TV on The Radio

Following a busy recording year in 2009, Scott Herren focused on collaborative projects in 2010, flexing his production muscles via dates, remixes, or cameos with everyone from Zach Hill to Oneohtrix Point Never to TV on the Radio. The Only She Chapters continues the familial feeling, with a wealth of features for female vocalists, which on the surface makes this Prefuse 73 record sound more like it came from Herren’s Savath & Savalas project. Still, it shows his production style has changed slightly. First, there’s little to no evidence of a hip-hop influence, or even electro for that matter…

In a world turned upside down, The Secret Machines are back, and looking for light in the chaos. Awake In the Brain Chamber, the band’s fourth LP and first recorded output in more than ten years, is the sound of things falling apart, with the hope of dawn touching the horizon. If there is a crack in everything, Curtis and Garza are more interested in the light coming in. Curtis’ darkly prophetic lyrics speak of isolation and fear, while Garza’s frenetic, pounding drum beats sound of the four horsemen. But just when things look their worst, the Machines’ beautifully ethereal space-rock takes us away to a different, safe destination: A place with angels, where dreaming is alright, and life blooms from a new disaster.

Formed in 1968, Man earned well deserved praise for a series of wonderful albums issued between 1969 and 1976. Their US West Coast influenced sound also gained them a loyal following on the live circuit where their instrumental prowess was given room to shine. Initially enjoying success in Germany, by 1972 Man had begun to enjoy success in Britain and from 1972 they recorded a series of acclaimed sessions and live concerts for BBC Radio One, had a BBC TV documentary made about them and appeared on the influential TV series The Old Grey Whistle Test. With ever changing line-ups throughout the 1970s, Man disbanded in 1976 after a farewell concert at The Roundhouse in London (a location of some of their legendary concerts). They reformed in 1983, appearing at The Reading Festival that year and would go on to record a further series of excellent albums and undertake extensive touring.