Posted on 09/25/2008
TV on the Radio, like their name might suggest, is an awkward and quasi-oxymoronic set up of a band. Avant-garde and difficult to classify (other than lumping them into “alternative rock” or "indie rock"), yet possessive of an all-together addicting and powerful sound, the band does not look like your typical rock band gearing up to release their second album as Interscope-signees (and third overall). “There is no reason a bunch of early-to-mid-30-something dudes should be [where we are]” says Gerard Smith, bassist and all-around sound-contributor of the band. Yet reality remains true and with the release of Dear Science, TV on the Radio’s unique position gives a little hope to the rest of us that maybe the major labels do care about good music (or at the very least are spending their Jonas Bros. money wisely).

When speaking with Gerard, one gets the sense that the evolution of TV on the Radio as a band happened very organically. “It’s been amazing watching it grow. From two, to three, four, and now five [members]. I had never been in a rock band before, and didn’t plan on it as a career choice. I originally signed on for a month and a half. It’s now been five years,” he says looking back. “I remember before I joined, I was just a genuine admirer of the music. After OK Calculator was released, I bumped into David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame) at a club on 34th street. And I was like, ‘whoa, David Byrne!’ and just so psyched to meet him. I gave him a copy of OK Calculator as a fan, as someone saying ‘you’ve got to check this out.”

This organic development of the band itself has also leant to an intriguing evolution in its sound. With their first, unofficial release OK Calculator and the resulting proper album debut, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, TV on the Radio’s sound was decidedly dissonant—space was explored, rhythms were inventive, and instruments along with recording techniques seemed pushed to their limits. The following Return to Cookie Mountain was similar, if not more accessible. With Dear Science, the band seems to have found what works best in terms of translating their sound into logical terms for the rest of us.

“The production on Dear Science, is definitely more ‘on,’ more cleaned up,” explains Gerard. “But at the same time, there are still some dirtier sounds, and it’s not like we’re more polished or anything.” In fact, even with the band’s growth, the recording process has remained largely the same, and a reflection of input from each member.

“You know, we’ve grown from borrowing and renting studio space, to now Dave (Sitek, guitarist and producer) having his own studio, but we still do things in generally the same way. We each kind of come in with our own influences and ideas and just try them out to see what works and build from there,” Gerard explains. “Also in the studio, we all play different roles. While I am technically the bassist, I also help Jaleel (Bunton, drummer) in finding and compiling drum samples.”

“What we’ve always tried to do though is like, just how you and I are talking now, is really create our own conversation—our own language,” Gerard explains when asked about TVOTR’s sound. “We’ve always been about compiling what we each know and learn and you know, create our own sort of computer and language. How we interpret the world and technology and all of that.”

So maybe, TV on the Radio isn’t a proper “band” at all. Could they be just a bunch of dudes, possibly aliens, conducting some social experiment, using older technology to interpret the meaning of our contemporary, hyperactive world, attacking from the inside out? It may be a bit of an overstatement, but when one listens to the music, it doesn’t seem that far off.

“Personally, I’m very grateful for what it is,” Gerard says. “(Our position) gives me a little bit of hope. Some very little hope.”

- Michael Drohan

Watch TVOTR's new video for "The Golden Age" off of Dear Science, below