First Listen: TV On the Radio

Return to Cookie Mountain (4AD) Where their first recordings sounded compressed, concise little packages of soul singing and noise rock. This album is more expansive--longer songs, more crazy textural variations in one song than most bands put on a whole album. The other thing I like about this band is that I can't think of another band that sounds anything like them--except for the washes of amelodic synth buzz that appear and disappear without warning, which reminds me of the genius racket Allen Ravenstine created on old Pere Ubu albums.

Dream insane neo-progressive-rock double bill: TV on the Radio and Mars Volta.

Here's a fascinating interview with David Thomas that I just stumbled on. Smart and mouthy, who'd have guessed?