TV on the Radio, 'Dear Science'

Backstory: From the moment they emerged from the same fertile Brooklyn music scene that also birthed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio quickly became critical darlings, attracting such high-profile fans as David Bowie with their dense, vocal-rich art-rock. With influences as disparate as doo-wop and free jazz, they’ve maintained their staunchly independent stance even after graduating to major label Interscope. As their fervent fan base continues to grow exponentially, the band is on the verge of becoming America’s answer to Radiohead. 

Why you should care: Like Bowie, TV on the Radio has found ways to make its ambitious and politically charged songs palatable to the masses without compromise. While the grandiose statements on their debut EP and first two albums garnered them endless critical accolades, the band’s lofty aspirations and the kaleidoscopic production style of member David Sitek has kept the music quality high, but often difficult for the more casual listener to appreciate. 

Verdict: TV on the Radio has peeled back the murky melancholia of past outings to reveal the band’s humanistic heart, reveling in the power of love and (political) outrage. Songs like the frantic “Dancing Choose” and funky “Golden Age” are among the band’s finest recorded moments to date, and also their most accessible. Balanced with dreamy love ballads like “Stork and Owl” and the sexual healing tones of “Lover’s Day,” TVOTR have crafted one of the year’s finest albums that will find its way onto countless best-of-2008 lists.

X-Factor: TVOTR singer Tunde Adebimpe has a starring role in the new Jonathan Demme film “Rachel’s Getting Married” alongside Anne Hathaway, who’s already generating Oscar buzz for her performance.

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