This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
If I had a buck for every truly original band I’ve heard lately, I’d still have to panhandle to help pay for a CD.
Once I did, though, I’d hightail it to the store and pick up Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, the stunning debut from TV On The Radio. One of the most exciting and enthralling bands to emerge in years, this Brooklyn trio possess a sound that not only effortlessly spans a host of musical styles — it crosses generation gaps, cultural boundaries and racial lines with equal ease. Singer Tunde Adebimpe’s supple and mellifluous vocals are rooted in the traditional sounds of soul, gospel, blues and doo-wop (along with a dash of Peter Gabriel). But you won’t hear any of that in the music of multi-instrumentalists Andrew Sitek and Kyp Malone; they devote their considerable energies to constructing noisy, fuzzy soundscapes that recall everything from Sonic Youth and Suicide to No Wave and Brian Eno. Combine the two — and add Adebimpe’s poetically political lyrics on war, race and love — and what emerges is a mesmerizing hybrid that dares to be different and demands to be heard. Buy this — even if you have to panhandle to pay for it.
