Scripted Failures

Robert Smith’s sentiments about the Radiohead Model have been reported pretty widely recently. I have to admit that, while I actually agree with him on a point or two, I’m pretty disappointed in his overall notion.

It’s true that the Radiohead model can’t work for everyone, and it’s true that it may be bad for the industry (if the industry is thought of as the record labels). But I disagree that giving your art away in some way devalues it. Rob Spectre at Dream Not of Today has a good take on it:

Ultimately, Radiohead is doing the best thing for Radiohead. Pay-what-you-want won’t work for the Jonas Brothers, won’t work for smaller independent artists and probably won’t work for The Cure. But both as artist and as businessman, Robert Smith should be at worst ambivalent to the release of In Rainbows. His criticism from both perspectives are hallow [sic] and coarse. Radiohead clearly valued their art sufficiently to bear the brunt of its writing, recording, mixing, mastering, and digital distribution entirely on its own.

Art is sacrifice. Radiohead put a lot of work into their art. I would go so far as to say that by doing art for the sake of art, even by giving it away, they are valuing their art at such a high pinnacle, they are willing to sacrifice money in order to give more people a chance to experience it. Of course, they made money, but it was a huge risk, and if they hadn’t made money, I don’t think Thom Yorke would’ve cried himself to sleep. Art for art’s sake.

Side note: I have to disagree with Rob’s assessment that The Wrestler is art and Madea Goes to Jail is not (and thus should not be valued as such). It’s a common conception that art has to be serious to be art, but I think that’s short-sighted (and maybe a little elitist). Being entertainment does not preclude a work from being art. Art evokes emotion; humor and happiness are emotions. And in the U.S., right now, humor and happiness are what we should expect to see from a lot of art, as is historically the case in hard socioeconomic times.

There’s no reason for me to go into a huge history of this band, because they’ve been all over the blogosphere lately, and if I remember correctly Pitchfork was all about their current EP “Wizard of Ahhhs”.  In typical idiotic me fashion, for some reason, despite all the press, I wrote the band off and didn’t bother to give them a listen.  It took, and this is sort of sad I guess, a Rolling Stone article about The Black Kids being one of the ten bands to watch in 2008 to get me to give them a chance.  I can’t help it, they said they sounded like The Cure without the black lipstick plus a bit of teen spirit.  With a Cure comparison I had to check them out.  So I did.

“Hit the Heartbrakes,” is the lead-off track of their aforementioned EP and it’s a killer one.  The opening riff that breaks into some sort of mutant fusion of Arcade Fire and 80s brit pop hooked me immediately. The production and mix is a bit messy but it works perfectly for what they’re doing here.  This song has an undeniable groove.  The synths are 80s gold, and the male vocalist sounds like Winn Butler channeling Robert Smith, while the female vocalist sounds like a long lost Motown girl group singer.  The verses are huge, and the chorus is huge too.  Hell the whole song is huge!  Just listen to the “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” style synth string riff before the mid-song breakdown!  This is another song I’d love to shake my ass to at a party.  The rest of their EP hasn’t hit me quite yet, but it’s still quite boss, and I’m sure I’ll be addicted to it soon.

Hear the song here at The Black Kid’s Myspace!