View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.0 (707 ratings)
- Date Released: March 9, 2004
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative Experimental, Indie Rock
- Label: Touch And Go
One of the weirder pop records you'll ever hear.
-
We Say...
The quintessential Williamsburg band (both bassist Gerard Smith and singer Kyp Malone work/have worked at Bedford Ave. coffeeshop the Verb), TV on the Radio are almost a shoegazer pop band — their songs are a tug-of-war between fuzzed-out drones and U2-like melodies. Their debut album includes the breakthrough single "Staring at the Sun," which is half performed in a shrill falsetto, and a handful of songs (most notably "Ambulance") that feature what is perhaps best described as chop-shop harmonies — the doo-wop template mauled into a sound both soothing and coarse. One of the weirder pop records you'll hear.
-
They Say...
TV on the Radio's Young Liars EP was a wonderful surprise, signaling the arrival of one of the most unique acts to seemingly come out of nowhere during the 2000s. Its alchemy of strange sonic bedfellows like post-punk and doo wop, and powerful vocals and experimental leanings, into songs that were challenging and accessible was no small feat; indeed, Young Liars was such an accomplished EP that it begged the question -- and ratcheted up the expectations -- of what TV on the Radio could do over the course of an entire album. The answer arrives with Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, a deeper, darker, denser version of the band's already ambitious sound. Dave Sitek and Tunde Adepimbe push their abilities as sculptors of sounds and words to new limits. Adepimbe in particular continues to prove himself as a distinctive and captivating voice, both musically and lyrically. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes' opening track, "The Wrong Way," is one of the best reflections of his strengths as a singer and writer, and of TV on the Radio's overall growth. Through the song, Adepimbe explores his feelings about being a black man and about black culture at large. Inwardly, he wavers between radical and placating thoughts and his feelings of obligation to be "Teachin' folks the score/About patience, understanding, agape babe/And sweet sweet amour." Around him, he sees mindless materialism, with bling "fallin' down just like rain," and misplaced anger and violence: "Hey, desperate youth! Oh bloodthirsty babes! Oh your guns are pointed the wrong way." On their own, the lyrics are strong enough to make a fairly impressive poem, but Adepimbe's massed, choir-like vocals and the flutes, throbbing fuzz bass, and martial beat that Sitek surrounds them with turn them into an even more impressive and impassioned song. That TV on the Radio can handle an issue like race so creatively and eloquently shouldn't come as a surprise, considering how organically the group incorporates elements of soul, jazz, spirituals, and doo wop into the mostly lily-white world of indie/experimental rock. However, the song does offer a refreshing reminder that hip-hop and urban music -- as vital as they've been recently -- are not the only kinds of music that can handle this kind of dialogue. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes is a political album on other levels, from the psychedelic soul-tinged antiwar meditation "Bomb Yourself" to the more subtle politics of relationships that many of the other songs cover. This also makes sense, considering that TV on the Radio formed partially in response to the apocalyptic feeling in New York after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This brooding vibe, which also informed Young Liars, comes to the forefront on songs like "Don't Love You," "King Eternal," and the beautifully bleak "Dreams," which makes the end of a relationship sound like urban blight. But Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes also leaves room for hope, and finds it in connections with other people. "Ambulance" is a creative look at love that sets lyrics like "I will be your screech and crash if you will be my crutch and cast" to doo wop in a way that not only invokes nostalgia, but transcends it to sound utterly fresh. "Poppy" might be the only love song that rhymes "individuated" with "congratulations," but the track's ecstatic guitars do most of the talking; "Wear You Out"'s erotic grind closes the album on a surprisingly sexy note. Even though Young Liars was an accomplished EP, TV on the Radio have already progressed beyond it. "Staring at the Sun," the only song included on the EP and Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, seems almost simplistic compared to the rest of the album's songs. While it's not perfect -- occasionally the album's heady, indulgent feel tends to make it drag -- Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes is still an impressive expansion of TV on the Radio's fascinating music.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 9 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 9 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
The Wrong Way |
4:38 |
|
| 02. | |
Staring At The Sun |
3:27 |
|
| 03. | |
Dreams |
5:09 |
|
| 04. | |
King Eternal |
4:27 |
|
| 05. | |
Ambulance |
4:54 |
|
| 06. | |
Poppy |
6:07 |
|
| 07. | |
Don't Love You |
5:31 |
|
| 08. | |
Bomb Yourself |
5:31 |
|
| 09. | |
Wear You Out |
7:20 |
|
09 Total Tracks, 47:04 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like TV On The Radio, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by TV On The Radio fans
Credits
- Steve Fallone - Mastering // David Babbitt - Design // Brian Alesi - Photography // Stella Alesi - Photography // Nicolas Zinner - Guitar // Katrina Ford - Vocals // TV on the Radio - Group // David Andrew Sitek - Composer // David Andrew Sitek - Producer // David Andrew Sitek - Group Member // Tunde Adebimpe - Vocals // Tunde Adebimpe - Loops // Tunde Adebimpe - Group Member // Kyp Malone - Guitar // Kyp Malone - Vocals // Kyp Malone - Loops // Kyp Malone - Group Member // Paul Mahajan - Engineer // Chris Coady - Assistant // Jaleel Bunton - Drums // Martin Perna - Flute // Martin Perna - Sax (Alto) // Martin Perna - Sax (Baritone) // Chris Moore - Engineer
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC