If they didn't want people paying nothing, don't make it an option.

Of course, you'd have to pay me to download it.

I agree, but if a million people pay a penny, thats $10,000… a far cry from whatever profit they made from Kid A. This is a very progressive business model, quite like a woman and a black man being the front runners in the race… but like the elections… A white man is still going to walk away with everything.

(but that's just me)

If they want a profit, set the lowest price at something that gives them a profit. They're the assholes if they're getting upset that people dare take them up on the "name your price" offer that they voluntarily put out there.

"If there’s one thing true liberals don’t have it’s money, but if there’s one thing true liberals need it’s each other."

Cord, do Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Ben Affleck,George Soros, etc know that they are not "true" liberals?

I think you are equating socialism with liberalism, and it is not the same ideology, although, some beliefs are similar.

*Applause..Cheering…Standing Ovation* Oh My God! Cord you are a not only a music snob…You are an Idealist Music Snob! That was brilliant. Can I link you on that?

I don't think Radiohead is getting upset. I believe they are making a statement. They just want to get their music out there to their loyal following. These guys don't live the lifestyles of the "Hollywood Rich and Famous." Laughable image: Thom Yorke rolling out of a nightclub, FUBB, with a "babe" on each arm.

I just…meh….I got nothin. Some people are always gonna steal no matter what. FARK and MIDGETS!!!

OK ladies why the EFF did I have to work so damn hard and miss the greatness of Denise15???? What the EFF? Evil you KNOW I would have thrown down for ya.

Yeah, Be Adequite, and Denise15 threw out that we all were probably 40. I have to log off and make dinner, but if she shows back up, can someone tell her about that scene from Fried Green Tomatoes where those younger faster girls stole
the parking spot from cathy bates, so she smashes their car and says "Well girls, I'm older, and I have more insurance" I fell like that says it all. over 40 rocks!!

I don't think Radiohead is getting upset either. I agree with Cord. They're paving the way for tiny indie bands to not have to suck the taint of Capitol Records. Even if this album makes poopshit, (which is the equivalent of jackshit) they're going to make tons in merchandise and concert tickets. That's why bands like the Arctic Monkeys, who used to give out their CDs in Europe and beg fans to upload them on to myspace or wherever, are doing relatively well.

My two cents.

Or rather 50 cents.

I'm loving the idea of diamond nintendos.

I'm not over 40. I'm a few years over 33. And I would box Denise15's ears. Anyone who can't take the time to spell out the word "you" or "your" should be shot.

But yes over 40 does rock!

I'm a few years over 30, I meant. I'm actually 33. And retarded, apparently.

Tuwanda, biatches!!!!!

Excellent article, Cord; thanks very much :)

"the business model Radiohead created is innovative, smart and important,"

Cord you pretentious idiot. Failing to take into consideration the cost of doing business or building a model based on charity is neither innovative, nor smart, nor important.

What Radiohead have done is garner a boatload of marketing and goodwill. As a marketing strategy its brilliant, as a business practice it ranks right up there with "from each according to his ability to each according to his need." and we've all seen how good that worked out.

The band is being generous enough to offer you the chance to not pay. We should not make them suffer for giving us more power. We owe them. It's like people who steal the 3D glasses from the iMax theatre where you just have to dop them in a basket when you leave. It's super undignified because they are considerate enough to trust all these people they never met and you are just showing how you essentially are not good and if people were given more power the world would become barbaric. They are giving us an oppurtunity to prove that we are good even without the fear of punishment. So paying is actually taking advantage of the offer but not taking advantage of the musicians.
And I completely agree with Cord's statements.
PS Am I the only high school student here?

"but what stealing music also does is"

Stealing? SCREW YOU! If someone offers something for free and you take it, it's NOT stealing!

Buy the damn thing twice if you love handing out cash so much.

More importantly:

"If there’s one thing true liberals don’t have it’s money,"

That's the stupidest damn thing I've read in a month! So the millions of liberals living in Manhattan, SF and LA who are richer than 99.9% of the people on earth are phony?

"but if there’s one thing true liberals need it’s each other."

Hell, you live stacked on top of each other like sardines in those tiny NY apartments, just go down the hall and knock on a door. You'll find one.

This just shows what Marxist twats Radiohead are.

People download indie albums CONSTANTLY for free. But Radiohead, the world's best multi-millionaire imitators of the "indie" ethic, come up with this ingenious method to GUILT you into paying for their album, and then pat yourself on the back.

And then, and then, guess what? When you finally do download it, it's encoded at 160 bit rate, meaning that you'll just have to buy it again when it comes out as a CD! Or download it for free again.

That 160 bit rate, as well as the 40-pound ( what is that, $70? ) gift box which is the only alternative, shows their true character. Conniving, and greedy, and using liberal guilt complexes.

I actually do want to hear the album, but I won't pay a cent for the 160 bit rate version, nor will I download it for free. Not because of my unimpeachable ethical standards, but because I have a feeling these dudes are vindictive as hell and will set their prosecutors on anyone going after their precious album. Thom Yorke even used to compare himself to Stalin, that other idealist.

That leaves as my only option to wait until the album is released in stores. I think I can hack it.

Despite what you are taught in your liberal-arts college with funding by Rockefeller, Cord, communists really do exist. They are the ones behind the Iraq war, they are also behind both Fox News and the Daily Show, George Bush and John Kerry, Obama and Hillary. All of them witches. They play both sides to block out the true alternative, which is true Christianity.

It's called the Hegelian dialectic, look it up. It will open your eyes. Ever notice how, three hundred years ago, there used to be Catholic monarchies, and now the media and government is run by Jews? Think something might be wrong here?
Think these wars might be contrived to achieve a long-range goal?

And Radiohead is part of this system. Yorke is well-known to tout the IPCC, which is the paid-off wing of the global warming flunkies, well known to fire anyone who doesn't agree with their trumped-up findings. This is all meant to consolidate wealth in the hands of the few. They've been trying it since the 70's but only now are people LAME enough to get behind recycling and carbon-gas emission reduction causes, when there is so much more to worry about, like the total evaporation of spirit from the world.

Now they are using this typical guilt complex that causes people to buy Priuses — self-congratulatory bullshit. We could have had free energy decades ago if Tesla wasn't bought off or silenced. Notice also how Radiohead constantly tries to mystify but never provides answers. They are just another false idol.

Didn't one band give away their music on their website while waiting very pateintly for the physical CD to drop, and they actually had amazing sales? It was before iTunes and other digital music stores became universal.

Diamond Nintendos for 50 Cent? I'd guess a diamond XBox or Playstation. Nintendo is too declasse. (Pretend there's an accent on that second e.) Although I love my new Wii. My almost-60 parents bought a Wii too.

So Cord, do you disapprove when people don't make donations when they go into a free museum? Although if you take away the music as art issue, free music is a fabulous marketing tool.

wow, revelatory. if you were any more pretentious you'd be…not a gossip blogger. granted, the jossip editor's question should have not even been posed. that's the beauty of radiohead's offer.

Astounding GAT…go back and watch some more MTV (I notice you did not mention them in your diatribe). Radiohead is the cause of the Iraq war?…Amazing logic you have there..did you get kicked off of Netscape, or something, so now you have nowhere better than a celebrity/pop culture blog to spew your hatred? And Communist really do exist…so what…so do right-wing fundamentalist who want to force their own brand of hatred and discrimination mandated by federal law down everyone's throats. Again I say…so what? It's a free country…communism isn't against the law…neither is right-wing fascism. Methinks you took a wrong turn somewhere. We're discussing music and the future of the industry here, not conspiracy theory. You can get tasered for that. But not here of course.

The poor kid is insane. Before he was making some pretty strong arguments but then he said communists are behind the Daily Show and Fox News. I actually kind of teared up.

I don't see why all the Communists and Fascists can't just get along.

"Now they are using this typical guilt complex that causes people to buy Priuses — self-congratulatory bullshit."

Wow, a conclusion ignoring alternative explanations (that people care/are proactive about the environment) and demonizing a positive outcome (better to be self-congratulatory about a Prius than a Hummer3)! All without an ounce of wit or logical reasoning. Ann? Ann Coulter? Is that you?

I guess when I took poli-sci in college, we skipped the chapter on "true Christianity" as the polar opposite of Communism. Or, you know, as a form of political government.

Considering traditionally, the GOP was for less government (and therefore less responsibility but just as big of a paycheck) intervention into state matters and the like, how are they the commies? Just asking. I'm not saying the left is wrong and the right is - well, right. I personally have a theory that both could function just fine separately, but we've seen the mish mash of bullshit that happens when those two parties come together.

Anyways, this is supposed to be about music, not about political parties. That's supposed to be the whole point of turning on your Radiohead or any other music and that's because you're so fucking sick of listening to the news.

I live in a big city and there are countless museums and things to see that accept donations. Most people who are on a budget (students, poor peeps, families etc.) pay a few bucks, most tourists pay the suggested amounts. I really enjoy Radiohead and I would happily pay two dollars, maybe three if I were stoned.

/poor liberal student with a family.

I know a teacher who was fired for telling his class Communism was a form of government based on political theory, and not a religion, created to rival and bring down Christianity. Unfortunately, the parents of one of his students were strict Southern Baptists and did not take kindly to him trying to tear down all the propaganda they had spent years filling their daughter's head with…and since they were also very socially and politically connected in the area, they pulled a few strings, called in a few "favours" and had the poor dude fired. And that is, unfortunately, a true story.

Fascinating discussion here, folks. Maybe it's not all related to music, but it's good to get these feelings out in the open sometimes. GAT needed to vent before he burst a blood vessel.

I love this Radiohead concept, and I might even remember to download the album when I get home one day. I agree with Cord, so I'll give them what I can (not much at this point - gotta save money to buy oil for heat pretty soon). To the person who scorned at the idea that true liberals don't have money - educate yourself, sweetheart. They call themselves liberals, but they're of another breed altogether.

GAT, I think you've got a tiny fraction right in your argument. There is a lot going on behind the scenes politically that we can only guess at. We'll never know who the real powers are, though, and there's no one we can trust to tell us. So, go be a good little Christian and live your life the best way you know how. Oh, and do us all a favor and quit proselytizing.

First of all, where in the hell did this rant vilifying Jews and Commies come from? I even noticed a little shot taken at witches. Grandpa, is that you? I didn't realize we were back in the 1920s. Let me go get muh burnin' torch and we'll set the cornfields alight.

And, let me get this straight… if the communists are behind the war and the Daily Show, and the Jews run the government and the media, ipso facto, communists ARE Jews. What the?? GAL, have you even thought about your argument for more than 2 seconds?

Anyway, it's probably pointless to argue with you, except to say that, on its face, the Hegelian dialectic does not explain or back up anything in your argument without you explaining how. Look it up.

I was going to call him GAL…but I thought offence might be taken at assuming (or not) gender. GAL seems pretty tightly wound and a wee bit, I use that term loosely, paranoid. android.

he seems bitter. happier. more productive.

like all the trees are fake… and made of plastic. Or something.

Um, is Napster even AROUND anymore? Cause that's not where I go to steal, er, buy music now. That's SO 1996!

Wow, I missed another diabtribe by my anti-semitic friend, Gorilla? I'm so sorry about that.

I just love how the evil Jews and Commies are behind everything from Fox News to the war, to the fly in my soup. I'm sure that they also had something to do with the Kennedy assassination and the hangnail on my thumb. Fucking bastards.

I blame the witches for the lintballs on my socks.

Don't even get me started on witches and faeries. I blame them for the sock I've been missing since last Christmas.

I think they use them to fuel their Priuses. It's all coming together now…

Makes sense to me.

hey! i am part faery you bitch and i dont do shit to your socks

Sure…what's that hanging off your wing?

Is that my red monkey sock I see hanging out of your Prius?

Fairy people prefer that you spell it
f-a-i-r-y. True story.

i dont have a prius, i have a jeep. im jsut a poor woman iwth irish supposed Tuatha Dé Danann roots that makes me part fairy and trust me, i dont want your sock

I wish I could maria, but when I see, "fairy," I think of that bitch that takes my teeth at night when I'm sleeping. I prefer "faerie," because it makes me think of little, ancient, woodland creatures that fuck leprechauns.

I think the spelling "fairy" is soooo plebian. "Faerie" has more of an enchanted feel to it. "Faery" is a bit of a bastardized spelling, but I like that, too.

LOL! That was great, evil.

April, I'm kidding. I know that sock was stolen by the laundry goblins long ago.

i think in real life fairies/faeries don't give a crap. As faery/fairy stories arose well before the standardization of the English Language our spells were pretty much just picked and choosen. ALSO fairies of Ireland that stole babies and are NOT resposonsible for the death of Bridgit Cleary are spelt fairy on the police investigation and trial transcripts

I'm not kidding. I want my black sock with the teddy bears on them. They were a gift from my grandma.

i left it in my fort.

April, don't you mean toadstool? In every poem about fairy/faerieslsdfzz I read as a kid, they were always dancing around a toadstool or hanging out under some shrubberies/flowers. I didn't know there was a fairexsdr militia!

,I think the nymph "fairy" that you refer to, is actually Avril Levine.

Well, if you give me a pot of gold from your leprechaun boyfriend, you can keep the sock. In fact, I'll throw the other one in, so you can have the pair.

Avril Lavigne is a trollgoblinmonster of the worst kind.

not the irish ones they live in circular stone forts and steal babies and women and give the evil eye.

true story (sort of, its part of irish history)

Bedbugs, that's horrible about the poor teacher. Being a girl from the northeast, I didn't know anyone thought communism was a religion. Although the Soviet Union suppressed ALL religions (can't let the Jews be happy, after all), but China has churches, so I think it's a function of the Soviets and not communism.

re: Napster
Napster doesn't let people download copyrighted materials for free anymore. For music, there's a network based in Russia, which doesn't have an agreement with the US to acknowledge US music copyrights, so it's LEGAL(!) to download from them. I'll ask the hubby if they accomodate English speakers.

China does have churches, but they are heavily persecuted and people have been known to be rounded up in the middle of night to spend years in prison.

http://www.crosswalk.com/1404470/

I know the above is a Christian resource link, but it does cite other sources as well.

Do they persecute the Buddhists too, or are they picking on the Christians in particular? They still definitely active monastaries in Hong Kong, but they're being a bit slower in suppressing Hong Kong.

I went to the history museum in Hong Kong. They divided their history into 8 sections. The last section was about Hong Kong reverting back to Chinese rule, and consisted entirely of a movie of people cheering and fireworks. Nothing else.

Isn't that what Richard Gere is always in a huff about? The Tibetan Monks that the Chinese are persecuting? I think that one of the basic ideas of Communism is that they eliminate any/all types of religion because they do not want it to compete with the State. They also want all money and loyalty from the people to be devoted to the State, rather than religious organizations. Dependence on anything other than the government is not allowed.

You're perfectly right. I'm just feeling Jessica Simpson-y today.

Well, then just enjoy your perfect skin. I happen to have a little zit that is daring to rear its ugly head right now, and it sucks.

You, as the music idealist, can get fired up if people don't pay for the album, but Radiohead cannot, since they created a scenario that does not really suit rational behavior. They did not put their album out on the honor system, but rather said "you name your price." Doing so before you can hear the album is an impossibility in a rational economic model. Sure it is possible to gage the value based on previous products; however there are plenty of Radiohead fans that cannot get enough of the Bends and OK Computer who could not sell Kid A back to a record store fast enough. How much should they pay? Your suggestion is that the consumer should also factor in a value for the idea of direct distribution, which is noble, but not a natural decision. Under that rationale it is possible to also expect consumers to also find a value from the fact that this method of distribution is also significantly Earth friendly since they did not have to drive cars to record stores to buy CD's that use paper and plastic products that had be transported by diesel trucks and trains. Long story short, I agree that taking the album for free is wrong, and you are spot on that doing so will deter future efforts. However, Radiohead took the risk that people would act rationally and take it for free for no other reason than that is what human nature suggests.

Are you just going to stand for that, Cord?

"don't bother me with details, I'd rather watch American Idol"
-that's a natural decision too?

GAL turned Cord into a doormat. He's taking all kinds of shit off people today.

Maybe GAL looks like Bratman…and we all know how Cord feels about Bratman.

Maybe we should all e-mail the squeal@mollygood saying that "Noted Blogger Cord Jefferson was humiliated on his blog, Mollygod, by a sometime commenter named GAL. They then canoodled at Hyde."

but is Hyde in NYC? And Mollygod? Like a demigod?

No it is in LA I think. All I know is that canoodling abounds there. It is my go to for all canoodling needs.

It is no backspace here today in honor of our girl Juubees. SAo Mollygod itis!

if you download the radiohead album in the forest and no one hears it…

I think everyone seem to be missing the point here, which is that Thom Yorke seems to have grown ear whiskers.

and horrible teeth.

This whole deal is like going out to dinner at a nice restaurant and not tipping. You don't do that!!! (and dont let your damn kids pour the ketchup out on the tables either, nerds! :)

But my kids need an outlet for their creativity!

http://machinist.salon.com/blo.....ahoo-salon
btw, this points out that Radiohead is probably keeping a lot more money from those people who pay more than $2.