The Hold Steady: 'Radiohead have lost the plot'

The Hold Steady

Band criticise Oxford quintet's pay what you want plan

Aug 17, 2008
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The Hold Steady's guitarist Tad Kubler has slammed Radiohead's revoluntionary pay what you want plan for their last album 'In Rainbows'.

The guitarist also criticised the band's experimental musical approach.

"I think they've lost the plot," he said. "What are they doing? Where are they going? What's happening? I don't get it any more. They lost me.

"I still appreciate what they're doing, or what they're trying to do. But I think they're trying too hard not to be Radiohead. That seems a little ridiculous to me."

"I like them as a rock band, all the buttons and sequencing and stuff like that I don't really care for. I'm a fan of rock music and what they're doing now I don't think is very good."

Kubler also said Muse "don't do it for me" but he praised Oasis.

He told BBC 6 Music: "I love Oasis. I love them. I think that what they do is earnest. I think it's honest."

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Comments (29)

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HellBez

Aug 17, 2008

Who are The Hold Steady? Based on this guys musical ignorance I doubt they're any good.Write stories about people with valid opinions who we actually care about please.

Curtman13

Aug 17, 2008

I agree, seriously?! Some no name band is gonna talk smack about Radiohead, do you know what you're saying. I just saw them live in Toronto and they literally blew my mind. Muse is sick too, how is Oasis better than Radiohead, people just confuse me way too much!

kzufolo

Aug 17, 2008

So now making original and engaging music is "losing the plot" but making the same song/sound over and over again (shock of lightening... uh..) is earnest and honest? Right...

thelosthighway

Aug 17, 2008

The Hold Steady criticising Radiohead with what really amounts to tired comments from a tired derivitave sounding rock band. It's those kind of attitudes that only serve to highlight the simplistic ideals of a band like the Hold Steady which funnily enough is actually played out perfectley in their own one dimensional sounding music :)

steven_nme

Aug 17, 2008

The Hold Steady clearly dont have the right to critise any band, especially Radiohead.Because they really are an awful band.

badweekend

Aug 17, 2008

The Hold Steady are a great band but Tadd is just plain wrong here.

LMck1992

Aug 17, 2008

This twat is just sucking up to oasis, i do believe that noel gallagher this week slaged off radiohead and then this twat goes and praises oasis. FACT "you won't get big and respected by licking the arse off a band that think they are better than they are with a dickhead singer. yes im talking about Oasis who are on there way down, they are fucking shit now

janetparker

Aug 17, 2008

This poor guy is trying pathetically to get the lights on him... he should try making some good music by himself.And NME really shouldn't give so much credit and media-coverage to such unworthy opinions!...

cancelmysubscription

Aug 17, 2008

you fucking idiots, oasis are shit now? stop talking about them and buying there singles/albums and reading about them an voting for them in polls then, if your gonna talk about a band whose heyday was in the mid 90s and that theyve never been able to recapture it, lets talk about radiohead instead, they'll NEVER make an album as good as the bends. ever. fact. oasis are on there way down are they mate, haha we'll see how fast there upcoming tour sells out wont we.

mAttthhheaLy

Aug 17, 2008

Since both Radiohead and The Hold Steady are my favourite bands I'm kinda stuck with what to think on this one. On the one hand I totally disagree that Radiohead have "lost the plot" (In Rainbows is possible my favourite Radiohead record so far) on the other hand those of you criticizing the Hold Steady should actually try listening to the songs (the lyrics especially) before saying owt.

The G-Ster

Aug 17, 2008

Radiohead? Lost the plot? They never had a fucking plot. Since the Bends, all they've done is shit on their fans' faces and produce music that sounds like it was extracted from Lucifer's arsehole. Muse are good though; Oasis are too. 'Mon the Hold Steady! A band who (almost) know what they're talking about. Then again, to each his own.

thenewpollution00

Aug 17, 2008

this is not even worth the typing. just look at that rediculous photo of them

davetherave765

Aug 17, 2008

Part of what makes Radiohead special is that they are continually re-inventing themselves. They could easily have conformed, released seven different versions of The Bends and taken all of Oasis' fans. But they stuck to the true spirit of rock and did what they wanted to, and fuck everyone else.

thenewpollution00

Aug 17, 2008

sorry HAHAHA "they'll NEVER make an album as good as the bends," I'm falling out of my chair

hotmilk...mmmtweakmynipple

Aug 17, 2008

In further news, the bloke from The Hold Steady went on to say that The Beatles and The Stones were crap,, Bowie is 'boring and uninspired' (although he 'loves that song he did with Jagger')', and he's 'pissing his knickers in anticipation of the new Keane album'. What an absolute gooch.

patrick3537

Aug 17, 2008

You hopeless, hopeless U.K. music fans. Put simply, Radiohead is one of the most boring, staid artists on the planet while The Hold Steady are one of the most exciting, genuine ones. Radiohead is in the classic vein of Pink Floyd in being music that appears to be "challenging" and "different" for people who don't want to search for something or are desperately trying to differentiate their taste from that of their friends'. Some of the most dreadful, plodding music of the last 20 years. And seriously, still with this Oasis shit? Keep beating the dead horse.

mbowie9

Aug 17, 2008

everyone's entitled to their opinion and when ya the guitarist in the best band live band in the world and have released the best album this year then you earn the right to say what you want about whoever you like -freedom of speech if everyone had the same opinion this country would be full of middle class tory dicks- plus this lot are heavily inspired by Springsteen and E-Street who piss on Radiohead (who have been brilliant!) and Muse (who are the most over rated sack on this planet) but thats my opinion - i d rather listen to Born To Run or Definitly Maybe or Stay Positive over In Rainbows and thats what im going too! HEY YOU GOTTA STAY POSITIVE!!!!

Gogol Head

Aug 18, 2008

"I think they've lost the plot (what plot?) "What are they doing? (Playing music)Where are they going? (On tour)What's happening? (music) I don't get it any more. They lost me. (You lost it)"I still appreciate what they're doing, or what they're trying to do.(music) But I think they're trying too hard not to be Radiohead. (Or reinventing themselves)That seems a little ridiculous to me." (Does it?)"I like them as a rock band, all the buttons and sequencing and stuff like that I don't really care for. (at least they dont stick to one sound) I'm a fan of rock music and what they're doing now I don't think is very good." (listen to oasis then - you'll find 'rock' music and the same album over and over again)

rubbersoul7

Aug 18, 2008

davetherave765, You really think that Radiohead are continually re-inventing themselves?? I don't think so mate, every album sounds the bloody same!!

philisacraftsman

Aug 18, 2008

Ha, a guy states what he likes/dislikes and all the pluky radiohead cretins simultaneously throw their rattles out the pram.TOYS EVERYWHERE!Radiohead = boring, pretentious, self-indulgent garbage sung by a gang of miserable rich pricks.The Hold Steady = relevant rock and roll music.Clean up your toys little boys.

Ghvinianidzigol

Aug 18, 2008

Calm down everyone. Think about how these quotes come about. It's not like Kubler went on a pedestal to shout out his opinions. Somebody asked him about a couple of bands and he chatted about his tastes unaware this was going to be made a news item. Ok, most media-trained bores would have done the usual and have praised everyone even if they hated them. So Hooray to Kubler for not doing that even if I disagree when it comes to Radiohead. "Stay Positive" is one of the albums of the year by the way.

coxy1983

Aug 18, 2008

cancelmysubscription, cancel your subscription and f#*k off up noel gallagher's arse. Oasis winning polls just proves what a bunch of uneducated morons there are about, go back to reading the daily star

zoso_cult666

Aug 18, 2008

I kind of think I get what they are saying but its not Radioheads fault people are not buying your records and opting to download it. Also, Radiohead has the right to sound like what ever they want since they have been playing longer then they have...

cancelmysubscription

Aug 19, 2008

coxy, ha, a pun, well done mate, you listen to oasis like every1 else does, they are nowhere near my favourite band everyone is so jaded that they think theyve never liked them, at one time or another, albeit pissed in the pub, every1s liked an oasis song, so y dnt u shut the fuck up and go and cry in your bedroom on a friday night over some art progressive pretentious shite. you lonely old man. u really really seem to have some pent up anger towards oasis may i ask are you tony mccarroll? idiot.

mysterygirl6

Aug 19, 2008

Right, because a band of guys in their 30s singing precious songs about teenagers smoking pot clearly should be commenting on anything Radiohead is doing. These two bands couldn't have more different objectives, it seems, so why even introduce Radiohead into the conversation?

Zackron

Aug 19, 2008

I'll never understand this intolerance for other people's taste in music. Yes Radiohead fans can be pretty militant with their views, but then calling Radiohead "boring, pretentious, and self-indulgent" hardly cools the issue. Radiohead and The Hold Steady are both, in my view, pretty wonderful bands. You might disagree but, ultimately, why do you care whether I or anybody else is listening to the same bands as you are? Music is about listening to what you enjoy, not preaching it. Recommend bands and share opinions by all means, but this sort of hostility has is just tiresome eventually.

interpolluter28

Aug 19, 2008

I guess what he's trying to say is that he likes some good old simple rock n' roll music. Nothing wrong with that.

Stardumb

Aug 19, 2008

These dudes always talk shit and they even bashed the Strokes. The Hold Steady is the most overated band of our time. The in Rainbows album is more guitar driven then the past few and less synth driven so I dunno what he's talking about. Why do these dudes think they are rock n roll they are the new found barenaked ladies they are complete shit. Radiohead are legends they don't need to impress the hold steady. Who needs a plot in music it's whatever whenever not a movie or novel.

Stardumb

Aug 19, 2008

Oh yeah and cancelmysubscriptionRadiohead already made the bends so why would they have to top it??Radiohead sells out all there shows and Oasis sells out to teenie boppers so who cares