LONDON'S NEW KIDS ON THE BLOC SHAKING UP U.S.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer Now touring the States and sparking genuine heat, London's Bloc Party is bringing together bipartisan crowds joined in a common cause: Let's dance. The post-punk guitar army's unsettling un·set·tle v. un·set·tled, un·set·tling, un·set·tles v.tr. 1. To displace from a settled condition; disrupt. 2. To make uneasy; disturb. v.intr. anthems, minimalist ballads and thrilling stop-start rhythm attack make for a very modern-sounding quartet. Imitative im·i·ta·tive adj. 1. Of or involving imitation. 2. Not original; derivative. 3. Tending to imitate. 4. Onomatopoeic. though it may be in places, Bloc Party's heart is plainly in the right place, and the members sound like they mean it. The fractured, crazily syncopated syn·co·pate tr.v. syn·co·pat·ed, syn·co·pat·ing, syn·co·pates 1. Grammar To shorten (a word) by syncope. 2. Music To modify (rhythm) by syncopation. feel of club favorite ``Like Eating Glass,'' which leads off the foursome's acclaimed debut disc, ``Silent Alarm'' (Vice), is a welcome diversion from the severely fun-challenged drone of the current crop of young Americans. ``Helicopter'' and ``Positive Tension'' are further Bloc Party clarion calls that bode well for the summer. On the heels of a well-received set at Coachella April 30, the band appears tonight and Saturday at the El Rey El Rey, which means "The King" in the Spanish language, may refer to:
``I think what you have is a very English sound, but it's not like our kind of music is the most popular thing back home,'' said drummer Matt Tong Matt Tong (born Matthew Tong, 29 April 1979 in Bournemouth) is the drummer for English art rock band Bloc Party. He is of English/Chinese descent. Tong was a keen musician from an early age, by 11 he was a competent guitarist, pianist and drummer . , who, like his fellow band members, is in his 20s. ``When you live overseas, you're exposed to a lot of different music from all over the world, and eventually you realize there are no musical borders. That's when it gets interesting. But it's like here - the most commercial stuff surrounds you whether you like it or not.'' Unravel Bloc Party's influences and you get a bit of Blur, some Wire, a taste of Radiohead, a bit of Nirvana, and close listening to the smart politicized rock of the Gang of Four. Hearing ``Silent Alarm'' - the album title comes from an article in New Scientist magazine about earthquake warning systems - you also appreciate well-thought-out musical arrangements in which two Fender Telecasters manage to stay out of each other's way, playing jagged counterpoint to each other. Bloc Party is the anti-Travis. ``That's something we spend a lot of time on,'' Tong said. ``You're right - two Teles can be a mess. You have to work on the tone and you have think everything out. And we do.'' Bloc Party - singer-guitarist Kele Okereke Kele Okereke (born Kelechukwu Rowland Okereke October 13, 1981 in Liverpool), is the vocalist and guitarist for English art rock band Bloc Party. Early days , guitarist Russell Lissack Russell Lissack (born March 11, 1981) is the lead guitarist of London-based indie rock band Bloc Party. Lissack grew up in Chingford, London, and went to Bancroft's School in Woodford, Essex. , bassist Gordon Moakes Gordon Moakes (born 22 June 1976), educated at Ousedale School, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, and formerly of Tilehurst, Reading, is the bassist and backing singer for English art rock band Bloc Party. and Tong - partly came together through mutual friends, eventually rehearsing for the album in a cheap space in West London West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. Although it is only ambiguously defined, it is one of the most economically active areas of London outside of the centre, containing significant amounts of office space along with Heathrow Airport and many of . ``I guess the up-and-coming thing was 'grime' (the frenetic British answer to American rap),'' Tong said of the sound of the city personified by the bad attitudes of Dizzee Rascal, and the Streets. ``It emerged from the street with a really individual voice. That's the beauty of hip-hop and rock today - the equipment's cheap and it allows everybody to express themselves.'' Fred Shuster, (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com BLOC PARTY Where: El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. When: 9 p.m. today and Saturday. Tickets: $19. (213) 480-3232; ticketmaster.com. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Post-punk guitar rockers Bloc Party - Gordon Moakes, left, Kele Okereke, Matt Tong and Russell Lissack - have managed to put over a sound that's at once familiar and fresh. |
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