Reviews & Commentary
Nov 24, 2004
caroline
6 Comments

Bloc Party – Banquet E.P.

blocparty.jpg The music people listen to when they are teenagers is just the best evah, they think. Nothing can top it — especially not anything that’s current. It is balls, basically. We just are more jaded as we grow older. To help 40+ curmudgeons such as myself get in touch with contemporary music, we now have the new new wave. Back comb your hair and squeeze your body into those bondage pants. The arrival of Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Interpol, The Dears, The Stills and The Rapture, has made you want to dig out your The Cure, Smiths and Joy Division albums. Bloc Party , described by MTV as South London art-punkers, and who am I to argue, take their influences and run with ‘em: the best of The Cure with the punchiest Joy Division/New Order, and the choppiest Gang of Four. Bloc Party are blessed with a singer who has a voice that carries beautifully, especially on the phones disco edit of ‘Banquet’. ‘I’m on fire, I’m on fire,’ he proclaims. They are. This excellent E.P. is a good introduction to the band and will carry you over to the street release of their album ‘Silent Alarm’ next year.

Banquet E.P (USA) // Banquet E.P. (U.K.)

6 Comments

  • klappie December 5, 2004 at 12:28 pm

    yes! I highly endorse this recommendation! I saw them live for the first time at the Paradiso 2 weeks ago when they supported Interpol.
    For anyone interested hearing more on the origins of some of the music ou hear today from that wave of “The ….” bands, go check out Gang Of Four! Especially “Entertainment!”, their debut…

  • klappie December 5, 2004 at 12:28 pm

    yes! I highly endorse this recommendation! I saw them live for the first time at the Paradiso 2 weeks ago when they supported Interpol.
    For anyone interested hearing more on the origins of some of the music ou hear today from that wave of “The ….” bands, go check out Gang Of Four! Especially “Entertainment!”, their debut…

  • Carl April 21, 2005 at 2:07 pm

    So far British Sea Power, Arcade Fire, and this group are my favorites of the newer bands… while I haven’t by all means listened to more than a few songs of each (including some of the fairly famous support acts for U2 in europe) a lot of them seem rather a sign of the times. I have enjoyed your transit features (it’s what got me to check out British Sea Power actually), and would like to see more coming in even if there’s not a super amount of comments on them.

  • Carl April 21, 2005 at 2:07 pm

    So far British Sea Power, Arcade Fire, and this group are my favorites of the newer bands… while I haven’t by all means listened to more than a few songs of each (including some of the fairly famous support acts for U2 in europe) a lot of them seem rather a sign of the times. I have enjoyed your transit features (it’s what got me to check out British Sea Power actually), and would like to see more coming in even if there’s not a super amount of comments on them.

  • Caroline April 24, 2005 at 6:45 pm

    Thanks, Carl, I definitely hope to write more stuff for Transit. I’m currently quite taken with The Dears, so they may be next on the schedule.

  • Caroline April 24, 2005 at 6:45 pm

    Thanks, Carl, I definitely hope to write more stuff for Transit. I’m currently quite taken with The Dears, so they may be next on the schedule.

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