Radiohead Tracks Thieved

The unreleased Radiohead songs circulating on the Internet since this weekend aren't album cuts, according to Jonny Greenwood. In a new post on the band's Web site, the guitarist says the material pirated from Hail to the Thief, due June 10th, is "a stolen copy of early, unmixed edits and roughs."

Earlier this week, Greenwood had expressed resignation at the leak, saying, "It's a little earlier than we'd expected, but there it is." But that outlook changed when he learned that the leaked tracks were old, unfinished versions.

"It doesn't even exist as a record yet," he said. "So yes, we're annoyed . . . we didn't give up on [the songs] in February (which is what you're hearing) and it's just a shame that, to your ears, we did."

Radiohead couldn't keep their previous two albums, 2000's Kid A and 2001's Amnesiac, off the Web before their respective release dates, either. It didn't necessarily hurt album sales, though, as the sets debuted in the U.S. at Numbers One and Two respectively.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

More Song Stories entries »

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