TV on the Radio combines genres to create a soulful rock sound
von Kayla Falgoust am 22.10.2008
Founded in New York in 2001 by vocalist Tunde Adebimpe and keyboardist/guitarist David Andrew Sitek, TV on the Radio released its first demo OK Calculator in 2002. Soon after, the band would improve upon its lineup, adding vocalist/guitarist Kyp Malone, drummer Jaleel Bunton and bassist Gerard Smith.
“I guess it is kind of the classic New York story where everybody moved here from somewhere more constricting,” said Bunton. “I got involved with the band because I kind of had nothing better to do at the time. I could keep on doing a little bit of nothing, or I could do a lot of nothing, which meant going on tour for a month.”
Five years later, Bunton is still on tour with TV on the Radio – now as a permanent member.
According to Bunton, every member of TV on the Radio has been influenced by musically diverse elements, especially those of rock and hip-hop, thus creating a seeming paradox within their soulful brand of music.
“When I was a kid growing up in Kentucky, I think the first tape I ever bought was [by] LL Cool J and the second one I ever bought was probably a Clash record,” said Bunton. “It was really funny because they both seemed kind of wicked to me, and I didn’t really see any problems with it.”
“I think everybody in the band had the same experience,” he added. “I just always really embraced all kinds of music. I never really felt the need to categorize it. I think it just kind of affected me emotionally for whatever reason. I think that is why our music sounds the way it does.”
Over the years, TV on the Radio has amassed a following of devoted listeners – ones that are as diverse as the band’s eclectic sound.
“Last night, we just played in New York, and I was very proud to be on stage and look out and there was every little spectacle in the rainbow in the audience,” said Bunton. “It wasn’t just confined to one neighborhood. There were old people and young people and black people and white people and brown people.”
In 2006, TV on the Radio released its third album Return to Cookie Mountain to immediate critical acclaim. The album was named Spin’s Album of the Year and featured several notable contributors, including David Bowie and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
“We never expected to have much success, and with a little bit of success comes a little bit of confidence. I think now we’re a little more secure with what we are doing.”
Recently, the band released its fourth studio album Dear Science and is currently touring the United States in support of the album.
“The only way you can actually make a living now is to tour a lot,” said Bunton. “I am a bit of a purist in that way. I have been playing music all my life, and I really have a lot of respect for the live music experience…It allows you to sidestep the middleman. It allows you to connect with someone on a face-to-face basis.”
Although they have added a horn player to the touring lineup, TV on the Radio tries to avoid simply reproducing songs on stage, opting to appeal to listeners’ emotions in order to present their music in a more uninhibited way.
“When we play live, we really focus on the live experience – not so much translating note for note what happens on the record,” said Bunton.
“[A live show] is a different experience,” he added. “When I have my headphones on, and I am in my little bunk on the bus, I want something that is perfect for my headphones, but what’s perfect for headphones isn’t necessarily perfect for a stage. We just try to make the emotional impact of the song stand out live.”
Although the band has played both Baton Rouge and New Orleans in the past, TV on the Radio is making its first appearance at Voodoo Fest this weekend. The band is scheduled to perform on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. on the Voodoo Stage in Le Ritual.