Reviews (page 4 of 6)
Growing on me every time I listen to it. Still not up to 4 stars, but 3.75.
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
Is has groove, but at the same time it's repetitive and annoying at places. Not really sure.
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.
Interesting album, but not something that I will be revisiting anytime soon.
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 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.
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.
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.
Dissonant, scratchy, obtuse and awkward - but still somehow enjoyable!
This was okay, not my favorite album of this band. But they will be in London in August together with Khruangbin.
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.
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.
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.
Not too shabby
Very interesting, often abrasive electro indie experimentations. Some tracks really worked, others felt overly long and extremely repetitive.
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.
Perfect.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I thought this was pretty good, but my cat fucking hated it.
Very experimental stuff, not sure if I really connected with this one. Theres a good chance that this might grow on me with more listens, but unfortunately with this list I'm listening just one time before scoring it.
Compared to other albums in their discography, "Desperate Youth" doesn't stand out but it's not bad at all. It has the qualities of a good album but in the end it's not TV On The Radio's best album.
There are some songs I really liked and enjoyed a lot of the sound they are trying to create but I just felt they ran out of steam on the album and it descended into soundscapes by the end of the album and just eating up time rather than enjoyable time.
Good, original art-rock is hard to come by. You can feel this band has some heat behind them. Williamsburg hipsters in post-9/11 NYC, the last vestiges of Old Weird New York disappearing. The stage was set, but ultimately I think their range is pretty narrow and if this doesn't hit you straight-on, it doesn't hit you.
I came to like this band, but can't say I enjoyed this album.
First listen, not impressed. Pretty sure there won’t be a second listen
3-
Not always an easy listen, kind of glad it's out there rather than a favourite. 2.5 stars really but feeling generous.
Diverse, can hear the influence of the 2000s and 90s. Rather wailing.
Super bass, high pitched vocal harmonies, sales and brass. Niche indie. It's distinctive but prob not their best work. Interesting.
Kind of a cool vibe, unique. Not something I'd revisit. 2.5/5.
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. 3.5⭐️
Not bad for background music
Some cool ideas. 3.5
alright, i don't think this one was quite for me. there were moments on here that i really liked, but this one is a bit too dissonant and unpleasant for me to really enjoy. mostly this is from the vocals, which often are group vocals doing dissonant harmonies, which was a bit hard for me to get down with (especially when the one guy is hitting the falsetto, my lord). the instrumentation was pretty alright, but i had trouble with the vocals. to be clear, i don't think this album is supposed to be easily consumed, it is definitely an album that is trying to be challenging. and it achieves that pretty decently well. but i'm not sure i really enjoyed the challenge here.
Very interesting 3/5
3.5
I really thought I would hate this. But oddly by the end of the album I didn’t. It was interesting and something different. Didn’t mind it.
Kind of neat one to have after a Brian Eno album - some of the same goofy experimentation, but coming from a different place. A lot of highs, some aggressive jazzy noodling, all in all it's a 4 but with some extended pieces that I think bring it down to a 3.
A curiosity and an interesting album. Lacked enough real songs to be a classic but had enough originality to be well worth a listen.
Good, need to revisit
Album so long and have so many minute, yet leave such few impression. It’s not offensive and even has some interesting experimental bits, but is ultimately fairly boring. 3/5
Very, very average with little to recommend it.
Musical it's very good, just not my particular genre. It's very free flowing and varies, and I can tell each artist is very talented. I just wouldn't go back and relisten or seek it out on my own.
Not sure how I've missed this band all of these years. Very noisy and a little quirky. I liked the album, but didn't love it. I could see myself bumping up this score on relistens.
I had never heard of the band or the album before. After the first few bars of the first track, however, I was interested. An interesting sound. I quite enjoyed listening to the album. In the end, I found the longer a capella parts a bit exhausting. I probably won't listen to the album again, but it was definitely interesting. 3/5
Sounds like flight of the Concordes
Day 0018/1001 of Listening to One Album a Day / Listened to whilst: studying Some nice moments in this but sort of passed me by and didn't really make an impression on me, bar Staring at the Sun. Love the album cover though. Fav tracks: Staring at the Sun / Dreams Worst tracks: Ambulance
Unusual sound. Dreams is a neat sound.
I started out not thinking this had anything for me but it grew on me. I saw these guys play around the time this came out and thought it was a little pretentious and unmusical so I never paid attention to them after that but listening to this makes me think they're better in the studio than live?
I've enjoyed listening to TV on the Radio over the years, and own the other album by them in this collection ("Dear Science", 2008), but I don't think I've ever heard anything from this album, which is nice. It's not as entertaining (to me) as "Dear Science", but I suspect this album was included largely because it was their debut. And the debut-ness likely contributes to how different the two albums seem to me--unlike a few debuts that seemed to have emerged fully-formed, this one is rougher and still seems to be searching for a sound and groove. "Don't love you" is an interesting track, although pretty bleak, while "Staring at the sun" and "Dreams" are much more light-hearted tracks, and I can definitely hear in the latter two the band that I've enjoyed on "Dear Science", albeit with a low growl that seems to be their signature on this album. I guess it just took them a while to find a more compelling combination of harmonies and beats and backing music. A shame that the Wikipedia entries for this album and the band are so sparse, as it would have been nice to have more context for this album; I *did* notice that they cited Brian Eno (who is everywhere) as one of their inspirations, which was fun to see. And I appreciated the "1001 albums" entry noting the connection to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the formation of the band (although not a band member but the producer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs).
I liked the fresh sound, esp the sax, but none of the tracks really stuck with me.
If it wasn't for the awful singing, I could have liked this record. Ditch the falsetto, put in just the tiniest bit of effort, couple of extra takes to get it right. There's no excuse to sing this bad on a record after 2000. Favorite song: staring at the sun.
The Wrong Way 3.2 Staring at the Sun 3.6 Dreams 3.4 King Eternal 3 Ambulance 2.8 Poppy 2.7 Don't Love You 3 Bomb Yourself 3 Wear You Out 3.2 Score: 3.1
Ambulance is my favorite song on the album. I've never heard anything like it. I don't dig their other stuff, but i can't get ambulance out of my head.
A bit generic compared to the other TV on the Radio record in this list (Dear Science) - it starts well but then tapers sharply after the first couple of songs. Disappointed.
First off I just have to write a few notes about the presentation of this album. Holy cow, what a sprawling impression. The 'TV On The Radio' font looks like something fitty for a cheesy wedding invitation. The album name 'Desperate youth, bloody babes' makes me expect either an emo album or a hip-hop record. And the actual image itself gives me synthwave associations. I am not exactly sure what we got, but it's not that. The record was a quite slow start for me. Didn't enjoy any of the early tracks, even though they seem to be the more popular ones judging from number of plays on Spotify. It felt like they were just dragging on without any real hooks or leads. I did find 'Poppy', 'Don't Love You', and 'Bomb Yourself' quite a nice trio of songs of which all I enjoyed. But that was about it sadly, even though their sound did have something. Probably will have to be weak 3 for me since it wasn't that good, but at least I managed to find some joy.
Awful album cover but good music. Enjoyed the a cappella parts and the more grungy songs. I had trouble finishing this for some reason but I think it was mostly due to external factors more than the album itself. I feel like I need to come back to this album at some point since it really has something going for it. From the first listen I enjoyed "Don't Love You" the most.
I went back and forth with this. Great at times, grating at others. Overlong but on the whole I enjoyed it.
i wouldn't say i enjoyed listening to this, but i kind of got into it. i dug the dark and grimy textures. the vocals weren't my favorite, but they weren't a deal-killer, either. reminded me a bit of Liars and Menomena. good stuff.
Interesting electro-alt-rock (not my favourite album from them)
I thought I was vaguely familiar with TV on the Radio, but now I’m not so sure. This isn’t what I was expecting. But I can dig it. Very unique and experimental indie, I was into it. I’ll check this out again for sure.
An eclectic band and it shows in their debut. Ultimately maybe a little too eclectic for me.
This was a weird, indie-sounding album which I had the weirdest sensation of both liking and disliking simultaneously. I think it was a bit more of the former so I will rate it a 3.
feels inventive: super enjoyably groovy
It feels like I may like this more in some years.
A weird one, in that they're really very good, but also quite a stressful and uncomfortable listen. I think it's all the honking.
Interesting without being great
Staring at the Sun // Dreams // Poppy //
Was okay, I guess. Some catchy beats but otherwise forgettable. 3/5
Dreams is nice
Not nearly as good as their next two albums, but decent. You Could Be Love was absolutely atrocious, but i'm ignoring the bonus tracks.
Just another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex Quite enjoyed this, I warmed to the distorted drones, dark and dreamy.
I listened to this one while I drove to school, and my county was on fire at the time. For some reason this was fitting, but also something about the album kind of grosses me out, and I’m not entirely sure why.
GoI’m d but not my thing
De eerste geluiden maakte me niet heel gelukkig. Het klonk een beetje als herrie. Maar toen ik eenmaal aan het eerste nummer gewend was, vond ik het best aangename muziek. Het tweede nummer voelde al meteen rustiger, waardoor ik het hele album heb afgeluisterd, ondanks de soms te hoge tweede zangstem op de achtergrond. ***
I thought this would be higher, as I really like TVOTR and Return to Cookie Mountain (the follow up to this album) is one of my favorite albums of the 2000’s. There are some good songs on this (The Wrong Way, King Eternal, Wear You Out) but a lot of the songs lack the dynamism and complexity of their subsequent works.
I listened to this album through a busy morning, it didn't hit me too hard one way or the other, but kept me going, so that's worth 3 stars.
Pretty interesting avat pop/experimental album at first though it gets a bit boring towards the end. The singing isn't my favorite and the songs are not that memorable either. But it was for sure something different than most albums here.
Lemppari: Staring at the sun Vähiten lemppari: The wrong way
What a coincidence! This album was just re-released for its 20th anniversary. I've always liked TV On The Radio, they stood out for the crowd of 00's New York indie bands by bringing a fresh sound, with inventive arrangements, rather than simply falling into revivalisms like most of their peers. This is a very good debut, but I prefer their following couple of releases. Key tracks: Staring at the Sun Dreams
Nothing to dislike, but nothing mind-blowing either.
I thought this was easy listening for the most part. Indie/alternative vibes. Did not dislike it, but didn't love it. I hated the vibrato/vocals at the end of "you could be love" (which may have been a bonus track).
I wish I could hang this at a 3.5, but I’ll have to bump it down to a 3. This is a weird album, in that I wasn’t too captivated in a lyrical or vocal sense (save for a few tracks), and it was sort of easy to lose track in the moment, but while I was listening to it, there was usually something oddly engaging in the soundscape and production that kept me hooked and attentive. I can’t really describe that paradox, but somehow that’s where I was with this – zoned out and attentive at the same time. Not necessarily hooked on vocals or lyrics, but hooked on hearing how it would all meld around the production and somehow find a melodic basis to work with. The “problem” with the album then, which I’m sure is rather intentional and purposefully designed, is that it takes a long time to get to that melodic basis on a number of these already long tracks. When a track doesn’t find a melodic basis, it’s just sort of a flop, and this album has enough of those flops to feel disjointed and not as coherent as it could be. That’s not to say there are actively bad tracks (save for the dreadfully minimalistic “Bomb Yourself”, which truly goes nowhere in its 5 and a half minute runtime), but there is a lot of empty space here, and those empty spaces don’t quite do what I think the band wanted, which was a sort of eerie, artsy liminal feel. Instead, it just feels… kinda boring. When it picked up, it hooked me right back into it, but this album doesn’t do a great job of balancing its time between the “empty” and the “full” – if this were a roller coaster, it’d be too many upward hills and not enough drops. However, with that roller coaster analogy, this album does have enough momentum to not feel like a total wash. I think when the soundscapes do get going, and the tempo and energy pick up, the band genuinely sounds good and all that buildup feels worth the release. There are some good tracks here, and ultimately, I did end up liking the album, just not as much as I think I could have. With a little more tweaking, I think this could’ve found a great balance on its execution, but in this state, it just feels a little undercooked. Someone else will get a bit more enjoyment out of this than I will, but for my tastes, it’s at a 3.5 that just doesn’t quite get up to a 4. Hence, the 3, but a 3 that’s worth giving a try at the very least.
2.8
Kinda cool. A lot of different ideas working into this record and I think they’re executed well. 6/10
This sounded a lot like Bon Iver, I thought it might have been him at first. I would guess he had some influence from this group. Good album though, I'm in between a 3 and 4. I'll settle with high 3, but I think that could change to a 4 after a few listens.
Pretty decent will say first half had me more the second half is good but the backing vocals were getting in the way I felt. Really like the sound of this album. If anything you can say this band is experimenting while still having some song structures.
Forgot how the rest of the album sounded because I listened to Wear You Out for 2 hours straight when I came to it; until my headphones ran out of battery. I probably thought the rest of the album was a 2 given how unmemorable it was but Wear You Out carried it to a middle 3
I liked the other one better but this is very listenable.
This has a lot of elements of something I’d like but for some reason it just doesn’t hit. Maybe the vocals maybe the business. I dunno. Low 3s
Like Modest Mouse, this has a very different, innovative sound. Modest Mouse, initially a bit whack for me, really grew on me - I don't think these guys will do the same, but maybe....
Interesting.
Very indie and melodramatic. A bit theatrical at time, good music. Not 100% in my tastes but there's some things to be excited about here. A dynamic blend of pop and shoegaze, with lush soundscapes and really tight grooves.
I remember listening to this in 2004 and thinking I should have liked it, but could never get into it. Relistening now confirmed that its not really my thing. It's not bad - there are several aspects of it I liked (Don't Love You was good). I didn't particularly like the falsetto. A low three.
Interesting. Clever and unusual.
This was a nice surprise. Weird enough to keep me interested. I'm adding to my list to listen again.
They’re doing some interesting things that remind me a bit of minor league Radiohead. I won’t listen again, though.
End was better
I had expected Dear Science. The debut is less convincing although definitely worth listening.
Primer acercamiento a TV On The Radio. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004) es es álbum debut de la banda neoyorkina, y vaya álbum. Bailando entre el Rock Alternativo, la Electrónica, el Jazz e incluso el Soul, el grupo entrega un trabajo tan increíble como complejo en su composición. Así, la mezcla de elementos músicales poco convencionales tiñen a este trabajo de una calidad casi avant-gard. En lo personal, me costó bastante escuchar este LP hasta poder digerirlo. No obstante, tras unas cuatro o cinco escuchas quedo enterado de lo que se buscaba con este trabajo. Lamentablemente, creo que las voz principal y la que escuchamos en los coros me resultó sumamente distrayente, al punto que creo no haber tomado la suficiente atención a las letras (que estoy seguro pretenden decir algo). En conclusión, un buen trabajo y una interesante escucha. No me veo volviendo a escucharlo. FAVTRAXS: The Wrong Way, Staring at the Sun, Dream LEASTFAV: Bomb Yourself
I liked King Eternal.
Avant-pop experimental. Ni fu ni fa.
Normal.
If you're a spaceman listen to this. 2.5
Normal.
Interesante grupo pero un poco denso para mi gusto.
Not bad. Smooth and easy. Some odd a cappella in places
Totally fine. Not something essential. 3/5
Not really feeling it
I liked this album, especially the opening track and its weird sounds
I've always thought these guys were pretty cool but not quite enough that I've given them any time. They're solid and very unique but still not anything I'm going to pursue much further.
Not my fav TV on the radio album but still a good one.
Ok
Trying to sound like a British Indie band but hampered by being just too American.
Largely copy and paste my review of their other album here. I now know them a bit better but none of the songs I know are on this album. They make some interesting sounds and harmonies and are fairly eclectic. In some ways this epitomizes the new alternative rock - weird, tough to describe or categorize, not even sure if rock is the right word. Unlike their later album on this list, this one is right down the middle for me. Average, neither love nor hate, and a clear 3 and nothing more.
Challenging and a bit out there…. Probably needs a good few listens to ascend from what the hell is this to actually this is genius
This one threw me and challenged me a bit. At first I thought it was just pretentious art wank but then, about half way through, I started to appreciate the skill these cats have. I'm giving a 3 but only cos I feel it might not be their best work. Imma habe to listen to this more, and their other stuff. It's growing on me. This album, and presumably,their others, is not an album to stick on when you're doing the dishes or painting the kitchen. This demands your undivided attention. Headphones on, no distractions and just, listen. I'll be doing that properly with this soon.
I’ve heard a few TOTR songs before but this was my first time listening to a full album. They do a lot of interesting stuff on this album. I don’t know how much I like it after just one listen but I did enjoy it. Going to give this a 3 for now but it might be a 4 in the future.
Another difficult one to rate. Pretty weird and not my cup of tea in any way. Still could be catchy and interesting at times. Maybe a few more listens would improve my rating but I don't think it's worth it.
TVOTR been one of my favourite finds in this album thing.
Nearly a 4
Dear Science (TV On The Radio’s 2008 album) was one of my favourite discoveries from this project when it came up a couple of years ago. Their energetic blend of heavy grooves and alternative rock, with soaring and multi-layered vocal melodies ripping out over pounding or slinking basslines, just makes them very exciting to listen to. This album sees them crafting that sound along with a healthy dose of a capella soundscapes, sounding like a proto-Young Fathers, and while it doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights of Dear Science (also heard in 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain, which I don’t believe is on this list- though worth nothing the first edition of 1001 Albums came out in 2005, so this would have been their latest offering at that point), it must have been incredibly exciting at the time, and serves as a great indicator of what’s to come
This was alright.
A couple very enjoyable hits, which I was not expecting!
Album 487 of 1001 TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes Rating : 3 / 5 Some good indie rock. A bit strange, at times, but that is all relative.
There are elements that are reminiscent of other Indie bands from around the same time, something about the vocal phrasing and layering of vocals reminds me of Bloc Party, but there’s also an element that I can’t quite put my finger on which kinda turned me off it. It’s not that I disliked any of it actively, I just couldn’t find myself invested in it
Heeeurhg, mof mof eurgmmgf blomphf 3
Probably the most in need of .5 ratings here. Probably a 2.51 though so I’ll round up. Vaguely familiar but definitely new of that makes any sense.
Gotta give it to them for having some unique music without being overboard on straight weirdness. But otherwise was kind of a boring album. Low 3
I truly don't remember anything about this album
I want to give this a 4 but it’s not quite there. The first third is absolutely ace, the next third is very good, but the last third is a bit lacking. Kinda feels for me like they have some excellent ideas for songs but theyre still a WIP. Like a bunch of demoes towards the end. If the rest of the album was as good as the first 3 or 4 songs it would be a very easy 5 for me. They’re certaintly different, that’s for sure. 3.5
Very enjoyable, not quite 4* 73/100
Enjoyed that.
I enjoyed this. I considered a 4 but a couple of times it just fell on the wrong side of being a little TOO odd. But on the whole really good. 3.5
Probably don't need multiples of this on here. 2.5.
Solid indie rock, but I wasn't super into it. Quite torn between 2 and 3
Great delivery and poetry, but have never totally connected with TV On The Radio. Enjoyed Dear Science more myself.
This was a nice surprising modern alternative album that I haven’t heard before. A strong debut album from this band. The instrumentals were quite good along with some pretty catchy songs that didn’t feel gimicky. Overall it was good and would revisit again. 6.7/10
It was ok. Nothing really popped out at me.
Interesting instrumentally. If you listen closely there is so much to find in this music. But ultimately I found it a little boring and in need of some nicer melodies. It’s possible I would love it more if I listened a few more times.
Tiene temas interesantes y que suenan diferentes, el uso de la voz como instrumento al estilo de grupo a capella es interesante, pero las canciones entre sí no se diferencian mucho, son a mi gusto demasiado parecidas y no veo algo diferencial que lo haga especial para mi gusto. Sin embargo suena bien
6/20/24. Was hard for me to fully grasp this album, but I did love the instrumental parts. Was a little slower, but perhaps I need to listen again.
Ok, but ultimately unsatisfying, like a limp wristed handshake...
Bleh
Avant-pop experimental. Ni fu ni fa.
It’s not bad, but it was also unremarkable.
It's a good album, if inconsistent. The bonus track especially felt a poor ending to the album. "Staring at the Sun" is great though, but a lot of the other songs feel kind of muddy.
I had no idea what to expect but was willing myself to like this as I could hear a bit of Radiohead in there. It just didn’t happen though and I was rather underwhelmed
Initially quite weird, alternative/indie on the art house side. Nevertheless, it grows on you once you get used to their style.
Seems technically good, it just wasn't working for me. Had to quit after awhile.
Best Song: Ambulance. The best vocals on the album, for me. Worst Song: Bomb Yourself. Far too downtempo for me. Overall: For some reason, I expected more. There is a groovy, fresh feel to the whole album, and I think the polish and production is really clean, but it didn't do anything to really grab my attention. It felt like the musicians were containing themselves too much, and I wanted more explosive energy.
This was a unique album only in the sense that it felt different than a lot of the stuff we’ve gotten recently. I love the album cover and I only kept one song, but I’ll take this over many others we have gotten.
bissl zu theatre kid manchmal
Big variety of sounds - not all pleasant ones. Intended I assume.
Great intro song. It takes a while to get going, but once it does it really sets the stage for what you are going to get with TV on the Radio. I love how the second track continues the distorted bass, it seems to be a consistent voice in the musical vocabulary of the band, and it makes sense because it sits so well against the singer's baritone. Ambulance is amazing. It sounds like an etude or a piece that was made just to toy around with the idea of making a foundation of a song as those vocal "dum dum dum's", and yet it's a beautiful track with a flowing main vocal and subdued and pretty harmony vocal parts. What a piece. A downside that this album has for me is that it keeps teasing me with something high energy, but it doesn't come on this record. This is hardly a knock though, as their sound is more diverse and eclectic than just some run of the mill fast paced rock outfit. I liked it, but probably not enough for a 4. It's a high 3.8ish though.
Disappointed that I didn’t like it more. It just wasn’t super interesting; not bad, but not great.
OK album with some standouts. The instrumentals are very different especially paired alongside the vocals. This is especially apparent on Starting at the Sun & Dreams. Other favorites are Ambulance and Don't Love You
Idk if this was for me. But that dreams song hit hard bro. Yikes. Wah.
It was ok
A band that consistently has too many ideas that often take away from the songs than add to them. They try so hard to be clever but in this process the mix of rock, acapella, multiple vocal melodies, farting bass and stabs of electronic music they forget the hooks. And there in lies the rub... Best Tracks: The Wrong Way; Staring at the Sun; Wear You Out
Raro. Lindo. Nada que destacar.
Decent
"Dreams" no está mal. "Wear you out" también está bien
3.0 There were some interesting things going on sonically and I liked a couple of tracks.
I honestly have no idea whether I liked this or not! So confused. Aspects I did then I found it a bit irritating. But maybe that's because I was feeling stressy
This was pretty good I guess, kinda fun.
I was familiar with a couple songs which I really like. I was curious to see what their discography is like. It definitely makes sense to me to be on the list as an album that captures an era of the early 2000s. Decent album. It feels like it can grow more on me but early impressions I’m left at a 3.
Ekki jafn erfið hlustun og margt annað tilraunadót. Elska gritty hljóðið í strengjunum og þetta virkar ágætlega sem vinnutónlist. Þekki hvorki hljómsveitina né áhrif þeirra nægilega vel, en gruna að þetta hafi alveg haft áhrif á soundið í rokksenunni eitthvað eftir 2004. 3.5/5
Interesting
A bit of a skat-ty kinda vibe at times. Has a pretty generic sound to me but not in a bad way. Solidly ok. 3.5
I respect this for being something different and unique, but it probs won’t get much replay from me
interesting. little good
Bland and forgettable but not bad
Sounds like a bunch of theatre kids
eh
Fíla þetta. Pínu hrátt, samt ekki.
Not bad
This album feels like it's all build and no payoff. None of these songs ever seem to actually GO anywhere. There's no climax, just a build up that just... sits there until the song ends in disappointment. Which is a shame because the actual musicianship is solid. It could have been great.
3.5 stars
Ok. 3
Semi enjoyable noise
I started out not liking this to the point where it was flirting with “1” territory. It is very bizarre and lots of abstract ideas going on here. There are tracks that I dreaded, but I actually ended up saving 3 after circling back and listening to the first half again. I liked “Staring at the Sun”, “Poppy”, and the bonus track demo of “Staring at the Sun”. Generally speaking I like my rock sans the “Art” element, but I will revisit some of this. 2.5/5
I never understood how this band routinely received such high reviews, and this listen did not really move that needle for me. There were a few standout tracks, but for the most part the album lacked cohesion and really just sounded like randomized sounds being thrown together. I will probably continue to find my art rock elsewhere.
A cool band and I can appreciate the creativity here, but just never been one of my favorites and felt like they blended in with a lot of other bands. The vocals on their records are often the weak link, makes it a tough listen for me.
Never been able to get into TVONR. Something about their sound doesn’t jive with me. But I do love me some Staring at the Sun. I’m bumping my rating up on that song alone. 2.5/5
weird and not thaaaat catchy but catchy at times alright, closing track is great
01) The Wrong Way - 7,5 02) Staring at the Sun - 7,5 03) Dreams - 7,5 04) King Eternal - 7,0 05) Ambulance - 6,5 06) Poppy - 6,5 07) Don't Love You - 6,5 08) Bomb Yourself - 7,0 09) Wear You Out - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,00 (70/100) This one is different. Do I like it? Not quite sure. The first three songs are interesting, but it goes nowhere from there. "Ambulance" and "Poppy" are annoying, and the rest is just there.
Staring at the sun is so so good. Was loving the first half of the album. It felt cohesive yet still dark and interesting. And then I got lost in the second half. But I will listen to staring at the sun for the rest of my life.
Like a TV soap on the radio, I never really saw the full picture here. I'm not going to finish the season of this particular TV show.
Let's file this under Interesting.
Another very middle of the road album for me. It had some interest for my ear, but nothing that really touched my soul.
Wow! It's been a few years and hundreds and hundreds of albums since we listened to TV on the Radio's Dear Science, which I ended up loving and have listened to a few times since. So I was excited to try another. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I didn't like this one at all. I know that Desperate Youth has been removed from the 1001 book at this point, which is fine by me. There should probably only be one and it should be Dear Science.
The first and only TV On The Radio album I’ve listened to up to now was 2008’s Dear Science. I liked that album quite a bit. This one didn’t go quite as well. I listened to it twice and then listened to Dear Science again just to check. This album seemed a lot darker and downbeat. While I liked several songs I failed to connect with many of the others.
This was an acquired taste. It had some delightful moments and some that were cringe for me. It’s one that needs a few listens to grow on you. Not sure I’ll have the patience for that, but interested in checking out later projects by the group.
Interesting - but the songs are all pretty long!
Not a particularly powerful whole piece, and definitely not the best album from this band, but there are an array of interesting ideas, great moments, and some great songs here and there.
Ikke sådan rigtig godt, men heller ikke rigtig dårligt. Norah Jones for hipstere. Det kan køre i baggrunden uden at nogen rigtig slår sig på det
This didn't do much for me. Kind of an emo muddled mess, not all that engaging. Dark just for the sake of being dark. Sludgy, atonal, not in a good way... I'll also admit that the affected vocals just aren't my cup of tea...
Meh, not as good as the other one, which I had a while ago - just not as engaging or catchy. Decent enough, but no more than that.
Not a bad album, but I concluded it wasn’t for me after a single listen. TV On The Radio seems like a band that I would like due to its similarity to Radiohead, but this album didn’t click with me. 3/5
Interesting mix of loops, quirky/provocative lyrics and a huge rumbling bass line. I hadn’t heard this before and was interested to read that they worked with Bowie on a later track which I will be checking out.
Enjoyed this, certainly inspired me to check out their back catalogue. 3.5 stars.
I actually liked this album a lot! Kind of reminded me of Muse. Might not come back to very often but I enjoyed it
Quite unusual sounding but i quite liked it.
Meh, not bad but not really for me. I actually think this music is pretty good, but at the same time it's a little boring.
New to me, I believe, but from the name I know that in a just slightly alternate universe, I would have listened to this. Bring into question why haven't I? A new challenge for my rating system: I'm hearing a lot of bits that remind me of other music, music I like even love but the whole thing... just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's the Gouache on Cat Hair Art School Rock-ishness that's turned to 11 here?, the blend is just too fucking much. Hypothesis: this music is the reason why Post-Rock mostly ditched vocals.
I knew Staring at the Sun and still enjoy that song. I also liked Dreams. But man, I wanted to like this album and really didn't. The backup falsetto really was irritating me after a couple songs. Pretty disappointed in an indie band i knew and was kind of looking forward to.
I've always thought this singer had a style very similar to mid-period Peter Gabriel - not just his actual voice, but the way he delivers the lines, the dynamics, etc. I like. I got this album as a gift years ago and obsessed over it for a bit but hadn't listened in probably 15 years - it's weird, unconventional, melodic, moody, not catchy, and dark. Sounds like a hit! I keep wavering tho and am settling on a 3 - on the one hand i like that there's no immediately catchy earworms ... on the other hand ... there's nothing catchy. :P I think this album could have used a killer cut (or 2) to really push it over the line. Having said that, its worth a few listens at minimum. (n.b. definitely stop after "Wear You Out" which is the original album - because the bonus cut of "You Could Be Love" is so bad as to almost knock my rating down by itself...) 7/10 3 stars.
I like TV On The Radio a lot, but besides Staring at the Sun I wasn’t really feeling this
2004 Genre: Avant-pop, dark wave, experimental, post-punk Standouts: Staring at the Sun, Dreams, Poppy, Ambulance Better than average: 3.5
B- The Wrong Way 3 Staring At The Sun 3 Dreams 4 King Eternal 3 Ambulance 4 Poppy 3 Don't Love You 3 Bomb Yourself 3 Wear You Out 3 You Could Be Love 3 I'm surprised these guys have two albums in here, but everybody makes mistakes.
Look, I’m as surprised as anybody about TVOTR appearing twice on this list, but their music is usually good so you could do a lot worse. I like the experimentation, the dark tone of a lot of the tracks, and Tunde’s voice, so a tune like Ambulance with its ominous acapella backing is right up my street. There’s enough good stuff on here for a 3.5, but it does kinda run out of steam towards the end so I won’t round up this time.
Liked this. Might give it another listen but not as a top twenty thing
I’ve heard the other TV on the Radio entry on this list, “Dear Science”, and a lot of it has really stuck with me. Hearing their career in reverse has been interesting: “Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes” reveals that the band began in much less polished, darker and fuzzier territory. The drama and scale remains, though, with each song fizzing with quiet urgency and deep regret. In isolation, the ingredients are all very appealing: a chugging bass deep-fried in fuzz, blurry and cloudy synth lines, slow and often synthetic drum beats, vocals with liberal distortion. Occasionally, frontman Tunde Adebimpe’s falsetto slices through like sunshine. It’s all part of the common formula across these songs, which slowly build up to mantra-like choruses as in “Staring at the Sun”, “Dreams”, and the epic closer “Wear You Out”. Most songs have the feeling of anticipation without ever quite arriving (the magnificent “King Eternal” is the chief exception, showing the band at maximum capacity). Once the sonic mould of the record has established itself, the first refreshing switch-up hits in the fifth track, “Ambulance”: an a capella arrangement, based around a bass vocal arpeggio! A five minute track is a little too long to sustain this arrangement, but I respect the audacity enough for it to pay off. “Poppy” is more successful, mixing wild ragged guitar with vocal counterpoint in the outro. More variety such as this would have been great. This album is enjoyable and has very strong moments, but ultimately it is a little more one-note than I would have liked, lacking the immediacy and catharsis of “Dear Science”.
I mean a very solid record but i don't think anymore than that .highlights were king eternal and maybe a controversial opinion but ambulance with the vocals was very good for me
Pretty forgettable
Genre: Avant-pop, dark wave, experimental, post-punk 2004 5/5: Staring at the Sun 4/5: The Wrong Way, Poppy Rating: 3.5
Pretty good. A great vibe overall, but none of the songs on here grabbed me like some of their songs on other albums.
Interesting, for sure.
Eastcoast Radiohead on crack… Added: Dreams
I kinda get acapella / experimental vibes from this. It's certainly unusual. I do like it but still not 100% sure yet..
The start was good but in general again, so fucking whiny.
Really interesting blend of styles but personally not something I'll listen to again
I didn't enjoy it as much as their other album on the list, but it delivered more of what I was expecting and I'm happy with it. This is not generally my genre of choice, but I could listen without any qualms and would be likely to listen again.
I famously gave the first album this list offered me from this band a 5 rating and almost immediately regretted my decision. I doubt I ever went back and listened to it again. I almost went with a 1 rating here just to let the world know I don't live in the middle of the road. Instead , I went with the rating I should have branded that first album with earlier. Most of this artist's output falls right in the middle, a place I've already established as somewhere I rarely visit.
Decent
I admire it more than I enjoy it, but I also enjoy it here and there.
Rumor is that if you write down the number "2004" on a little piece of paper, put it in a bottle with a little bit of topsoil and water, and put that bottle on a table near a window, that in two weeks time that piece of paper will grow into this album, not unlike a Chia Pet. I was more into the one that follows this one, but I like this one well enough. "Staring at the Sun" is hard to ignore and the guitar on "Poppy" makes me happy. A lot of these songs though sound like they're on the burner but never quite come to a boil. Still, I'll gladly take this side of early 2000s indie over the garage rock revivalists.
With the exception of 'You Could Be Love' - which hurt my ears, the rest is ok.
3.2 - bonus tracks are weird (not good)
Tämähän on vallan erikoislevy, kuin gootihkoa indietä. Tavallaan pidän! Tavallaan vähän kyllästyttää, kun laulaja kuulostaa kuin koettaisi olla mysteerisen kyllästynyt.
helt fin bare ikke min stil - synes alle numrene lød lidt ens
Et af de mere inspirerede valg fra 00erne på listen. Synes lyden er pisse fed, vokalerne kan godt blive lidt småtræls. Håber ikke det er den eneste TVOTR plade på listen, de to næste er bedre
Fin nok, lige indtil demo numrene der var i den plade jeg hørte på Tidal 😅
Good
Helt bra album. Bomb yourself bra låt
It's okay, but everything is starting to sound the same to me. It just sort of feels like generic indie rock. 3 stars.
Ok 00’er indie art rock, lidt forglemmeligt
I think I need to listen to more albums of theirs before I form an opinion about the band. This was just ok for me. Didn’t grab me but was pleasant.
Way too many weak tracks but Dreams pushed it to a 3.
Good album.
Blind album, know the artist by name. Album was okay. These albums are something I am trying and hearing something new, but i may not come back to simply cause it's just okay.
I didn't really enjoy it. The album seemed to change midway through, and it was just not that great IMO. It'll get an extra star for not being Noise Rock.
Tbh I didn't love it as much as some others but I should probably listen again
At first I thought, "Art Rock", is this even a category? Then song two was unexpectedly really good. Then I heard the barbershop quarter known as "Ambulance" and then I thought I might actually need one.
It's 30-40% too experimental for me. Starting at the Sun, Dreams, Don't Love You really work for me. The vibe is good, but the vocalizations on a delicate line between being too falsetto and alternative-falsetto that plays well. Several songs don't really go anywhere (Poppy) and there's a few that are a bit too experimental for me. Interesting.
Rock with a different approach. I like it. Unusual arrangements that I find surprisingly catchy.
Not sure I’m a fan
Some interesting stuff, but overall not something I'd seek out again.
Started out strong, lost interest half way through.
stronger than Dear Science
It seems fairly rare than I’m generated an album to listen to that was recorded post-millenium. Today’s album is one of these, and is a band I’ve never heard of before. I can forgive myself for not knowing albums that came out before I was born, but anything post-1990 seems like something I should at least be vaguely aware of. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Staring At The Sun, Ambulance This reminded me of another band, although I’m not sure who that other band is. I like the layered vocals here, despite rarely being harmonised and generally being the same melodies. I don’t usually like that, but it sounded nice here. The music is quite odd and I’m not sure how to categorise it aside from alt-rock, which is too broad a genre. It didn’t blow me away, but it was a pleasant listen.
Rock experimental.
They have some good stuff going on here. I felt fairly neutral about it overall though, I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because most of the songs have a kind of self loathing feeling to them that I don't like staying in too long. I could see it growing on me though, we'll see.
This was kind of like Lost Souls by Doves, which was only about a week ago for me: mostly pretty boring, but I liked one song (Staring at the Sun, with this one).
Ehh I should like this but it wasn't really vibing with me. I like the indie nature of it but I wasn't feeling it. Something to revisit in the future and maybe it'll speak more to me.
-has a low-key sound -decent lyrics -most songs seem unresolved -nothing that really grabbed me or made me want to listen to it again
This one was all over the musical map, some tracks were great some less so. The one that sounded like Bobby McFerrin was my favorite.
6/10. The fact that they had the lyric "Final Fantasy" in an album that was definitely released after Final Fantasy existed is an unforgivable mistake, really distracted me from the song, and now that I've written this review it's all I'll ever remember about this album.
Interesting good
Starts strong but loses momentum in the second half. Overall decent. The bonus track is flat out terrible. Memo to musicians. Don't do bonus tracks. If the song isn't good enough to be on the original album, don't use it as a bonus track. More often than not, bonus tracks are awful.
Odd, kinda cool. Chill, weird noises. One of a kind
Nothing to say.
Long et chiant, un peu comme les séances de sport trop chers pour ce qu'elles sont d'eltrapeze.
Long et penible, un peu comme l'attente du review du mariage de Charles.
A strong debut from one of the best bands of the 00s, showcasing their unique ability to blend multiple disparate styles, like post-punk, electronic, hip-hop, doo wop, etc. The first half is great, with Dreams and Ambulance as standouts next to the previously released Staring at the Sun. The second half is darker and more overtly political, which I think makes it a bit weaker.
Beetje weird, maar ook wel interessant. En weer eens iets wat niet de gebaande paden braaf volgt.
TV On The Radio album #2 (#74 overall): another largely forgettable album. After this one was done playing, Wolf Like Me started playing and I can immediately see why this band was included. Why this album? It's not bad, but I feel like so many good albums were left off for this. Meh. 3/5
They have better records tho!
It was an OK album. Not my style but I didn’t hate it.
Turn on the Sirius XM alternative channel - is it playing this?
Whacko album. Track 1 sounds like there’s a motorbike in the background. Every track has some different sort of drum-beat happening. Ambulance is built around some sort of recurring doo-woo refrain. And it ends with the 7-minute Wear You Out, which seems to be built on drumming that brings to mind a native American beat, before it heads off into the territory of free jazz. I didn’t take any notice of the lyrics. But I really enjoyed the music.
Not bad. Some half decent tunes, but doubt I’d listen again.
Quite a bit of different music genres melting together on this. Certain songs work really well, others not so much but I like the creativity.
It was fine. I hadn’t listened to this one in a while and I didn’t like it as much as I remembered.
Yeah man, this was ok! Enjoyable but didn’t take my socks off!
Não é ruim, mas rockzinho alternativo meio cansativo
Weird indie rock that I sorta found too hipsterish and off putting for my taste. I think for the Pitchfork crowd this is like…a ten out of ten but I’ve never been much for that sort of thing. For me it’s more of a strong 5…outta 10
Very talented band. But not for me.
Nicely done.
first listen kinda boring and weird, sounds like a bad Bowie album (which he doesn't have)
TV On The Radio took the forward motion of motorik and laid it down record-length. Added some incongruous sound on top and let the knobs spin wild in the mix. That erases the foundation at points, but Desperate Youth stubbornly fails to come apart even as a cappella tends to drag. It is all a bit disorienting, the electric flashes in the night as rendered honestly by the cover. Useful illumination on the scaffolding of a later sound.
Groovy at points, but way too heavy on the falsetto. Best track: Don't Love You
This is another one of those albums where I get it, but it’s not for me. I appreciated some of the more unique production choices, but the minimal drum beats and marvel movie synth orchestra stuff really left me cold. I’m glad to have listened to this album, but I’ll most likely never listen to it again.
This was ultimately fairly disappointing for me. When I was listening to the opening track The Wrong Way, I was getting pretty hyped. I thought it was really out there, cool and weird. Turns out the rest of the album was not like that at all and pretty much just sounded like Bloc Party. It’s fine as far as that era of indie rock goes, nothing particular offensive, just nothing super interesting. Ultimately I’ve got no issue with this album and probably won’t mind if it comes on in an indie mix in the future, just probably not something I’ll go looking for (except the opening track, that was super cool)
Really cool aspects, but feels like generic 2010s alternative in a lot of ways. Cool they were so early, but 20 years later it is a bit boring
I still can't quite understand the cultural impact of TV on the Radio. While they are indie darlings, no doubt, I had never encountered the band's name until I saw their 2008 album on this list. It was pretty good! This one is just good. Some interesting ideas being explored but never in any context that compelled me. Felt like a good start for the band that would go on to do better things.
3.9 - Starts cool and measured with some artful layering of growly guitars and husky saxophones on songs like "Staring at the Sun." The paired lead and falsetto backing vocals adds a rough element that blends nicely with the dark atmosphere. "Ambulance" marks a creative apex, sung a cappella. From there, the record takes a marked downturn and I'd say they extend that denouement for too long with "Don't Love You", "Bomb Yourself", "Wear You Out." One other solid rocker would've ended this record on a higher high.
Pretty good! This is the second TVOTR album I’ve had. I can see why people like them, although I don’t feel particularly compelled to seek them out on my own in the future. I really liked “Staring at the Sun.” More probably of a 3.5.
Its ok. Cool soundscapes, didnt speak much to me one way or the other though
The smooth sound of Morgan Freeman covered in jam. I was so high.
Pretty interesting sound, I prefer it to the other TV On The Radio album that was on here. Ultimately it doesn’t really add up to too much besides a decent listen
Helt coolt men int greppande på någo sätt alls