They both got the freak gene?!?!?!?

radiohead in paris, 1995

There are only six people on the face of the planet that I’ve made dedicated Pinterest boards for, and that is Shalom Harlow and the entirety of Radiohead.

I like this NYLON NYLON NYLON shirt he has, wonder where he got it from…

Creep or: Why I Think “That Song” Deserves to Be Radiohead’s Most Popular

First of all, Radiohead fans in general need to stop approaching the band as if they are not mainstream or extremely well-known in the public eye. They have 25 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Albums such as Ok Computer and In Rainbows are some of the most well-regarded and properly awarded pieces of music in the modern age. Therefore I think it’s safe to say that Creep is no longer a threat to the band’s creative expression or a restricting aspect of their reputation as artists, like it was when they first started out.

Honestly speaking, at this point Creep (though being a product of its time) has a universal aspect to it that earns it the place of Radiohead’s #1 most listened to song. I enjoy the abstract, poetic lyricism of their more mature works, yet there’s this blunt sincerity to Creep that I can’t help but admire. Basically anyone can understand what it’s trying to explain- the fear of being an outsider, of being unworthy of love. It’s hard for people to admit they are losers, especially at an age where everybody is trying to be accepted by everyone else. You don’t see a lot of songs that are this frank, yet naive at the same time.

The feelings captured by Creep are isolating. But being able to share this feeling with hundreds of millions of people makes it better somehow. Almost the sheer popularity of this song rebukes the defeat of its lyrics, accepts the listener and makes light of a shared situation. How lucky is it that people from across the world can empathize with one another through a single song? Creep’s (almost humorous) reputation is an inadvertent rejection of nihilism; how often can an art piece about loneliness foster such a community?

It sends a message to other artists that it is possible to be recognized for their vulnerability. In a world where so much of the media is overtly manufactured, we need sincerity. We need art that is a product of growing up and the personal pains that come with this process.

Radiohead’s greatest fortune comes from the notion that each of their works have reached the right audience. People cherish the band’s work, and I’m tired of this idea that popularity is an indication of merit. Just because songs from their other albums are objectively better doesn’t mean they need the same audience as Creep.

And the simple perspective that Creep explores deserves the audience it has.

Obsessed with the Anyone Can Play Guitar music video, its like iconic freak cinema.

He’s like Jesus but worse in every way…

Strange how they have five guys and yet the sensation of loneliness is almost inescapable. Defining even, the kind of shadow that shows one the true shape of an object.

Radiohead Recording Sessions!

An archive of pictures and videos taken by Radiohead members and others during studio sessions and tours of Radiohead, The Smile and Junun

Link (also available for mobile)

I always wanted to organize all pictures I find.. Will be really happy if you reblog this post, it took me months to assemble everything! :)

They are so awkward and uncomfortable I love them…

Melodramatic weird-ass…