TV on the Radio

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TV on the Radio
Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio live at Debaser, Stockholm, Sweden, 09-13-2004
Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio live at Debaser, Stockholm, Sweden, 09-13-2004
Background information
Origin New York City
Genre(s) Indie Rock
Art Rock
Avant-garde
Years active 2001 - Present
Label(s) Touch and Go Records
4AD
Interscope
Website Official Site
Members
Tunde Adebimpe
Kyp Malone
David Andrew Sitek
Jaleel Bunton
Gerard Smith
Katrina Ford (collaborator)
Robert A.A. Lowe (collaborator)
Martin Perna (collaborator)
Nick Zinner (collaborator)
Nick Movshon (live only)
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (live only)

TV on the Radio (often abbreviated to TVOTR) is a New York City indie rock band formed in 2001 whose music spans genres as diverse as free jazz, a cappella/doo-wop, soul, shoegaze, trip-hop and electro.[citation needed] The group has released several EPs including their debut Young Liars (2003), and two acclaimed albums, 2004's Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and their most recent, Return to Cookie Mountain (2006), which received wider notice and appeared near the top of several end-of-year lists. Rolling Stone magazine voted it the fourth best album of the year, and Spin voted the band as 2006 Artist of the Year.

TV on the Radio is comprised of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals/loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars/keyboards/loops), Kyp Malone (vocals/guitars/loops) along with Jaleel Bunton (drums) and Gerard Smith (bass). Other contributors include Katrina Ford of the band Celebration (vocals), Kazu Makino of the band Blonde Redhead (vocals), Martin Perna (saxophones, flute) of Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, David Bowie (vocals) and Nick Zinner (guitar) of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Contents

[edit] History

The first album from TV on the Radio (initially just founding members Adebimpe and Sitek) was the self-released OK Calculator (the title being a reference to Radiohead's seminal album OK Computer), the majority of which is wildly different from their later sound, with elements of electronica, hip hop and turntablism. They were later joined by Kyp Malone, and released the Young Liars EP in 2003 to critical acclaim. This was followed by the full-length debut, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes which earned the band the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize. They released a second EP, New Health Rock, later that year.

Their most recent album, Return to Cookie Mountain, leaked in early 2006 and garnered pre-release praise from such outlets as Pitchfork Media[1] before its official release in July overseas. U.S. and Canadian audiences had to wait until September for an official release on major label Interscope. The album received critical acclaim after its release from many sources, including Spin Magazine which named Return to Cookie Mountain its Album of the Year for 2006.[2] The album features guest appearances from TVOTR friends Celebration, Dragons of Zynth, Antibalas, Blonde Redhead, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, and even David Bowie.

Founding member David Andrew Sitek has produced records with such bands as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Celebration, and Liars. After founding his own studio (named StayGold), Sitek co-produced the first LP for Dragons of Zynth, and worked with them on a collaboration with Massive Attack for their upcoming "Weather Underground" album. He has also recently mixed the debut album by The Longcut.

Tunde Adebimpe has also worked with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, producing and animating their Pin video.[3]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums and EPs

Release date Title Label
2002 OK Calculator self-released
July 8, 2003 Young Liars (EP) Touch and Go Records
March 9, 2004 Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes Touch and Go Records
July 6, 2006 - Worldwide

September 12, 2006 - United States & Canada

 Return to Cookie Mountain Interscope Records and 4AD
March 27, 2007 Live at Amoeba Music (EP) Interscope

[edit] Singles

[edit] Remixes

[edit] Videography

  • Staring at the Sun (March 2004, directed by Elliot Jokelson)
  • Dreams (May 2004, directed by Elliot Jokelson & UVPhactory)
  • Wolf Like Me (August 2006, directed by Lee Lennox)
  • Wolf Like Me (September 2006, directed by Jon Watts)
  • Province (January 2007, directed by Jeff Scheven)
  • Me-I (May 2007, directed by Daniel Garcia & Mixtape Club=Chris Smith, Jesse Casey & Michelle Higa, semi-official as it was done to promote a compilation album put together by Adult Swim called "Warm & Scratchy")

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dahlen, Chris. "Return to Cookie Mountain". Pitchfork Media, July 5, 2007. Retrieved on June 24, 2007.
  2. ^ "The 40 Best Albums of 2006". Spin, December 14, 2006. Retrieved on November 02, 2007.
  3. ^ Ashare, Matt. "Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio". The Phoenix , August 11, 2006. Retrieved on November 02, 2007.
  4. ^ Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - TV on the Radio

[edit] External links

v • d • e
TV on the Radio
Tunde Adebimpe · Kyp Malone · David Andrew Sitek · Jaleel Bunton · Gerard Smith
Katrina Ford · Martin Perna · Nick Zinner
Studio albums
EPs/Singles
Related