The group has released several EPs including their debut Young Liars (2003), and five studio albums: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004), Return to Cookie Mountain (2006), Dear Science (2008), Nine Types of Light (2011), and Seeds (2014).
For most of the band's existence, the core TV on the Radio lineup has been Tunde Adebimpe (vocals/loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars/keyboards/loops), Kyp Malone (vocals/guitars/bass/loops), Jaleel Bunton (drums/vocals/loops/guitars) and Gerard Smith (bass/keyboards) as official members.
The band's Bio from their website:
TV on the Radio gets to do anything. Like a small platoon whose pleasing impenetrability is their core, the band consistently confounds expectations while managing to balance respect from critics and peers alike. The result is TV on the Radio gets to do anything they want. This freedom is their engine.
“It’s about doing what feels right,” says singer Tunde Adebimpe. “I really feel like this band is something that is expansive and always changing and growing. If we wear our influences on our sleeve, it’s a pretty crowded sleeve.”
It’s no different with Seeds, the new and fifth proper studio album that Adebimpe has made along with Jaleel Bunton, Kyp Malone, and David Andrew Sitek (who also produced it). Having long outlasted that early 2000s fascination with all things Brooklyn to which the hip willfully succumbed, they continue to conquer music on their own terms. This album serves as another step in continuing to heed their reputation as “the most vital, current band in America” (Associated Press).
This go-round the songs are immediate and triumphant, textured with storytelling hooks and possibly the most honest music this band has ever composed. They’ve hit a point where they’re OK being straight-up beautiful without having to manipulate prettiness into whatever unforeseen shape.
Slate says Seeds has “TV on the Radio’s best songs in years. They are sounding sharper than ever.” And the band knows it. Adebimpe has already said this is the band’s best record. Not a boast, just an observation.
“I feel like I knew it before we were done,” he says immediately. “I was so excited by the songs while we were making them, I wanted to get more and more and more into it. The general feeling going into it was, 'We're still here. Our friendship with each other is so strong. Being in a band, at its best times, is like being... well, let’s say whenever things are going really well, we're like ‘cool, Voltron's back together.’“
The TV on the Radio guys are the type of people who go on hiatus and focus on music. They may take time between albums for their other endeavors, but they know when it’s right to come together – especially when the music comes as easily and passionately as it did with case Seeds. The band found themselves collected in David Sitek’s Los Angeles studio last year and recorded a couple of songs – “Mercy” and “Million Miles” and didn’t want to stop.
“Those were just songs that we wrote because we hadn't written songs together in a while,” says Sitek “They came out really fast and inspired us to do it again – and then ‘again’ turned into the record.”
Adebimpe and Sitek live in Los Angeles, Bunton and Malone reside in New York, but make no mistake: TV on the Radio is a quartet. To attempt to parse out exactly what each member does in the group would be to dismantle the fundamental essence of what makes TV on the Radio the monolithic anomaly they have been careful to cultivate and protect for more than a decade. They permeate beyond a wall of sound, and instead create a planetarium of music with every song. They embody many voices. Most of them can play just about anything. And sing too. They are equal partners in the creation of a type of noise that appeared seemingly out of nowhere over 10 years ago.
Throughout the years, TV on the Radio has been consistent in the standard they set for themselves. Earlier records, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and Return To Cookie Mountain stole the hearts of fans and critics alike just the same, winning the Shortlist Music Prize and Spin's Album of the Year respectively. Their breakout release Dear Science was named best album of 2008 by Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Spin Magazine, The New York Times, The Onion AV Club, MTV, even Entertainment Weekly. An embarrassment of riches, really. Their last album, 2011's Nine Types of Light, was deemed "pure heaven" by the cherubs at Rolling Stone, and earned the band a Grammy® nomination. The band has also graced the stages of Saturday Night Live and The Colbert Report.
“The band is it’s own ‘self.’ It has to be that way,” Adebimpe says. “That's been the goal for a long time. Nobody really wants to be the focal point for the band; the band should be the focal point. Not even the band: the music. We can show up and take credit for it, but ultimately it's something that maybe we helped shape and facilitate coming into the world. But that’s all.”
They happily recruit likeminded associates to help prop up this invention of theirs in the studio and on stage. (Kelis, for instance, appears on “Lazzeray”). The band has recorded and performed with other artists who’ve conquered the music world on their own terms just as much as they have. Fellow mavericks like Trent Reznor, Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame, Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy, Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead, Martin Perna of Antibalas, Katrina Ford of Celebration, and David chuffing Bowie have all romped in the sandbox with TV on the Radio.
“If you share a material thing, it dissipates,” Adebimpe says, recalling a fragment of philosophy he once heard, or might be improvising on the spot. “If you share a spiritual thing, it just increases. It becomes more and more and more. I'm already thinking about the next record.”
Seeds is an expression of everything this band has been through in the last three years and more. They’re influential, in their prime, they’re TV on the Radio, and they’ve proven themselves to be one of the most important bands of this generation. It clicks, as it always does, and TV on the Radio is brand new again, again.
“No matter what you go through individually and collectively, when you step away from each other, you're kind of like, "I know that if we get together we can fire this thing," says Adebimpe. “It's definitely in the spirit of the punk rock we all grew up with. If you win, you're still a punk. If you lose, you're still a punk, and honestly, it's not about anybody else.”
http://www.tvontheradio.com/
Love Dog
TV on the Radio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one knows the name of
I know why you cry out
Desperate and devout
Timid little tether
Your eyes set on the ether
Your moon in a bella luna and
Nameless you above me
Come lay me low and love me
This lonely little love dog
That no one knows the name of
Curse me out in free verse
Wrap me up and reverse this
Patience is a virtue
Until it's silence burns you
And something slow
Has started in me as
Shameless as an ocean
Mirrored in devotion
Something slow
Has sparked up in me
As dog cries for a master
Sparks are whirling faster
Lonely little love dog
That no one knows the ways of
Where the land is low is
Where the bones'll show through
Lonely little love dog
That no one knows the days of
Where the land is low is
Where the water flows to
And holds you
The lyrics of TV on the Radio's "Love Dog" focus on a character described as a "lonely little love dog" who is nameless and crying out desperately for love, but is largely ignored by the world around them. The song is full of vivid imagery and metaphors, with the love dog compared to the moon, the ocean, and even the concept of patience itself. The singer of the song seems to be either directly or indirectly addressing the love dog, promising to love and care for them despite their namelessness and society's disregard for them.
The central theme of the song seems to be the idea of love and connection as essential aspects of the human experience, and the pain that can come from feeling isolated and alone. The love dog serves as a metaphor for anyone who feels overlooked or ignored by society, and the lyrics suggest that even those who are seemingly unlovable or forgotten about deserve to be loved and cherished.
The overall tone of the song is both melancholy and hopeful, with a sense of longing and yearning for connection that is tempered by the recognition of the difficulties and obstacles that can stand in the way of finding true love and acceptance in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Lonely little love dog that
This is a reference to a person who feels lonely in love and is seeking compassion. The use of 'love dog' is a metaphor for such a person.
No one knows the name of
The person feels unacknowledged and that their feelings have not been appreciated by others.
I know why you cry out
The singer can empathize with the person's situation and feels their pain.
Desperate and devout
The person feels urgent and sincere in their quest for love and attention.
Timid little tether
The person feels hesitant and restrained in expressing their feelings.
Your eyes set on the ether
The person's gaze is set on a distant, intangible goal that they are trying to reach.
Your moon in a bella luna and
The person's mood is affected by the phases of the moon, creating a cyclical pattern of emotions.
Howling hallelujah
The person expresses their joy and praise in a passionate, exuberant manner.
Nameless you above me
The person's identity is unknown to the singer, giving them a sense of mystery and intrigue.
Come lay me low and love me
The singer is calling out to the person, asking them to show affection and bring them comfort.
This lonely little love dog
The person is still feeling alone despite their efforts to find love and companionship.
That no one knows the name of
The person's identity and feelings are still not well-known or understood by others.
Curse me out in free verse
The singer is willing to endure criticism and harsh words from the person, as long as they express them authentically and creatively.
Wrap me up and reverse this
The singer wants the person to help them break free from negative emotions and experiences, and start fresh.
Patience is a virtue
The singer is reminding the person that waiting for the right moment to act is often better than rushing in impulsively.
Until it's silence burns you
The silence or lack of progress can become unbearable and painful over time, and may motivate the person to change their approach or mindset.
And something slow
A gradual shift in the person's emotions or behavior is beginning to take place.
Has started in me as
The singer is also experiencing a change, as a result of their interaction with the person.
Shameless as an ocean
The singer is becoming more confident and bold in expressing their feelings, like the vast and powerful ocean.
Mirrored in devotion
The person's actions and emotions are reflecting the singer's own level of devotion and commitment.
Something slow
Similar to the previous line, a gradual, ongoing process of change is taking place.
Has sparked up in me
The singer is feeling a renewed sense of hope and optimism, as a result of their interaction with the person.
As dog cries for a master
The person's yearning for love and guidance is as natural and instinctive as a dog's desire for a master or leader.
Sparks are whirling faster
The pace and intensity of the person's emotions are increasing, generating more energy and excitement.
Lonely little love dog
This is a repetition of the first line, emphasizing the person's sense of loneliness and longing.
That no one knows the ways of
The person's behavior, needs, and desires are still not fully understood or appreciated by others.
Where the land is low is
This is a metaphor for a difficult or challenging situation, where the person feels vulnerable and exposed.
Where the bones'll show through
The person's innermost character or true self will become more visible and evident in such a situation.
Lonely little love dog
This is a repetition of the first and last line once again, underscoring the central theme of the song.
That no one knows the days of
The person's past experiences and memories are still shrouded in mystery and ambiguity.
Where the land is low is
This phrase is repeated again, emphasizing the significance of challenging or uncertain circumstances.
Where the water flows to
This is likely another metaphor for the ebb and flow of emotions, which can be unpredictable and uncontrollable.
And holds you
Despite the challenges and uncertainty, the person is seeking comfort and security in the midst of their search for love and identity.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BABATUNDE OMOGORA ADEBIMPE, DAVID ANDREW SITEK, GERARD ANTHONY SMITH, JALEEL BUNTON, KYP MALONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind