The term 'Experimental Rock' is thrown around a fair amount nowadays. Anything that throws abstract, leftfield sounds together can be considered Experimental. A lot of the time I think that this label is unjust. For example, Autolux carry the Experimental tag, yet their sound, to me at least, is closer to a modern, tightly produced Noise Rock band. Or hell, maybe they're Alternative.
TV on the Radio, however, are the epitome of Experimental. Everything about them screams unconventional. They have songs laden with sitars ('Wash the Day'; 'I Was a Lover'), they dash between rap and soul, funk and rock, and they seem to stuff enough ideas to carry several albums into one disc. They are an inspired band, and just because it's also relatively unheard of in the music industry today, the fact that they're a mostly all-black group serves them well in the unique stakes. It's criminal that one band should be allowed two fantastic vocalists (Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone) and not be burdened by such expertise. Yet TV pull it off. What other band could have whistles reminiscent of the 'Hi-ho' song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves as an outro to their most gorgeous song? (That would be 'Tonight', by the way)
It's unfortunate that TV currently seem to be on something of a hiatus with recording. Kyp's alone under a rock somewhere with a guitar under his Rain Machine guise, whilst Sitek is producing various albums by other often Brooklyn-based bands. If TV on the Radio never released another album there would be a lot of disappointed fans; although these lucky listeners could also take some solace in the fact that TVotR never released a dud record. Better to cut things short when at their absolute best than after they have lost some of their spark, as sad as the truth may be.
No comments:
Post a Comment