New Music

Radiohead is Back: There’s no Reprieve from the Relentlessly Beautiful “Burn the Witch”

  • May 4, 2016
  • 3 min read
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Radiohead is Back: There’s no Reprieve from the Relentlessly Beautiful “Burn the Witch”

burn_the_witch_cover_4000_280416Man. Thom Johnny, Phil, Colin and Ed. Way to come out swinging. Way to come out with something different. Isn’t it great that Thom REALLY likes wailing and Johnny REALLY likes composing scores? And isn’t it great that they do it TOGETHER? Add the chill, asynchronous, syncopated drum from Phil, hitting that cymbal at all the wrong times in exactly the right ways, and Johnny’s BASS. I think I have to coin a new term for it. Rusty Bass. I LOVE rusty bass. I’m just gonna come out and say it. When that kicked in, I was like, THIS IS WHY I RADIOHEAD. (#thisiswhyiradiohead) I didn’t hear any guitar in the song. Sorry Ed! I’m sure you get a nice break during this song during shows that you’re really gonna enjoy.

Musically, Burn the Witch is one long destructive wave. It’s like, when your windshield wiper is wiping up and down in sync with a blinking street light, but eventually they get more and more out of sync until they’re doing the exact opposite. In this song, each long, flat hit of the violin feels like a brick being laid. Everything’s fine until too many bricks get out of sync and everything crashes in on each other. And obviously, those bricks are the bricks of society which are falling all around us because of calls to “BURN THE WITCH!” to fix our problems instead of actually addressing them.

The chords are beautiful but they’re pelted at you, one after the other. The forward motion in the driving bass and strings is relentless. Even in Thom’s wailing, there’s little comfort or reprieve. Sounds like Radiohead to me!

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

It’s like they used an arpeggiator but used real instruments. If this were Taylor Swift, it’d be the backing track of Style.

What IS this? Is this a SINGLE? That a ROCK BAND RELEASED?? in 2016??

The last song I liked so quickly was Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. I really loved that one from the moment it came on. I also hated In Rainbows the first couple times I heard it. And now it’s my favorite of their albums. Maybe it’s a bad sign if I like it right away?

I can really SEE those strings players like, fucking playing the SHIT outta those Cellos n stuff.

They used the PERFECT cymbal sound. To mesh with the other instruments. Nigel Godrich? Is that you!?

Jesus LOVE that cymbol. SO LOVE.

The staccato makes it so bright

OOO the bass line from Paranoid Android! i’m gonna listen to that now.

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Chris Ryan

Chris Ryan is an accomplished promoter, event planner, producer, activist, counselor, poet and blogger. Within the course of two and a half years Chris Ryan has worked with some of NYC's most established promoters/event planners, been named 2007′s GaySocialite of the year, granted a promoter of the year award from NYC's most famous gay establishment, Splash. He's worked in some of NYC's top venues including; Avalon, Capitale, Cipriani, Cielo, Pacha, Element, Le Poisson Rouge, XL, G Lounge, Plumm, Hilton Hotel, Indigo Hotel, Spirit, Myst/Quo, Splash, The Ritz, Vlada, Roseland Ballroom, Heaven, etc. In 2008, Chris Ryan has begun to unveil some of the most innovative & unique parties New York City has ever seen. The Fusion events "fuse" together all disciplines of art into an event that remains diverse yet cohesive at the same time. ChrisRyanNYC.com won best gay promotions website from NYC Event Patrons in 2008 & he was granted an award from the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Gov. Patterson & Michelle Clunie (QAF) saluting him for his hard work in nightlife. Chris Ryan has also begun working with many renown companies, including; doctors, lawyers, physicians, modeling agencies & more. Chris Ryan has been responsible for wide-scale promotions for all these companies & generating tremendous business. Chris Ryan has even started to become National with events taking place in LA & Miami this year. In May of 2009 Chris Ryan received the very prestigious honor of being named a "40 Under 40″ Gays in America by the Advocate Magazine. He also created three successful parties that generated over 1,500 patrons each. In January of 2010 Chris Ryan was featured as one of the top promoters to look out for in Noize Magazine Chris Ryan joined forces with legendary promoter/event producer, Lee Chappell and created one of the most talked about events of all 2010, Desire @ Capitale. Chris Ryan and Lee featured one of the most outstanding artists NYC has ever seen, "Oh Land." Her performance coupled with an exquisite and unforgettable set design added to this extravagant event that held over 1,000 patrons in one of NYC's most successful PRIDE events! Chris Ryan then joined forces with legendary Pacha promoter, Rob Fernandez in addition to Jake Resnicow and Tommy Marinelli to bring one of the largest and most successful parties worldwide to NYC, MATINEE. The event on Governor's Island saw over 2,000+ attendees and one of the most ambitious productions ever. In 2011 Chris Ryan started Emerge Music Promotions with business partner Darren Melchiorre. Emerge Music promotions began signing artists with plans to develop and market the artists to the community at large. Emerge Music promotions has big events planned for 2012 and 2013. Chris Ryan debuted the IMAGE events which took place on top of two of NYC's most beautiful rooftop venues, Rare View and Indigo Hotel. The events were blogged everywhere and featured the fashion designs of several clothing designers, artists and photographers. Chris Ryan felt that fashion and art should be displayed at every event and attracted the likes of Malan Breton, Calvin Klein and even Katy Perry. Chris Ryan began an extremely successful event which incorporated the concept of a house party into a nightclub atmosphere. The event Twist'D at G Lounge has been one of the most talked about events in NYC and allows it's audience to play nearly-naked Twister, beer pong, flip cup & more with other attendees. Chris Ryan was granted an excellence in volunteering award from AVP (Anti-Violence Project) for all his efforts in supporting the organization. 2013 has a very promising landscape on the horizon and Chris Ryan is complacent in saying "you haven't seen anything yet!"

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