Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

Catchy AND weird?? You son of a bitch I'm in.

Fela kuti + ar Kane + pixies played by theatre kids suprisingly tiring listen

I listened to Dear Science about a year ago and was impressed with the accessibility of their music, with plenty of catchy songs to sing and dance to, and one of the strongest attempts at fusing funk rock with garage revival. Well, this one is far less accessible. In this earlier album, the vocals still remind me of Prince, but there's not much funky about it. The mood is overall very sinister, with dark synths and other eery instruments, like an atonal trumpet ("The Wrong Way"), wild flutes ("Wear You Out"), and a foreboding organ ("Don't Love You"). This record has no end to its innovation. Many tracks blend genres in a way that maintains a similar dark mood and atmosphere yet combines ideas for a song that you never thought could work. The first track ("The Wrong Way") straight away shoves all sorts of atonality and clashing instruments with some central melody that in some ways reminds me of the art rock work of Roxy Music. "Staring at the Sun", a re-recording of their first single from their Young Liars EP, and one of their most popular songs; follows a harsh drone (like the band Suicide). If the intro didn't push you away, this will grab your attention. "Dreams" is a typical post-punk revival track like what you would see on Interpol. No complaints, probably the most accessible track on the album. "King Eternal" is industrial rock on the surface. Could see this coming from a NiN record. "Poppy" blends beautiful a capella on top a very distressing, highly distorted noise riff. "Ambulance" is a minimalist doo-wop track with nothing more than lo-fi forest ambiance (and somehow the second most popular song). "Don't Love You" has a frail techno-theme going on that matches the old haunted mansion aesthetic that the organ gives off. "Bomb Yourself" is the most chaotic song on here, with weird effects coming from each speaker. If I had to describe it, it's probably a funk song thrown into an industrial filter with some folk instruments on top. "Wear You Out" is a loud and wild closer that gets increasingly more chaotic as it goes on, and it keeps going on and on until slowly dying off. Every track is memorable. The tracks are highly experimental and fun, but a lot of it does feel forced and clashes to not work as well as it could. It sounds fantastic but harsh at times. I could see them improving these songs to be grander or more accessible.

I originally was disappointed because the album was not going anywhere, but about 3 or 4 songs in I fell in love with this sound. Very dark, dreamy, and Drone like.

I fell in love with these guys with the "Young Liars" EP and rushed out to get this record when it was released. Though they went on to expand their sound on later albums, I still prefer the directness and purity of this earlier work. By leaving more to the imagination, it somehow makes the atmosphere richer. I love their use of electronic elements throughout, and their choices for distortion and tone are exquisite. This album is a great example of being dark and heavy while still retaining a real human beauty. Besides enjoying the tangled webs they weave with their arrangements, I think the thing that is most exciting about their sound is that it's truly centered around the human voice.

The bass tone on the opening track is wonderfully crunchy and the guitar occasionally plays a haunting clean tremolo. Staring at the Sun has the same crunchy bass tone as the opening track and I hope that continues. I like the melody and the dark, dreamy atmosphere. Dreams has a switching bass tone from fuzz to clean but it’s always very prominent in the mix which I like. I like the melody and atmosphere of this song, too. The instrumentation in the latter quarter-ish of the song is incredible. King Eternal bass riff holy Jesus. Love the droning, atmospheric synth. I have no clue what the lyrics are about. I like the brief drum n bass groove at the end. Not a fan of ambulance. Poppy has a great guitar riff. The riff in the middle of the song is also great. Don’t Love You has a nice groove. Bomb Yourself has good instrumentation. The lyrics are also politically conscious which is good. The latter half of the song is very experimental compared to the first half and is better in my opinion. Wear You Out has a groovy drum beat. Around 2:20 more instruments come in. It’s definitely building up to something. The lyrics end at 4:43. The instruments cut out one by one until the song ends, very unconventional but I like it.

Suena bien pero no es la gran cosa. Tiene temas lindos y otros horribles. Igualmente lo siento como un disco que si lo escuchas mucho te termina encantando.

i can appreciate the weirdness and there's some glimmers of stuff here i like, but overall i just find it really grating. they obviously have talent and are clearly pulling on some good reference points but the final product just doesn't work for me. the a cappella shit is just the final nail in the coffin (if i never hear Ambulance again, it'll be too soon) only by the strength of Wear You Out does this crawl up to a 2

This is #day28 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge and I'm pleasantly surprised again by an entry on this list. I've heard only the band's name, never listening to a single song. I mean never. So I'm happy the stars aligned, and not only I'm discovering TV On The Radio from their debut, but listening to it now, 20 years after it came out. Now, this is intricately weird music. And I like weird! A couple of other names come to mind while listening to TVOTR: Algiers and The Veldt. All three share one common core. Soul. But, while the first band blends it with industrial, darkwave, and hip-hop, the second—with shoegaze, TV On the Radio—with post-punk, noise, and all sorts of experimental sonic paraphernalia imaginable. That was really interesting. For this reason, I'm giving it a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day29.

I had heard this album once or twice before. I like it, it’s a nice blend of indie rock and experimental sounds

Great album. These guys can make harmonies like nobody's business. I'm getting some Bobby McFerring vibes from this. Favorite song: Bomb Yourself or Ambulance. It's hard to decide.

Certainly alternative rock from the early 2000s, there's this sound you can pick up from it, but I like the addition of a sort of soul sound to it all, like if Lenny Kravitz started making music in this era instead. That being said, it is very repetitive, and almost none of the songs have a climax, it's usually the same song it was five minutes before with an extra voice and instrument or two. That isn't always true, but it certainly felt like it. Otherwise pretty alright, just feels like it should've done more.

Some cool sounds, chiefly utilizing repetition and distorted textures to achieve a chilling atmosphere. It is a very well produced album, and to begin with it's quite good, but the vocals sound like an afterthought, the songs themselves aren't great and for a whole album, it wears rather thin. After reading some of the rave reviews it was, well, disappointing.

This was bad. It progressively got worse. It started out as indie music and then devolved into something worse. Stay away.

Hard to describe this one. It's got the dark, droning, soaring feeling Explosions or Godspeed, but a soulful barbershop quartet thing going on to. Production is excellent and the sound is unique. Never really gotten into this band. Always thought Dear Science was just okay, but this one hit me

This album is massive and intimate simultaneously. Its raw and gorgeous. Ethereal at times and in your face the next song. I love the doubled vocals, the fuzzed out bass lines and lets not forget the horns. the tracks that build into epics take you on heroic journeys that eventually launch you into the stratosphere. A landmark album of the early 2000s that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire artists today.

Starts out startlingly strong. Right away I think I'm going to love this album, then quite quickly I thought no I'm going to hate this album, then I decided no, I love this album. Interesting, engaging, moody; a tour de force of original ideas without being out of reach. This content is what this list is for.

I knew them by name but I never really listen to them. Oh boy this is good! I loved their blend of pop and experimental music, it's quirky, it's weird, it's entertaining, it has really nice voice harmonies, there is a good work on textures and atmospheres, some tracks make me want to dance. That's the kind of albums that makes me stay on this journey. texture atmosphere voice harmonies quirky weird

Shit, I’ve only ever really peripherally cared about TV On The Radio but I think I am going to have to change that. I saw them open for NIN along with Bauhaus back in 2006, but I think they’re something that I wouldn’t have appreciated as much back then and never really actively sought them out after that. This was a super cool album and I can sense the layers to be discovered with further listens! Such a great, experimental find… absolutely loved it.

I didn't get into TV until a few years after this record, but this record could have come out in 1991. It is pure alternative. In fact they probably wrote a poem about Madonna. Wear You Out is the perfect end to the record, the bonus tracks spoil that a tiny bit.

Fantastic album! so much to love in each song! - 9/10

Excellent album - listened to it tons when it was released.

Really truly enjoyed this. Very different from most of the stuff on this list and felt like a true discovery of a band that I wish I'd know about a long time ago.

What a creative album ! It reminds me of the soundtrack of Swiss Army man, which is a masterpiece to me.

With Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, TV on the Radio set a new standard and a high bar that kept getting increasingly cleared beforehand in the last age of indie rock before the complete corporate takeover, proving that black musicians can conjure up the same kind of mood shifting sounds as any other. Favorites: The Wrong Way, Staring at the Sun, Dreams, King Eternal, Ambulance, Poppy, Don't Love You, Bomb Yourself.

Quite interesting. such a variation of styles, some of it (the drums especially) remind me of massive attack/trip hop kind of thing. I quite like a lot of the singing, some of the lyrics are quite creative. Some songs could have gone much harder though. I'm not sure if I can even pick out a best (or worst song). Overall around 7/10

One of the guys in this band is from the town next to mine. Saw him in the A&P once or twice, back when A&P was still a thing. Otherwise, solid early aughts indie, not sure I’d include it in my list of 1001 albums, but TV on the Radio stands well above a lot of the indie of that era to me.

At first I thought Dear Science was much superior but this album is so dense and original that it demands a second (or more) listening and no surprise it was much better the second time around. These guys have such a quirky and unique sound that it has to be acknowledged, kudos to them for pushing the envelope. I believe this is my final album on the 1,001 journey so I'm feeling a bit generous so I'm rounding this up to a 4.

This is the kind of album I'm here for! Music by musicians, not frauds chasing moneybags. Loved how bizarre this was, obviously a passion project - will tune in again

2.5

Definitely among the weirder bits of 2000's indie rock, and I appreciate that. Maybe the wooshy theatrical sound will grow on me.

Imagine if a barbershop quartet got deep into Sonic Youth and early 00s Radiohead, and you have a rough idea of what this sounds like. It's interesting - I feel like it would reward further listens - though I didn't bother then so I don't know that I will now. It's music I have a lot of respect for, but probably wouldn't buy.

Really cool sonic landscape, but not my vibe

1. the uurong uuay - 0 2. zun - 0 3. dreamz - 0 4. king eternal - 0 5. ambulance - 0 6. poppy - 0 7. dont love you - 0 8. bomb yourzelf - 0 9. uuear you out - 0 10. could be love - 0

One of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard

TV On The Radio! Yay! Oh man, I haven't listened to this album in... *checks last.fm stats* ...five whole weeks! Gosh, it's been such a long time since late February. This time I've got my tortoiseshell cat trying to stick her tail in my eye, so it's still technically a new experience, right? Anyway. My biggest disappointment is knowing that there's no more TV On The Radio left for me to review in this project. However, Tunde Adebimpe is releasing his first solo album in a couple of weeks, so I still have something to look forward to!

Delightfully weird, just what I didn’t know I was looking for

And I will be your one more time If you will be my one last chance

Essential listening in the early Noughties (or Aughts, however you want to call that era). Crossing musical bridges you didn't know existed and setting new standards for indie/art rock.

This band is its own thing soulful post punk insanity. Love it.

Really, really good.

Legendary album and so innovative. Great sounds, unexpected lyrics, vocals on point. This is one of the truly great ones.

When you begin an album with two verses like these, you're in for a ride ... Wake up in a magic nigga movie With the bright lights pointed at me As a metaphor Teachin' folks the score About patience, understanding, agape babe And sweet sweet amour When I realized where I was Did I stend up and testify Oh, fist up signify Or did I show off my soft shoe Maybe teach 'em a boogaloo Busy playing the whore I was not aware of their first album, 'Ok Calculator' until I saw this great overview of the band. Check it out if you get a chance ... https://youtu.be/lhlRHOxMNys Also, the Tiny Desk Concert will put you in a great mood ... https://www.npr.org/2024/11/26/g-s1-35036/tv-on-the-radio-tiny-desk-concert

One of the best indie albums from the 2000s. Changed they way I viewed and played music

Fantastic

Loved this. So much texture and interest

I'd heard "Staring at the Sun" on an Adam Freeland mix, but the rest of this was new to me. They're just so unique and this album is timeless. It's the aggression of rock with the instrumentation of jazz and all these searing harmonies. A band I should have paid more attention to at the time.

I used to think that this album was the weakest in TV On The Radio's collection. However, after giving it a few listens over the past day, I realized that I hadn't given it the time it deserved. From the opening track 'The Wrong Way,' through 'Staring At The Sun' to the magnificent 'Dreams', the album takes you on a textured dark journey through various sounds and genres, including acapella, industrial, indie, funk, progressive rock, and gospel, all anchored by deep, dark bass layers. It's an album that really opened up a whole new world and broadened my musical horizons when I first heard it, and I'm only now able to truly appreciate it.

Did this Album change my life? No. Did I have a good time? Absolutely! Is this the bare minimum to get 4-5 stars in this list? For me sadly yes.

Rousing tunes very enjoyable

Not only am I familiar with TV on the Radio as a post-punk and art-rock outfit, but I've already heard "Staring at the Sun" from their first EP Young Liars that shows up again here on this debut album. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes works effectively because the group took their dark and atonal sound and transformed it into a cohesive and melodically arranged set of tunes. It might take a bit to get going on the first minute of the opening track "The Wrong Way", but once the drums kick in, the band settles into their weird sonic pocket. There's a comforting feeling from Tunde Adebimpe's laid-back vocal delivery, which made the acapella track "Ambulance" and the third verse of "Poppy" personal highlights. Pairing that with the droning guitars, Martin Perna's saxophone work and minimalist drums resulted in an eclectic and hypnotic style, culminating in the crescendoing closer "Wear You Out" with the added flutes. This was an amazing debut from TV on the Radio. It's worth checking out if you're curious.

This was a two listen one for me. I just could not latch onto the music the first time. But with more focus on the second listen I was rewarded. This album is dark, deep, and somehow also upbeat. It's also very experimental which is something I can really appreciate. This is hovering somewhere between a 4 and 5 star for me. I'll bump it up to a 5 though because that last song as the outro (without the bonus tracks) was crazy.

I always dismissed this band because of the name. I have to say I was incorrect with my judgements. I'm on my 3rd listen and there are lots of strong tracks. The space left between the notes creates a great groove. The vocals are outstanding, it's like dueling Princes. Quality art rock.

TV On The Radio is a band I've dabbled with in the past and certainly a band that I'd like to get to know better. I see there's another album on this list that I haven't got to yet so I might give this the benefit of the doubt and bump it up to a 5. Fave: Staring at the Sun is great but there's so much more here to be uncovered.

Huh, I gave "Dear Science" only 3 stars and really struggled to connect with it. This album, on the other hand, immediately hits the spot. I guess I played it a few times in the late 2000's so the familiarity probably helps. Gonna revisit "Dear Science" to give it another chance, I think. Fave tracks - "Staring at the Sun" is an obvious choice - dig all the a capella biz on "Ambulance" too!

man TVOTR have one of the coolest original sounds on the planet freakin love these guys

I just really like it

polar opposite of the lcd album i gave a 1 star to..

very cool album, really enjoyed it a lot. Want to listen some more.

Never a bad time for TOTR.

Literally never heard of these guys in my life, but it’s like… very *very* good type of indie, got some good alt rock flavor of the time

These guys are pretty good. This album is fine

I don't know why I haven't heard of this album before!! This band is brand new to me.

Pretty interesting music, good variety. I'm into it.

A shock out of the gate moment of brilliance.

Kickass.

hat mir gut gefallen irgendwie idk

Very creative use of synths and vocals. Gosh, someone give Tunde a hug - this is about as bleak a record the 2000s had to offer.

Fantastic debut record really is a vibe. My only issue is some of the songs seem to be all build and need to just explode but sadly never do. Still in rotation and I just got the anniversary edition so it's not like those things bother me in the end

Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 🚘🛣️🔌 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🗺️👥💥 Rating: 📻📻📻📻/5

The second half was worse than the first half. I liked the other album more than this. It certainly is unique.

Starts really strong, but fades across the length of the record. An interesting sound and a good listen 👍

Good, not one of my favorites by them. Maybe needs another listen

Woooooow. What's this???? New acquisition

I think this would be 5 without that singer. Otherwise pretty innovative and impressive

This album still sounds so fresh. Vaguely psychedelic with no concern for stylistic limitations, it’s too melodic to be industrial but far too sparse to be shoegaze or synthpop. It really sounds like nothing else.

Love the vocal style and funky vibes

A nice surprise. Some creativity on display here. Lots of interesting sounds - a capella loops, fuzz bass, distortion. I'll be revisiting this one.

This one starts right off the bat with cryptic lyrics including a snarling take about the offensive cliché of so-called "magic n*ggers" in Hollywood movies, nicely setting up the universe of TV On The Radio -- a deconstruction of indie rock, post-punk, kraut/electronica and soul music tropes that actually sounded very close to Young Fathers long before the Scottish band picked up that particular thread. Just like them, and probably more famously, the New York City act saw its members having diverse backgrounds infuse transcendent African and African American influences to their elated vocals, soulfully performed by Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone. The result is very good, generally speaking, with quite a cohesive first side (thanks to abrasive opener "The Wrong Way", catchy "Staring At The Sun", driven "Dreams" and the subtle ode to sexual desire "King Eternal"). As good as that side is, a welcome change of pace occurs with "Ambulance" right in the middle of the tracklist -- good lord, what a love song, mostly supported by Lynchian Acapella Doo-wop vocals and a killer emotional chorus, something along the lines of "I will be your ambulance if you will be my accident". The rest of the album is a little hit-or-miss, but long triply closer "Wear You Out" easily reaches the heights of side one again. Minus point for the production and the overall sound of the album, though -- so paper-thin it unfortunately takes away the potential pleasure those compositions can offer to less delicate ears than mine. It's an issue that the band's own Dave Sitek would solve himself later by partly handling the production side of later LPs (maybe out of disappointment from this one?). Oh, and *Return To Cookie Mountain* is probably a better candidate for a list such as this anyway (better sound, as I said, but also more iconic songs and more memorable vocal lines -- "Wolf Like Me" is a gem, for instance). Not that *Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes* doesn't have its own assets, mind you. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums left to review: around thirty or twenty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book. Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 464 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 281 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 336

Dear Science will always be my goto TVOTR record, but this is a STRONG debut, especially as far as debuts go, for an experimental band like them, seems they found a voice early

8/10

Not for me. Listened to the first two songs and the consistent static sound throughout the songs isn’t working.

Solid album with a lot of good tracks. A good listen and listened again the next day.

I can't think how to articulate why at the moment, but I really liked this quite a bit.

The album started extremely strong, but lost me a little in the second half. Standout Tracks: - Staring at the Sun - Dreams

a potential 5 but ultimately a well deserved 4

Decent

This was wild. Very interesting and experimental. I really appreciate the fearlessness of their style. Not exactly radio ready. But some of this has got to be thrilling live.

Good music, terrible album name. Except for "You Could Be Love." That was bad.

I really like this album. Loved it when I first heard it 20 years ago. Staring at the Sun is a great song.

This was an interesting follow up to the White Denim album in that it took the experimental inclinations a step further and into stranger territory. My enthusiasm waned as the album played, it was challenging at times, but I appreciated the bold songwriting and arrangements and ideas. It may have dipped to a 3.5, but the exciting parts buoyed this to a 4.

Loved this!

Yeah, nice. Like a mild alt-j

I always want to like TV on the Radio a little more than I actually do. There’s just a bit too much that’s off-kilter or discordant. But it’s not like I dislike them. I like them quite a lot. But I think of them as a 5 until I actually try to listen to a full album. Then I get put off briefly multiple times through the listen, and get pulled back in just as many times with some brilliant stuff. While this debut album is a low 4, it’s “Return to Cookie Mountain” that actually gets closest to a 5.

The distortion on the opening track reminds me of The White Stripes. These guys bring a fresh, eclectic soundscape.

Good, but not as great as they'd become.

Always liked this, still sounds good 20 years on. Good album choice.

This is an album I might actually listen to! It's edgy and disconcerting, but I like it.

I really, really liked this. This is one of those bands that I overlooked when they first came out, but now I'm able to appreciate them. They are permanently going into my rotation.

4 - I like the sound and I have liked them in the past. I think it's maybe a bit toooooo rich? As in one or two songs are great individually but as an album I was waiting for it to end.