Fiery Furnaces Call Radiohead Out As Frauds
By Seraphina L.
The Fiery Furnaces have always been very opinionated – or passionate, if you’d like to use that term instead. Brother and sister, Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger are about being genuine, original, and definitely “not concerned about selling t-shirts.”
We’re all for musicians speaking their minds, whether we asked for their thoughts or not in the first place, and the duo has been commendable especially since they recently turned their shows into Health Care Reform rallies. However, in a recent interview the two go as far as calling Radiohead “frauds” when they talk about what a musician should be.
While speaking to Spinner in an interview about their latest album, I’m Going Away, they talk about how their sound attempts to echo records of the 60s and 70s because it was the:
“…period when pop musicians still felt the need to change and develop and it had to be good, though nobody knew what good meant. People were free then to be pseudo-intellectual about rock records and we agree with that mentality.”
However, they go on to say that musicians have been disappointing in regards to changing for obligated commercial reasons. This subject spawned their opinions on Radiohead’s release of “Harry Patch (In Memory Of).” It was the mass-message which Thom Yorke sent out that bothered the duo the most. Their reaction to it was not pleasant and Radiohead was added to their “fraud” list:
“‘Oh, please listen to our new song about Harry Patch. F— you! You brand yourself by brazenly and arbitrarily associating yourself with things that you know people consider cool. That is bogus. That’s a put-on. That’s a branding technique and Radiohead have their brand that they’re popular and intelligent. So they have a song about Harry Patch.”
They go on to say that they weren’t particularly a fan of the song and that they weren’t afraid of Radiohead backlash by saying:
“Oh, my wife says I am being very rude. She doesn’t like me insulting Radiohead. She’s afraid they will send their lackeys through the computer to sabotage us. But they needn’t worry — we are a band that sabotages ourselves.”
Obviously, most of the talk was done by Matthew and boy, do they prove they are frank. Very strong opinions are provided but when do argumentative statements turn into offense?
Do you think Radiohead’s Thom Yorke as a fraud?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 6:28PM
Of course Thom Yorke is a fraud! A fraud full of talent, intelligence, skills, charism, voice and everything the likes of Matthew Friedberger will never have! Oh! And since war veterans are “cool”? That is a first to me. And since giving a song for charity is selling out?
Friedberger should watch out, as is known that talking about Radiohead, good or bad, will give instant press for anyone so… who is selling out to the media? uh? Who wants to get press in such a low manner?
Thursday, November 5, 2009 2:30AM
Of course Thom Yorke is a fraud! A fraud full of talent, intelligence, skills, charism, voice and everything the likes of Matthew Friedberger will never have! Oh! And since war veterans are "cool"? That is a first to me. And since giving a song for charity is selling out?
Friedberger should watch out, as is known that talking about Radiohead, good or bad, will give instant press for anyone so… who is selling out to the media? uh? Who wants to get press in such a low manner?
Thursday, November 5, 2009 3:16AM
That's the most rediculous thing I've ever heard. Thom Yorke is one of the most candid sincere people on the planet. That's what makes him so appealing. If you think he's branding himself to try to be cool, you must be from another planet. Sounds like you need to take a long look in the mirror.
Thursday, November 5, 2009 3:29AM
Eh. They probably just said that to be controversial and get in the headlines. So a little hypocritical. I dunno.
Thursday, November 5, 2009 3:39AM
What a joke, He Insults someone to get press coverage. Look who is the fraud now.
Thursday, November 5, 2009 4:24AM
totally entitled to their opinions, but how can they speculate on another artist's integrity like this? Insulting Radiohead in "Spinner" is much more of a marketing ploy than doing a song about harry patch.
Thursday, November 5, 2009 4:34PM
unfortunately for this guy, he assumed the song was dedicated to harry paRtch, an avant garde composer and not the ww2 veteran. gotta laugh, now his comments are all over the net!
Thursday, November 5, 2009 7:12PM
Lame. Who cares what these quasi-retards say. This is like if Zooey Deschanel commented on Meryl Streep's acting abilities: a completely invalid opinion.
Monday, November 9, 2009 3:29AM
Who cares? These guys are nobodies and they have no talent. And that woman looks like a guy in drag.
Monday, November 9, 2009 3:29PM
18 great songs of In Rainbows – have their fans failed Radiohead? I sure looks like it if 2 years later 98% of Radiohead fans are not familiar with the strongest song of In Rainbows.
Monday, November 9, 2009 10:16PM
Dissing the Radiohead to promote your own music …… Sad!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 1:16AM
Lame! Who cares what these guys say. It's like Zooey Deschanal commenting on Meryl Streep's acting abilities (i.e totally irrelevant).
Thursday, November 19, 2009 2:06AM
who the fuck are these people? i've never, ever heard of them, EVER. They're speaking like they have a big voice in music, pathetic wankers.