Radiohead - Hail to the Thief/In Rainbows

This week, we are joined by special guest, Angie.Radiohead is a band like Nirvana, The White Stripes, Led Zeppelin, and the Pixies -- founding members and pioneers of a very particular space in music. Ok Computer is known as one of the best albums of all time. The band followed up this album by risking alienating their audience with Kid A. They would be rewarded for not taking the easy path and simply reiterating on their own work.2003's Hail to the Thief was a return to familiar sonic places. There are some tracks that are more esoteric and experimental, but many of the tracks are more straight forward. They allow room for the themes to develop, during a time of political turmoil. Frontman Thom Yorke challenges society to face its disengagement and ambivalence during war and disinformation. Four years later, Radiohead announced they would be releasing an album with a different distribution model. It was very novel for the time, right before the take off of streaming music. People could offer to pay whatever they'd like for a digital copy of the album, from absolutely nothing to thousands, if the listener had the means and the will. The album was a major success, both critically and commercially. An essential album that even convinces the least interested.