Dear TV On The Radio...

I am always on the quest to find new music and I am very happy when new music finds me. While at college I listened to a lot more new music then I could figure out. There was so much out there that I had to dissect everything and take it one at a time. I also started listening to genres of music I thought I never listen to or expand the listening of what I already knew. These include Electronica, Rap, World and so many others. The music I listened to at College was an eye opener to so many great things and to me I was ready for it. I was not prepared for some music that was to come.

When I was on my way home from work one day I decided to go grab a beer at the local bar. I was listening to the afternoon rock show on one of the college stations. I heard this band that did not sound like any other indie rock band. They had a full effect of electronics, experimental and some routes that had a Post-Punk feel. The singer sang like he was a soul singer. It was odd, but caught my attention because it did not seem to follow the format of the radio show. This show would have been a show I would do that had bands like Built to Spill, Pavement, Radiohead, Guided By Voices, Sebadoh, Dinosaur JR, Pixies, Fugazi, and countless others. This band was different in some ways, but similar to these bands I just said. It was odd. The vocals were different then anything I heard and the music had a feel of something from the future. The DJ played two songs and then introduced the listeners as TV On The Radio. When I got home I wrote this band down.



The next day at work I decided to ask my co-worker about them. He seemed to be hip about what was new out there. We both shared the idea that the best music is from the left side of the dial. He too heard them on another station, but did not know much about them. I looked them up on the internet and found the album that this music was coming from. The odd album title was enough for me to look for it on line. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was a worthy title for any band next album. It was interesting to say the least. When I went on my site where I do downloading I found the album and grabbed it. I threw it on a disc and made a copy for my co-worker. I made a homework type assignment for both my co-worker and myself. I told him that we should review the album and say what we liked and disliked. I gave ourselves a week. I was seeing friends in the city and he was going to let his wife (who had great taste in music) give a listen to give another listen.

When we met for lunch that day I told my co-worker first off that I was quite speechless on the album. I also admitted to him that it had yet come out of the CD player in the car. It was also on heavy rotation on the computer's iTunes. He also agreed that the CD player was getting a little more use with the CD. He also mentioned that his wife thought they were some new art rock band from the 2000's. He told her that they were some new band that both of heard this striking music on the college radio station. When I took it to my friends in the city they too thought it was pretty cool and striking. They heard all types of genres and styles of music coming through. We both agreed to pay attention to them in the future.



Two years later we both heard a new album by TV On The Radio. This time we both agreed that this is something not to pass up. We also agreed that this is one of the many great CD's that we should add to the library collection. Since I was the important go to guy in the collection development of music and film, we decided to add it. At first not many people took it out. If they did they did not get what they were doing. Then after about two months the CD was taking out with great reviews. Patrons would ask me where I heard this and what it is this wonderful, odd and eclectic sound. I told them that my co-worker and I are still trying to figure what this band is and what it does so well.

When the next album came out by TV On The Radio we both decided to get it and have a listening party at his house. This one called Dear Science. We were in awe of what it did. There was so much going on and the music had every element of genre crossing and ideas that we still shook our heads. We did not even know what to think. My co-worker admitted to me that it was like hearing the Pixies for the first time. The jaw dropped and the wish we were smart enough to make something so great. We admired their guts to try something not to straight ahead. Each song has some kind of audio art object to it. The song "Crying" is full of rock feel with Electronica and oddness. The vocals and lyrics are wonderful. The horn section from the Antibalas Orchestra make it groove so well. "Dancing Choose" is wonderful feel of groove and the lyrics are like a Hip-Hop song. I could go on and on, but it's worth every listen. Every album they put out does not have a sense of what they did previous, but like they started fresh and want to give you something new and wonderful. Good luck with this one and keep scratching your head like myself and probably so many others. Enjoy!