Artwork by Adam Sarpalius
Here are Pretty Much Amazing’s Top 75 Songs of the Decade. Below you will find the entire list with three accompanying podcasts. For our reviews of the Top 25 songs, please follow this link.
Posts Tagged: TV On The Radio
21
Dec 09
07. TV on the Radio – Wolf Like Me
Artwork by Adam Sarpalius
As 2009, and the decade come to a close, PMA will be looking back at our favorite songs of the last ten years. We will update a list with 75 empty slots until we reach that song that changed everything. You can keep track of this list by keeping an eye on this page. We make these lists in hopes that you guys will chime in the comments and share your favorite musical moments of the noughties.
How do you introduce a song like “Wolf Like Me”? How do you introduce a band as polarizing as TV on the Radio? There is so much to say, but I will keep this as succinct as possible.
The music emitting from your headphones (oh, you better be listening to this with headphones on… unless you’re in front of a stage) is gripping, your attention is surrendered to these men for the remainder of the song’s four-plus minutes, longer if you’re spinning the engrossing and vital Return To Cookie Mountain.
This music is thunderous and alive, it has a mind of its own and it has a mission. It’s mission is to show you the world through the eyes of TV on the Radio. Before this, the world was linear, flat. Listening to “Wolf Like Me” is like seeing the world through a wide-scope lens for the first time. Within seconds, you’re consumed by the three-pronged attack of static, bass and, most importantly, soul. That soul of Tunde Adebimpe and his beautiful, gospel-tinged voice of his blast through the track, but by then you’re lost in it entirely.
“Wolf Like Me” is a beast. A rare beat, at that. It’s challenging and experimental, but less so than TV on the Radio’s previous work. It bears a sweet familiarity lodged in its near-subversive roots in New Wave and Soul music. Best of all? It can fill the dance floor.
9
Dec 09
Harlem – Friendly Ghost
You can say that I’m a bit late to the Harlem party. Actually, I’m still not there at all. I just happen to like the song the DJ is playing at the moment, so I’m secretly hiding outside the window. Yeah, you can say that. That sounds about right.
Harlem hail from ATX, where all the cool bands come from, and they sound like your typical fuzzy garage indie-rock band still in love with Nirvana. They’re just probably better at it than your band, and they happen to play shows with TV on the Radio. Go figure.
“Friendly Ghost” comes from Harlem’s Matador debut, Hippies, which comes with highly diggable (and again, totally typical) artwork.
Harlem’s Hippies is due out April 6th.
24
Nov 09
Best Album of 2008 Poll
I know we haven’t put up the results for best album of 2007 yet, but I wanted to move onto the voting for 2008 because, if you haven’t noticed, we’re at the end of November almost and we have quite a lot to do still on our end.
A lot of fantastic debuts made our list in 2008. In fact, half of them are debuts.
A. TV on the Radio – Dear Science,
B. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
C. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
D. Portishead – Third
E. Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair
F. Lil Wayne – The Carter III
G. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
H. Deerhunter – Microcastle
I. Robyn – Robyn
J. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
19
Nov 09
Rain Machine – Give Blood (Music Video)
I personally find it rather frustrating when a band member decides to launch a solo career but simply ends up sounding like the original band he/she was originally a part of. It makes me wonder: what’s the point? But of course, that’s the fan talking in me and we all know fans have no regard for musicians lives or feelings and only want our music tastes to be satisfied. Nevertheless, I can say I am satisfied with “Give Blood,” Kyp Malone (of TV on the Radio)’s single off his solo debut. This is probably because I am a fan of TV on the Radio and, you guessed it, it pretty much sounds like them.
The music video features Kyp in what appears to be a non-seedy hotel room playing his guitar. But then he starts pulling bodies out from under the bed and things get only slightly weird from there with some clay creatures and (gasp!) hand claps. Download “Give Blood” below: Continue reading →
27
Sep 09
Best Album of 2004 Poll
Best Albums of 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09
We’re finally closing the first half of the decade. So far, we’ve had to make some obvious, almost obligatory choices… as well as some that you may not have expected. Either way, Jeff and I are still relying on your votes and comments, and we thank you for sticking with us this long.
2004 was a crazy year for music. So crazy that I had to take an extra day to finalize this list. There was Kanye West’s debut album, arguably my personal favorite hip hop album ever. Arcade Fire also brought their Funeral that year too (and as you might know, that has been my favorite album of the last 10 years). Brian Wilson chose to finally release his SMiLE, 37 years in the making. I won’t go on… but hopefully you get the point.
As always, I looked through various year-end lists published by some of our favorite publications. The shortlist was created by looking through year-end lists by the Villiage Voice’s Pazz & Jop Poll, Pitchfork, Tiny Mix Tapes, Drowned By Sound, Stylus and PopMatters.
A. Kanye West: The College Dropout
B. Arcade Fire: Funeral
C. Animal Collective: Sung Tongs
D. Brian Wilson: SMiLE
E. Madvillian: Madvilliany
F. Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand
G. The Streets: A Grand Don’t Come For Free
H. Elliott Smith: From A Basement On The Hill
I. Modest Mouse: Good News For People Who Love Bad News
J. TV On The Radio: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
8
Sep 09
pmaCAST #18: Post-Labor Day
pmaCAST #18 The “Post-Labor Day” Episode Tracklist Continue reading →
7
Sep 09
Rain Machine (TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone) – Smiling Black Faces
Rain Machine, a solo project from TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone, follows up “Give Blood,” with the latest song from his new album (self-titled), “Smiling Black Faces.” The song has a blue-grass feel to it mixed with a little bit of rock. It combines political and personal aspects of his life (so it seems) to create powerful lyrics. You can also see how strong of the vocalist he is throughout – definitely a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Malone said Rain Machine was, “a nearly full spectrum of frequencies audible to the human ear, a reflection of a variety of emotions and situations real and imagined – some rhythm some rhyme.”
Super excited for the much-anticipated album, which is out September 22 via Anti. Not only did he create the music, he also created all the artwork himself.
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