Mogwai on Radiohead's 'In Rainbows'

Y@k Bollocks · Post by **Y@k Bollocks** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:02 am

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2522079

Best known for their less-than-flattering critiques of popular rock bands, either via their own website or in interviews with other magazines, Mogwai have something of a reputation as tough-to-please, indier-than-thou gobby boys for hire; at least, a cursory scan of their vitriol towards other acts, at its peak, would imply as much. To turn the tables rather, here DiS invites the bandגs Stuart Braithwaite to write about something ג anything ג positively. We wonגt argue that what he chose to write about didnגt surprise us ratherג¦
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Before I commence my rant I must say that there has never been a band that have forced me to change my mind about them as much as Radiohead. Their first album was third-rate indie that never showed any sign of the promise that was to come. From the name checking of chancers such as no-marks Strangelove and corporate tax-dodging preachers U2, they were a band that were hard to love. In the following years, however, a transmogrification of miraculous proportions took place as they became what they are now: a band that combine those rarest of bedfellows, artistic greatness and commercial success.

גAnyone Can Play Guitar' to 'Pyramid Song'. Some trick! I can even forgive them for inspiring such musical criminals as Muse.

A couple of weeks ago Radiohead announced that they were going to release their new album themselves, online, with a policy that people could pay as much (or as little) for it as they pleased, thus bypassing the major label mechanism that they (and most of the artists anyone has ever heard of) use to get music to the masses. My social circle of indie idealists were ecstatic about this development, hoping that it would herald a new dawn where soulless creeps in suits with degrees in accountancy and no idea who Captain Beefheart is would no longer have the vice-like grasp on what is released and what people get to hear.

The situation for the download of the Radiohead record, In Rainbows, was the first issue to raise a few eyebrows, as the buyer (and we have to presume that a lot of people paid for it) had no control over the bit rate; all of which were 160kbps, which is nowhere near the quality of a compact disc. The other option is a box set (the גdiscboxג) which will contain the CD, a copy of the record on vinyl and codes to download mp3s. This costs

b0mbs_of_death · Post by **b0mbs_of_death** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:23 am

He needs some cheese with that whine.

DLG · Post by **DLG** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:30 am

haha I don't get why a musician who has a pretty good career would spend so much effort on playing the dual and completely contradictory role of a critic.

shit seems pompous as fuck.

Y@k Bollocks · Post by **Y@k Bollocks** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:33 am

DLG wrote:haha I don't get why a musician who has a pretty good career would spend so much effort on playing the dual and completely contradictory role of a critic.

Yeah, its great fun to read though.

I think we need more bands slagging each other off. Motherfuckers mince their words too much, outside of hip hop.

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) · Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:34 am

How many musicians are failed music critics, though?

There's Patti Smith and Morrissey for a start.

Y@k Bollocks · Post by **Y@k Bollocks** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:43 am

I Drive A Lexus wrote:How many musicians are failed music critics, though?

There's Patti Smith and Morrissey for a start.

The guy from Pet Shop Boys used to write for Smash Hits.

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) · Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:48 am

"West End Girls" >>>>>>>>> Morrissey's entire career.

Y@k Bollocks · Post by **Y@k Bollocks** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:59 pm

Speaking of Morrissey... I was just in New York - whats with all the Morrissey love? I noticed a few bars with Morrissey nights, hipster types wearing 'Morrissey All Over This Town' t-shirts and - ooh - about three other things.

"What have I. What have I. What have I done to notice this?"

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) · Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:09 pm

I think it's even worse in L.A where you'll not only find yer garden variety fagg0t Morrissey fanboy/girl anglophile/hipster types but a myriad of homosexual Morrissey worshipping mexicans with quifs too.

deepfriedjellol · Post by **deepfriedjellol** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:43 pm

I Drive A Lexus wrote:I think it's even worse in L.A where you'll not only find yer garden variety fagg0t Morrissey fanboy/girl anglophile/hipster types but a myriad of homosexual Morrissey worshipping mexicans with quifs too.

ive worked with people like this and have a few friends still stuck in this phase

its crazy when someone tries to speak spanish to them and they bust out with an effeminate "no comprende thir" hahaha

citizen · Post by **citizen** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:04 pm

i thought they would actually comment about the music, guess not

b0mbs_of_death · Post by **b0mbs_of_death** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:12 pm

Y@k Bollocks wrote:Speaking of Morrissey... I was just in New York - whats with all the Morrissey love? I noticed a few bars with Morrissey nights, hipster types wearing 'Morrissey All Over This Town' t-shirts and - ooh - about three other things.

"What have I. What have I. What have I done to notice this?"

Well he did play 3 nights here about two weekends ago. I have some friends very into him, but I never understood it.

ackbar · Post by **ackbar** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:14 pm

that's morriessy tee you're talking about is done by aNYthing..
pretty sure free simon/semen spermz from irak designed it

ebonight · Post by **ebonight** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:40 pm

Mogwai needs to get back to recording scottish people mumbling quietly over walls of noise like on "Young Team" and quit making the same fucking song over and over like they have on their last two.

DLG · Post by **DLG** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:16 am

^ on point.

Y@k Bollocks · Post by **Y@k Bollocks** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 5:30 am

DLG wrote:^ on point.

Yeah. Was listening to 'Come On Die Young' on the way in to work today. I think that and 'Young Team' are the only Mogwai albums you need.

They're still doing pretty interesting stuff though, and their live show bangs, so they get respeck' from me, even if they have the rep of being Slint copycats.

tpp · Post by **tpp** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:29 am

All jokes aside, Mogwai are Scottish so this kind of shit is to be expected.

Money Gripp · Post by **Money Gripp** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:15 pm

tpp wrote:All jokes aside, Mogwai are Scottish so this kind of shit is to be expected.

What do you mean by that? Do they like to "take the piss" so to speak?

AWAE · Post by **AWAE** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:17 pm

every album mogwai puts out is better than the last one..