tv on the radio

Since releasing their 2002 debut album OK Calculator, TV on the Radio have fast become one of the most intriguing groups making music. After a stellar performance by the Brooklyn-based band at the Voodoo Experience last fall, they've cemented their status as one of my absolute favorite bands right now. They truly sound like no one else, and they're rapidly maturing, as evidence by the the release of each new album. Their latest effort, Dear Science, is chock-full of crunchy hits that will definitely make you want to explore their catalog further after a few listens. Though they're taking a bit of time off the road to do other things, TV on the Radio traveled cross-borough to bring their first two singles from Dear Science to Rockefeller Center's Studio 8H, where they performed on the famed stage of Saturday Night Live.

TV on the Radio - "Golden Age"

Check out the video for "Dancing Choose" after the jump

The tenth annual Voodoo Music Experience, set for the weekend of October 24-26, has added several significant names to their already-outstanding lineup. Joining headliners Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., and Stone Temple Pilots are Brooklyn indie-experimentalists TV On The Radio, space-funk hip-hop group N.E.R.D., prog-metal screamers The Mars Volta, 90's alt-rockers the Butthole Surfers, as well as several more. Also of note is the addition of the Deep Soul/Raw Funk Revue which will meld Memphis' Charles Walker and the Dynamites with New Orleans natives Big Sam's Funky Nation for what is bound to be an amazing collaboration.

See the full list of artist additions after the jump

While Houston doesn't see quite as many great live shows as some other cities do, we still occasionally experience nights that find us deciding between performances from multiple equally good artists. One occasion that particularly stands out in my mind took place in April of last year, when Brooklyn's TV on the Radio were set to take the stage at the Meridian, mere blocks from Warehouse Live, where - on the same night - Yo La Tengo were booked to perform. We decided the only way to settle this dilemma was to head over to Pitchfork and choose which band we'd see based on whose name we spotted first. We soon spied a Yo La Tengo news feature, which sealed the deal and led us to the Warehouse that night. I don't at all regret seeing YLT - they knocked it out of the park that night - but still, I've been yearning to catch TV on the Radio ever since. It looks like I'll finally have my chance this fall, as they will be playing at Houston's yet-to-be-opened House of Blues, as well as at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans (which, thanks to Cereal's amazing talents, we will be attending clad in oversized, candy-themed costumes. Look out for a gigantic Hershey Kiss.)

If that's not enough, TVotR have completed their follow-up to 2006's Return To Cookie Mountain; entitled Dear Science (album artwork above), it's set to be released on September 23. You can stream the first track "Golden Age" at their official website.

Find the complete list of tour dates after the jump

The initial line-up for this years Monolith Festival was released today. It features local favorites Devotchka headlining Saturday, September 13, and Parisian electro-geniuses Justice closing the festival on Sunday, September 14. The second annual event is set to take place at the unbelievably gorgeous Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, CO. Also featured on the bill are recent blog darlings Vampire Weekend, Seattle's Band Of Horses, hip-hop hipster Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, soul-songstress Sharon Jones and her Dap Kings, and iPod Touch-commercial stars CSS.

See the full line-up after the jump