All you had to do, Radiohead fans, was hurry up and wait.
Only days after announcing the imminent arrival of new album The King of Limbs—and three-plus years since their last, 2007′s In Rainbows—England’s indie-rock godheads have returned, releasing Limbs a full day early, along with a video for first single “Lotus Flower.”
Unlike Rainbows‘ choose-your-own-adventure price, Limbs (available digitally here) is fixed at $9 for an MP3 download, $14 for the CD-quality WAV version, and $48 or $53 for corresponding versions of the so-called Newspaper Album, which includes two vinyl 10-inches, the physical disc, a full digital download, artwork, and the possibility of winning a signed two-track 12-inch—though everything but the digital download will not be shipped until May 9.
Find our full review of the album in next week’s print magazine, and in the meantime, watch the just-uploaded video for “Lotus Flower,” in which a bowler-hatted, uncharacteristically caffeinated Thom Yorke instigates a one-man dance dance revolution:
UPDATE: The album will be streaming in full today at 2pm EST on NPR; click here to listen and join a web chat with All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton.
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
More on EW.com:
Radiohead’s new album coming out this weekend
Radiohead helps fans make ‘Prague’ concert DVD: Watch clips here
ignored the video and listened to the song. after two minutes I began to slip into a coma. these guys are an over-rated bore. a musical anesthetic.
What a dumbed-down world we live when opinions like this are prevalent.
actually, that song was dumbed down. just computerized scribbles. complete nonsense in a mask of magnificense.
@outside agitator
You obviously have no taste in music and I pity your very existence.
Agreed.
really? not liking that snoozefest makes my existence woth pitying? your argument would be more compelling if a single person who’s upset about my(and others) view of Ambienhead would say what they like about this song. melody, lyric, arrangement and vocal. be my guest.
Totally agree-who needs sleeping pills when you can listen to these guys. YAWN
outside agitator
you are living up to your name, and unlike RH have already bored everyone
Troll.
SERIOUSLY what is so great about this band? All their music is tinny and gimmicky. Weird.
Have you listened to their full catalogue? You’re nuts
Weird like me. I love it. Another trance inducing masterpiece. Thanks for the trip RH
I’d like to here who you prefer….Radiohead might not always write music you like. Please don’t say Nickelback ….
I’m a huge indie/underground fan and I think Radiohead is vastly overrated. Give me Animal Collective, Cloud Cult, Regina Spektor, or Sonic Youth over this egotist anyday.
Also, EW you still have said absolutely nothing about the new Strokes single, album and spot on SNL in a couple weeks. One of the greatest rock bands of the 21st century is releasing their first album in 5 years and you guys don’t even care? What the f*ck gives?!
I have nnever understood the popularity of this overrated group. The music is boring and the lead singer’s voice is out of key and awful. This song just sounds like someone whining.
Actually, the only whining around here seems to be coming from you.
Nah, I’m not whining, I just have better taste.
Yeah I totally agree. I think everyone should listen to JPX. He seems to be the expert on this comment thread. I mean he seems to know when lead singers are off key so…
Methinks JPX has zero musical knowledge whatsoever. He must to make such a statement. Thom Yorke has one of the most beautiful male voices in pop music.
Thom Yorke is a sloth-eyed c**t. He cannot sing. Simple.
If you’re going to say that, at least say who you think’s better. (and please don’t say Arcade Fire!)
Hey! I’m a huge Radiohead fan AND Arcade Fire fan
. Music is art and art is subjective to all those who don’t like it get off this thread and go listen to the music you do like. That wasn’t directed at you Klint (btw).
Out of key? Please go study music and learn what you just said means. And then realize that you’re wrong. Thanks.
Agh, haters gonna hate. Go back to listening to Gaga and Beiber.
Why can’t one listen to Gaga and Beiber AND Radiohead? Your eye-roll inducing comment shows that you’re naught but a small-minded music snob, no better than the “haters” you rail against.
“naught,” really?
Ever since Thom & Jonny were the only members of Radiohead to perform at last year;s Grammy’s I’ve seen the music become more of Thom & his back up band. Where are the drums, bass & guitar? Lovely album, but… a Thom Yorke project or Radiohead? I really feel badly for Phil, Ed, & Colin.
There is LOTS of bass on the album. In fact it might be Colin Greenwood’s best work.
You’re right about the bass, Klint. Its probably due to my negative first listen syndrome.
I agree with this comment, and I am a huge RH fan. I just listened to the whole album, and it definitely seems to be missing something. Much less grit and angst, and really very little guitar in general. Still, this song is growing on me.
Radiohead are not over-rated they just don’t write music for your tastes. Their new album is beautiful.
Absolutely agreed Wayne. It is a beautiful album. Its too funny that all the people who don’t like Radiohead are posting here. They must be as boring as the radiohead listen was with nothing better to do
Just finished listening to the whole album. It’s solid Radiohead, though a LOT more experimental (and that’s saying a lot given the artist we’re talking about here) than I expected. They’re definitely back in Kid A/Amnesiac territory. I wouldn’t call it their best album, but it’s still worth the download.
I totally agree-only heard this song and it soooo reminded of the Kid A days….interested to hear the rest. They are somewhat of an acquired taste, but once acquired, never lost! Love Radiohead, may they make music until the day they die!
I am a huge HUGE radiohead fan and haven’t had a chance to listen to the new album yet, but your comment made my heart skip a beat! I love Kid A/Amnesiac and now I am even more excited to give this a listen.
don’t listen to Gaga or Bieber. this AM I listened to some Little Feat. that said, Radiohead’s so called song sounded like it was made on an iPad. zero musicianship and/or compositional talent. just computer noodlings passed off as “experimental”.
But we already KNOW that they’re very good at playing ‘real’ instruments. Why do you need it proven over and over again? Is your memory that short?
real instruments aren’t the issue. no melody, no lyric, bad vocals and cheeseball computer sounds are. but playing real instruments isn’t about “proving” you can. people have been playing “real” instruments for thousands of years. what I heard here is a band with no ideas trying to hide that behind computers.
Little Feat? Sounds like you hate anything that even comes close to electronic music, then. Welcome to the 21st century, love it or hate it.
no…I dislike bad music, which this is. Little Feat had/have strong melodies, clever lyrics, great arrangments and musicianship. Radiohead’s “song” has none of those.
HAHA! Dude what are you like 45? Little Feat is definitely a bit off from what one would call modern, forward thinking music.
I actually am very surprised by the lack of dignity you have saying these things. I mean really? You sound like a grumpy hillbilly.
agitator is rocking the 8 track.
Little Feat?! LOL
Maybe some Kansas, a little Grand Funk Railroad, and don’t forget ELO!
No offense dude. But I think the only reason you mention noodling on an ipad is because that’s most likely the only electronic music tech. you’ve ever really seen or played with. Besides, given the specs on hardware in a touch pad these days most of the digital processing software can be easily run on one. That includes most professional DAWs. So saying that isn’t really saying anything except that you somehow think that making music on a i-pad is in your mind “not as good”. Which actually doesn’t really make any sense..
To be honest anyone who even has just a little experience with electronic and sound processing in general can see obvious amounts of effort in this album. If you’re really having trouble hearing it then I would suggest maybe a better playback system.
Finally, before attempting to educate us with your enlightened viewpoint I suggest that you provide some logical reasoning behind why you think the characteristics of Radiohead’s music are poorly composed. Just because you’ve heard the words melody, and musicianshipship, arrangment, etc. and can spit them out on a comment list doesn’t mean that you actually know what your’e talking about. You haven’t provided one defensible argument as to why any of these characteristics of the music are sub par. All I can hear from you thus far is I don’t like apples because I don’t like apples. Being vague and just saying something is bad doesn’t say anything at all.
Melodically Radiohead consistently uses dissonance and in ways that make it appealing to the layman. This is present is much of their music. Making minor music attractive is actually quite the feat especially to the untrained listener. Arrangement wise the layering of rhythms on this album is actually quite complex and technically proficient. There’s rhythm derivations from many different styles of music as well.
My point is say something that’s credible if you’re trying to point out flaws in Radiohead’s music. Most of the musical community sees them as pioneers in the mainstream industry. I mean really get a grip no one cares about your juvenile opinions.
if you didn’t care about my comment, why’d you spend an hour typing a response? Melodic dissonance? this song has no melody at all. it’d be easier to hum the buzz coming from my old fridge. you’ve been drinking the kool-aid that passes this pretentious crap off as deep. what’s juvenile isn’t my dislike of their aural thorazine but this truly, truly Freshman 101 poetry they call a lyric “I will slip myself into your pocket
Invisible, do what you want, do what you want
I will sink and I will disappear
I will slip into the groove and cut me up and cut me up
There’s an empty space inside my heart
Where the wings take root
So now I’ll set you free
I’ll set you free
There’s an empty space inside my heart
And it won’t take root
Tonight I’ll set you free
I’ll set you free”
if this computerized drivel is considered great music these days, rock n roll is dead, buried and covered with the dry leaves of drum machines.
Obviously I care, just no one else does. I’m trying to help you see how silly you look. Otherwise I wouldn’t be trolling like this.
And again you haven’t actually used any defensible arguments. You posted Thom Yorke’s lyrics on a page about his band’s music.
Good job.
Oh and yeah thank god you knew how long it took me to write that post. Luckily I can full hand type so it wasn’t too much of a struggle.
And dude wake up. New rock music has been dead for while. Just because something is different doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a chance.
And finally just to rub it in.
I want to point out that you wrote:
“this song has no melody at all. it’d be easier to hum the buzz coming from my old fridge.”
This is probably because the melodies they use are too complicated for you to hum. Just a heads up a “good” melody is not necessarily defined by its simplicity. Simple melodies generally are used to make money they don’t define good art.
Secondly i’m pretty sure trying to emulate the white noise your fridge makes is nearly impossible. BUT you know what, hell with it, pop a bud get your cap on and grunt away friend.
But it sux
Perhaps you should take a listen to OK Computer. Wait, no. I think it’d be so far over your head musically you’d automatically tune out. I think Radiohead is simply too good for you.
Typical patronising comment from an RH fanboy.
cant wait to hear the rest of the album..
Lotus Flower is the best track on the album – most direct while still making room for Radiohead’s sonic experimentation. I’d rank King of Limbs tentatively fifth in their discography, after OK Comp, Kid A, In Rainbows, and maybe Bends. Also, Colin Greenwood definitely gets MVP status for his bass work on this LP (at times its seems like some of the songs are about to fall apart until his pulsing bass reenters the mix).
that video is awful. I was able to listen up to minute 4 of the song before the boredom became too much. I get all the radiohead gushers, but I’d like too see someone defend that dumb video.
I wish the physical cd was out sooner. March 29th, ouch.
love the song. beautiful!
For those unaware, the album is available now. The article does not do a good job of explaining that. Either go through your order confrimation (if already preordered) or buy it from their site.
Must have misread this the first time. Oh well.
I want a simple CD release. I don’t want digital and I don’t want the $50 Uber-kit. Where’s my package?
In stores 3/29.
I shall exercise patience
. Wish EW informed me as well as you did!
Even though you can get CD-quality WAV tracks right now? Or do you just like the feel of a plastic case and disc? Either way is cool with me.
So odd for EW to be so far behind the curve on this. The download has already been available for about 10hrs now.
And it’s Lotus Flower – 2 words.
Except on the album it’s written “LotusFlower.” One word, two capitals…
Really? Coz I don’t think anyone’s actually seen the CD yet, since it’s only releasing March. And according to my download of the song it’s 2 words.