2 posts tagged “radio 4”

Speaking of Radio 4, as I just was, they released a new song today on the RCRD LBL netlabel.  Which means it's free!  Free to download, free to listen to, and free to embed as long as you use RCRD LBL's ad-supported widget:

They're jumping on the Afrobeat bandwagon too: note the kalimba in the "cover art" (in quotes because there's no physical product to cover) and the guitar figure that plays throughout the song.  At the same time they've smoothed the edges of their sound; this doesn't seem like a good direction for them, but they're promising more through RCRD LBL, so I'll keep my hopes up for something a little more raucous.  For comparison, here are some older Radio 4 songs that are sitting around on the web, starting with the title track from their last album:

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.