It was announced today that Radiohead’s “My Iron Lung” will be included as a downloadable additional track for the upcoming video game, Rock Band. In case you don’t know, Rock Band is a game very similar to Guitar Hero, but with more instruments. The game will be released on November 20th in North America on both Playstation 3 and XBox 360 and early 2008 in Europe.
From Joystiq.
(thanks to Tim)
From the NME:
Radiohead’s album ‘In Rainbows’ is set to be released this year on CD and vinyl.
‘In Rainbows’ was available to download on October 10 via their official website – however, following this, the band recently signed a ‘conventional’ record deal with XL Recordings.
The album will now be released physically on December 31, with single ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’ following on January 14.
Meanwhile, the band have distanced themselves from reports that most people who downloaded the record did so for free and took advantage of Radiohead’s offer to let fans name their own price.
“In response to purely speculative figures announced in the press regarding the number of downloads and the price paid for the album, the group’s representatives would like to remind people that, as the album could only be downloaded from the band’s website, it is impossible for outside organisations to have accurate figures on sales,” they explained.
The statement added: “However, they can confirm that the figures quoted by the company comScore Inc are wholly inaccurate and in no way reflect definitive market intelligence or, indeed, the true success of the project.”
Since XL is not handling the distribution of In Rainbows in North America, we can assume (and hope) that a similar release will be announced with ATO/Side One around the same date.
New post up at DAS today from Stanley about another test webcast. Amazing how just a “test” can get us excited.
further research
helo
there will be something on the box tonight
its another test
but right now we are entangled in cables
however
weather permitting
our technical experts will resolve the entanglement
itll be broadcast as a quicktime h.264 stream
if youve got a mac you could read it with quicktime player
if youve got a pc you might need to download the installer (click here to download and install)
then
www2.radiohead.tv
try it about 10 pm gmt
Stanley
By now you have probably heard that starting on December 10th, you will be able to purchase all of Radiohead’s previously released albums from www.radioheadstore.com. All 6 studio albums plus 2001’s I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings will be available 3 different ways:
– Limited Edition CD box set repackaged in digipack sleeves featuring the original artwork.
– DRM-free, high quality 320 kbps MP3s
– Strictly limited edition 4gb USB stick, shaped in Radiohead’s iconic “bear” image and housed in a bespoke deluxe box.
For more information, head on over to www.radioheadstore.com.
It should be noted that Radiohead themselves don’t have anything to do with this release.
EMI/Parlophone are releasing this without the band’s blessing and participation. EMI and Radiohead parted ways after 2003’s Hail to the Thief and there are rumors around that EMI is not too pleased that In Rainbows is being distributed by another label. Pitchfork has more:
The announcement earlier this week that Parlophone/EMI would be issuing a box set of Radiohead’s previously released albums took many fans by surprise. Sure, the set looks purdy, but it doesn’t come with any bonus tracks or new artwork or liner notes. And that USB stick sure is clunky. Plus, why would Radiohead want to release this thing on December 10, right when everybody will be getting their pre-ordered discboxes of In Rainbows? Seems a little fishy.
On Monday, Boing Boing posted an item about the box set. Yesterday, it was updated with the following:
“A publicity-shy reader writes, ‘I think people need to know that the band isn’t some greed machine. I can tell you with 100% certainty that EMI is putting out all those reissues without the band’s participation, blessing, permission or involvement at all. They are doing it as retribution for the band’s decision not to go with them in releasing the new album. Despite their contract being expired, EMI had been counting on the revenue from the forthcoming album. When the band put out the digital version of the album themselves, EMI threatened them with re-releasing their entire catalog on the same day the discbox of IN RAINBOWS was being sent out, Dec 10, unless the band gave EMI the standard physical release of the album. Of course the band/managers told EMI to piss off and were appalled that at such an important point in the band’s career that their former partners would do this to them.'”
We checked in with representatives from both the band and the label. According to the Radiohead camp, the box set was indeed not the band’s idea. They did not confirm any in-fighting, though. EMI agreed that the box was a label initiative, and said that the band’s management was offered the opportunity to participate in the project, but declined. As for the release date, EMI maintained that no maliciousness was intended. Rather, it’s simply box set season–who doesn’t want to find a nicely packaged multi-CD bundle under the tree on Christmas morning?
As for that other Radiohead release we’re all looking forward to, it’s maybe possibly coming out January 1, maybe possibly on ATO/Side One in the U.S., the band is maybe possibly doing a webcast about it on Friday and maybe possibly touring behind it next year.
That’s right. Point your Quicktime players to this link and enjoy. Right now Colin and Nigel are at the turntables.
rtsp://89.167.182.32:80/mystream.sdp
UPDATE 12:00 PM PT: Looks like it is over. Word is on the street is that this was just a practice round to test equipment. Regardless, Colin and Nigel played a bunch of music and danced around. The real webcast is expected to be happening on Friday.
Here are some more screen captures:
According to Billboard:
Radiohead has ended weeks of speculation by confirming it has struck a deal with British indie label XL Recordings for the physical release of its new album, “In Rainbows.”
The deal is expected to cover territories outside North America, leaving the band free to sign a separate deal there, but no further details have yet been made available.
A release date for the physical CD has also not been given, but sources suggest it will coincide with the Dec. 3 arrival of the “discbox” edition of “In Rainbows” available only from Radiohead.com. Others speculate it may not appear until next year.
The band broke the industry rulebooks when they made “In Rainbows” available for download on Oct. 10, with fans able to name their own price. No sales figures have been released, but the band’s manager Bryce Edge told Billboard recently that reports of 1.2 million were “exaggerated.”
London-based XL, which operates under the umbrella of the Beggars Group, last year released Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s critically lauded solo album, “The Eraser,” which was nominated for the annual Mercury Music Prize.
(thanks to Tanner)