Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 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 untertaining, 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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

Never a bad time for TOTR.

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

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

I just really like it

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rousing tunes very enjoyable

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.

Quite liked this one. Worth a few more listens.

Fine pop music, in tradition of older NYC bands like Talking Heads but also seems to be inspired by e.g. Peter Gabriel and folky stuff. Liked the song Wear You Out best.

I love TV On the Radio! This is not my favourite album of theirs, but cool to learn it was their debut. Staring at the Sun is an awesome track.

I'm thirsty, babes. Get us some blood.

yeah, pretty good.

Love love

I was excited to see that these guys have another album on this list. I listened to quite a bit of their music after I got dear science but was still unfamiliar with this album. It wasn’t quite as good as the rest of their music but still sounded like their signature (if a little rougher) sound that I liked so much before. This album had a couple duds (especially the bonus tracks) throughout but songs like dreams outweighed them.

3.5 but want to come back to it

4.5

Very unique sound, lots of genres mashed together by a band that seems to have a lot of fun with it.

Decent, but I struggled to get enthused by it.

4.25

Finally something original on this list. It could have been somewhat more abrasive but overall very nice

A good listen, maybe not as high on my list as some of their other albums. Seem more low key to me.

I think this is a good record and a band with a new and unique sound. I’m not a huge fan although I do like a few songs. Feels 4ish regardless of whether I like it all that much.

Ooh, this is really interesting, on many levels, even if it’s not immediately “easy to love”. I think it could really grow on me. Based on a quick listen to all the first half and part-songs in the 2nd half, 3.5 rounded up to 4 to make sure I do come back to it!

Fun and quirky and deep and weird. Loved this from beginning to end! Never knew what the next track would be.

Very solid and promising, not quite as good as their next two

Sembla que és un dels discos que han caigut de la llista de ‘1001 imprescindibles’. Quina mala folla. És el gloriós segon disc d’una banda única i possiblement el seu millor moment, tot i que els dos posteriors s’hi acosten molt. Solvent, poderós, innovador i vigorós, temes com ‘Staring at the Sun’ o ‘Dreams’ es troben entre el millor de començaments del mil.leni

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Starting at the Sun, Ambulance

Hard

Never heard of them. Wasn't sure what to expect. Seems out of time. Amazing.

Previously had only listened to Dear Science by this band, this seemed more aggressively art-forward. It grew on me though and I ended up really liking it.

God "punk", 4/5. Lidt ala AM. You Could Be Love er for fed!

Reminded me of Doves but felt more interesting. 7/10

Some quite good songs on here! Didn't love all of them, but definitely a few added to my library :)

I liked this more than I thought I would.

So close to a 5 Gets better with every listen I will revisit this one from time to time. I love the vibe, it feels like they would add a different instrument or backing vocal at any point to make any song better, it felt risky and rewarding. I'll go 4/5 for now, but this one will likely grow on me

Never heard this album of theirs. It's a bit more raw and artsy than their other work but overall pretty similar to the sound I'd expect. Kind of a wash over me and nothing sticks out, but it's a 3.5 rounded up to 4.

I’m not super familiar with TV On The Radio, but I did like this album a lot! Maybe just because it felt like something different than the norm, but the brooding drones and alt-rock guitar really scratched an itch. “Staring at the Sun” was the standout (though I think I’ve heard it before) and “Bomb Yourself” felt like a cutting political take on the era, but every track flowed nicely together into a cohesive and unique sound. Hearing this album makes me want to explore the band more since this is just their debut.

Förvånansvärt bra. Jag är överraskad.

What's this? An album from the early 2000s that's good? I must be truly blessed this day. The album is really interesting. They go through a lot of different sounds and styles while still keeping it coherent. The production is excellent and gets great texture out of the music. This is one that I might have to pick up on vinyl if I can find it 4/5

This is a great debut album. The production is really solid for the vibe of the music. TV on the Radio was a really unique and cool band to come out of this early 2000s NYC wave of indie bands and I remember liking this album when it came out but it had been a little while since I had listened to it. I feel like this one is a solid 4/5 for me. I went back for additional listens throughout the day, which is always a good indicator for me that an album should be in the 4-5 star range. Standout Tracks: The Wrong Way, Staring at the Sun, King Eternal, Ambulance, Poppy, Wear You Out

Like they told Trent Reznor to re-do Downward Spiral, "but happier?" Also, take this saxophone. You'll know when to use it.

It's brooding and pensive, with many interesting effects – e.g., the harmonies on "Poppy" – that build slowly and deliberately, with a resonant meaningfulness seeming to accrue or agglomerate. Thus, it rewards patient listening. It's not quite Radiohead or Sonic Youth or The National, but certainly it's authentically Brooklyn-y and distinct. Plus, it sounds quite durable, like it will hold up quite well. Dear Science is a better record, however, a bit more accessible (if not quite danceable) and also a bit warmer and varied in tone.

I was introduced to TOTR my sophomore year of college by the indie girl I was dating. I was playing in grindcore bands at the time so this was a huge departure for me, but instantly fell in love with this album. Droning, dreamy, danceable, nostalgic.

Dug this, weird and confident

On ne peut pas dire que cet album est monotone. Ça mélange beaucoup d'influences et les sons qu'on entend sont très variés. Il faudrait que je réécoute car je n'était pas assez concentré pour complètement apprécié ce qui jouait, mais clairement ils ont servi d'influence pour beaucoup de bands expérimentaux qui ont suivi. 8/10

Ne ressemble à rien d’autre. J’aime beaucoup l’utilisation des voix et les tentatives de créer de l’originalité.

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.

The start, with the saxophone followed by distorted bass and vocals sends a message that this isn’t going to be an ordinary album. The songs are dark and minimalist, a blend of progressive soul, Tom Waits/Doctor John plodding rhythms, underground electronic with almost non-existent drums. Right from their debut, TV on the Radio decided they weren’t going to be conventional. I’m on the fence about the acapella, doo-woppy songs, but I’ll give them kudos for trying it out. Nearly a 5 for me.

I joined the 1001 hoping to get exposure to bands like this. I though their Dear Science album was better but this one is also good

Creative, seethingly intense, with an undercurrent of darkness. Really fantastic work. Fave Songs: Dreams, Staring at the Sun, Poppy, The Wrong Way, Ambulance, Don't Love You

Love the production on this. Instrumentation is awesome, fun sounds with a combo of harsh low synthy guitar and more dreamy other sounds. Not sure how well these songs sound as singles, but they feel great in an album context. Not sure I could listen outside of that context however. Light 4 stars.

It's actually crazy how much I hated this album based on the first couple of tracks. I was distracted listening to it and it was getting only part of my attention - but wow. I'm so glad I didn't give up on it. This is a brilliant album and one of my favourites so far. I can't believe how much my opinion changed in so little time.

One of my favorite bands but not my favorite album. Definitely a good album though. Underrated

I’ve never really listened to TV on the Radio. It was weird. It hit me juuuuuust right.

TV On the Radio are probably my favorite of the early 2000s NYC rock bands. This album is great but is almost completely overshadowed by the follow up. I will be shocked and sad if that one isn’t on the list.

In a good way, this album is all over the place. Some of the songs don’t hit as hard as I thought it would, but the album is somewhat lush in good parts. The opener “The Wrong Way” starts off with an unexpected expletive but slowly drifts into a saxophone and bass collision with drums that slowly progress in somewhat intensity. Despite that, “Bomb Yourself” is just political. It’s not too political, but it is political. I guess this 20 year old album deserves an 82.2% or 4.11/5. Favs: “Dreams”, “Staring At The Sun” Least Fav: “Bomb Yourself”

Bit rougher than their peak albums, but still great

I had always liked them, then 2 summers ago my cousin blasted it on the beach in Michigan as my gummy was hitting perfect. Did a deep dive after that. Good stuff. You can certainly hear New York in it. Not nearly as good as My Morning Jacket for that kind of thing, but then again who is?

Big fan of Dear Science, though I see that's to come, and this is no longer in the book. Beyond that record I've only dipped my toe into TV's catalogue. First track definitely intriguing, it takes me a minute or so to recognise beyond that thudding baseline and the stabs of brass that there's no actual guitar here. I enjoyed Dreams way of hooking you in a low key way on its journey. They're everywhere. Best track so far. The a capella Ambulance brings a change of pace for sure, I'm not 100% sure it's welcome, first song that seems to drag a bit at 5 minutes of dum dum dum dum.. Would have been absolutely fine with 3 minutes of that cheers lads. Wait. What are you doing? More dum de dum in the next track! Stop this! Stop this madness now. I enjoyed the way the song builds back up from that, but I'm not keen on the abruptness of it in the first place. Then it almost turns into U2. Could do better. This is generally far more minimalist than Dear Science, but there's still plenty of hooks so I wouldn't call it inaccessible. Guitars are often present, but never at the forefront, adding to a musical collage. I like their sound. I am pleased they dropped the dum de dum for the far less intrusive ba ba ba ba ba. If I'm honest, I don't think this really picks back up after it crashed to a halt half way through. "let's break it down" they sing ironically in the last track proper.

Man... Pixies by theater kids is such a perfect description of this band. It's a fun sound to lean into but the album gets long by the end. For as much variation as they have in instrumentation and genre, the whole thing drones and eventually becomes a samey soup. I did enjoy it more than I expected though. Looking forward to Dear Scientist which I think is also on this list.

An interesting listen. Not a band I'd listened to before, but intriguing enough for me to want to hear more of their music. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

I liked this album a lot. It's much nicer than I thought it was possible based on the description and Wikipedia page. So many styles are encapsulated inside the same album that it becomes hard to analyze them thoroughly. It's better than the "Dear Science" album from the band (released later, but that I got on the 1001 list before).

I enjoyed it.

I don’t really like TV on the Radio as a whole, so was pleasantly surprised by this album.

I haven't listened to this album for ages, but it's actually one of the CDs in my collection. I enjoyed rediscovering it.

It sounded so different to what was on the radio at the time!

4/5. I dig the experimentation and the art rock, normally it sounds pretentious but this one sounds fun and curious seeing if sounds work. Although not all songs work, the album in general has a vibe of youthful experience. Not sure how old these guys are but it's unique for sure. It's a well made album with a sense of dread and creativity that doesn't become as pretentious as it should be.

After an initial listen I was struck by some of the vocal layering on this album. The music is post-punk inspired going into grunge with some electronic and chamber pop influences thrown in. There is enough variation on this album to stay interesting but I think I need another listen through to give an accurate rating.