[MP3]
TV on the Radio - Will Do by 1077 The End
TV on the Radio has some new song. Tried to listen, skipped around, was pretty boring… but as always, u can expect every1 to ‘totally love’ this song and everything that TV on the Radio does.
On April 13 in the UK and April 14 in the US, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will release their third album, It’s Blitz!. With strictly no guitars, Nick Zinner’s trademark clunky and erratic axe is replaced by slushy synths and what sounds like syncopated drum machine beats. Where has the sound of the classically lauded Goliath of all power trios gone? Brian Chase’s effortless human beats and Nick’s towering, scratchy guitar have given way to mechanics. Overlaid with Karen O’s usual sultry and stuttery wail, it sounds like classic YYY’s dolled up for the new year, where synths reign and club nights ca$h in. The album art is also lacking in their usual creative hand-drawn mastery. While I’m not impressed by the new track Zero (free download below, or buy it on iTunes on February 24), there’s hope yet. Collaboraters on the album include Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Lily Allen’s all-star producer Greg Kurtsin and saxophone player Stuart Bogie from the wonderful afrobeat band Antibalas. And of course Dave Sitek produced it (with Nick Launay, who has produced Arcade Fire). Though Spin magazine seems to state that Kyp Malone is disappointingly only playing tambourine on one track. The ten-track album is said to be inspired by Giorgio Morodor, Joy Division and Donna Summer.
Wow! Only two months into 2009 and we have already had over a dozen of highly anticipated albums. Yeah Yeah Yeahs can now be added to that list. And while you're at it, add them to the list of bad ass covers. The Strokes might have heralded in the new age of garage rock in the early 2000s, but no one has completely owned the genre like YYY. They're commitment to edgy, but approachable songs and amazing live performances including Karen O's larger than life persona, have made them one of the best acts to come out of this decade.
Their third full length release, titled It's Blitz! (mind the exclamation point), is due out on April 14. Produced by TV on the Radio's David Sitek and Nick Launay, the band began recording the album in an abandoned barn in Massachusetts during a snowstorm. (So the story goes) We've always known that Karen O is a big fan of Missing Person's Dale Bozzio, but the 80's influences seem more apparent on this album than any other. It's Blitz! pushes into pop territory with songs like the danceable Heads Will Roll as well as other synth heavy tracks. Even at their poppier moments, Karen O's charm is full on with grunts, snarls, screams and moans. And there is still enough rock in this album to keep the long-time fans happy, especially this one. "Yes, Yes, Yes! Give us more!"
In a little less then the month you are going to be bombarded by an album called Dissolver from a band called Iran. People will try and tell you that this band is a side project of TV On the Radio’s because it includes Kyp Malone in the band and because Dave Sitek twiddled the knobs. All of this sort of makes sense, but if you delve a little deeper you will learn that Iran pre-dates TV On the Radio and that the band have already released two excellent albums that sound nothing like Dissolver. This is not to say Dissolver is a bad record, it’s just different from what they did on Iran and The Moon Boys. This record hits like a ton of bricks, with loads of reverb and noise clouding your headphones and warping your brain waves. It’s far more lyrical then the self-titled debut, but so much dirtier then what the band is about to release. I’ll speak more of Dissolver soon but for now I’d like you folks to back track and listen to some of these messy, rocking songs.
Photo Illustration by Nick Duncan. Click for hi-res version.
2008 is taking it’s final bow and a what a year it has been. While ‘07 was dominated by a slew of indie rock heavy hitters releasing awesome albums (Spoon, Of Montreal, Arcade Fire, Wilco, Radiohead) this is a year where new talent seems to be garnering the most attention. For me at least, this has been a very good thing with 1/5th of my favorite albums this year being debuts and just as many being sophomore releases. This isn’t to say that old favorites didn’t deliver this year as well, as a number of albums on this list are from bands that I’ve listened to and loved for years.
2. No Age - Nouns
For an aging punk like myself it’s sometimes difficult to pull myself away from the classic punks and get down with what the kids are considering punk these days, but somehow noise punk brings me right back to my roots of punk rock and maybe even out does some of the classic stuff when it’s done as well as No Age does it on Nouns…
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