Bloc Party Tickets—Leading the Post-Punk Charge By Andrew Good At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

By the late ‘90s, the influence of grunge had worn its welcome. Rap-rock, hard rock and pop were the top sellers on the charts. But that period didn’t stay long, either—by the early ‘00s, indie-rock was reaching the mainstream through catchy hooks and a more scratchy, dancey sound. While The Strokes, The Killers and Franz Ferdinand opened the door to this trend, eventually bands more influenced by the post-punk period of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s (Gang of Four in particular, but also Joy Division, Wire, and Sonic Youth). Maximo Park, Interpol, and The Futureheads were counted among the many devotees that would develop a skronky brand of dance-rock, but of the entire revival, few had the substance and chops of Bloc Party.

The band formed in London with Kele Okereke on vocals and guitar, Russell Lissack on guitar, Gordon Moakes on bass, and Matt Tong on drums. It was their single “Banquet” that launched their star, drawing in raving music journalists were desperate to hear more, especially after a dance-club ready remix was offered on an EP. They were not disappointed. In 2005, the band released their first full-length album, Silent Alarm, receiving critical acclaim in both the United States and their native United Kingdom.
Many of their songs took an explicit political stance, in particular the abrasive “Helicopter,” which took aim at the Bush administration and the War on Terror: “Stop being so American/There's a time and there's a place/So James Dean/So blue jeans/He's gonna save the world/He's gonna.../Are you hoping for a miracle?” Other songs served as beautiful, heart-aching ballads, such as “This Modern Love,” with its sad lyrics about being afraid to fall headlong into love (“What are you holding out for?/What's always in the way?/Why so damn absent-minded?/Why so scared of romance?/This modern love breaks me/This modern love wastes me”).

Their follow-up, A Weekend in the City, offered up more focus, more depth, and more sadness with songs like “Waiting for the 7:18.” It was clear the band was evolving, adding more electronic fiddling on songs like “Hunting for Witches,” marrying the scratchy guitar-work the band had become known for with samples. Their lyrics were still powerful, commenting on the paranoia after the London tubeway bombings (“1990s, optimistic as a teen/But now its terror, airplanes crash into towers/The Daily Mail says "the enemy is among us!/"Taking our women and taking our jobs"/All reasonable thought is being drowned out/By the non-stop baying, baying for blood”).

With their third record, the band has transitioned from the guitar and drums-based post-punk that opened the new decade to the electronic/rock fusion that it seems to be closing out with. With deep bursts of horns and synthesizers playing through their new single, “Mercury,” it’s clear the band is sliding farther from conventional rock and toward electronica, though their feet are still firmly ensconced in the rock camp.

If you haven’t heard their new music, get a hold of their new record, Intimacy. Better yet, hear it live by getting Bloc Party tickets.

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