Radiohead Box Set Just In Time For Christmas...On A USB Drive?

Courtesy of Wired

Hoping to capitalize on the hubbub surrounding Radiohead's digital/box set release of In Rainbows, the band's old label, EMI, announced today that it is accepting pre-orders for a collection of all 6 albums Radiohead recorded for its Parlophone imprint: Pablo Honey, The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail To The Thief, plus the live album I Might Be Wrong. The collection will be available on December 10 to those who pre-order.

Unlike the digital version of In Rainbows, this box set has several high fixed prices depending on which format you choose: downloadable MP3 (320 Kbps, $70), a CD box set ( 7 discs, $80), or a 4GB USB drive (WAV files and artwork, $160). It's odd that the CD box set costs half as much as the USB version, despite containing the exact same musical data.

Radiohead fans might pony up $80 to give someone else the CD box set as a holiday gift, but any serious fan of the band already owns these albums. Who's going to buy a $160 USB keychain with a bunch of files they already own on it, no matter what it looks like? Gander On!

Radiohead Seventh Album "In Rainbows" Out October 10th

Courtesy of Stereogum

LP7 announcement, this time straight from the bear's blog...

Mon, 01 October

In Rainbows
Hello everyone.

Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days;

We've called it In Rainbows.

Love from us all.
Jonny

Wait, it gets much better...

According to inrainbows.com, the album will be available as digital download or deluxe discbox. Both editions are available for pre-order now. Re: the discbox:

THIS CONSISTS OF THE NEW ALBUM, IN RAINBOWS, ON CD
AND ON 2 X 12 INCH HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL RECORDS.
A SECOND, ENHANCED CD CONTAINS MORE NEW SONGS, ALONG WITH DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS AND ARTWORK.
THE DISCBOX ALSO INCLUDES ARTWORK AND LYRIC BOOKLETS.
ALL ARE ENCASED IN A HARDBACK BOOK AND SLIPCASE.

THE ALBUM DOWNLOAD AUTOMATICALLY COMES WITH THIS PACK.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE FILE DIGITALLY FROM THE 10TH OCTOBER 2007.

DISCBOXES ARE BEING MADE TO ORDER AND ARE PRICED AT £40.00 INCLUDING POSTAGE.
SHIPPING WILL BEGIN ON OR BEFORE 3RD DECEMBER 2007.

The package is pretty (not unlike a rainbow):



Yep, discboxes = cool merch and bonus tracks. So what's the transaction fee for the download-only? It's up to you. NO REALLY, IT'S UP TO YOU.

CD 1 AND VINYL TRACKLIST
15 STEP
BODYSNATCHERS
NUDE
WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI
ALL I NEED
FAUST ARP
RECKONER
HOUSE OF CARDS
JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE
VIDEOTAPE

CD 2 AND VINYL TRACKLIST
MK 1
DOWN IS THE NEW UP
GO SLOWLY
MK 2
LAST FLOWERS
UP ON THE LADDER
BANGERS AND MASH
4 MINUTE WARNING

WASTE, we're very impressed. Unless it's a hoax. In which case, yeah we knew it all along.

Incidentally, inrainbows.com was registered June 15th. Administrative contact? Sandbag Ltd (W.A.S.T.E.'s sister company). Technical contact? Phil Allsopp (Radiohead.com programmer).

No label? Ten day marketing? Optional pricing? Scatter your brain on that, Rick Rubin. Gander On!