TV On the Radio -- Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

9/10

Back in the the early 00's, if you wanted to get into some new music, you could just watch late night talk shows. Letterman always had great musical guests, as did Conan O'Brien. However, the dark horse candidate for best musical guest platform had to be Last Call With Carson Daly. While Daly was stereotyped as shilling pop crap on MTV's Total Request Live, the man actually had great personal music tastes. Perhaps that's how he wrangled his own (very) late night show, to showcase great musical acts. I found some very cool bands on his show during my constant bouts of insomnia, with one of the best finds likely being TV On the Radio. I can't find a video record of the performance, but it I still remember how it perked up my ears immediately. I didn't feel like I was in any kind of musical rut then, in the autumn of 2004, but this still felt like something completely new and refreshing.

I wish I could find a link to that performance to show just how pure its energy was. Tunde Adebimpe's vocals were so strong and different, and they blended so well with those of guitarist, Kyp Malone. The guitar nailed that sort of minimalistic electrical coil humming that was popular in artier rock of the time, but the rhythm wasn't minimal at all, pulsing along, bristling with energy. I immediately bought the band's only full-length release at that time, the then recently released Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes, and was happy to find it full of the same sense of invention held by that live performance. This music just felt new. Listening to it now, 17 years later, it still feels new. It's alive like a busy New York street, layers of horns, delayed guitar, and wave upon wave of brilliant, beautiful harmonies. A couple of years later, my wife and I had our first wedding dance to the essentially acapella "Ambulance," a beautiful song, which showcases yet another incredible side to this band. While the sounds of the album may begin to smother the listener near the end, I find I very rarely get tired of Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes. It's albums like this that have kept rock music alive.


2004 Touch and Go
1. The Wrong Way 4:38
2. Staring at the Sun 3:27
3. Dreams 5:09
4. King Eternal 4:28
5. Ambulance 4:55
6. Poppy 6:07
7. Don't Love You 5:31
8. Bomb Yourself 5:32
9. Wear You Out 7:22