1 post tagged “hard-fi”
The whole "new wave of new wave" fad has been fun, with bands emulating the sounds of the Clash, Gang of Four, The Cure, Duran Duran, Joy Division, etc. Brooklyn's Radio 4 is one of the best, putting forth a mix of the Clash and Gang of Four, sprinkled with electronics. The raw energy and (faux?) DIY production values of their second album, Gotham (2002), have made it a fan favorite. Their followup, Stealing of a Nation (2004), featured more mainstream production, increased synth presence, and a certain homogeneity among the songs, and thus it seems to be everyone's least favorite Radio 4 album. But the sound is quite junior-high-friendly (it sounds like Hard-Fi), so it's gotten some play in the Veneer household and minivan, and it includes my favorite Radio 4 song of all, the foot-stomping "Dismiss the Sound"--
I especially like when the vocal comes in, at first it sounds like real heavy-metal wailing; it takes a few seconds to realize it's just a regular singing voice, heavily filtered. And I love the guitar riff that skitters under the verses. YMMV, of course.
