Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Radiohead vs. Miley Cyrus

I'm sure that by now you have heard about the flap between Miley Cyrus and Radiohead. In case you have not here is the quick and dirty:

About two weeks ago Miley Cyrus says in a radio interview that she is mad at a band for refusing to meet her at the Grammys. She called them "stinking Radiohead" and said she was going to "ruin" them by telling all of her friends to not listen to Radiohead anymore. She also said that the band was only "like four doors down" and she would have even walked down to see them.

So, the last part really gets to me. She would even gone to their room? That means she expected them to walk to her. That's absurd. They are much more important and relevant than she will be ever be. Thom Yorke was right in telling her to not feel so entitled.

This really does break down as a matter of importance. Radiohead is arguably one of the most important and influential bands of our generation. One cannot sift through the muddled mess that is indie rock today without hearing Radiohead's influence everywhere. They started this. They did it first. They do it best.

Miley is lucky. She is lucky that has been ordained by Disney. But she is totally replaceable. She is just the current flavor in a long line of teen singer/actor/whatevers that aren't really talented but are marketed well. In my lifetime we had Britney, Jessica, and Christina before her. Then the High School Musical kids came along. Now Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato are right on her heels. (Disclaimer: I work for a movie and music distributor. Unfortunately it is my job to know of these people.)

Miley doesn't influence anyone. Well, not anyone who will matter. There is no kid practicing a guitar every night pining to be like Miley. No kid is out there learning Pro-Tools so they can suck on Mickey's teet. But I guarantee there is someone out there working his or her ass off to be the next Thom Yorke. Scratch that, to be better than Thom Yorke. To stand on his shoulders and take it to the next level.

Lastly, this shows me how much Miley does not know about performance and being a rock star. Why did she think Radiohead would drop what they were doing to meet her? They were about to perform. What does she do before a show? Does she not realize that real musicians prepare and get into a frame of mind?

Radiohead has been called a lot of things. Greatest band of all time, Indie Rock Gods, Drum and Bass for the indie set, Pioneers. Ms. Cyrus is nothing close to them.

Miley, you're a tween pop singer who will have been long forgotten when Radiohead are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Boom. Roasted.

- Gabe