TV On The Radio

This Brooklyn-based band's experimental mishmash of electronics, indie guitar rock, free jazz, funk, soul and occasional a cappella doo-wop vocals recalls the adventurous mix of music on early Funkadelic albums while invoking the likes of the Beach Boys, Jesus & Mary Chain, Otis Redding and even Aphex Twin. TV on the Radio gained fame beyond the underground rock world with the major-label release of its second full-length album, Return to Cookie Mountain in 2006, and its 2008 follow-up Dear Science.

Tunde Adebimpe, who grew up in Nigeria surrounded by Indian and African musical styles including the funk and free jazz of Fela Kuti, and his roommate David Andrew Sitek, producer of underground rock acts such as the Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Liars, formed TV on the Radio in 2001. The following year, Adebimpe and Sitek, both also visual artists, self-released a bizarre, lo-fi collection of songs called OK Calculator, a humorous, Zappa-esque album whose title and one track, "Robots," parodied Radiohead's OK Computer. A buzz grew around the duo, which expanded into a full band with the arrival of guitarist Kyp Malone, drummer Jaleel Bunton and bassist Gerard Smith.

The band put out the more widely released EP Young Liars in 2003, followed by the full-length Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, in 2004 on the indie label Touch & Go. The following year, TV on the Radio posted an anti-George Bush song, "Dry Drunk Emperor," as a free download on its Web site. Return to Cookie Mountain (Number 41, 2006), which veers from driving punk rock to gentle vocal performances reminiscent of Brian Wilson's work with the Beach Boys, landed the band on The Late Show with David Letterman performing its high-energy single "Wolf Like Me." The album also included a guest spot from David Bowie on the song "Province." In 2007, TV on the Radio issued a performance EP, Live at Amoeba Music. In 2008 the band released its third full-length Dear Science which debuted at Number Twelve on the Billboard Top 200.