TV On The Radio have shared a reissue of their album ‘Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes’ in celebration of a huge milestone.
Arriving today (November 15), the reissue comes in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their critically acclaimed debut album – which was first released back on March 9 2004.
The album contained the hit single ‘Staring At The Sun’, as well as other fan-favourite tracks like ‘Poppy’ and ‘Dreams’. It was highly praised by both fans and critics upon its release, and went on to be included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Now, to mark the huge milestone, an anniversary edition of the record has been shared. It features five bonus tracks, including an unreleased song called ‘Dry Drunk Emperor’, which was recorded back in 2005 and originally released as a free MP3 on the Touch and Go Records website. Check it out below.
“’Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes’ is an album full of rich, bruising ideas about life, love and loss,” reads a press release, looking back at the impact of the record.
“Lyrically but especially sonically, ‘Desperate Youth’ captured the dystopian hum of post-9/11 America (a war in Iraq, a proto-right-wing political regime, a surveillance state threatening personal agency at home), putting a voice to the general unease young people felt at the time,” it added.
Upon its release, the album also saw the band win the now-defunct Shortlist Music Prize, and it also put them on the map and allowed them to embark on a series of live shows across the world.
Visit here to purchase the ‘Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes’ anniversary reissue.
The ‘Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes’ 20th anniversary edition tracklist is:
1. ‘The Wrong Way’
2. ‘Dreams’
3. ‘King Eternal’
4. ‘Ambulance’
5. ‘Poppy’
6. ‘Don’t Love You’
7. ‘Bomb Yourself’
8. ‘Wear You Out’
9. ‘Staring At The Sun’
10. ‘You Could Be Love’
11. ‘Staring At The Sun’ (Demo)*
12. ‘New Health Rock’ (single)*
13. ‘Modern Romance’ (from the ‘New Health Rock’ single)*
14. ‘Final Fantasy’ (2004 recording)*
15. ‘Dry Drunk Emperor’ (2005 recording)*
*bonus tracks
The announcement comes after fans began to speculate this summer that the Brooklyn band could be making a highly-awaited comeback. The members stirred intrigue after they wiped all their posts on their Instagram account, before re-sharing a singular image.
The band haven’t released an album since 2014’s ‘Seeds‘, but frontman Tunde Adebimpe has delved into acting in the meantime. They also haven’t played live together since 2019.
Just days after piquing fans’ interest online, the members unveiled details of a reunion tour this November and December – marking their first in five years and not featuring founding member Dave Sitek. Visit here for remaining tickets.
