RADIOHEAD PEERS CHIME IN ON GROUNDBREAKING DISTRIBUTION

Alter Bridge, Cobra Starship and Biffy Clyro chime in on Radiohead’s new ground-breaking album and it’s controversial distribution method.

Radiohead has made waves with their new album. Fans can download the songs from their website and decide their own price for the tunes, which includes the ability to pay nothing. Rumor has it the band has reportedly made millions, which they won’t confirm, and the industry has been put on notice. Radiohead’s peers, their fellow musicians in the industry, are starting to weigh in on the issue.

Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge, formerly of the multi-platinum band Creed, weighed in on Radiohead’s distribution move.

“I’m glad bands like Radiohead are thinking forward and trying to do something different to see what happens. They’re being guinea pigs for the rest of us. Something’s gotta work. I think we’re still playing it safe. We put a lot into this record, and we want to play the safest route. We had a lot of huge changes in our careers and just the business in general within our camp. We’ve made some huge gambles, some giant gambles, and with that type of idea it’s way too extreme for us right now. We don’t have a big enough name in the marketplace to do something as radical as they’ve done. I think a band like Tool can do it, Radiohead can do it, Dave Matthews can do it — huge acts — but Alter Bridge is not there.”

Gabe Saporta and bandmate Ryland of the up-and-coming band Cobra Starship isn’t so sure it’s a good thing for bands like his who don’t yet have a following the size of Radiohead’s.

[Gabe] “I think they just banked five million dollars in a week. The thing is they’re not an example that anybody else can follow because they already have an established name. They’ve already sold millions of records. Yeah, once you’ve sold all those records, put it out yourself, I’m sure people buy it.” [Ryland] “It’s the same reason why Bruce Springsteen is going to release the first however many copies of his record on vinyl only. Only he can get away with that. [Gabe] “That’s asinine. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” [Ryland] “I think it’s great, give back to the fans.”

Biffy Clyro, another up-and coming artist, applauds the move.

“I think we’re all probably quite big fans of it. It’s the first time a band… For Radiohead to release a record on the internet and you decide the price, it’s the first time that a band has had the music industry by the collars. Normally the music industry has dictated everything. It’s been too easy for record companies and stuff to decide what people to listen to and what bands they should like. We definitely think it’s a good thing to do, even if it’s just to scare the record industry for a while. I think a band like Radiohead makes albums and that’s how they’ve managed to get into this position. They continuously made great records, and it’s not one particular song. So, yeah, more power to ’em.”

Radiohead are planning on touring May 2008 in support of their album, In Rainbows.