Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

This is exciting music. Unfortunately, their live performance in Berlin this year was really bad.

i adore tv on the radio

Didn’t get to listen to much but it was good.

Very forgettable for me

Agree with Frank, great concert and brought a lot of energy, which is 90% of the battle of a live show. That said, the energy might be crucial for these songs because on the album it sounds like a bit of a drag. Style points for sure, unique sound, unique vocal layering etc.

Sean and I went to see these guys a few weeks ago and it was one of the better concerts I’ve been to in the last few years. I’d thought they were nerdy hipsters but the frontman really put on a show. Of recent albums we’ve heard, I hear a lot of similarities to the pixies and Siouxie Sioux this time through, mixing melody with dissonance with a sort of coldness that draws you in at times but distances at others. Big beats and heavy bass give the atonal noise the structure it needs, though it gets a little repetitive over the course of a full album. Dreams, poppy and staring at the sun are highlights. Between 3 and 4 but bumping them up for being the best and longest lasting of the NY hipster era and for rocking hard live.

Never heard of this and Im digging some of it. Staring At The Sun was great. You Could Be Love sounded like inspiration for Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Bomb Yourself was cool. I didnt love the a capella things they were trying in Ambulance and Poppy. One of those things thats cool for a minute and annoying after 4. Somewhere at the 2.5 stars mark

not really my thing. i really don’t like that post punk-white stripes vocal effect thing they do. some cool music here and there but overall not my favorite

Another album I really thought I would like more. I really respect the unique sound of TV On The Radio, but a lot of the songs on this record felt so monotonous. Best Track: Staring at the Sun

3.5

I love TV on the radio. I realized I love the NEXT album though and had to play that right after listening to this. I think there's a lot of good things happening here, but they really coalesced in the next album. Good nor great

Kinda pretentious, but also quite interesting. Can't say I was emotionally hooked or anything, but I appreciated the diverse range of sounds.

Haven't heard their music before. It had something intriguing about it at the beginning but then it became quite boring 2/5

Previously only really familiar with TV on the Radio through the excellent use of their track DMZ on Breaking Bad. Enjoyed checking this album out. Not entirely accessible with lots of eery sounds and blended genres, including an accapella track in Ambulance. This produces a dark and quite heavy sound, which I really enjoyed immersing myself in. 7/10

I didn't really get on with this.

Started okayish but honestly got really bad halfway

I am getting a little Rainbow Kitten Surprise, just more experimental.

Interesting. Hadn’t heard of them before. Not terrible.

All the 2004 albums on this list suck

This was solid, nothing crazy for me. Although I really enjoyed the demo tracks at the end

This is tough and cool and different and interesting, song after song. One wasn't ready for this when it came out in early aughts (from one's Brooklyn neighbor, as it happens) but man has it aged well. Not sure it shoulda been exed but Dear Science is a superior album. These cats (seems appropriate to call them such) were determined to do it differently and succeed. Adebimpe's voice is certainly unique, too.

Enjoyable indie rock album, the vocal harmonies sounds great.

Just a damn good album. The production is incredibly 2004 though.

also quasi super un/hörbar. schwieriges unterfangen das album von A-Z zu hören.

Schwierig, dieser Art Rock. Zwischen super bis nicht hörbar.

Hmm. Staring at the Sun is a great song, but a lot of this is pretty slow and a bit repetitive. But it’s not a sound I mind at all. Just shy of a 4.

Probably didn't spend enough time with this one. Very hard to categorize. Fine, off center indie music but I don't think it has broad appeal.

Never heard this before. Perhaps unsurprisingly I liked the second jammier half of this album a lot more than the first half. When they just let the music breath it was a lot easier for me to find my way in.

Haven't come across this band before. Interesting combination of sounds.

I honestly can’t tell the difference between these guys and the xx. It’s pretty obnoxious music.

Quirky. Every song feels different

Other worldly.

2.5 - very unique album but that’s a double edged sword. Some was good and some was bad

It was just okay nothing really grabbed me but nothing about it turned me away.

On first listen I was absolutely floored by this album. It was a great, experimental, rock, gospel type of crossover. On subsequent listens I realized that the second half of the album (Poppy onward) is really just OK. Came out on top though. 3.8/5 - 4/5

Cool album. Enjoyed the moody, gritty vibe and vocals. The more I listened to it the more I liked it. Favorites: Staring at the Sun, Poppy

Guitar distortion, multiple voice tracks, shoegaze "Don't Love You" Very rich sounds coming from everywhere, but feels dull Love the voice texture, softness "Wear You Out" good instrumental "You Could Be Love" good closing track

meh didn’t finish

je vois le potentiel mais manquait un ptit truc

there were parts of this album that were more engaging to me than the last one, but I still didn't fully love it. some of the instrumentation I was a big fan of, bass on 'king eternal', synth on 'don't love you', guitar on 'poppy'. think they're just not fully for me!

Was ok until that really shrill shite at the end

I really enjoyed this, I’d never heard of the band before I will explore more of their albums

Will never ever put this album on again

+-

This album is pretty unique and varied, but despite that, I can't say I enjoyed it that much. it's too calm and a bit too monotonous for my liking, and it didn't feel like it was building up towards anything. I definitely didn't hate it, and the amount of variety and interesting ideas kept me somewhat interested, but I can't say I would be interested to hear something similar to this.

Quite enjoyed its broody atmosphere and some cool moments and I don't mind the experimentation but overall I just found myself running out of patience. Especially knowing now that their later work would be so much tighter, more immediate and just plain better.

I liked about half of this a lot, but some of the ideas lingered just a bit too long and grew annoying. Probably going to go with 3 stars.

TV On The Radio has so many better albums than this, but I can dig it.

I was excited when we got this album because I’ve heard two of their records I really enjoy. I did not really enjoy this. Listen to Seeds or their debut album, this is not a good representation of the band

This one snuck up on me. I really wasn’t feeling the first few songs.”King Eternal” was different enough to bring my attention back and from that point on I got sucked in. Wear You Out is a good tune. Overall not bad, they do have their own vibe.

? hahah echt kurz gegengecheckt ob noch was anderes im Hintergrund paralel läuft..naja bisher größte Morgenherausforderung. nie von gehört. c

Interesting sound. The album takes a couple songs to pick up, but I started to get into it. I really liked when the band leaned into the industrial/electronic. There are a lot of genres mashed into their sound; you'll have some like alt-rock/electronic/doo-wop a capella all in one track. I wasn't super impressed with the drum machines. Wish they had gone a little more complex with the beats, as they are a bit tedious. Same with the vocals. They were often times all over the place and very discordant in places, I assume purposefully, but I didn't dig it. Standouts were "Dreams" and "Poppy." Overall, neat sound but the album didn't really hold my attention the whole way through. The vocals kind of sound the same on every track so it gets a bit boring coming down the homestretch of the album. I didn't vibe with it as much as I wish I could have because I think there's something really cool here. I like the unique-ness of it, and didn't love it but didn't hate it, so 3/5 for me. P.S. I could have done without the bonus track "You Could Be Love" - holy God whoever chose to include that on an album should not be taken seriously. Almost lost a star for that track alone.

Hace MUCHO que no escuchaba este álbum. A priori pensaba ponerle 3 estrellas. Siempre lo vi como inferior a Return to Cookie mountain y Dear Science, mis favoritos de la banda. Pero después lo volví a escuchar y nah, son todos temazos. Está bueno esto de revisitar discos que hace mucho que no escuchaba. Dear Science (y lo que hicieron después) son trabajos más catchy que retienen un poco de la locura que la tenían; Return parece el mix perfecto entre melodía y locura, pero este disco lo recordaba como demasiado experimental. Bobadas: el disco mola. La canción que recordaba del disco es el que, creo, fue el single, Staring at the Sun (que es una regrabación; el tema ya estaba en el EP que habían sacado uno o dos años antes), pero hay varios otros que ahora estoy redescubriendo. Escuchen Poppy, por Dios, una amalgama rarísima pero maravillosa entre unos coros a capella, una percusión africana y una guitarra drone que distorsiona como loca: la combinación de estas cosas parecería a priori una porquería pero no lo es: "es un TEMAZO" decreta Luis XIV. Y yo coincido con él. Otro es Wear You Out, la canción más larga del disco, un temazo que arranca siendo un temazo lento pero con un patrón rítmico bastante inusual, y es una de esas canciones que son lentas pero que sabés, olés, intuís que va a venir un in crescendo, y el in crescendo viene y "es increíble" dice Iván el Terrible mientras toca la balalaika, y yo coincido. Este temazo tiene una de las mejores apariciones de instrumentos de viento (saxofones y flautas) del disco. El otro que tiene unos vientos que me hacen caer del culo es el primer tema "The Wrong Way", otra canción del disco que recordaba. Es rarísimo este tema pero está buenísimo. Es una especie de mezcla entre Roxy Music y Radiohead. Espectacular. "Dreams" es otro temazo, una especie de dance punk atípico. Con "Staring at the Sun" es la otra que tiene alguna vibra de sencillo del disco. Y "Ambulance" también me gusta mucho. Sí me parece que el disco se queda sin gas para el final: Don't Love You y Bomb Yourself se asemejan a ese recuerdo que tenía de la banda. Tienen sus cosas, eh. Bomb Yourself por ejemplo tiene patrones de batería y guitarra atrevidos que aparecen y desaparecen sin pedir permiso. Pero no me convencen como canciones, sino que los considero más bien experimentos. En fin, cuatro estrellas.

Familiar with Staring At the Sun, and I like a few of their songs (like Killer Crane from 2011), but just not a big fan.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is indie rock, but it's pretty weird. The acapella elements and the use of non-standard instruments are interesting to hear. There's a little too much dissonance in the sound for my liking, however. I am glad to have heard it once, but I doubt I would listen to it again.

meh

Listened to the first two songs... it was neat! I liked it okay?

I listened to this a lot twenty years ago. I loved it then, but it feels a bit too arty-farty for me now. Great tracks on this: Staring At The Sun and Ambulance.

perus

I enjoyed listening to this debut album by TV On The Radio! This album seemed more artsy and out of the box than most indie rock albums I’ve listened to which I liked. Overall, I liked this album and would give it another listen in the future!

True friends would warn their friends that this album sucked.

Wow. Second try for TV on the Radio. This time it clicked, I gave the songs the time to develop and it was amazing. A wild mixture of Indie, Soul, Post-Rock, A Capella...you name it. It goes together so well. Fav: Dreams

It's fine. They are competent and there are some good ideas. Still nothing very memorable. They probably did not need two albums on this list.

Well, it's weirder and more experimental than I expected, I'll give it that. I don't really know what I expected, I never listened to this band and know fucking nothing about them, because I figured it was just some throwaway 2000s hipster alt rock. And it is 2000s hipster alt rock, but I didn't expect how noisy and jazzy and post-punky (and not just in a Strokes way) it is. So, respect for that. The vocals are kind of annoying, they're doing that White Stripes style of vocals that I don't know how to describe other than it reminding me of Jack Black in School Of Rock, like annoying falsetto but also not really belting out or trying that hard to sing either, but it's fine. The band is great. Would've been even better with some cooler vocals, but... yeah this still rocks.

I wasn't a fan of this album in college, though the album was very well liked by others. I still find myself largely uninterested in the album, but I think the first two tracks give the album a lot of hope, but I don't vibe with most of it. I chose those two tracks for the playlist, but I doubt I'll be back to explore this album more in the future.

Started off badly, the first song is discordant and a lot of noise. After 3-4 songs it got better, for a while, then dipped again. I'd describe it as erratic. The mix of sound is epic but I prefer songs with more structure. It felt like a ramble rather than coherent songs. Ambulance is a bit dull again because of the rambly, unstructured nature of it. I can deal with the acapella but it was repetitive. Staring at the Sun is the only song with real development, although it was still droney Was prepared to give it a 3 since it's just not my jam, but then You Could Be Loved split my eardrums. The song is a powerful idea but the vocal is awful. Are people impersonating sheep at the end?

Falsetto was annoying. Instrumentals were pretty interesting, I guess

It's kinda moody, experimental synth rock. It's grew on me track by track as I listened through the album. The falsetto harmonies are kind of goofy though. They threw away a lot of the goodwill they had built up with the ridiculous ending of the final track "You Could Be Loved" which was sounding pretty good, right up until the part where they all started shrieking in a warbly "EeeeeeeeEEEEEEeeeeEEEEEeeeee!" noise over and over, while rattling sleighbells and other things. Did they think that was clever, or funny? I can't get my head around it. I gather this track was not included on the initial CD release, if so, maybe I should have excluded it and then I may have a higher opinion of the album as a whole. There are some interesting things going on here but I don't think I will be coming back to it. There's just not enough here to grab me.

Up through track 4 this felt like a "why is this on here?" kind of album but then with "Ambulance" it started to present a more interesting and unique sound. I think I liked a few other tracks in the back half too. So it got better, but I'm not surprised to see it got dropped from later editions of the 1,001 book.

I had never heard of this outfit before. Loved this.

It's almost a great album. The guitars are excellent. I really enjoy a lot of rock that came out in the 2000s, and this album, specifically the guitars, is drenched in the 00s rock sound. What I'm having a harder time with is the a cappalla parts. They just don't sound all that good to me. On top of that, I'm also not a fan of drum machines. It's a really solid album, and an interesting listen! I think it's worth listening to, but there's enough negatives for me personally, that I really didn't enjoy it all that much, and it ends up as an album that I just wish I liked more. Favorite Song(s): Dreams

Holy mother of Scott Walker and the 7 heavenly Bjorks... an indie rock album that doesn't gargle balls, but gargles melodies instead! Sign me the fuck up, and keep the engine running!

It’s as though most of their time and energy goes into designing and programming sonic pallettes. The musical ideas buried in these elaborately constructed soundscapes are occasionally interesting but underdeveloped and overly-repetitive. What's more there is minimal to no harmonic progression. To create an interesting listening experience from modal exploration requires extraordinary musicianship. These guys may be note-worthy as sound architects or computer programmers; but they don't evidence any noteworthy musicianship on these tracks.

I know the song Wolf Like Me (not on this album) but beyond that, I was mostly unfamiliar with this band. Pretty interesting stuff. One of the singers has a voice similar to Peter Gabriel. Anyway, I could see me checking out more TV On the Radio in the future. 3.5/5 #170

I was expecting Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes to be good but I'm still impressed. I've never heard of this album or this band prior to doing this project but i was still expecting it to be indie rock by going off this band's name. And my observation was pretty dead on. This really gives me vibes of David Bowie's Low with it's weirdness but still has a twinge of indie rock. And i love it for that, The music is wonderfully weird yet can still be beautiful and relaxing and i also really like the songs that had acapella in them. I also think that the vocals work well here even if they wouldn't work well every where. I can't think of a single complaint here, this album gets full marks. Best Song: Ambulance Worst Song: Don't Love You

2.5? Annoyed me

Never really listened to them but I should have, they're pretty cool Will I listen to again: 91%

I was already aware of this album and had listened to years before when they toured with Nine Inch Nails in 2005. While I appreciate the experimental nature of the band the only track that truly resonated then and now is "Dreams". Other songs drew more tepid response than my first time around. Like the doo wop "Ambulance"; a creepy sort of love song. Or the creepy sex bomb freejazz pop track "Wear You Out". The album seems like every song is a different genre smash of one sort or another. It is impressive from a performance perspective, but this also means that while it is likely that someone will find one song that suits some of their genre inclinations they will likely be a tad frustrated with the rest of the album. The composition genre smashes often feel forced. They don't feel like the organic earworms that arrived in our ears mysteriously from elsewhere;the way that the great songs always feel like. Also, just for me anyway, Tunde Adebimpe's falsetto begins to grate after while, or in particular on "You Could Be Love". An interesting above average album to be sure, but I am not convinced that it is an all time album that should be required listening on a list like this.

Вообще интересно, что-то необычное, смесь жанров

The awkward falsetto is the star of the show.

Dreadful name for a band and album title. Nearly every song starts with feedback. Sub fall pap. Not worth even a moment of your time.

sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit

some really good songs on here, pretty generic early 2000s alt rock but it's nice. Fave song: Staring at the Sun

Good but kind of generic. Favourite Song: Wear You Out Honourable Mention: Staring at the Sun

i gave this a 4 but after re listening i think i over rated it

I don’t like this band

Started slow keeps getting better

Messy, disjointed, bold, visionary, all the sides of the same coin. It's a unique blend of post-punk and soulful electronica, a raw and worthwhile listen.

This album was a cry for help.

Musically this was kinda cool but it’s pretty much ruined by the dumbass vocals

Другий альбом гурту тут. Цей сподобався набагато більше. Мені здається, Young Fathers багато слухали цей гурт. Класні гармонії вокальні фальцетом. Йому, можливо, трохи не вистачає хітів, десь пісні трохи перевантажені хронометражем. Але зараз не виникає питань "чому тут є цей альбом"

Цей альбом ретроспективно мені подобається сильно більше ніж dear science. Don't love you дуже клас. Загалом десь на 3.5.

I’ve been a fan of this album since it came out. I own it on multiple formats. How did I NEVER notice the “Babes” in the title??!? I always thought “Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty” was such a cool title…. What a disappointing day this has been.

7/10 Not entirely my thing, but big credit for being something different. A pretty unexpected start with a jazz-industrial—gospel-rock opener, settled down somewhat after that but still played around with a lot of genres. Many songs really focused on the rhythm in a nice “wall of sound” kind of way - the kick drum sounds great on this album. Best: Dreams

enjoyable but forgettable

Repetitive riffs, vibe-ruining a capella breakdowns, and also pretentious. There was a lot of hype around this band back in the day and I never really got it, but I thought it was I never really gave them a chance. Well, I just did, and it didn't change my mind.

The two best were 'Ambulance' and 'Poppy' and everything else is mediocre but certainly not bad and it does have its own weird charm

What on earth? 🤦🏻‍♂️ The latest in a long line of painfully 'inclusive' albums. Please could we have something by The Stones, The Beatles, The Jam (or Weller solo), Springsteen, Blondie, Billy Joel, Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Pulp, Squeeze, Dusty Springfield, Elvis Presley, Level 42, Oasis, Carly Simon, The Sex Pistols, Miley Cyrus, Dire Straits, The Killers, Nina Simone, Cream, The Ramones, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Roy Orbison, George Michael, The Carpenters, Sam Cooke, Elvis Costello, Smokey Robinson, The Specials, Tom Petty, The Lightning Seeds, The Housemartins, The Eagles, The Fratellis, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Berry, Diana Ross, REM, Neil Diamond, Radiohead, Mott The Hoople, Buddy Holly, T Rex, Boston, The Four Tops, Joan Jett, Talking Heads, Happy Mondays, Joan Armatrading, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Patti Smith, Heart, Fats Domino, The Cars, Coldplay, Led Zep, Tina Turner, The Strokes, Roxy Music, Gladys Knight, Foo Fighters, Beautiful South, Slade, The Who, Crowded House, Bob Dylan, The Faces, Pink Floyd, Kylie yes Kylie, Dr Feelgood, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy, 10cc, Bob Marley, Joy Division, The Stranglers, Queen, Peter Frampton, The Isley Brothers, The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ABBA, Spandau Ballet, Beyonce, Genesis, The Beastie Boys, Neil Young, Dionne Warwick, The Pet Shop Boys, The Pretenders, Blur, The Velvet Underground, Taylor Swift, AC/DC, The Byrds, Robbie Williams, Carole King, Madness, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, The Human League, Simon and/or Garfunkel, ELO, Bob Seger, Janis Joplin, The Clash, Taylor Swift, The Doors, Adele, The Beach Boys or Elton John next. Or Ed Sheeran or the Spice Girls even. Is this really too much to ask? Come on, you can do better than this. Many thanks.

Pleasantly grimy fuzz.

Inoffensive but uninspiring. In places, it was almost reminiscent of other work from the time, at a reach it was almost giving Bon Iver in places, except...without ANY of the feeling or musicality. There's loads of cool stuff from this era and once again we're served something inexplicable in its place.

Pretty good

Like an eclectic underground concert.

Full disclosure, I like TVOTR and this is a great album, but I'm not sure if I believe it should be on this list. It would also appear that the authors of the official list agree as they've removed it to make way for something else. I'm giving it a 4 out of 5 because of my personal enjoyment of this album, but it would probably be a 3 in the context of this list.

Weird

noise

#674. This is just a bit pretentious and uninteresting. 2/5: yawn

Bad

I really wanted to enjoy this more as they're very much on the 'bands I'll probably like' list. A strong start but feel like it dropped off

This just didn't do anything for me. I know people rave about them but I didn't get it.

Definitely not their best but there are some great songs on here

Feel like TVOTR are heavily underrated. Great album with some leftfield sounds and Staring at the Sun is an all timer.

Total radomness with a side of unnecessary distortion. This was uninteresting and there wasn't a single hook to anything that I listened to.

Tv on the radio is one of those peripheral bands for me. I know *of* them and have heard songs on playlists, but never sat through full albums. I like it a lot. 2000s alternative is one of my fav genres. Moody and catchy. Staring At the Sun and Ambulance were my favorite tracks off this.

For me this was a fine album but nothing to get too excited about. Another middle of the road alt rock album.

I didn't really enjoy it, not my taste.

One of my favorite albums of the early 2000’s. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Received this album and checked out Wikipedia. OK… seemed to leave a pretty small footprint on the world. I wasn’t very hopeful at this point. (1001 and I don’t always agree on deep cuts.) However…. I really enjoyed the sound and the groove of this album. It was a pleasant surprise. Not sure what else to say.

This is one of the niche albums that is very interesting to listen to, but not sure where the go next. There is a fine line between art and ambience. They walk the tightrope well, but if they fell, I am not sure I would notice.

When we were 18 or 19 we went down to Gracetown. Boot full of beers, BBQ supplies, snacks and weed. We spent a day on the beach playing cricket and listening to music, TV On The Radio among the bands on rotation (alongside Vampire Weekend, about whom I shared some extreme and entirely justifiable opinions that long weekend). Later that day, having repaired to our prefab unit for some FIFA lounge mode and to smoke some weed, we introduced a range of lore to the group: stonebag, Satan the insect that rides dolphins, daft things like that. And as night fell and the speakers ran out of battery, we flicked through the channels on the old 17” portable hanging from a wall bracket to find something to listen to. “We’ve been listening to TV On The Radio all day, and now we’re listening to radio on the TV.” The way I remember it, it brought the house down. Who cares. Great days.

Intriguing, multi-layered experimental rock that is at times scary, joyful, weird, and cerebral. I remember seeing this band on The Colbert Report around the time this came out and was blown away, as there wasn't much interesting alternative rock coming out at the time - mostly pop masquerading as rock, mostly British. Very cool, needs multiple listens.

2.22

TV on the Radio has a unique sound. Funky and future-forward.

I and 1/2 songs in and thought this was going to be a struggle but seemed to click and was an interesting listen. Not sure would go looking for it but definitely glad have heard. 3.5 Stars

Well that was mostly irritating. Didn't completely hated it but it did not want me to listen to it ever again nor to anything else this band has made.

Was ok Some interesting arrangements and tones but found myself wandering near the end

great

cool album cover.

Could not get into it.

Just not my cuppa tea, to be honest. I appreciate the skill invovled, but... eh, not for me.

J’ai attendu tout l’album que ça parte avec un peu de folie C’est pas arrivé Pour moi c’est non même si pas nul

This guy desperately wants to be Beck, but doesn't have the ear to pull it off. He sings mostly in off-key falsetto, and the background sound is primarily a criminally distorted guitar. And the lyrics are what a person of average intelligence write to seem smarter. Noisy and nonsensical.

Couldn't even finish it....

I didn’t get into this in 2004, but, gosh, I should’ve. What a distinct, fresh sound. Experimental. Listenable from beginning to end, but the album starts off really strong with “The Wrong Way” and “Staring at the Sun.” I loved/appreciated so many of the lyrics—even on these first listens (e.g., in Ambulance, “I will be your one more time if you will be my one last chance”). Highly recommended.

I’d heard of TV On The Radio before I started this project, but I’d never listened to them before. I want to say that I reviewed Dear Science earlier this year (nope, apparently it was October of last year), and I was completely blown away by it. I’ve been looking forward to reviewing this album ever since that day, and my time has finally come! Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was fine, but it fell short of the high hopes I had for it. Overall, the album sounded good, and I liked the sound that TV On The Radio utilized across the course of the album. However, very few songs really grabbed my attention, and I found myself really longing for the complex melodies of Dear Science. I really try to approach each album without consideration for the artist’s other works, but I couldn’t help but have the thought that DYBTB felt a little bare in comparison to Dear Science. It’s not that this album was bad, but it just left me wanting more from its sound. However, there were some songs that stood out to me: -I Really enjoyed "Staring at the sun." The vocals were awesome, and I loved the pulsing of the looped sounds. The claps that came in towards the end were really cool too, and even though they were only a small part of the song, it left me wanting more of this song as a whole. -"Dreams" was really good too, and the screeching looped sound added a lot to the overall sound of the song. -“Poppy” was my favorite song on the album, mostly because it felt like it foreshadowed the sound of Dear Science. The guitar playing was excellent, and the vocal fills kicked ass too. Even though I was a bit underwhelmed by this album, it certainly won’t dissuade me from checking out more of TV On The Radio’s discography.

I love TVOTR but this album just doesn’t see them at their peak. This is a solid, somewhat experimental album from a promising Brooklyn band with some unique influences.

Never listened to them but they are quite cool! Not fitting in any category but lot of groove and nice melodies.

J'aime pas les voix funky. I'm sorry

Def liked Dear Science better. Still not bad. Great writing.

Un estilo nuevo, no me lo esperaba para nada. Me ha gustado que sea el primero porque me ha sorprendido mucho y me ha enganchado a querer continuar. Una mezcla de sonidos muy interesantes, a veces independientes entre sí y que es curioso ver como es capaz de crear música con ellos. Me han gustado dos canciones que he agregado a listas de spotify. Así que salgo satisfecha de esta experiencia musical. Le doy solo tres estrellas porque en general no estoy acostumbrada a este estilo y las emociones sentidas me hacen dar esta nota.

Such a great find, enjoyed every bit of it

Early 2000s alternative rock should be right in my comfort zone, but this didn't really click with me. Maybe it was a bit too weird or experimental. A couple songs strayed very close to being likable, but not enough to make me enjoy the album.

Seems like the kind of music cool people listen to. I also quite enjoyed it to be fair. Not sure how I'd describe it but experimental indie pop?

"Staring at the Sun" was good

really liked this! def gonna listen to it more.

Decent. Except the bonus track. Ew.

This was a just miss for me. Tried twice but both times ended up being tired of it before it was done. Alternative sound is cool; the prog art rock additive not so much.

This was better than I expected as I thought they were just some indie punks or darlings that got a little attention then disappeared. But apparently they made more than a couple of albums and have somewhat of a following. I always appreciate it when people take chances and do experimental things as long as they keep some sort of melodic or memorable beat/riff/motif or something. Avant garde is good, but weird for the sake of weird is a usually waste. This is on that thin line for me. Most of it is listenable and interesting. Some cool bass bits and harmonizing. (But even that goes a little off-key sometimes.) "Ambulance" is annoying. It would be OK if the background people did a bit more, but it's just a horrendous roundabout that drives me bats. This is the most common problem on this album: they find a sound and just overdo it repeatedly. While a lot of it is fun or different, there's almost always one bit that is overdone. Most songs have a drone and it's OK when this is background music. But as an active listener, really looking for interesting bits and bobs, the drone somehow becomes more apparent and distracts. So, it's ok, but I don't think I'd ever just pull it up for a spin.

Oh this is good. Interesting, innovative, listenable, and a bit of brass in the opening track.

This was a weird, and slightly off-putting album. Might be worth a second listen after a bowl or two.

Not for me

The wrong way acaba como el despertador de Bob esponja

The falsetto highkey pissing me off td. Prolly need more listens to this to get, but rn i'd give it a 3.

if you told me this was 100% improvised on the spot I would believe you 2.5

Definitely something I wouldn't choose to listen to in the future. Hard pass on the hard synth.

It was fine but I like their later albums much more

I wasn't a fan of this one. The vocals I found annoying and the instrumentals weren't anything special. It didn't work for me

Not bad. A bit to artsy for me

The instrumentals and song concepts were cool. I think Bob Ivor took some influence from this band. Overall not bad. But not overly memorable.

Started out as indie music and then devolved into Experimental nothingness.

Good but nothing grabbed me

## In-Depth Review: TV On The Radio - *Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes* (2004) **Lyrics:** Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone deliver dense, poetic, and often abstract lyrics grappling with existential dread, societal decay, love, alienation, and fleeting hope. Themes of urban isolation ("The Wrong Way"), spiritual searching ("Wear You Out"), and political disillusionment ("Bomb Yourself") are rendered with visceral imagery ("Dreams are nothing more than violent movies") and raw vulnerability ("Could you be the one for me?" - "Ambulance"). The lyrics avoid easy answers, favoring evocative questions and unsettling observations. **Pros:** Intellectually stimulating, emotionally resonant, uniquely poetic. **Cons:** Can be intentionally obscure, demanding close attention. **Music:** A groundbreaking fusion of art-rock, post-punk, doo-wop, electronic experimentation, and soul. Jarring dissonance meets soaring harmonies. Taut, distorted basslines (Gerald Smith) and frantic, often unconventional drumming (Jaleel Bunton) provide a chaotic foundation. Screeching, feedback-laden guitars (Malone, David Sitek) clash with melancholy piano and synth textures. The defining element is the vocal interplay: Adebimpe's soulful baritone and Malone's ethereal falsetto weave complex harmonies, shifting from tender whispers to desperate shouts. Tracks range from the explosive punk energy of "Poppy" to the haunting a cappella of "Ambulance" and the hypnotic drone of "Wear You Out." **Pros:** Fiercely original, sonically adventurous, dynamic range. **Cons:** Deliberate abrasiveness can be challenging; rhythmic complexity occasionally feels disjointed. **Production (Dave Sitek):** Sitek's production is integral to the album's identity. It's raw, claustrophobic, and purposefully unpolished. He emphasizes texture and atmosphere: layers of distortion, found sounds, room ambience, and vocal treatments create a dense, often unsettling soundscape. The mix often buries traditional elements (like clear drum hits) to prioritize mood and vocal interplay. It sounds like the album was recorded in a decaying warehouse – which adds to its thematic power but sacrifices conventional clarity. **Pros:** Creates a unique, immersive atmosphere; perfectly suits the lyrical themes; bold aesthetic choices. **Cons:** Lo-fi aesthetic can sound muddy; lack of polish may alienate some listeners. **Themes:** A cohesive exploration of anxiety and searching within a fractured modern world: 1. **Desperate Youth:** Alienation, disillusionment, and the struggle for identity in a confusing society ("The Wrong Way," "Dreams"). 2. **Blood Thirsty Babes:** Violence, societal decay, and primal urges, both literal and metaphorical ("Poppy," "Bomb Yourself"). 3. **Fragile Hope & Connection:** Moments of profound tenderness, love, and spiritual yearning emerge as potential antidotes ("Ambulance," "Wear You Out," "Staring at the Sun"). It's an album deeply rooted in post-9/11 New York City angst, capturing a sense of pervasive unease and the desperate need for human connection amidst chaos. **Influence:** Profound. *Desperate Youth...* was a seismic event in the 2000s indie landscape. * **Revitalized Art-Rock:** Proved ambitious, genre-blending rock could be vital and critically acclaimed in the post-Strokes era. * **Vocal Harmony Innovation:** Their complex, soul-infused harmonies became highly influential. * **Production Aesthetic:** Sitek's raw, textured, atmospheric approach became a signature sound, impacting countless bands. * **Paved the Way:** Directly influenced the rise of bands like Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, and the broader Brooklyn art-rock scene. Established TVOTR as major critical forces. **Pros:** 1. **Breathtaking Originality:** A truly unique sound blending disparate influences seamlessly. 2. **Emotional Depth & Power:** Lyrics and vocals convey raw vulnerability, anger, and hope intensely. 3. **Innovative Vocal Harmonies:** The interplay between Adebimpe and Malone is revolutionary. 4. **Cohesive Vision:** Music, lyrics, production, and themes form a powerful, unified statement. 5. **Atmospheric Production:** Sitek's soundscape perfectly complements the album's mood. 6. **Significant Influence:** Redefined possibilities for indie/art-rock in the 2000s. **Cons:** 1. **Deliberate Abrasiveness:** The distorted, chaotic sound and dissonance can be off-putting or exhausting for some. 2. **Lo-Fi Production:** The murky, claustrophobic mix sacrifices clarity, which some listeners dislike. 3. **Lyrical Obscurity:** The abstract, poetic lyrics demand effort and can feel inaccessible. 4. **Pacing:** The intense density and lack of conventional hooks can make it a challenging, demanding listen; momentum dips slightly mid-album (e.g., between "Wear You Out" and "Bomb Yourself"). 5. **Not Always "Enjoyable":** Prioritizes emotional impact and artistic statement over easy listening or broad appeal. **Verdict:** *Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes* is a landmark debut – a fearless, challenging, and emotionally potent masterpiece of 21st-century art-rock. Its raw power, sonic innovation, and thematic depth remain potent. While its deliberate abrasiveness and lo-fi aesthetic present barriers, the rewards for engaging with its complexity are immense. It's an essential, influential album that redefined its era's musical boundaries. Not for the faint of heart, but utterly compelling for those willing to meet its demands.

A lot of very good ideas, which fell short by the performance. Almost like I was listening to demo tapes to some really good tracks

familiar with the group from the Young Liars EP as well as their album Seeds. never heard this album tho The Wrong Way - 3/5 Staring at the Sun - 5/5 Dreams - 4/5 King Eternal - 4/5 Ambulance - 4/5 Poppy - 2/5 Don't Love You - 3/5 Bomb Yourself - 3/5 Wear You Out - 3/5 Average score: 3.4/5 (rounding down) eh, this was okay. it had some high points (track 2-5 or so) but kinda lost some of that momentum in the second half of the album

I absolutely love the dark, droning soundscapes they create; the fuzzed-out bass; the layered vocals; a clear horn or other instruments peeking through; dance beats on a track like Dreams. Just masterful atmosphere and intriguing, original song structures. I listened to this a couple times when it came out and liked it, then forgot about this band. I get to make up for it now—and, to my delight, see them here in Oakland in two months. Very strong four stars.

Offbeat dreamy electronica with acappella, drones, etc Favorite track: Staring at the sun other picks: dreams, king eternal, ambulance, wear you out

Another 2000s alt rock album that blends into the rest. It’s got that moody, artsy vibe that tries to feel important but ends up just kind of meandering. I kept waiting for something to jump out or grab my attention. It never did. Nothing was outright terrible, just very forgettable. If you’ve heard one alt rock album from this era, you’ve basically heard this one too

An incredibly creative amalgam of funk, soul, post punk, doo wop, and noise rock - this proved to be one of the most original and exciting discoveries I’ve run across on this list. Not everything completely works, but this is an endlessly fascinating album that rewards multiple listens.

No lo escuché, je

Was kind of dreading this because I didn't like Dear Science very much when I got it previously, but this was a lot better. The music was better and the tracks were more engaging. I think it would have been fine to only include this album. After listening I actually understood why this band was on the list. "Ambulance" was probably my favorite track, but there were a few pretty enjoyable ones. Not my favorite album by far, but definitely an improvement from other things I've heard from them.

I think what I’m landing on for this is there are some really great ideas, and some really inspired choices and experimentation on this album, but it did not vibe fully with me on a first listen. There are a lot of moments on here that I can see a direct comparison with the band Foxing that comes a decade or so later and I love that so it is probably that I need to listen to this album two or three more times to love it. My favorite moments on this is when they’re doing super strange vocal stuff, the layering and falsettos are so cool they just both need a little more to support them. I’m a 3 for now but I think it goes up if I were to keep listening to it.

I actually kinda vibed to this album. There were elements that didn't seem super flushed out or felt like the potential of the song wasn't fully met. the drone-y songs were the best out of the album. Staring at the sun and Don't Love You are the ones that stick out the most. Interesting vocals across the album. Strong 3 because I don't think this crosses the 4 threshold

Was okay until the You Could Be Love song, what a dumpster fire of a track. Critic-bait ass album. 2/5

Good listening album.

Got bored and tired

5/10…rock / indie

Love TV on the Radio, their eclectic mix of sounds which I’m sure borrow from others on the 1001 list in terms of influences, but they then manage to make something very much their own out of it…

While Science and remaining light are better albums, TV's output is consistently amazing. This is a great band that never really clicked with a larger audience. It's too bad. Bands like this should be at the top of charts instead of what's there.

For me it was a mix of 1s and 5s and almost everything in between. Which sums up to 3 starts.

Este álbum me sorprendió. Tiene elementos de música pop, pero sin que se sienta como música comercial. Las voces, los sonidos que utilizaron, la duración de los temas. Tienen el equilibrio justo de música popular y música experimental. La voz en "You Could Be Love" es sobresaliente. Realmente lo disfruté.

TV On The Radio has a unique sound. The album starts off with a low static drumming sound. This style returns several times on the album but I feel it is never developed to the full potential. Decent listen but some songs are lacking. 3/5

Mid

Deliberately annoying. There are parts where it almost comes together but it's just like, why???

I'd only heard Wolf Like Me before and I liked, but didn't love it. This album is pretty good, it's quite varied, so I didn't get bored, which I think I would have if all the songs were like Wolf Like Me. I gave it a couple of goes and I'd happily listen to it again. It didn't hit the heights it needed to to get a 5 from me however. Good, but not great.

I'm hangover as fuck so I don't remember but I know I listened

Couple of amazing songs. Rest was ok

own

Complex vocal arrangements. Low key shoegaze type musical arrangements.

Not very moving. Ok for background music.

This was kinda cool I suppose. It was a little bit like a bad impression of Beck. Still, some pretty cool vibes (especially for a Monday).

Not too bad, but nothing to write home about.

This is the second album I've heard from them on this list, and I like it even more than I liked the first one. Really interesting and creative, good harmonies, good lyrics, each song is unique. I just really like the sound of these guys.

This is fucking awful

that sax at the very beginning hooked me but then the rest of the album started. Kinda reminds me of White Stripes or Imagine Dragons but more synthy. It struck me as more noise with weirdly pitched vocals, not much of an impression.

I bet the crowd goes nuts when they all line up at the front of the stage to perform Ambulance. Other than that this album didn’t really make any impression on me other than I hated Bomb Yourself. Did we really need more than one album by these guys?

I adore TV on the Radio for contributing to and continuing art/math rock. "Staring at the Sun" is definitely the highlight here.

My only real knowledge of TV On The Radio comes from how much I liked the song Happy Idiot back in high school. I also think their cover of Mr. Grieves is hilarious. But the one time I tried to pick up one of their albums in recent years, I absolutely hated it. This has some quintessential 000s sounds that I really enjoy, but ultimately there isn't enough here to keep me charged for an hour. To put it simply, it's too art rocky for me. But since it was a fine listen, i'll round up to 3.

Both of my listens were in the car, so I didn't take detailed notes. But this was a pleasant listening experience. I enjoyed this, though I can't say either time it left a big impression. Uneven for sure. Staring at the Sun was really solid, Bomb Yourself was annoying. Somehow very 3.5, and yet without a doubt deserving of a round down. I guess that makes it 3.4.

I've enjoyed Tunde Adebimpe's solo work, but have never (knowingly) listened to TV On The Radio before. I enjoyed it and am glad to have had that opportunity.

The songs all have an entrancing slow burn quality. I like Dear Science more will listen again while working in the studio.

Das Debütalbum der US-amerikanischen Band TV On The Radio entstand im August und September 2003 im Headgear Studio in Brooklyn, New York. Produziert wurde es von Multiinstrumentalist David Andrew Sitek, der für seine dichten, experimentellen Klanglandschaften bekannt ist. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album im Grenzbereich von Avant-Pop, Dark Wave, Post-Punk und Indie-Rock. Dabei zeichnen sich Stücke wie „Staring at the Sun“, „Poppy“ und „Dreams“ durch markante Basslinien, verzerrte Gitarrenloops und vielschichtige, teils mehrstimmige Gesangsarrangements aus. TV On The Radio, bestehend aus den amerikanischen Bandmitgliedern Tunde Adebimpe, Kyp Malone und David Andrew Sitek, wird ergänzt durch Gastbeiträge wie Nick Zinner (Gitarre) und Katrina Ford (Background‑Gesang). Diese Beiträge vertiefen das Zusammenspiel von rauem Post‑Punk mit hypnotischer, fast dubartiger Produktion. Der Song „Staring at the Sun“ wurde als Debütsingle im Juni 2004 veröffentlicht und entwickelte sich zu einem prägenden Stück der Band – maßgeblich geprägt von seiner treibenden Bass-Fuzz und der verzerrten Gitarrenstruktur. Auch „Dreams“ und „Poppy“ gehören zu den bekannteren Tracks, die den charakteristischen Klang des Albums definieren und sowohl experimentelle als auch eingängige Elemente verbinden. Das Album zeichnet sich durch seine stilistische Vielschichtigkeit aus: Es mischt organische Instrumente wie Saxophon und Flöte mit elektronischen Loops und einer dichten Studioästhetik, die introspektiv und zugleich rhythmisch wirken. In der abschließenden Bewertung: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes ist ein überzeugender Einstieg von TV On The Radio, der ihre Fähigkeit zeigt, experimentelle Klangräume und Songstruktur zusammenzuführen. Das Album wirkt zielgerichtet und prägnant, und es lässt sein Potenzial für spätere Entwicklungen erahnen. Bewertung: Ein gelungenes Debüt, das die Band als originären Beitrag zur zeitgenössischen Indie-Szene positioniert.

I've never been a fan of TV on the Radio, but this is probably their album I would like the most, as it sounds the most like Radiohead and a lot of indie music inspired by the experimentation of Radiohead at that time. Overall, I'd maybe give it a 3.5 for my personal taste, but I understand a lot of people do like this band, and they have had a big impact, making several more albums after this.

I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about who say that this album is too "weird". I love this band and album. TV on the Radio emerged from the early 2000s New York music scene, which also gave us the likes of The Strokes, Bloc Party, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, among others. As someone who was around at that time, I can say that they fit perfectly into that time and place. Formed by the incredible David Sitek (the producer who helped Yeah Yeah Yeahs achieve their fame) with vocalists Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, they put together an incredible debut. The vocal harmonies are nothing groundbreaking, but work so incredibly well with this style of indie rock. You can really appreciate this on tracks like "Ambulance" and "Staring at the Sun" (the demo version does this even better). Maybe I just have a soft spot for these guys, having seen them play in Brooklyn's Prospect Park back in the day. But I'll always love this album.

Another album where I love the sum of parts more than the whole...maybe I'm just bad at math?

Solid album, but I don’t think I’ll remember much of it in the long terSolid album, but I don’t think I’ll remember much of it in the long term. m.

I was surprised at how much I liked their other album on the list but this one sucked. Rating: 1.8

Really interesting alt indie album. Really unique sound, nice listen. Really enjoyable overall.

I think the thing with this band is that I've heard them hyped up by a lot of my favorite musicians and I can't hear what they're hearing. The singles are the only impressive thing that I come back to with this band and that's why Staring At The Sun gets a pass from me. The rest of the album feeds into these dirty loops that I feel would be better materialized into stronger ideas but then it gets paired with these layered acapella tracks and overall weirdness. The unbearable kind of weirdness. Sometimes it sounds like a complete shitpost with loud and proud falsetto storming through my ears. The only reason why it's not a 1 star is because I could see some parts of the vision, but it's not the way I would have it. It's kind of a blessing that this band has Wolf Like Me to win me over. Otherwise, I would think they were shit. (4/10, 2/5 on this scale)

Bowie was a fan of this band, I can see why. TVOTR fused all sorts of influences and covered genres including shoegaze, post punk, rock, jazz and an interesting approach to harmonies and production. Very art-rock. But that doesn't mean I necessarily have to like the album, right?

At times it was boring, generic indie. Some songs threatened to be more interesting, almost giving Beck or Young Fathers vibes. But the interesting bits were too few and far between. The first bonus track was just awful.

Not my vibe

Not what I expected but not my thing

Dad- 6 Mom- 5 Mike- 8.5 Lori- 8 Michael- 8 Miles- 8 Cole- 8.5 Avg- 7.43

I like alternative but generally not newer alternative like this. Just okay for me.

It was ok. Kinda strange.

From what I have heard from these guys they seem alright. It's that type of band where their music randomly shows up in a TV show, and you're not surprised at all. That's my main exposure to them at least. Think I've heard one album by them all the way back in like 2016. Got no real expectations heading into this. The Wrong Way Weird in a slightly abrasive way. Has a very cliche mid 2000's writing style. The instrumental is a bit overpowering. Don't love the vocals. The background piano is pretty alright. Not my thing. Dislike. 2/5 Staring at the Sun The non falsetto vocals are pretty good. Don't mind the chorus. Instrumentally it's a bit sparse. Don't love the electronics here. Average. 2.5/5 Dreams I kinda like the synthy atmosphere. Hate the whimpery falsetto vocals. Ruins what would otherwise be a decent chorus. Sounds a bit muddled. Doesn't really go anywhere. The verse melody does grow really stale after a while. The lyrics have a pretentious aura to them. Dislike. 2/5 King Eternal I like the noisy elements in the instrumental. The rest of the track is complete crap. Terrible lyrics. Annoying electronic bass. Hollow sound. Aimless and unstructured vocals. Garbage. 1/5 Ambulance Extremely unlikable. Hate the acapella. Pretentious and irritating. A struggle to get through. No thank you. 1/5 Poppy Okay guitar. Terrible vocals. Muddled production. Lyrics give me an aneurysm. More terrible vocal fuckery. Never seems to end. Rough. 1/5 Don't Love You Don't mind the instrumental too much. Quite like the organ. Decent vocals, has some character to them. I like the guitar on the outro. Fine. 3/5 Bomb Yourself Manages the rare feat of being both boring and unpleasant. The guitars are pretty cool I guess. They contrast well against each other, and build decently upon the bassline. Dislike. 2/5 Wear You Out Kinda don't mind the vocals that much on this. Their style fits this tempo a lot. I like the largeness of the track. I like the flute. The extended outro is pretty alright I suppose. It's at least a pleasant listen if nothing else. Fine. 3/5 This was difficult to get through. Truth be told it's mostly just forgettable, with some moments that are just unpleasant. The main selling point on this thing is probably the vocals. Consisting mostly of layered harmonies I could see them being beautiful to some. However I find them sort of grating. I don't like the production. I think it sounds dated and watery, putting way too much emphasis on an electronic bass sound which honestly just overpowers everything. The instrumentation mostly sounds original, having some experimental elements that end up being really hit or miss. There are some moments that are great and some that are genuinely difficult to listen to. To me this album comes of as obnoxious, overly theatrical and unpleasant. However I do recognize that there are elements of talent spread throughout it. Paring that with how unique it sounds I can't really say that it is terrible. It's just for a specific audience which I'm not a part of. 2/5

This album had a few bright moments, but I felt it dragged on too long.

Points for being weird and interesting even though it didn't totally work for me. 3.3

It gets a little bit boring after a couple of songs.

Dire

Enjoyed this.

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes is bluesy and derivative in ways that frustrate me, but weird enough to stand out. At the end of the day, it’s middling alt-rock that doesn’t inspire

3.5/5

high 2, kinda like suicide but more boring and less offensive

Pre-listening thoughts: uh oh 2004 indie this could either be really good or really bad Post/during listening thoughts: I'm leaning on the bad side for this one. Very discordant and empty, sort of like if that Suicide album were listenable and not absolutely terrible. But this was still not my cup of tea. 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Dreams Least fav tracks: all the ones with weird acapella elements. yes i was in acapella, yes i can still hate it

Blegh

c:poppy

Meh

It’s fine. Not great. Not gonna think about it again.

Growing on me every time I listen to it. Still not up to 4 stars, but 3.75.

Good stuff.

There is nothing here to interest me. Should not be required listening for anyone.

the wrong way- 5 staring at the sun- 4 dreams- 4 king eternal- 4 ambulance- 3 poppy- 4 don't love you- 4 bomb yourself- 3 or 4 wear you out- should not be 7 minutes. 3 or 4 it just sucks

First time listen for me, and there are some decent noises on it, but it could have been a bit more interesting and a bit less wearing. I’m sure it’s all very innovative and arty but most of it is discordant and occasionally shrill. Maybe it’s a grower, but it isn’t something I have any interest in hearing again. Overall it was nothing better than fine, but I won’t listen to it again on purpose and I don’t think it is (or was) essential listening before you die.

Tried to get into it but started developing a headache towards the end…

Very, very cool.

It has that kind of typical 00s indie sound. Dated, boring, I didn't like it.

Sehr nice stimmung! Minimalistisch, aber interessant genug, um einen dabeizuhalteb

Is has groove, but at the same time it's repetitive and annoying at places. Not really sure.

A certain angularity of form, laid down in a cool space that asks for ears. You have mine.

Cool for a debut album. Easy to listen to and pretty catchy. Didn't blow me away but was good atmospheric music and interesting at times.

I enjoyed this. I've liked singles I've heard before. I enjoyed the last album by them that we did. Was pretty good to drive to. Overall I think there was only one track that I felt an urge to skip on my third listen. Might incorporate it into a regular driving option. Like last time I hear some Prince influence and wonder if this could oddly be a gateway for me to enjoy Prince more.

Interesting album, but not something that I will be revisiting anytime soon.

Not the band I was expecting. Really enjoyed this.

Unbearable. 2/10

Not really feeling this one. There were no moments that really stood out and one of the vocalists bugged me a bit.

Might've been 4 star if it was a bit more succinct, some good ideas and songs but just a little long without too much development

I really enjoyed this album, though I don’t think it’s 5 stars. I listened to it twice and always enjoy listening to this band’s music.

I consider myself a fan of TV On the Radio. In their anthology, this is my least listened to album. I was intrigued why this would be the album to include on this list. Certainly Cookie Mountain or Dear Science would be choices. After revisiting this my feelings stand. This is the weakest TOTR album and this list is shite.

I didn’t enjoy this very much.

I really really liked this.

An interesting album which feels like nothing that I've ever heard before, as it borrows elements from Indie-rock, post-punk, soul, noise pop, experimental and... 'Kraoutrock'. I think this last term maybe the one that describes this album the best, as it is a genre that 'Brings together elements of Psychedelic Rock with avant-garde influences, often incorporating hypnotic rhythms, extended improvisation, and Electronic textures' (sourced from RateYourMusic). So, the first half is very strong as it is filled with incredible textured instruments and catchy singing. Then you have Ambulance, which is a song performed only with vocals, and is good but no so much compare with the previous ones. And after this song, this albums declines, which is curious, because this part is very similar to the first half in terms of style and performance, but it doesn't work as well. The catchy melodies are gone and the songs are longer than it should. Overall, a nice listen just for the fact that I've never heard anything like this before.

Woah unexpected but great album pick! perfect album ushering in the experimental glory days of indie rock in the 2000's.

Why is this album considered so seminal? I love indie sleaze, it was the soundtrack to my young adulthood and many excellent adventures. But this record, despite being at the forefront of that musical aesthetic, comes off as thoroughly boring. Won't be revisiting. 1/5

not good

Dark and bottom-heavy, baby, just how I like my alt-rock. Atmospheric and creative. Some of the songs are a little bloated. It didn't knock me over like 'Dear Science' did, but this is a sturdy debut.

No ha estado mal, raro a ratos, pero no es desagradable. No en profundizado en por qué este disco es importante más allá de la música. No creo que sea más de un 2**.

Awful

Dissonant, scratchy, obtuse and awkward - but still somehow enjoyable!

I didn't hate it but would never seen it out again

This was okay, not my favorite album of this band. But they will be in London in August together with Khruangbin.

Really love their future work. This one is good, but next ones are really great

I'm going to give this a 3 star review, but barely. I think it does some neat things, enough to sound fairly unique for its time, but at over an hour it's too long and it starts to drone. The singer doesn't seem to have much range, so it's the same aural equivalent of beige for the entire album. There's a little falsetto thrown in for harmony, but the vocals are not the highlight here. Musically, again, it does some interesting things, enough to get my toes tapping on several occasions. I don't think I'd seek it out, or crave to listen to it again, but I'd be open to it. Thus, a very uninspired three stars.

These guys are pretty good. This album is fine

Really cool sonic landscape, but not my vibe

Buena percusion pero no es escuchable

Another where I like the ingredients but the final outcome doesn't land well with me.

Wow, this was a lot of fun! I've heard of TV On The Radio before, but don't think I could name a single song. This one was great enough that I might go back and listen to the deluxe edition.

2.5

creative but not moving

It is different from the other albums I've listened to so far. It's not bad, but I need time to process it more. So, in the meantime, I'll give it 3 stars and save it in my library.

Thought I would enjoy this more than I did. Don’t really have anything else to say, I was underwhelmed.

4.2 So good. I liked the other album by these guys but this is even better. If you ignore the bonus tracks on the album there's only one weak track (bomb yourself), the rest are range from good to amazing, which is a pretty incredible run. Might have to absorb more from these guys now.

Not too shabby

Very interesting, often abrasive electro indie experimentations. Some tracks really worked, others felt overly long and extremely repetitive.

This was absolutely not what I was expecting but what a nice surprise! I was expecting very much 00's NY scene indie rock but TVOTR must have been some of the most inventive to come out of that whole time

For my tastes, this sounds like a prototypical, underwhelming medium tempo, mid 2000's alternative/indie rock band. The band doesn't have a distinct enough sound that separates it from other bands from the era, so it isn't very memorable. I don't want to say they're bland, there is some variety to their songs, but this album doesn't excite me. Maybe they're better live?...I hope so.

Якщо згадувати гурти, що «грались» з гаражним роком та пост панком на початку нульових, намагаючись відродити сиру енергійність першого, але в той самий момент, зберегти вишуканість та «розумність» другого - більшість назве The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem чи Arctic Monkeys. Натомість про TV on the Radio часто забувають, не дивлячись на самобутність їх дебютного альбому. Хоча цьому альбому і присутня певна «багатошаровість», здебільшого він все одно лишається доволі мінімалістичним та навіть трохи монотонним, але при цьому, ні в якому разі, не нудним. Основна його ціль - це створення гіпнотичного ефекту, занурення слухача у свого роду «естетичний транс». Це йому доволі добре вдається, і не останню роль в цьому грають, так звані «вокальні мелодії». Саме вокальні партії слугують тут основним «будівельним матеріалом» та вимальовують текстури, а усе інше ніби створено, аби їх підкреслити. І якщо згадувати якийсь інший відомий гурт, що використовував подібний підхід - на думку одразу спадають Cocteau Twins. Проте не дивлячись на схожий підхід, сама вокальна подача тут інша, та більше схожа на манеру Peter Gabriel. Так, ця робота доволі експериментальна, але водночас - вона примудряється залишатися стильною та слухається напрочуд легко - у кращих традиціях попмузики, через що, зрештою, і здобула популярність.

Perfect.

Empieza prometiendo ser una especie de jazz rock a lo Morphine, con una instrumentación sencilla y, sobre todo, el saxofón como protagonista. Luego se vuelve más drone, con guitarras distorsionadas tocando melodías muy simples y sostenidas. Pero no se queda ahí: luego las armonías vocales toman el protagonismo (aunque las guitarras con drone grave y la percusión marcada siguen dominando). Otras veces ese sonido drone lo sostiene un órgano de atmósfera eclesiástica. A veces se intuye algo de dub, y la percusión en general es muy interesante. La voz también cambia a menudo: a veces los falsetes dominan, otras veces es más grave y sostenida, aunque no tiene mucho rango. La guitarra solista va un poco a lo suyo, pero solo a veces. Y al final parece que esté cantando un rebaño de ovejas. Un álbum extraño. Largo y ruidoso, a la vez que downbeat, melódico y cohesivo. Buena muestra del rock noventero más ecléctico, pero no creo que lo vuelva a escuchar en un buen tiempo.

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

TV on the Radio’s Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes hits like a strange broadcast from a crumbling city — jagged, soulful, and totally its own thing. It’s not trying to be pretty, but it’s magnetic. The band fuses lo-fi rock, gospel-like harmonies, and glitchy textures into a sound that’s messy, emotional, and sharply human. Tunde Adebimpe’s voice swerves between smooth croon and raw edge, while Kyp Malone’s falsetto floats like a ghost above the noise. Producer Dave Sitek keeps things dense and unpredictable — drums stutter, guitars buzz, saxophones screech, and somehow it all sticks. Lyrically, it's part love song, part social commentary, part fever dream. It’s not background music. It’s a mood — strange, sweaty, and full of heart.

Schiint mer relativ rechtigslos ond oni woörklechi Melodie wasi scho no wechtig fände. Es ged aber en Entspannti Atmosphäre was ehm no e Stärn verdient

Looked forward to this album. Never previously heard it but had heard good things about the band. Very disappointed on what I heard. Usual US indie band rock. Nothing to see here. 2.1/5 20/4/25

I like TV On The Radio but this album just doesn't draw me in and keep me locked in place. I can't say I enjoy any song particularly so cant give this a great score.

I really like TV on the Radio, and also big fan of Tunde Adebimpe. This is their first album, and I wasn't as big of a fan of this one as I was every single other album of theirs. Not sure how I had never listened to this one, despite enjoying all of their other albums... that makes no sense. Solid 3.

Awesome

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

One of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard

This is ok. Can’t really get into it

I can see the appeal. A lot of the droning guitar work is really fun, very post rock. Unfortunately, the entire picture together just doesn't do it for me.

A shock out of the gate moment of brilliance.

Synthy sounding guitar riffs and loads of actual synths combine with a thick fuzzy bass to create a big dense sound with lots going on. The drumming is really cool - relaxed and spacious but always up to something interesting. The vocals are an intense falsetto. There’s a lot of it that’s all very consistent and coherent. The two stand out tracks are Starring at the Sun, their big single that has a compelling ‘round’ style hook sung over a dark and ominous 1234 synth beat and Dreams another catchy vocal led song with a dark dark synth, fuzzy bass and interpol-sounding droning guitar.

Kickass.

Not sure what the hype is on these guys

hat mir gut gefallen irgendwie idk

Random Geräusche + goofy ah Gesang/a capella

Very stomp, clap, hey of grungy drone music. I do appreciate seeing how TVotR clearly influenced Alt J, who I really love. I also love a drone. And a discordant vocal harmony. So why is this music so boring to me?? I think it's the lack of dynamic and overall lack of energy. Alt J has a lot of pop composition and production and I think that's one good way of balancing the chore that TVotR drone is and frankly drone as a genre can easily be. I love a gnarly drone with discord and repetitiveness but it has to have dynamic and some kind of punch. Doesn't necessarily have to have pop production like Alt J. Go listen to some Russian Circles, Cloudkicker, or Elder and you'll see what I mean. I'm halfway through the album and finally seeing a small bit of dynamic on Wear You Out, but that song still managed to wear me out with its repetitiveness and sleepy energy. I do like the way that song ends though, so discordant in a jarring and discomfiting way, I wish the rest of the song was as interesting. Some other cool weird endings on songs like You Could Be Love. Do the start and middle of the songs next please. When looking up more about TVotR on Spotify, in the recommended artists you can find a dozen other artists on this list who make very similar music in a similarly mediocre way (Silvesun Pickups, LCD Soundsystem (sorry but they are mediocre), Arcade Fire (I swear to god if there's an arcade fire album on this list!!), Spoon, Beck). This list is just what some Gen X white dude heard on the radio when he was young enough to be at the skate park. this list is just a man wanking over James Murphy and Thom Yorke and writing a book documenting his wanks for some reason. It's not the worst thing I've heard on this list but I definitely did not need to hear this before I die. They have the exact same drum beat on every damn song. Possibly even the same bassline. Mercy please

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.

Dit album ken ik. Ik heb deze vroeger, toen ik de digitale zeven zeeën regelmatig gretig bevaarde om mijn Winamp muziekdatabase te spekken, gedownload omdat ik de 2e track (Staring At The Sun) zo gaaf vond. De rest van het album vond ik toen maar tegenvallen. Nu, 114 jaar en een heel ander leven later vind ik die track nog steeds met afstand het leukst van het album, alleen kan ik wel iets meer genieten van de rest, omdat m'n tolerantie voor schurende, experimentele hipstershit wat is toegenomen. Het blijft echter wel voelen als werk om hier doorheen te komen. Het duurt allemaal een tikkie lang zeg maar. Een 2,5 die ik opwaardeer naar 3 vanwege Staren Naar Het Zonneke.

Why a second album of this band? This album says nothing to me (nothing good, nothing bad). Just perfect for the elevator in a stylish hotel somwhere in the world.