WTF No More

The power of the internet:

Folks at the Wisconsin Tourism Federation couldn't possibly have seen how the Internet would change the lingo when it was established in 1979.

But now that it's been pointed out, the lobbying coalition might want to rethink using an acronym in the logo. To anyone online, WTF has a different meaning these days. And it's not the kind of thing you want visitors thinking about when they think Wisconsin.

Via Language Log.

18. Radiohead "Pyramid Song" (2001)

Here's the conventional wisdom about Radiohead in the 2000s:

1. Coming off of the creative apex of their twin guitar-rock masterpieces of the 1990s, The Bends and OK Computer, but especially the latter, the band was trapped by their own critical acclaim. Any subsequent release would have been seen as a retreat, or at least a disappointment.
   
2. Instead of (uselessly) trying to top themselves, they changed the rules of the game and redefined the idea of rock music, by fully embracing electronica.
3. Kid A is a masterpiece, precisely because it is still so polarizing. Musically, it was a shocking departure for the band. Fans who were unable to accept what Radiohead was trying to accomplish, did not truly "get" the band's art and genius.
4. By following Kid A with the equally insular Amnesiac, Radiohead cemented their status as uncompromising artists.
5. Their last two releases, Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows, while great, were a capitulation to the fans who did not understand the genius of Kid A (and Amnesiac), but who preferred (the genius of) The Bends and OK Computer.

I submit that this standard story is bullshit. My evidence is "Pyramid Song."

The fallacy here lies in the fact that it was Radiohead's artistic departure that was the problem, not the actual quality of their output. It is assumed that every song on Kid A and Amnesiac were genius, but that detractors just weren't sophisticated enough to enjoy them. Yet the songs from that era that fans regularly mention -- "Idiotique," "Optimistic," "Knives Out," "You and Whose Army," and "Pyramid Song" -- most resemble the band's more accessible music, by actually being high quality. The songs that contribute to the notion that Radiohead's music was difficult (but great) -- "Treefingers," "Kid A," "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors," "Hunting Bears," and "Dollars & Cents" -- are rarely cited as examples of the band's genius. That's because they are not good songs.

To mix my metaphors: the emperor is naked, but he is also not all he's cracked up to be.

Radiohead decided to split their sessions following OK Computer into two separate albums, and that was their big mistake. There is enough genuinely good material on Kid A and Amnesiac to make one really excellent album. Instead, Radiohead released two mixed albums, a maddening decision.

Take "Pyramid Song," a song gorgeous even by the band's impossible standards. Its essential elements are vintage Radiohead: simple piano chords, swooning strings, syncopated percussion, and a beautiful vocal by Thom Yorke. Above it all hangs a canopy of unobtrusive electronic sounds that adds to the spaciness of the sci-fi lyric. Everything in its right place. On Amnesiac, "Pyramid Song" is followed by the aforementioned (and unfortunately-titled) "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors," a mediocre song by any standard. Should the latter's proximity to the greatness of the former rub off on it? I don't think so.

Radiohead has always been excellent at being Radiohead. But excellence should not blind us from recognizing subpar material. The worst Beatles song is not better than the best Maroon 5 song, because the Beatles made better music on whole. Great music isn't necessarily the music a great band makes. Thus, a tautology: "Pyramid Song" is great, because it is great. Not because it's a Radiohead song.

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Radiohead - Pyramid Song
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A Great Paragraph...

...with or without context:

Alec Longstreth, a 30-year-old comic artist from White River Junction, Vt., won't buy a smart phone with a standard keyboard. "I wanted to punch my fist through the computer monitor" every time an advertisement for such a phone popped up, he says.

Via WSJ.

19. My Morning Jacket "Off the Record" (2005)

Forget Wilco. Please. Ever since Summerteeth, a wonderful record, Jeff Tweedy has tried to make his band into an American Radiohead. The results have been sometimes underwhelming, but mostly boring and pretentious. Thankfully, nature hates a void. Louisville's My Morning Jacket came along, stole Wilco's M.O., added the Big Sky vocal of Jim James, and made some of the best alternative country music of the decade.

"Off the Record" sees MMJ move beyond their alt-country roots. With its accent on the upbeat, it's more reggae than Americana. Yet their signatures remain intact: James' open-throated delivery, big guitar riffs, and a sing-along chorus.

This should have been a big hit for the band. Instead, it's a buried gem, in an album full of them.

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My Morning Jacket lyrics

My Morning Jacket - Off The Record Video - My Morning Jacket Music Videos

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20. Outkast "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)" (2000)

Ever since the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique and Beck's Odelay, the kaleidoscopic mixture of rap, rock, funk, and fill-in-the-blank genres has been seen as a gold standard for excellence. It's become a cliché to praise "genre-bending" music. On the surface, it seems to make sense to applaud an artist or band, who is more comfortable in one style of music, for widening their palate and integrating styles to create something novel. Yet, novelty is not enough. Paul's Boutique and Odelay were notable for the assured and seamless fusion of styles that it made them almost uncategorizable.

"Bombs Over Baghdad" is the case in point. Remove Andre 3000's and Big Boi's vocal track and what's left is -- what exactly? A dance song? At 155 BPM, it's fast enough to classify. But the gospel choir chorus betrays something that is, well, weirder. Possibly some variation of jungle music? But the electric guitar and buoyancy of the mood betrays something that is, well, weirder still.

"Bombs Over Baghdad" is a frenzied, apocalyptic, presciently-titled rave-up. I refuse to attempt to parse its lyrics. Much like R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It," it's nonsense. Exciting and joyous nonsense. But nonsense, nonetheless.

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Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad
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In-Flight Phone Use

The real reason why you have to turn off your cellphone when flying:

The Federal Communications Commission in Washington currently prohibits in-flight cellphone use on planes, partly because of some unresolved questions about the potential for interference with aircraft navigation equipment, but mostly because of phone industry concerns that airborne cell signals radiate widely, randomly contacting different ground stations. That would create interference between systems and cause logistical problems for things like billing.

From the NYT. Resistance to allowing cell phone use is still strong in the U.S., though it's becoming common overseas.

Assorted Links

The great Russ Roberts on Masonomics.

Climate change and the nanny state.

The Economist has started a new column named after Joseph Schumpeter.

Skier buried in avalanche is rescued by friends.

Top 10 geeky plot holes.