Why we can call Radiohead a prog rock band imo...

Have you ever listened to Kid A?

rogerthat wrote: It is misleading to use such terms (progressive being the other one) because they are too qualitative.  It cannot be avant garde just because it channels some avant garde music.  The correct word is "experimental" music....thus, not necessarily experimenting with radically new concepts but written in an experimental framework.

Edited by OT Räihälä - June 30 2011 at 13:10

OT Räihälä wrote: Polo wrote: OT Räihälä wrote: In my opinion Radiohead is the most progressive rock band at the moment, because of their exploratory nature. I suppose you don't explore much as I believe there's a lot of more forward-thinking new bands. Kayo Dot, for example, is undoubtely the most innovative project of the last 31 years. Just wonder what you think was the most innovative project 32 years ago. I have to confess that  a couple of days ago Kayo Dot was just a name to me, I hadn't heard their music. I thus had to find out a little to be able to reply. Having listened to them, I guess we mean a bit different things with explore. I admit Kayo Dot's compositions differ from the mainstream rock and even prog, but they are at places very close to metal, and at some other places it's obvious they (or rather Toby Driver) have listened a lot to a few RIO classics. I can't understand why Driver's compositions are sometimes called avant-gardistic, because in my ears they sound quite trivial. I have a feeling that he has chosen a wrong genre, because obviously he would like to delve in the art music, but the "rules" (real or imaginary) of prog/popular music make him to stay inside the borders of tonal harmonies. His music is some way off from standard new prog, surely, but miles away from contemporary avant-garde. If I want real explorations in that aspect, I'll stay with contemporary art music and forget about pop music, be it prog or not. Radiohead's explorations don't really cover the structures of compositions, but rather the sound, both overall and small details. Their ever-expanding arsenal of tools and means takes pop music towards new territories. This doesn't seem to be Kayo Dot's strength. Oh, and Kayo Dot seems to be at least ok, if not almost quite good.

More or less...though, unlike you, I quite like KD and don't find it trivial (but that's more a matter of preference).  Also not sure about the tonal harmonies part but agree broadly on your points about conceptual originality. Most innovative project in 31 years? More innovative than Bela Fleck rejigging the banjo?  Sounds like hyperbole to me.  As for the avant garde tag, I come back to my earlier post in the thread.  It is misleading to use such terms (progressive being the other one) because they are too qualitative.  It cannot be avant garde just because it channels some avant garde music.  The correct word is "experimental" music....thus, not necessarily experimenting with radically new concepts but written in an experimental framework.  In this way, it would cause less confusion if what is called prog is called art rock because that's essentially what it is.  However, I may well be completely wrong about KD and would welcome opinions about what is it that they discovered about MUSIC that nobody did before them. Goes without saying I mean something conceptual and theoretical here rather than some "artistic" or "emotional" discovery. 

Another thing is it is not necessary to innovate in concept all the time and it's probably beyond the pall of most composers. It's after all a few composers (in relative terms)  from three centuries of classical music who are credited with fundamental innovations. There is imo no limit to innovation in form and Radiohead are one of the few who innovate very well in form. You can always present old wine in a new bottle and people will think it's new because it kind of is.  I can trace Radiohead's influences but in totality, they express themselves in a very fresh and original way. Or maybe I should start saying that in past tense now, but  even if only for OK Computer and Kid A, they are the most impressive modern band in rock music that I have heard.


Edited by rogerthat - June 30 2011 at 09:24

Andyman1125 wrote: keiser willhelm wrote: ** waits for walter's post. Walter got the banhammer

I haven't seen him in a while... that explains it!  I honestly always thought he was an act.  I PMed him once asking about why he hates all modern music and gave examples and such.  He never would change his argument at all and just said the same thing over and over.

sweet justice. 
actually i always thought he was pretty hilarious but PA tends to take things a little seriously.


Edited by keiser willhelm - June 29 2011 at 22:41

** waits for walter's post.

Polo wrote: lol Tanner, I'm not a Kayo Dot fanboy. I just like Choirs of the Eye and Coyote a lot.

Hey, that's where I stand!

Brohoof.

*inserts something about Kayo Dot like a fanboy*

OT Räihälä wrote: In my opinion Radiohead is the most progressive rock band at the moment, because of their exploratory nature.

In my opinion Radiohead is the most progressive rock band at the moment, because of their exploratory nature. Sure, they don't sound like old prog greats, but that is because they really try to find something new and not to stamp on old paths. That cannot be said of 90% of the new "prog" bands, which are rather regressive than progressive.