Reviews (page 3 of 8)
I don’t think I’ve heard of this band before, but I like their style.
They display good range in this varied collection. If you like this, you'll love Flight of the Conchords. Irony or intention?
Lots of different styles. Quite engaging
Genre-hopping, sharp, and emotional. A little uneven but packed with standout tracks. Loved the fire, loved the ache.
Unique sound and interesting vocals
great
It’s better than a lot of others I’ve come across on here
Completely forgot this band. This album is weighty and wholesome and hits all the right buttons. Joy.
Pretty decent low 4/5
Really enjoyed this one. Definitely turned the morning around and now I'm singing into a hairbrush like in Valley Girl.
I like this. They incorporate sounds from a lot of genres, and most songs are pretty interesting. Pleasant surprise.
This is all over the place, in the best way possible. Has that epic quality that mid-aughts Indie rock had.
Nice.
A fountain of ideas and endless experimentation. They always sounded so different to their early 2000s peers and continue to do so
Interesting stuff
This has aged well, I remember liking it well enough when it came out and it’s still as inventive and fun, maybe even more fun now.
Just a solid record
Prince meets Radiohead and they battle to a draw. Brighter and more buoyant than one remembers, poppier and more pleasing, too. There are likable variations on the core indie rock template throughout, a bit funkier here, a bit artier there. One likes the vocals quite a bit. Opener, "Golden Age," "Family Tree," "Red Dress" are all notably strong, but "Shout Me Out" and "Lover's Day" really stand out for having terrific, exploratory endings, the one with a noise rock-inflected close, the other aiming for (and hitting) nu classical or art song flourish. The whole thing feels thoughtful and well made. Glad to be re-acquainted here.
Rounding up to 4, this is a 3.5.
My previous experience with TVOTR has been pretty limited. A random song here and there. Phish has made their cover of "Golden Age" a live staple for many years. Beyond that, TVOTR has been one one those bands that I would someday get around to. I'm glad that day has finally come. This is an excellent record that warrants further inspection. Gonna have to knock off a half-star or so for the moments on this record that sound a little too Coldplay-ish for my taste.
Ret positivt overrasket over at der er ikke bare en men TO TV on the Radio plader på den her liste. (Jeg lyttede rigtig meget til det i gym). Det her er deres bedste plade, stor 4er.
One of my favourite non-Canadian bands from the mid-2000s indie rock scene. Great to revisit this album.
I'd never heard of TV On The Radio, which in a list of this kind, can't be an entirely good sign. However, this is not bad at all. The songs all seem slightly too long and I can't help thinking they lose a bit of focus but this is interesting.
I remembered this as being a lot better than their debut (which I really, really enjoyed, FYI). It's drastically different, no doubt about it - but I don't know if it is THAT much better? Even if it isn't, it's still a great record deserving of its praise.
Really fun surprise. The first half was so solid. Second half did feel weaker but still had a couple awesome ones. Will definitely be going through their other stuff. Thanks list! Rating: 4.3
Very nice
8/10. Creative enough and a lot of fun. Parts of this feels like a superior Coldplay to me.
I enjoyed this listen. Clearly some Prince influence, some Bowie, but still that indie rock vibe. Interesting lyrics that peaked my intrest a number of times. Nice compositions, didn't feel overly repetitive. Probably could be shorter overall tho. I'll probably listen again.
3.5/5. Pleasant and interesting (overall). I'm leaning towards giving it 4 stars.
kult!
Great art rock, genre-blending album from one of my favorite 2000s bands that really innovated during the decade. Dlz is my favorite for sure.
This album had a ton of variety, and that works for and against itself. Some of the styles are phenomenal, while others are just meh.
Lots of fun, kind of great background music
Really enjoyed this album, was super chill and funky. Definitely be listening to more from this band.
Lovely stuff. Much better than the previous TVOTR album that I've had. They are a band that a lot of artists I really like seem to have a lot of time for (I'm writing this as they're making a comeback, so maybe I'm noticing their name a lot), and on this showing, I can really see why. It felt more melodic, but still vital and urgent. I will come back to this for sure.
Overall I liked the album quite a bit but the standout track for me is Family Tree (I probably listened to it half a dozen times yesterday)
I have heard this before. I have DLZ saved as a liked track. After listening, I also “liked” family tree. I generally think TVOTR is a 3.5 band who are good for 1-2 songs I like per album. So it is here. I’ll round up to a 4.
It feels Like an Indie rock version of Prince. I like that a lot! Totally different from the other album they have here but equally good.
4.4 - Woof!
Pretty much a good album. Not sure it needs to be on the 1001. 3.7/5
This band was huge when I was in college, so I had to be lukewarm on them. As I'm older, I really appreciate how they layer sound. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
I liked Love Dog and Family Tree, but didn't love anything. Overall it was a different vibe, but good. I won't go back to it, but I could appreciate that this has a lot of musical difference that is beautiful.
A well made album. I really like the sound of it and the production even thought in my opinon it doesn't gave an highlight
Seriously trying, but not overly gifted. Worth listening still.
Edges a 4 as this hits many of my reference points, but it isn't anything LCD weren't doing bigger better and bolder at the same time.
Me gusto
Had never heard of this and didn't know what to expect. Enjoyed it, especially the disco-ey first half of the album
Such a great album!!!
I like this quite a bit. I can sense a lot of other bands in this - not sure which ones came before or after, but these are really solid songs. I can't quite place who they remind me of most, maybe arcade fire? Overall liked this one, DLZ is a highlight. 4/4.5
Surprisingly good
Verrassend leuk. Word ik blij van.
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 📺🔤ℹ️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🖤🌍🔥 Rating: 📺📺📺📺/5
Some great songs on this album. Personal favourites are Crying, Love Dog and DLZ. Rest of the album is good too 4/5
I'm a fan of TV On the Radio but somehow never listened to this whole album. It's good. Very them.
What a great find! Sounds really 2008. Which is great. Cos I loved 2008. Very enjoyable album! If you close your eyes and really want it to, it sounds a bit like a cross of Beck, Prince and The National. Sort of. 4.4
Track 1: Halfway Home (7/10) I like the vibes of this song, I would love to listen to this at 2 am while driving on a busy highway. (That sounds like hell actually but it's what this song makes me think of lol) Track 2: Crying (8/10) This one is kind of funky! I loved the last minute especially when all the instruments are given time to shine. Track 3: Dancing Choose (8/10) I can see the punk influences on this track. Has some of the best lyrics so far as well! Track 4: Stork & Owl (8/10) I appreciate how diverse this album is while still feeling like the same artist. This song is a pretty slow burn with some lovely string arrangements and it's probably my favourite one so far. Track 5: Golden Age (7/10) I'll have to look up a live performance of this song cause there's so much going on and I feel like seeing it live would make me appreciate it more. Still a pretty great song! Track 6: Family Tree (8/10) They're very good at these pretty slow songs. The lyrics are true poetry. Track 7: Red Dress (7/10) The intro made me laugh after such a slow string-laden song lol this is another funky, danceable song. I enjoyed it. Track 8: Love Dog (7/10) The type of song that feels like they wrote the music around the lyrics, and I mean that in a good way! It makes it feel poetic. Track 9: Shout Me Out (9/10) So great! The drums especially got me with this one, they change the vibe of the song constantly. Track 10: DLZ (6/10) There wasn't much in this song that really stood out to me compared to every other track. Not bad, but the only song that made me think "I've heard this before". Track 11: Lover's Day (8/10) The vocals are so great on this song. All the instruments come together in an interesting and beautiful way. Overall: 8/10 I'd heard of TV on the Radio for well over a decade now but somehow never actually heard a single song by them until today. I had zero idea of what I was getting into and what I found was a pleasant surprise that made me think of Talking Heads, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, etc. Very different artists to compare to for sure, but I got all of those vibes from these guys. I'm not sure if it's something I would have ever seeked out if it weren't for attempting this list, but I'm glad I got to listen to it and I'm gonna try to listen to it a few more times and maybe I'll appreciate it even more. Fav Song: Shout Me Out Least Fav Song: DLZ
Really liked it. Banger after falsetto banger
This is new to me and *fantastic*! I love coming across new things that are right up my alley.
Prima album op het eerste gehoor. Lijkt me goed deze nog eens te proberen, kijken of het klopt.
Starts kind of slow but finishes strong. I think this album will grow on me as I liked the majority of the tracks. I wish there was more real drums than using electronic beats. Still, this was pretty solid.
I'd never listened to TV On The Radio before doing this and this is the second album of theirs I've gotten. Their music is a great combination of good sound and lyrics Favorites: "Crying", "Dancing Choose”, “Golden Age”,, “Family Tree", “DLZ”
Really pleasant surprise here. I knew nothing about TVOTR, but I gave it extra attention because of the way Ambika and Russ raved about it. I ended up spotify-liking quite a few of the tracks: Halfway Home, Dancing Choose, Stork & Owl, Family Tree, Love Dog, DLZ. Some parts of the album sound related to Beck and other artists I like, and it sounds like they collaborated with Bjork and others. I should spend time listening to their other albums.
A good album, I especially liked Halfway Home and Crying.
I had previously stated in my last review for this band that the music was creative, but I just didn’t like it very much. Something connected this time for me and I really liked this album. The creativity is all still there, interesting vocal inflections and cool instrumentation, but this time the songs are structured more simply and are a little more accessible to my tastes. Favorites were Crying, Dancing Choose, Golden Age, Red Dress, and DLZ.
Love TVOTR and I enjoy this album very much, but this isn't my favorite album of theirs
What a lovely surprise on a lovely Monday morning! I definitely did not expect to see these guys make the list. Talk about an underrated band who never got the fame they deserved. Back in college I wanted to be in a band exactly like this. Hell, I still want to be in a band like this.
4.5
Pretty cool listen. Chock full of loads of divergent styles from indie, electronica, pop, funk, afrobeat and occasionally elegant chamber music. All blended masterfully but with mainly with Radiohead and Lenny Kravitz vibes protruding. Opener is great, instantly hooky and whilst the music is consistently sleek and creative and cleanly produced I wasn’t pulled in again until Red Dress and then album started clicking. Solemn vocal riff on Love Dog got me thinking of Toto I Will Remember. DLZ big heavy highlight towards the end. Overall a strong 00s entry and one I would go back to.
Very cool album by a band that I always liked but never got fully into for some dumb reason. Definitely an album I’ll return to. High 4 stars 8.6 out of 10
cool album, had low expectations as the album cover was so basic. Picture of the three main members peaked my interest though. Started well. I repeated Family Tree and Love Dog straight away. DLZ also a decent bop. Was going to give a (high) 3 stars but in the end it was a fun and interesting listen, deserving a (low) 4 stars.
frekar gott
Fresh and fun, did not know what to expect and was happily surprised.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Hadn’t heard of the band, unimpressed by the album cover, and I expected little. It was fun and adventurous. I might even look for more from these men.
I’ve always liked TVOTR’s vibe, but I’ve given up trying to find any meaning in their lyrics. Maybe some can decipher them, but it’s damn near gibberish to me. That said, it’s impossible not to “feel” this music. It’s energetic, weird, funky, groovy, unique, and dance-y. Although I can’t say this is a particularly memorable album, its bright spots and notable lack of any true misses warrants a 4. 4/5 Highlights: Halfway Home Crying Shout Me Out DLZ
Halfway Home // Crying // Dancing Choose // Family Tree // DLZ // 3.5/5
Really interesting!
Had never heard of the band, the album, or any of the songs. Was way more fun than I would have expected. Probably more of a “3.5” but giving it a 4 so I remember to give it another listen
This is much better than I expected. On one hand, it very much has the mid 2000s sound, but it kind of does it in a unique and interesting way. Overall, I'd give this a 3.5 if we had half stars. I'll give this a 4 because it's better than yesterday's Liz Phair by quite a distance.
Really enjoyed this. Something a bit different, not heard of it before. A nice break from some of the drudgery of this project.
cool blend of indie rock and weird electronic shit. very well executed and feels kind of unique, at least it does to me. theres probably other albums that do this exact thing, but this is my first time experiencing it. i fw it
TV On The Radio is a brilliant combination of hardcore, funk, and soundtrack rock. The layering of noise and vocals on Halfway Home is so good played really loud in one’s ears and one of my all-time favorite songs.
I don’t care if “this has been done a million times before” or “they’re just copying other artists”, I love this type of music to death. Artists like Cage the Elephant, Arcade Fire, Spoon, that’s my JAM! TV On The Radio, as a part of this sub genre, also did not disappoint. The instrumentals are great, the singing is great, and I just love the vibe. The first half of this record was interesting but the second half with Family Tree, Red Dress, Love Dog, oh my god it’s incredible. This genre does have its downsides as mentioned before, where most of it has been done already, but as long as the artist does it well and pushes the limits as best as they can, I don’t really care. Strong 4.5.
A breath of fresh air after some days with bad albums. Really like the drums in this album. It did feel a bit long but I was never bored.
Well, that was a pleasant surprise. I had no expectations going in, but I mostly enjoyed the brand of weirdness these guys deal in. Maybe a little too much variance for one album, maybe a little too long, but this was a good listen. They do a nice job of coherently combining different sounds. I'll be coming back to this one. 4.2
I can see we are going to be very good friends... First new artist from this project that I will be adding to my favourites going forward.
I remember my wife loving this when it was released but I don’t recall ever listening to it, which is a shame because it’s great
Always enjoyed this one. Dancing Choose, Golden Age and DLZ are absolute bangers, almost everything else is extremely solid. Only track I'm not huge on is Stork & Owl but it's okay.
Super underappreciated 2000s album. 4.5/5
Comment ai-je pu passer à côté de ce groupe ? Grande amatrice de Arcade Fire, cet album est une excellente découverte qui se situe selon moi dans la même veine ! Il a obtenu quasi directement sa place dans ma discographie. Séduite par les instrus, la voix du chanteur (un petit air de Kele Okereke de Bloc Party selon moi), les compositions plutôt complexes, les mélanges d'influences (rock, funk, soul...). Un album de rock indé parfaitement ancré dans sa décennie. Il ne me reste plus qu'à me pencher sur le reste de leur discographie !
I want to love this album, it sounds so good. But as an album it's just all over the place and not in a good way. I love diverse albums, but this one feels stitched together just to get an LP. And it's kinda sad, honestly But the sound make up for the mess, kinda. 4/5 will do it justice
One of the best records I didnt know before this project. Would sound new and fresh if releasen in 2024, and listening to it on Tidal is a sonic fast to the ears. The production on this is just as brilliant as the musicianship.
Great record, kept this in my rotation for a few days and enjoyed tracks from all over it at different points. Varied but still cohesive. Reminds me of the Young Fathers more recently and had me digging into their back catalogue all week.
Hidden gem for me!
The first person or group to combine funk and rock must have either been genius or on some amazing drugs. Either way, music has done nothing but benefit from their decision. It’s crazy how well those genres fuse together. But the reality is that there aren’t a huge number of people who really get it down right. There are the obvious picks, like Talking Heads. But it’s always nice to learn about a group like this that seems to understand what works and what doesn’t. This album is kind of all over the place, but I can’t hate it for that. Because it sounds pretty fucking cool while doing it. Indietronica combined with art rock combined with funk. In my head, I would more so categorize this as a pseudo-dance punk album. And it definitely fits the time period. Bands like LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party, and !!! were in their prime. And many of the amazing, defining aspects of the genre reside here. Punchy drum and guitar sounds. But also balancing a unique pallet of sounds. I think those electronic elements really do benefit the album, and give many songs a great floating ambiance. Not every song is a banger. Some are more slow. But when they groove and slap, they fucking groove and slap. The instrumentation is unironically pretty brilliant on some of these songs. When the drop comes in on Shout Me Out, I have a hard time not getting up and dancing like a maniac. I can also appreciate how unorthodox the singers voice feels. Reminds me a lot of James Murphy. I love his singing so much, but I’ll be the first to admit it is nothing special. It just feels very raw and realistic. Those are admirable traits to find in a vocalist. Never judge a book by its cover, because there are hidden gems like this to be found everywhere, in all sorts of genres. Rating: 7/10
Really enjoyed this album, reminds me of Future islands
Great indy 2000s record that reminds me a bit of Talking Heads & a certain era of my life. I'll definitely be coming back to this band.
Classic
3.5, I think. I'm still not sure.
Always enjoy TV On The Radio. New wave/soul music!
I remember the name but missed this at the time. Good album, reminds me of Talking Heads and also a potential influence for Young Fathers?
Listened to Return to Cookie Mountain back when it came out and always liked it, but for some reason didn’t continue on with the band past then. Well, I guess I should have. This album is very solid, with a few moments of brilliance. The back to back duo of Golden Age / Family Tree is the highlight for me, yet the songs couldn’t be more different. Debating giving this one a 5, but it doesn’t quite hit that level all the way through. It’s close, though.
I have never heard about this band - I was really surprised, positively :-) I have heard the songs twice in a row. Creative music, I like it. Album is now a part of „my music“ at Tidal
New York art rock from 15 years ago. At the time I thought it was their best album. Now listening to it again I might like their EP and first two albums a bit more, but it is hard to say as Dear Science is a pretty flawless album and contains several 5* songs (including DLZ, used in a key scene in Breaking Bad). Favourite songs: Stork & Owl, Shout Me Out, DLZ score in 2008: 9/10 score in 2024: 8/10
Decent album. No songs that made a big impact on me, but overall quite enjoyable.
Impressive artrock collection with many things to discover. Highlight is DLZ.
Good stuff! Really enjoyed this album. For the life of me I can't remember their hit they had when I was just a yoot.
Really enjoyed this album
Only was familiar with a few TVotR tunes before listening to this. It's good! Love the vibe that they're able to put together here. Smart lyrics, tight playing, unique voices. I'd pick it up again. Unexpected bangers: Stork & Owl, Red Dress
I don't understand how they passed me by as they are right up my street.
An interesting album that mixes sounds and genres to make something unique in the indie/art rock realm. The drumming stands out as driving the songs, along with strong vocals that fit in with the rest of the music but also seem to be outside of it? The music can be dense at times, tying in some interesting electronics too. A lot of different directions, but it fits together into a cohesive sound.
might should listen to TVOTR more
Great rock listen, no particular song stood out but in general was a great album to work to. Nothing too downbeat, in general some solid vibes.
Me gustó! Atrapante y vibrante
This is the most straight forward, and strangest album I've heard on here. In terms of concept it is a bunch of regular pop songs following the AOR philosophy of having as many bangers on a record as possible. But stylistically, this is all over the place. At times I feel like turning it off, while at others I am feeling deeply touched. The star rating reflect the album as a whole. To me, 4 stars mean I loved some and hated some of this. Also, it is pretty long, but that's just something we have to deal with as a consequence of the CD age.
This is so close to a five from me but just not quite there. Awesome stuff
звук другой, вайб другой, но ощущение похожие: клево, классно, экспериментальность (но другая)
Очень классные и жирные синты. Прям долбит нормально тебя. Еще и периодически вокал пытается тебя смести. Я прям доволен альбомом во время прослушивания, да и после остается приятное впечатление. До 5 не хватает попадания жесткого и наверно чуть большего темпа Алкоальбом: корона с лаймом
That was surprising. Enjoyed it.
I love these guys. They're even better live. If they ever tour again, defnitely worth it!
It's a pretty solid synth-pop album; I like it. And it seems to offer more on each subsequent listen.
This is a good album, probably a great album. Sadly It's cool... too cool. Like, if you walk into a hipster bar by mistake and everyone has moustaches they can barely grow, thick rimmed spectacles and vintage cycling caps. You like it, but you don't belong. They are wearing New Balance because of Dadcore, you wear them because you are a Dad... and your knees hurt. Your Bumbag is for practical purposes. They're jeans are skinny because they wear ladies jeans, yours are skinny because they are normal jeans and you are wearing a size 32. You tell everyone that you have always been a size 32 since your 20's. You can't breathe if you sit down. In restaurants, you pre-unbutton your top button. They and you both wear socks with sandals; them because it became cool, you because you gave up trying. It's really a great album, full of innovation and influence from many different styles and times. I just felt a little awkward listening to it. If you are too old to dress ironically, then maybe you'll feel the same. If I had actually heard this back in 2008 then I might have been okay. Sort of like with Radiohead, I started off with them back in the Pablo Honey days, they progressed until they eventually got too cool for me, but luckily I got grandfathered in, so I can listen to them still.
Had me bouncing.
Having never heard of this group before, this was a great surprise. Very interesting sound and lyrics, reminiscent of some of my favorite artists. Will definitely listen to this again and check out more by them.
I don't know that I love this TVOTR album in particular but I DO know that TVOTR is my go to when I want to seed a new playlist. Their influences are so varied that a station based on TVOTR brings in a ton of great things (example, just started one and I got Spoon, Band of Horses, Beck, The Postal Service, Cold War Kids, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Metric, Modest Mouse...). Try it, you will not be disappointed.
This is a tweener. I’m tempted to advocate temporarily for the popular 10 point scale, but I know that would just create even more tough ratings decisions. There are a couple of songs where I’m not totally digging the vocals. But there is enough that I like to round up. Golden Age and Family Tree really shine for me. I am advocate of the 6 point scale: 1 = oh my bloody god turn this shite off immediately 2 = this isn’t good but I can find a nugget or two that I like and power through 3 = I’d be perfectly happy to listen to this again if someone else put it on 4 = I’d put this in my library and listen again sometime 5 = I like this a lot and I will come back to it often 6 = Holy hell this is amazing and I might just listen to it repeatedly for a week straight In the 1001 five point system we operate under here, 3 & 4 are combined.
Still as weird as it was when it came out.
Good album this
What a cool weird album.
I dug their debut and I dig this album too. This one definitely leans more into the funk than the art rock of their debut (Golden Age sounds like Prince, for crying out loud). One of my complaints about their debut was each song was a single riff, with no A/B sections - even the choruses were just the same riff a little more intense. This album has a lot of that, too, but they managed to occasionally change things up, suggesting they learned how to write songs and not just cool riffs. Not a 5, but I'd definitely listen again and will check out more of their catalogue. Favorite tracks: Halfway Home, Dancing Choose, Golden Age, Family Tree, DLZ.
Loops and loops and loops and loops. TV on the Radio creates their own unique sound.
This is a really great album. It's like Elbow if Elbow were good. The vocalist originally sounded like whatsisface from Elbow but he is so much more dynamic and his voice really changes a lot throughout songs and from song to song. The music, however, is infinitely more interesting, varied and dynamic. There's some really interesting songs and a highlight for me is DLZ. Strong and unusual album that is both accessible, pop-ish, and interesting.
DLZ is an incredible track. "Golden Age" I actually really only know from Phish's cover that they've been playing for the last few years. But yea, TV on the Radio is one of the classic indie blindspots for me -- I feel like theyve been "that band I've been meaning to check out" for a while. I enjoyed this record a lot though! Not sure if I was blown away or not. I want to give it another listen on my good headphones. Yea, this is definitely one that adds a LOT from the headphone listening experience v. running with my beats earbuds.
Really enjoyed the two listens. 4/5!
Now we’re talkin
this album was pretty cool. i didn't know any TVOTR other than wolf like me, so it was nice to hear more from them. the songs didn't all stick out individually but the overall sound was enjoyable and solid. favorites: family tree, red dress, dlz
I'm pretty familiar with TV on the Radio, but this is the album I reach for the least. After giving this one some attention, that might have been a bit of a mistake. I'll have to listen to it more and see if I like it as much as their later stuff, but from this listen there's not really any good reason I can think of that I wouldn't choose this one.
Can't believe I had never heard of them. Fun listen.
Didn't know this group! "Crying" was my favorite track. Will listen to this group more!
Started off strong, pretty decent, nothing special tho Significant 32/98 Liked 16/98 Added 4/98 YYN
Catchy and pretty great stuff. Light but varied enough to keep me engaged
Fun
Solid 3.5
Really enjoyed this, hadn't heard of them before but will check out some of their other stuff. Red dress and love dog were the stand out tracks for me. 4 🌟
This was a really interesting one. This feels like a band that I should have been aware of (late '00s - 10s high tempo indie rock vibes), but I had never heard of these guys before. I generally enjoyed this, though there were some ups and downs. It starts off really strong with "Halfway Home" which has this persistent drone sound underneath that I just love, great start. It hits a bit of a lull for a few songs (and then another lull near the end), but the sound is good overall. I get some LCD Soundsystem vibes here with the electronic-y rock sound. It is somewhat varied though, and I felt like "Family Tree" actually sounded like it could've been an early Coldplay song. This one is more about the sound than the songwriting or anything else. It's generally good and I'm glad that I know it exists since there's definitely a few songs on here that I'll listen to again. As a full album though I thought it was a bit long and disjointed, probably another one that's a 3.5 to me, I saved over half the songs though so I'll be nice and round up. Favorite song: Halfway Home Other: Stork & Owl, Golden Age, Family Tree, Love Dog, DLZ 12/5/23
It's just a 4, could have been a 5, but the performances let it down sometimes
Excellent experimentation - I’ve never given this band a proper chance and am glad that I did
Not as good as the previous album they had on the list but Crying is better than any song from their debut album Low 4/5
I really enjoyed this album, I can see myself coming back to it again
I might like Dear Science more than Return to Cookie Mountain. All the songs fit and flow well. Love Tunde’s voice and this album really shows off his abilities.
Hmmmmm kinda went hard actually. My favorite song was "Family Tree," I don't know exactly how to put it into words but the vibes were just on point. "Love Dog" gave me vague Elvis vibes—not sure if that was intentional? Pretty much enjoyed!
Outstanding. Really enjoyed this one.
Will always love TVOTR. Album has a great sound that was easy to listen to. Songs that stuck out: “Crying”, “Dancing Choose” is fast-paced and drives so well. Going to listen to again, easy 4/5 on first listen.
Really solid. It’s got that turn of the decade indie sound but kind of has a dancey feel too it. Interesting lyrics and hooks. I’d heard of tv on the radio before but never listened to them previously. Might check out more of their stuff. Dancing Choose and DLZ were my faves.
I’m hearing a merging of so many styles it’s hard to keep track but I’ll make a few: David Bowie, the Ramones, Bon Iver, Nile Rodgers. I’m not sure that I’d want to listen to this again, but it was definitely well put together. My favorite songs were “Crying” and “DLZ”.
i knew that i had heard the name TV On The Radio before but i couldn’t place where. turns out, as i found listening to this album, that this band is the original artist for Golden Age, one of the best covers Phish does. outside of that still a really cool album too. kinda a mix of arcade fire, flaming lips, and gorillaz
Enjoyed this! I enjoyed the sound they used for this it was pretty varied, DLZ was good.
I'm always deeply skeptical of music from the years 2001-2010, since it formed an unholy confluence of the tail end of popular music on the radio with the commercialization of everything in this goddamned world. This album, however, this album kicks fucking ass. I don't even know how to describe it because there are so many styles employed. Sometimes this feels like a rock back, sometimes it feels like a hip-hop group, and yet somehow it never sounds the slightest bit like Kid Rock or Limp Bizkit. Just incredibly creative and well-crafted music. The production is also stellar 4/5
This is so much better than bloodthirsty youth... It takes that harmonious, art rock base, and injects a healthy layer of Prince style funk. And my word is it good! So much more immediate and a pleasure to listen to. It's getting a placeholder 4, but could well become a five on repeat listens.
This album is difficult to describe. There's a lot going on. It's very eclectic, but with a consistent vibe. Sometimes reminiscent of an updated Joy Division. A really cool album. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Family Tree Date listened: 18/08/23
Very solid TV on the Radio album start to finish. DLZ is the obvious standout track that most have heard on a movie/TV soundtrack somewhere. It's one of the moodiest songs I know of that just sucks you in to it's groove. Other songs that stood out to me: Halfway Home, Red Dress, Stork & Owl.
I love the beat switch in Halfway Home. There are a lot of unique sounds in this one; each song is fairly distinct. Golden Age was cool listen. Overall this album was very unique, I loved how everything was different without being discombobulated. I really did enjoy the album, but I don't think I'll ever go back to it.
Very mash up feel. Kitchen sink. The main thing that is holding it together is the enthusiasm. They are doing weird things, and singing tunelessly, or tunefully, whatever they want, and if you like it, great, and if not, that's fine too. Compares well with LCD Soundsystem. Never heard of these guys, nice find.
I totally understand why this is on the list, it’s quality indie rock. I don’t think I’d listen to it again but I thought it was really well done.
Enjoyed this a good deal more than expected. That's nice.
"Dear Science" is the third studio album by Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio. Indie rock, art rock, funk, soul and post-punk. Yeah, they cover all those genres. The lyrics mention death, dying and the dead and the landscape is self-hate, Bush-hate (it is 2008) and future-fear. The album was produced by bandmember David Andrew Sitek who also said a phrase from which the title came from: "Dear Science, please start solving problems and curing diseases or shut the fuck up." I get the big picture-ness of that quote but somehow it falls flat with me. Sure, I'll blame biology for being short and trigonometry for the arc-sin function. Anyway, this album did receive universal acclaim. A drone-y, shoe-gaze-y guitar and a clapping beat start "Halfway Home." Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe whispering. It switches to more synth-based and ends dramatic and chaotically. A song about suicide I think and a nice way to open an album. The second single "Dancing Choose" has a fuzz sound and rapping. Horns are added and the song really builds. Social/ political commentary. The lead single "Golden Age" has a funky start and beat. Tunde with a falsetto. There's billowing horns and strings giving it a very grand sound. Band members said it was about utopia. We need some positivity at this point. Repetitive jangly guitar and a synth loop dominate the first half of "Shout Me Out." The song just takes off midway through a la "Wolf Like Me." This is what I've been waiting for. The closet thing to a straight-forward rock song on the album. "DLZ" has a hypnotic beat and eerie synths. A la-la-la chorus. It's maybe the thematic heart of the album as it mentions the evils of science. And, the album ends with a song about, well, sex in "Lover's Day." Didn't see this coming. Layered vocals, horns, jingle bells and a flute. We needed the flute. This album has complex production with the layers and arrangements of horns and strings. The songs build musically with tension. The lyrics are serious matching the music. Maybe I should reverse the sentence. Naw. There's funk, ballads and mostly slow songs. I have to be honest; this takes a few listens to get into. Once I did (fifteen years ago and today), I really liked it. If you're willing to do that, you will be rewarded.
I probably won't revisit this but there's definitely something good about it
4.5
This is a really good album. Definitely one I will listen to again.
Great album, I should have listened to this more when it came out, I will revisit.
Really into TV on the Radio. Great album, and happy I listened to it - since I had never heard this one from start to finish. Some songs they kind of lost me. Also, Non-Musical Silence... why was it 4 minutes long?! The songs after that weren't that great - I feel like they should have ended the album at Lover's Day. Still, a great album overall!
This is a great album. Some really cool tracks here with a big range in what their music sounds like. DLZ is still pretty awesome, a perfect soundtrack for when Walter White follows a meth dealer out of Home Depot to threaten him with a “stay out of my territory”. I wish Wolf Like Me was on this album as it’s probably my fav song by them. Saw them play the ‘Burt in 09 and I’m glad I did!!
The golden age of indie rock. This album is perfect for picking up a candy snack. A candy snack you haven’t had in a while. Great band, cool tunes. Love their sound. So many hidden layers within the tracks if you listen closely. These guys just don’t give a fuck. They’re gonna play what they want and sound like they want. You can tell this by the bold move of putting 4 minutes of silence on the record. DLZ is obviously a banger. Some hidden gems are Golden Age and Make Love All Night Long. These songs had me reminiscing of a simpler time, almost had me Crying at points. A couple songs left something to be desired, but on a whole, very great album. Now, I still don’t know what radio station they’re talking about. How do I see the tv?
This one tickled my nostalgia bone, forgot how good TV on the Radio is. Tons of stylistic variety keeping this album from getting stale. DLZ is so good, standout song for sure.
Very cool stuff! They remind me of Royal Canoe. A diverse soundscape with lots of different stuff going on. It's pretty interesting music that has something to grip you no matter when your attention starts to flit back to it. Saved for later!
When I first started listening to TVOTR this was the first album I got into. I really like their sound overall.
Really enjoyed this album. I think it's my new favourite TVOTR album. Nice mix of accessibilitty and TVOTR's unique brand of weird. Very nice find. 4 stars
good stuff but went through a not so good patch somewhere in the middle. will definitely give another listen but i'm not so sure about some of the stuff later in the album.
Better than what I was expecting, not entirely perfect though, it is still an enjoyable listen. I’ll have to come back to this soon
4 stars, reminds me of Bowie!
Enjoyed that. Quite LCD-ish (though one track went down the Coldplay route which surprised me. Not sure it's something that'll be on frequently but one to dabble back into every now and then. 3.5*
Herky-jerky, electronic influenced indie/post-punk. It's, but a few of the lulls in the middle of the tracklist ("Stork and Owl", "Family Tree") kind of prevent this from being a stronger project. Favorite tracks: "DLZ", "Halfway Home", "Dancing Choose"
Good songs: Family Tree, Pretty good, it has the Wolf Like Me vibes.
bra grejer. lite för elektroniskt på något sätt för min smak. nu blir det en svag fyra.
Sorpresaza
This was an eclectic record! Bit of everything and thoroughly enjoyable! Absolutely loved this one, but it won’t be for everyone!
Interesting
Really good, the rare instan enof coming across a sound that feels new.
It's alright.
Verrassend leuke muziek. Beetje alternatief, leuke geluidjes, maar ook weer heel relaxed. ****
3.5
Seminal major-label indie. Still don't understand why they didn't choose DLZ as the closer.
“Stay out of my territory” said the unassuming chemistry teacher as he stared down a few gaunt junkies. The surprised junkies stared back, the bright light of the grocery store sign made them appear more pale than they already were. For a second they were going to fight the old man but something about him seemed unusual. Dangerous. Slowly the junkies backed away but still the old man did not stop staring, he tightened his grip on the paint cans he’d purchased as if intending to use them as blunt weapons. Fearing for their lives the junkies ran into their van, locked the doors and peeled out of the grocery store parking lot. Still though, the old man stared but now there was the slightest hint of a smile. He dropped the paint cans and left. Heisenberg was back. 4.5 This is my favorite moment in Breaking Bad and it’s backed by DLZ off of this album. It has grown to be one of my favorite songs ever. I’ve heard it countless times but strangely I never listened to the album. Obv I was hoping every song would be on the level of DLZ but it’s not the case. I liked just about everything on here though, just not like that. The music here is textured and catchy and it never gets too repetitive. It’s blends genres really well without betraying its own sound. The vocalist has a tone that is very unique and soulful. Good listen. Would probably buy on vinyl. Favorites: Halfway Home, Crying, Dancing Choose, Family Tree, Red Dress, Shout Me Out, DLZ
Won me over by the end. The final few songs starting with DZT are the best. I’d love to hear more in that vein.
Awesome
I didn’t expect much going in. Not sure why, maybe the underwhelming album cover, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. Enjoyable songs with a ton of range. Only gripe is that the songs don’t quite excite me. They’re really great and I enjoyed every track on the album, but it didn’t quite have that inspiring element to it that would’ve made it legendary. Great production, instrumentation and vocals. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4/5
Good band. I’d class myself as a fan, despite not having delved too deeply into their back catalogue (my bad) or seen them live (their bad, for cancelling the show I had a ticket for years ago). I’ve dished out some decent scores to stuff I’ve enjoyed less than this, based partly on perceived historical importance. I think it’s harder for albums from this century (even very good ones) to make a real splash, so to warrant their place on the list they have to bring the tunes. Luckily, this one does. The manic, funky tracks, intense rockers and softer, prettier numbers all hit as far I’m concerned. Crying, Love Dog and DLZ (ofc) were my standouts. 3.5 / 4
How do you sound like the Cure and Prince and Bowie and Radiohead? I guess you be the dudes from TVOTR. I liked it and I’ll probably check out their other stuff now. I can’t decide if that deserves a five though so I’m putting four stars.
i really like this, i haven't listened super closely, but its probably getting a 4 (i dont like Red Dress
Really loved this one.
starts stronger than it ends, slower songs are great, family tree, crying, stork and owl, love dog, DLZ and golden age jam 4.5/5
Had 0 expectations, thought it’s yet another band I’ve never heard of with yet another average album. Completely wrong of course. Great album. 4/5
1. Halfway Home - This opening song seems well placed in the track list given its nearly entirely made up of what feels like one large build up. Unfortunately that build up is almost four and a half minutes of a five and a half minute song. The song has an interesting pattern of AABBABB with the B section feel like what serves as the chorus of the song. There's a _bit_ of a change between the parts but it doesn't necessarily feel different enough from the verse which is generally recommended. (If you have a chorus) The peak of the build-up is at 4:19 and I feel when we get there, it's not satisfying enough of a change or resolution to everything. This may be contributed to the rest of the song being pretty consistent at one level robbing this part of enough of a change of landscape/dynamic shift. 9. Shout Me Out - WHAT SONG DOES THIS ONE'S MELODY/CHORD PROGRESSION SOUND LIKE?! Overall it's a pretty chill album and would def listen to it again. Maybe it'd grow on me.
Whoa. This is really good! This is a band I've always heard reference to and just never listened to. Kicking myself for that now, this record had me immediately hooked. Will have to listen to again, but I have a feeling it will be repeated listens.
I liked this one, but by the end the lead singer sounded like the lead singer from The National. It’s not him, I looked.
This is a very good album, with a couple of weak points that for me prevent it from being a 5-star album in my mind. The first track, "Halfway Home", ends up being a good song but starts out too slow, and the last track, "Lover's Day", is actually probably the weakest song on the album. (The 5-star TVoTR album is "Desparate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes" which is essentially perfect. I say this as a fan of the band since 2005ish with a poster of theirs hanging on my wall ever since seeing them live in DC in 2007.)
Lost me a little bit towards the end, but overall an amazing album that I'll definitely be listening to again. The vocals are off the charts and the lyrics and instrumentation were super solid. Best tracks: Dancing Choose, Family Tree, Shout Me Out, Stork & Owl, and DLZ.
This might be the album (400 in) that I am finding hardest to place. It is slippery - there's definitely a touch of Talking Heads nervous funk - sinewy bass, tight dry guitars - but often uses these ingredients to make something entirely new. Post-rock from less accessible bands like Godspeed is there too. I've listened to it five or six times and their superpower would definitely be escaping definition. If it's a four and not a five it's that only occasionally, as on Family Tree, do they pull everything into focus.
Good album!
I enjoyed this more than I expected - I think I should have that on my gravestone I use the phrase so often 😄 It was quite eclectic and had reminisces of Maccabees, Editors, Elbow….not unpleasant.
Before today, I had no idea who TV on the Radio were. After a bit of reading, I discovered they are an alternative/indie rock band that fuses aspects of funk, jazz, and electronic music. After listening, this is a great album, and band! I thought I recognized the song DLZ but couldn't place where I'd heard it before. After a few minutes of Googling, turns out it was used in a scene of Breaking Bad. Excellent scene, and excellent song! By times the singer sounds like a modern day Prince. I find that their sound is similar to Arcade Fire, but with more of an electronic sound. Overall, thoroughly enjoyed today's album. This is what this exercise is all about! Discovering a new band that I never would have found on my own. I enjoyed this album so much that I listened to it twice, then started listening to their back catalogue. Favourite songs: Dancing Choose, DLZ, Golden Age, Red Dress, Shout Me Out Least favourite songs: Stork & Owl, Love Dog 4/5
I love this album. It's like punk attitude with electronic or dance production and songwriter lyrics. It feels good, but it also feels important. These songs are emotionally impactful, poignant, and at times somewhat unsettling. But they ultimately have enough structure and melody and major chords to actually feel triumphant over the noise rather than leaving the listener exhausted by it. At times you could almost believe this band my have come out of late 80's into the 90's... you can hear Talking Heads and NIN and Radiohead rolled in there, but those bands would NEVER have let as much soul get into a record. You can also clearly hear Michael Jackson or Le Chic in the guitars and you get touches of Motown horns and strings throughout the record. Those things play so well against the electronic dubbed bass and 4 on the floor dance beats. Stork & Owl, Golden Age, and Shout Me Out (heart for DnB) are stand out tracks for me for completely different reasons, but I love them all.
Found myself wiggling along a number of times. Fun beats.
Really solid! I've heard these guys before, not this album though. Plenty of enjoyable tunes on here. It's fairly run-of-the-mill indie/alt rock, with some electronic flair to it. But damn, they put together some really nice grooves. Yeah, nothing much to say but I really dig albums like this one. Favorite tracks: DLZ, Crying, Stork & Owl, Red Dress. Album art: Super bland if we're being honest. Band and album name written in neon lights on a brick wall? That's it? Would definitely overlook something like this, which is unfortunate. 4/5
Nice album
I remembered that it took a while to get into at the time... and it was the same again having not listened to it for a few years, so had to listen three times to be sure. Complex and admirable, but not always engaging. A very good album nevertheless and worth spending time to appreciate.
Only ever heard a few TV on the radio songs all of which I liked, so was good to do a deeper dive into this album. This really is a great album love the vocals and the sonic differences between songs, instantly added to my frequent rotation.
I like TVOTR. This album is above average but not 5-star territory.
I’m a big fan of TVOTR. It had been awhile since I had played this one, I usually go back to Cookie Mountain and I had forgotten how great this one is. I’ll be putting Dear Science back in the listening orations moving forward. 4 stars
Wow, I was very impressed. A vibe from start to finish. I really liked the wordplay on Dancing Choose. The vocals remind me of some songs by the band Gorillaz. Should have heard this sooner.
pretty cool
Saw these guys live back in like 2008 and then forgot about them. Listened to this all the way through, then went back and listened through again. Love it.
This was neat! Indie post-punk with a funky twist. I'd love to dive into them deeper.
I thought this was some really fun indie rock, I found myself quite taken with it.
Liked it
I remembered that it took a while to get into at the time... and it was the same again having not listened to it for a few years, so had to listen three times to be sure. Complex and admirable, but not always engaging. A very good album nevertheless and worth spending time to appreciate.
A brilliant album, full of exploration, experimentation and some great sounds. TV On The Radio are quite undefinable, hard to pin down, but you keep discovering new things with every listen.
Stellar post-punkish build-ups. Generic electronic fiddlings. 2000's indie rock at its funkiest.
It is a vibe. Musically interesting, good use of voice as instrument. I don't pay any attention to the lyrics but that feels fine. They feel Canadian -- I don't know why or what that means but they do.
A bunch of years ago a casual acquaintance was talking about how good this band was. They were so enthusiastic about them that, when asked, I agreed that they were good. I never listened to them until today. It turns out I wasn’t lying. I would play this album on purpose and if the 1001 albums ever end I may even investigate more of their stuff. I got a Beck vibe from some of the songs, starting with Crying. I really like Heroic Dose. And the song with the line about getting so high that their face melts off. I think it’s Lovers Day.
Never heard these guys before. Good stuff. Possibly great stuff. Only time will tell. But I'm glad I heard it and I will check out more of their music.
Weird album to rate. I had never even heard of these guys. Interesting mix of songs. Each one has a unique style. I don’t usually like new artists when I hear them for the first time so I tend to judge them a bit harshly. I actually ended up listening to this one twice since it was so interesting. Songs reminded me of several different artists: David Bowie, Tom Petty, B-52’s, Muse. Red Dress was one song I liked the first time I heard it.
Fantastic album, not all top 10 tracks but overall an excellent listen. 4/5
This was pretty good. I particularly liked the funkier songs.
8 Great album Good pacing Have to listen to it again
Surprisingly good.
Quite cool sounding highly recommend
df
Another good relisten
This album is like a Coldplay meets Prince, that oddly sounds like Elvis Costello at times. Weird album, but overall a pretty good listen. It starts off a bit weak, but the songs pick up in the second half are provide the listener a lot more excitement.
Amazing sound, loved how the songs flowed together. Production is insane on this thing, as someone who’s never heard the band this made me want to listen to the rest of their discography. Not as much a fan of the “pop” songs on this, but theyre still really solid.
This isn't an immediately-accessible album; I feel like I've proven that to myself twice now - when it was first released I was given a copy of it and listened to it a number of times on the train on a long commute and it took some time to click, which it eventually did. For whatever life reason I hadn't listened to this in over a decade and today I'm feeling the same on the first re-listen .... so I know :D The vocals always gave me an early solo Peter Gabriel feel; not always necessarily with the voice but with the inflections and style of singing. Progressive music for the 21st century? Maybe (minus any overly-long tracks) - there are so many layers to this both in song construction and instrumentation; and perhaps the lack of a lot of repetition is the precise reason that it takes some time to fully digest this album. It's anti-pop. Personal highlights: "Halfway Home" "Shout Me Out" and "DLZ" wavering between a 3 and 4 but it's so unique that I'll round up 7/10 4 stars
Another album I'd never heard of. Good vibe, refreshingly different, and the diverse rhythms made it immensely listenable. Is it just me or are the vocal stylings oddly reminiscent of Flight of the Conchords?
Forgot how good this band is. Dear Science is my third favorite album of theirs, and I listened to/appreciated it again, and Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and Return To Cookie Mountain.
Cool
I enjoyed listening to this album. It's not perfect, and nothing grabbed me in that "you have to listen again right now" way, but overall I quite liked it.
Really enjoyed this album.
As in the album before this one, *Return To Cookie Mountain*, the best and most effective tracks on *Dear Science* are the ones written and sung by Tunde Adebimpe (lively opener "Halfway Home", for example, or the string of tunes he penned that are lined up on side B--far better than the first--, especially the moving ballad "Family Tree" and the mellifluous "Love Dog" and "DLZ"). In comparison, Kyp Malone's funkier tracks are OK, but they're less intense or enticing, except for the great single "Golden Age", where Malone nicely channels "Golden Years"-era Bowie in both his songwriting and performance. Dave Sitek's production chops are highly skilled too (the Eno influence on "Halfway Home" is a very nice touch), but to me, the real soul of TV On The Radio is neither him nor Malone, it's Adebimpe. Given the relatively uneven nature of those two records, and in spite of the hype that was associated to them--which made me own them at the time--I would still hesitate putting those records in a list of 1001 essential albums, however. I would love to because of the Adimbepe cuts, but not at the expense of other great LPs missing in this list. When I'm "Halfway Home", maybe I will see things a little clearer as to what I can keep, and what I can put aside. It's not *real* science anyway, is it? Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 850 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 82 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 38 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 31
I'm curious what musical silence would sound like now. For a real review, I generally liked this album! It's pretty obvious to me how Dear Science and TV On The Radio had major influence on the early 2010s indie-pop scene. Some of these experimental sounds trickled down to MGMT, Phoenix, and Passionpit. This album also demonstrats TV On The Radio's extensive audio layering skills. While it may have gotten a little formulaic, every song slowly built to a cresendo of chaos and sound but still made sense! Overall, I liked this album. It's not a "classic", but its enjoyable and influential. Best Songs: Dancing Choose, DLZ, Golden Age Worst Songs: Red Dress, Make Love All Night Long Honorable Mentions: Heroic Dose (sounds like what I imagine a heroic dose to feel like)
Enjoyed that, leans into Post-Punk territory, which is a fine thing.
Nostalgia bias
i hate this album cover "crying" has a really nice slap technique on the riffs throughout the lead singers voice is really nice reminds me of captial cites in a way the closer has an incredible saxophone performance i will be returning to tracks like "crying" and "DLZ" frequently i think 7/10
Not my music, but DLZ song- WOW!
I had forgotten how much I liked this record. In my head it was a lot of falsetto, but that wasn't as prevalent as I remembered. Several jams on here. Best track: DLZ
Speciaal genre, maar ik hoorde het wel graag
First time I've ever heard the band, let alone the album. But this was amazing! So glad I discovered it
Never heard before. Eclectic, nice hypnotic loops in places.
Bombastic, tender, soulful, energetic… I wasn’t familiar with this album at all, but TV on the Radio’s “Dear Science” is a real gem of the late ‘00s indie scene. TV on the Radio are rare representatives of Black indie music, and are presumably one of very few Black indie bands on this list. So rare, in fact, that I’m ashamed to say I spent the first listen convinced they were white, cringing at the rap in “Dancing Choose”, thinking it was all misguided cultural appropriation. When I realised this wasn’t the case, I felt like an idiot but could at least listen with fresh ears and get into the matter of the music. There’s an impressive array of mood and energy across the rest of the album: “Halfway Home” is an urgent, irrepressible anthem, all nervous energy spilling over into catharsis. “Dancing Choose” is a winning shot of adrenaline, fuelled with passion and rage as it fires across all cylinders. “DLZ” is a swirling vortex of angst and hopelessness: dark, brooding and dramatic, it’s music to soundtrack the end of the world. But the standout is “Golden Age”. It’s the hit here, and it’s fairly easy to see why: an unashamedly simple chorus managing to soar above the noise, between effortlessly cool funk in the verses. “Dear Science” also showcases a great blend of sound and instrumentation, to give strong dynamic range: the looping synth in ballad “Crying” flutters perfectly around the swells of strings and horns, while the brass section in “Red Dress” injects some drive into proceedings. Where the album fell down a little for me were in the more delicate numbers: while “Family Tree” is the restrained, gorgeous exception, it renders the other more tender numbers inadequate and unnecessary. “Stork & Owl”’s plodding beat and backing vocals are a bit clumsy, and “Love Dog” is a bit of nothing which leaves no impression. We end on “Lover’s Day”, a fun, bombastic finale and one of the most sincere expressions of sexual longing I’ve heard in a while, though the lyrics do read a bit like a horny teenager getting distracted from his poetry class. All in all, this is an invaluable album for its time period. I picked up on shades of Arcade Fire’s energy and LCD Soundsystem’s genre-hopping and production, but there’s so much more than that going on. “Dear Science” is a world of fierce talent and restless innovation- bravo.
I had to read the album title and band name twice because they are both completely new to me, so my mind reversed them (sounds cool either way, for whatever that's worth). Glad this project introduced me to them because I enjoy their music. Their compositional style really sits nicely with my listening ears, and they are outstanding performers, vocally and instrumentally. I like their sound. I'll have to hear more of their stuff.
Amazing 4
I've listened to Return to Cookie Mountain a lot and it's my favorite of their catalog. Their follow-up is a lot more funky with plenty of percussive groove everywhere. It also has some nice ethereal cuts to break it up. Overall a very solid record.
I bought this album in 2008 from iTunes without hearing any song before from TV on the Radio. Crazy to think of in 2022, but such was the power of being promoted on the iTunes front page. Helps this is one of the best albums of the 2000s. Sounds so incredible. First half is all killer. The second half when it slows down a bit I check out a little, but it does keep the quality all the way through. *upon further research I think it may have been the glowing review in Pitchfork that drove me buy this. I actually thought they didn’t like TV on the Radio. Must have been someone else, I remeber reading in an article the author was talking about things that are garbage and they mentioned ‘TV on the Radio songs that aren’t about wolves’. What a weird dig lol
Dear Science is a great indie rock album by TV On The Radio. The guitars often make dissonant tunes and hooky riffs while the vocals are soundful and the rhythm section is funky. TV On The Radio makes the kind of unique rock that should not work, but in some freaky way it does. And it's awesome!
I've heard at least a track or two from TV On The Radio, but because of those tracks I never made it back to any more of their music. Dear Science was a new album for me and a pleasant surprise. All of the tracks were at least okay. There where times when the vocals reminded me of XTC or Beck, and other times when they sounded very much their own thing. "Halfway Home", "Family Tree" and "DLZ" got the highest ratings for individual tracks. The album squeaks in to a spot where I'll round up to 4 full stars. Maybe I won't take so long to listen to something more from the band.
Excellent stuff- was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Lots of chill music with some bops thrown in too.
Actually quite good! Will check out more of their stuff
Big fan of this. I heard Return to Cookie Mountain only a month or so ago and really liked it, and this was great as well. This is definitely a band I need to listen to more of
4/5. Eclectic, soulful, rocking. Nice 👍
For a band touted as highly as TVOTR, this medium being the first intersection makes this reviewer wonder just how divergent each path taken was. Whether or not TVOTR matches the hype is a question. This album from 2008, and it is certainly starts off as a great album, and yet it only finishes as a good one. TVOTR has a certain variety that is equal parts amazing and then a bit confounding in the way that experimental music tends to invoke. Comparisons to Radiohead do not seem apropos here, since TVOTR is way more appealing to this reviewer. There's a lot to appreciate about this album, but maybe a bit too much. The silver lining is that it is all subjectively good and one cannot help but to respect and appreciate that. Perhaps looking at this album as a fresh take on pop, funk, soul, hiphop, etc. within the same recording is the way to approach this, but it is certainly not surprising if it feels a bit much because of that. However, TVOTR does not seem to suffer an identity crisis and feels right at home with every song and that deserves a good deal of credit.
Solid electronic rock, a few songs will make the playlist.
Will listen more. Reminded me of arcade fire.
I had obviously heard and enjoyed several TVOTR songs prior to this, but had never actually gone and listened to an album before—that was a mistake on my part. Excellent and diverse instrumentation, a lot of those driving beats that I love, and plenty of funk. Second half falls off a bit for me, but the outro of “Halfway Home” and the entirety of “Crying” are some incredible album openers. Best songs: Halfway Home, *Crying*, Stork & Owl, Golden Age, DLZ * - favorite song
Pretty cool album. Very funky. Will be looking into these guys more
Pleasantly surprised! There's strong new wave and post-punk undertones on all the tracks that I'm so into. There's also an element of funky IDGAF cool that reminds me of Prince on a few tracks. This one grabbed me by my earholes and took me somewhere I didn't know I wanted to go.
First encounter with this record but I was already hooked on Seeds from a bit later. Already with Dear Science I get exactly the same energy and precise engineering. Reminiscent of the clinical rhythm of Radiohead In Rainbows and the open jubilation of Arcade Fire The Suburbs. I don't know what it is about TV that is so engaging - not that you can even try to sing along - but the composition and studio work are so tight you can't help but get wound up.
It's a neat record. Each song is so lavish and dense with instrumentation that it was kind of an exhausting listen, although I was also just quite sleepy when I started listening to it. The track of complete silence was justified, and the band definitely knew what experience this record would give. The lyrics are beautiful, poetic and kind of cryptic, but my biggest complaint is the vocals of one of the singers is not that great. 7/10
Un mood leggero, musica tranquilla con qualche guizzo. Canzoni molto ascoltabili, un buon sound, bello.
This is an interesting indie rock album that show one of the best things in the genre, that is mixing other styles to make compelling songs. In this case, funk, soul and post-punk share the space with a more traditional rock and the result is never boring. "Golden Age" and "DLZ" are great songs, and "Crying" is something of a hidden gem. Adebimpe and Malone voices, together, make this album an unique listen.
A really fun listen
fun sound. kinda rock-ish. reminds me of gorillaz for some reason
The first song, with it's doo-woppy Ramones-y intro followed by breathy and bleak vocals is a good indication of what's to come. They jump around nicely between moods and genres without it ever feeling contrived. Somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me.
These guys really knocked it out of the park with Wolf like me on their debut album. This, their second album doesn’t have a similar killer track but it’s still pretty damned good. I love how they distill so many musical influences into a distinctive and unique sound. There really isn’t another group that sounds like TVotR, and I especially love the lead vocalist Tunde Adebimpe’s vocals, he’s got the perfect voice for the modern age. Released in 2008 this album sounds like it could have been released yesterday.
Vraiment cool
Intéressant, je connaissais pas vraiment Prefs: Halfway Home, Crying, Dancing Choose, Family Tree, Shout Me Out, Lover's Day Moins pref: Red Dress
Conforme el disco fue avanzando y con las pasadas que le di me gustó más y más. Al principio me parecía inconexo y hasta me estaba cayendo mal la voz, que siento que en Dancing Shoes le tira a imitar a Bowie, pero luego avanza y Golden Age me hizo prestar más atención y de ahí el disco se va para arriba y hasta el final es muy bueno. Aunque lo agregué a mi biblioteca, no le doy las 5 estrellas porque el inicio siguió sin gustarme, incluso después de escucharlo más veces.
Taste
Really good
Yep, this album has everything: techno synths, diverse in range, reminiscent of the 90s and 00s scene, even reminds me of video games here and there; spoken word, very punk-like in delivery and instrumental back-up but structurally like rap; funk to the strip, sometimes straight-up using the disco formula; indie rock, characterizing the backbone of this album, taking inspirations from other experimental rock bands like Radiohead. Clearly a ton of effort went into the artistic production of each track. Tracks are busy, full of ten different channels going on that somehow harmonize into a coherent mass that fascinates me at every second. Very few bands are able to do that well, but when it hits, you can't pull your ears away. Each track is loud and compelling, even the less remarkable tracks have a lot going for them. I can't wait to explore the rest of their discography.
That early hipster ish I like
Great album
Lovely stuff
Love this. It really is a mash up of so many influences and it sounds great.
Stunning - never heard of this before but will be listening again.
A good rock record with an experimental spice to it. Favorites: "Halfway Home", "Love Dog", "DLZ"
Excellent
I know nothing of TV On The Radio or this album. I enjoyed being introduced to both. The indie rock vibe with a funk element made for a different and interesting sound. Sometimes I was kind of dancing and other times I was just chilling. I did not fall in love with all the tracks, but I also didn't feel compelled to skip over any.
I have had a small bit of exposure to this group, but hadn’t listened to them enough to be able to readily identify any of their songs. I probably have heard some of these before… It took a couple of listens for this to click with me, but after that I enjoyed quite a bit of this. The music is great with varied with a lot of interesting instruments and arrangements. The lyrics are also pretty interesting. “Family Tree” is the first song I really locked in on. I loved the orchestration and found the lyrics very moving. After that I started paying closer attention to the lyrics and was surprised by their intricacy. Other songs that stood out for me included “Halfway Home,” “Dancing Choose” (great rapidfire delivery on the verses!), “Golden Age” (great chorus with those horns!), “Love Dog,” “Shout Me Out” (awesome build and ending) and “DLZ” (another great dog song!). This album is chock full of good stuff…
Hugely better than I remember.
I'm not familiar with this band at all. I read that this album is universally acclaimed though, so I'm intrigued. Introductory song is disarming. I get Fleet Foxes/Band of Horses vibe. Maybe the Postal Service. So we'll see if that vibe carries through. The singer sounds just like the guy from the band Milky Chance. I enjoyed this album quite a bit. The sound is great. It's got lots of what I look for in a music listening experience, great rhythm, a build of unique instrumentation, good lyrics, and toe-tapping beats. I was kind of sad when this one ended!
Weird but good
Good vocals, tight drums