Film)." The former was a remix of one of the b-sides to "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," a single from The Bends. The latter was a new song, to be included eventually on the band's next album.
With the assistance of their engineer Nigel Godrich, Radiohead produced their next album themselves, beginning work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs with producer Godrich at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted shed, near Didcot, Oxfordshire. They had hoped to stay away from traditional recording studios, fearing the bad vibes they'd previously set off in the band. Having learnt from The Bends, they decided to perfect the songs live, touring as an opening act for Alanis Morissette, before completing the record. The rest was recorded in actress Jane Seymour's 15th-century mansion in St. Catherine's Court near Bath. The recording sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording songs in different rooms, and blasting DJ Shadow, Ennio Morricone and the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus" through the house for inspiration. By the end of 1996 the album was finished and by February and March it was mixed and mastered
Radiohead released OK Computer in the summer of 1997, to great critical acclaim. A melodic rock album, OK Computer found Radiohead introducing uncommon musical elements, experimenting with ambience and noise to create a set of songs that many consider a high point of twentieth-century rock music. It included the singles "Paranoid Android," "Karma Police," and "No Surprises" (as well as "Let Down," a fan favourite whose planned single release was cancelled). In 1998, OK Computer received a Grammy for Best Alternative Album, and a nomination for Album of the Year.
OK Computer was followed by a world tour, nicknamed "Against Demons," the band's biggest yet. Grant Gee, the director of the "No Surprises" video, accompanied the band on their tour and filmed it, which resulted in the "fly on the wall" documentary Meeting People Is Easy (released in 1999). Rather than stereotypical rock n' roll behaviour, the film depicted the band's disaffection from the music industry and showed their burnout as they progressed from their first concert dates in mid-1997 to mid-1998, nearly a year later. The band also released a compilation of their music videos (7 Television Commercials), and two EPs No Surprises/Running From Demons (1997) and Airbag/How Am I Driving? (1998) during this time. The latter EP, however, has songs that bridge the progressive alternative rock of OK Computer and their subsequent atmospheric, electronic work.
(1999-2001) Kid A and Amnesiac
Exhausted by fame and on the verge of burning out following their 1997-1998 world tour, the band spent the next year in relative quiet. Thom Yorke later admitted that during that period the band were close to splitting up, and that he himself had developed mild depression. Radiohead's only appearance later that year was at an Amnesty International concert in Paris (10 December, 1998). In 1999 Thom and Jonny performed alone at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in Amsterdam, debuting a new work, "Egyptian Song" (later known as "Pyramid Song"). The band's only public performance was in a webcast to their fans, introducing the song "Knives Out."
In early 1999 Radiohead began work on a follow-up to OK Computer, but in a less organised fashion than with their previous albums. Although there was no longer any pressure or even a deadline from their record label, tensions during this period were high. The members all had different visions for the band's future, and Yorke, in his songwriting role, was experiencing writer's block. Eventually all the members agreed with a new musical direction, redefining their roles in the band.
For the first time the band recorded without considering live performance, secluding themselves with producer Nigel Godrich in a series of different studios from Paris to Copenhagen to their own studio, newly complete in Oxford. In the process, they pared their 40 new songs down to the 30 which ultimately made their subsequent two records and accompanying b-sides.[5]
Radiohead refused to create a stylistic sequel to OK Computer, opting for a minimalist and textured style featuring less overt guitar and more diverse instrumentation, such as the ondes martenot, electronic beats, strings, and jazz horns, but retaining some of the lyrical and musical hooks of their earlier records. "The trick is to try and carry on doing things that interest you, but not turn into some art-rock nonsense just for its own sake," Colin Greenwood said of the recording sessions, which were completed in late spring of 2000, after nearly 18 months.
Kid A, released on October 2, 2000, was the first of two albums taken from these recording sessions. Synthesised, claustrophobic, alternately lush and abrasive, with ever more cryptic lyrics, the album stunned both the music industry and Radiohead's fan base for its departures from their past work and from pop conventions. The band declined to release any singles from Kid A, apparently suggesting the album should be listened to as a whole (however, a promo of "Optimistic" received some radio play). Instead, a series of "video blips" or "antivideos" were created by video directors Chris Bran and Shynola; these 30-second largely animated videos were seen to tie in with the album's anti-consumerist themes.
Yet the "difficult" Kid A achieved Radiohead's highest worldwide chart placement to date, debuting at number 1 in many countries, including the United States. Its position on the Billboard album chart (where OK Computer had reached a peak of #22) marked a first for the band, identifying them as one of the few modern British pop artists to penetrate the American market though the album fell off soon after. Kid A's success has been attributed both to massive hype and to the early availability of all the songs on the Internet file-sharing network Napster, accustoming fans to the new musical style, but it was also a clear result of anticipation after OK Computer.
Like its predecessor, Kid A ultimately received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for Album of the Year, and also appeared on many best-of-year lists. But while the press continued to brand Radiohead one of the world's most "important" rock bands, Kid A did not inspire universal praise. "I think a lot of writers expected us to come back with a combination of OK Computer and The Bends. The fact that we didn't do that means people who got their guitars out have had to put them back into the wardrobe," said Jonny Greenwood. However, the record also cemented Radiohead's enigmatic image, gaining them plaudits for courage and innovation. While some fans were mystified or appalled, many others now see it as the band's best work.
Inspired by Naomi Klein's anti-globalization manifesto No Logo, the band mounted a tour of Europe during this period in a big top tent free of corporate logos, but performed only three small theatre dates in North America. These concerts sold out instantly and attracted many celebrities. Along with songs from Kid A (which had been reworked for live performance after the album was finished) the band performed songs that had been recorded, but not yet released. Having rejected the possibility of a double album before Kid A, they now considered a series of EPs or singles, before settling on another album to contain the remaining material. In the meantime, a "special edition" version of Kid A was released, packaged as a children's book and featuring additional art by Stanley Donwood and Tchock (Yorke's pseudonym).
Radiohead's fifth album, Amnesiac, was released in June 2001, and comprised further tracks from the same recording sessions. Conceived as complementary but distinct sequences of songs, the two albums are similar in style and influence, a connection made explicit with different versions of the song "Morning Bell" appearing on both records. Amnesiac saw the band's sound coalesce into a hybrid of electronic music, avant garde jazz and art rock, though in contrast to Kid A, it did feature slightly more accessible songs, notably the piano ballad "Pyramid Song" (Radiohead's first single since 1997), and the guitar single "Knives Out."
"I Might Be Wrong," initially planned as a third single, expanded into the band's first and thus far only live record. Released in fall 2001, I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings featured performances of Kid A and Amnesiac songs from various international concerts. The live versions of "The National Anthem," "I Might Be Wrong," and "Like Spinning Plates" are notably different from the studio recordings. Also included on the album is a previously unreleased song, the fan favourite "True Love Waits".
Critics who viewed Amnesiac as less accomplished than Kid A often cited a lack of cohesion. However, without quite matching its predecessor's sales, Amnesiac was critically acclaimed and a commercial success.
After Amnesiac's release, the band embarked on a world tour, concentrating on large outdoor venues and visiting North America, Europe and Japan. They also staged a summer mini-festival in Oxford's South Park, featuring Beck, Sigur Rós, Supergrass, and Humphrey Lyttelton (who played trumpet on Amnesiac's closing track, "Life in a Glasshouse").
(2002-2004) Hail to the Thief
On the heels of the Amnesiac tour the band took new material on the road in Portugal and Spain during July and August 2002. Using this opportunity to test and finalise the songs before an audience of their fans, the band completed the album in only two weeks in a Los Angeles studio with Nigel Godrich, with a few additional recordings done later in Oxford. According to interviews, the band was seeking to lessen their perfectionist tendencies and find more of a "swaggering" live sound in the studio.
The band released their sixth album Hail to the Thief in June 2003. The record is considered as an attempt to distill the more electronic and experimental influences of the previous two albums, and fuse them with the guitar-based rock music of Radiohead's early albums. At 14 tracks and nearly an hour long, the album is the band's longest. Hail to the Thief garnered mainly positive reviews, yet some critics opined that the band were treading water rather than continuing the 'genre-redefining' trend that OK Computer had begun. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album, the band's fifth straight nomination in that category.
Hail to the Thief's title was widely assumed in the media to be a comment on the controversial U.S. presidential election of 2000, but Thom Yorke denied this, saying the title had a wider meaning: "If the motivation for naming our album had been based solely on the [current] U.S. election, I'd find that to be pretty shallow." The band has commented that they feared a backlash in America for the title and politics of the lyrics, as had recently befallen the Dixie Chicks when they spoke against President George W. Bush, and were pleasantly surprised when this did not occur.
However, Hail to the Thief did not have as large a commercial profile, debuting at number 3 on the US Billboard chart, though it was Radiohead's fourth consecutive UK number 1 album. The lead single "There There" peaked at number 4 in the British charts, with subsequent singles "Go to Sleep" and "2+2=5" charting at #12 and #15 respectively. But "There There" was a #1 hit in Canada, and returned the band to U.S. modern rock radio favour, after several years without a song on playlists.
After the release of Hail to the Thief, Radiohead embarked on an extensive international tour, which lasted about a year but was punctuated by long breaks; by this time, most members of Radiohead had families and children at home. To many the band appeared more relaxed than on earlier tours, laughing at meetings with the press, and dancing on stage. In June 2003 Radiohead again headlined the main (Pyramid) stage on the Saturday of the Glastonbury Festival.
In late 2003 Radiohead contributed original music to Split Sides, a project of Merce Cunningham's dance company which also involved their former touring partners Sigur Rós. The band finished the Hail to the Thief tour in mid-2004 with a performance at the Coachella Festival.
After the tour, the band began writing and rehearsing for a new album in their Oxford based studio, then went on hiatus as Ed had had a son, Salvador, born in January 2004, and Colin was awaiting the birth of his firstborn Jesse. Free of any contractual obligations, Radiohead spent the remainder of 2004 resting and devoting themselves to solo projects, only recording together sporadically. They released the DVD version of their webcast television show, The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth Of All Time, in December 2004. Jonny and Thom collaborated with many other artists for the Band Aid 20 project, playing guitar and piano, respectively.
(2005-present) Current work
Radiohead began work again in early 2005. As a result of the band's work, Thom and Jonny debuted a new song, "Arpeggi," in March 2005, playing it at London's Ether Festival; Greenwood also debuted two of his own classical pieces, one written for the Ondes Martenot. Later that summer, Thom performed an acoustic set for the Trade Justice Rally, playing never-recorded fan favourite "Nude" (aka "Big Ideas"), debuting the new song "House of Cards," reviving the unreleased "Reckoner," and introducing "Last Flowers [to the Hospital]," a remnant of the OK Computer period. Radiohead did not perform live in 2005, but would perform some of these songs later by the full band.
Radiohead returned to regular recording sessions by late summer 2005, posting intermittently in their Dead Air Space blog on their progress. Recording continued into early 2006. On the initial sessions, the band chose to work with Mark "Spike" Stent instead of their longtime co-producer Nigel Godrich. As revealed by Ed O'Brien in December 2005, the switch was made amiably because the band felt too comfortable with Godrich and wanted to challenge themselves. However, Godrich closely followed their recording sessions and will work with the band in the future. The band also said that having "no contract or release deadline to fulfill – it's both liberating and terrifying."
In early September 2005 the band recorded a new song, "I Want None of This" - a haunting piano-piece - for the War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life - a sequel to the 1995 compilation to which the band had contributed "Lucky." The album was sold on the Internet, and Radiohead's contribution became the most downloaded track, though in contrast with "Lucky" it was not released as a single.
In May and June 2006, Radiohead toured England and major cities in Europe and North America, returning to Europe for several concerts in late August. The tour drew sold out crowds to smaller venues, such as clubs and theatres. 2006 also marked the first time the band had played the Bonnaroo and V music festivals; they played a massive 28-song set at Bonnaroo, and headlined both lineups of V.
In addition to playing old songs and re-arranged versions of "Arpeggi", "Nude" and "House of Cards," Radiohead premiered 10 new songs on their 2006 tour: "Bangers 'n' Mash", "Open Pick", "15 Step", "4 Minute Warning", "Spooks", "Bodysnatchers", "Go Slowly", "Videotape", "Down Is The New Up" and "All I Need". According to interviews, these represent only a portion of the newly written material. Radiohead returned to studio in September, rumoured to have recruited longtime co-producer Nigel Godrich. This was confirmed in mid October with a photo of Nigel posted by Jonny on DeadAirSpace. Thom also commented "We've started the record properly now. Starting to get somewhere, I think. Finally."
Radiohead likely will release their seventh album sometime in 2007, whose release date and title are unconfirmed. It's unknown what record label the band will sign with, or whether they will re-sign at all, as it seems that they are enjoying their current creative freedom. In an interview in April 2006 for NME, Thom revealed that they do plan to sign a record deal eventually, but on their own terms, and not until the album is finished. This was confirmed in a June interview with The Observer: "'Will we re-sign to EMI?' he mused. 'I don't know. I don't think we'd 'sign sign' to anybody. Give someone a record when it's done if we feel that they can do it justice. That's it.'"[13] The format of a new release also may be up in the air, with Yorke expressing an interest in a series of EPs or singles, though an Internet-only distribution has been ruled out.