Artist

Thom Yorke

Thom Yorke

Thom Yorke is best known as the lead singer of the British rock band Radiohead, who have poured as much soul, wit and creativity to their moody brand of guitar rock as they have their forward thinking attitudes toward environmentalism, politics, and the music industry.

 

Radiohead sired painfully self aware anthems like "Creep," "The Bends" and "Just" in the '90s, soaring leagues ahead of the unwashed alternative rock masses fueled by Yorke's disarming falsetto and Jonny Greenwood's buzzsaw guitar leads. The band became increasingly taken with atmospherics and electronics, so much so that by the time their 2000 masterpiece, Kid A, hit, the electronic elements had nearly supplanted the guitars. The band constantly challenges themselves, both musically and otherwise. The donation based pre-release of Radiohead's In Rainbows remains a watershed moment in the post file sharing era of music; it is now common courtesy for bands to stream their albums before the release date.

In 2006, Yorke hit the studio with friend and producer Nigel Godrich to work on some solo material. The result was The Eraser, which featured nine songs of minimal electro pop composed mainly on piano and synthesizer with some light drum programming. Much of lyrical content of The Eraser dealt with Yorke's political and ecological outlook. He has been publicly critical of the British government, especially when it comes to the Iraq war and the environment. Songs like "Harrowdown Hill" relayed Yorke's weary distrust of government with panache.

 

In 2010, Yorke assembled Atoms for Peace, featuring Nigel Godrich, Beck and Elliott Smith drummer Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark, and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to tour on his solo material. When he's not busy in his bands, Yorke also collaborates with other artists. He has produced remixes for Liars, DOOM and Major Lazer, and he has guested on albums by UNKLE, Bjork, PJ Harvey and Flying Lotus. Possessed of a brilliant musical talent, an inquisitive, analytical mind and, most importantly, a massive audience hanging on his every word, Yorke is a force to be reckoned with. ~Craig Jenkins

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