Play Television Radio
Television
2,278,558 plays (207,708 listeners)
Listening now: johnbutts
New York City, New York (1973 – 1978, 1991 – 1993, 2001 – present)
Television was one of the most creative bands to emerge from New York’s underground scene of the mid-’70s, creating an influential new guitar vocabulary. While guitarists Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd liked to jam, they didn’t follow the accepted rock structures for improvisation — they removed the blues while retaining the raw energy of garage rock, adding complex, lyrical solo lines that recalled both jazz and rock. With its angular rhythms and fluid leads, Television’s music always went in unconventional directions, laying the groundwork for many of the guitar-based post-punk pop groups of the late ’70s and ’80s.
In the early ’70s, Television began as The Neon Boys, a group featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Verlaine, drummer Billy Ficca, and bassist Richard Hell. At the end of 1973 in New York City, New York, the group reunited under the name Television, adding rhythm guitarist Richard Lloyd. The following year, the band made its live debut at New York’s Townhouse theater and began to build up an underground following. Soon, their fan base was large enough that Verlaine was able to persuade CBGB to begin featuring live bands on a regular basis; the club would become an important venue for punk and new wave bands. Television was the first punk/new wave band to play at CBGB. That year, Verlaine played guitar on Patti Smith’s first single, “Hey Joe”/”Piss Factory,” as well as wrote a book of poetry with the singer.
Television recorded a demo tape for Island Records with Brian Eno in 1975, yet the label decided not to sign the band.
In the early ’70s, Television began as The Neon Boys, a group featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Verlaine, drummer Billy Ficca, and bassist Richard Hell. At the end of 1973 in New York City, New York, the group reunited under the name Television, adding rhythm guitarist Richard Lloyd. The following year, the band made its live debut at New York’s Townhouse theater and began to build up an underground following. Soon, their fan base was large enough that Verlaine was able to persuade CBGB to begin featuring live bands on a regular basis; the club would become an important venue for punk and new wave bands. Television was the first punk/new wave band to play at CBGB. That year, Verlaine played guitar on Patti Smith’s first single, “Hey Joe”/”Piss Factory,” as well as wrote a book of poetry with the singer.
Television recorded a demo tape for Island Records with Brian Eno in 1975, yet the label decided not to sign the band.
Top Albums
Shoutbox
-
normalus wrote:
according to tags they are the punkiest band ever
-
lspaceman3 wrote:
Tour again pleaseeee
-
parab0Ia wrote:
oy yes!
-
nicolasbj wrote:
amazing music
-
distantfingers wrote:
"Punk isn't really a sound" Yes, exactly. Or at least originally anyways. Nowadays people think of punk as a very specific type of music.
-
YControl755 wrote:
Punk isn't really a sound, it's more of a movement and attitude. In this way, Television is totally punk. It is extremely difficult to think of many tags for this band, though. Very unique!
-
Stranger023 wrote:
Proto-punk, punk and post-punk. That's interesting :) [2]
-
Rebrebs wrote:
OMG MICHAEL JACKSON DIED
-
riigo wrote:
.416
-
riigo wrote:
HMM
-
Razielek wrote:
Proto-punk, punk and post-punk. That's interesting :)
-
footielover wrote:
a bit like rolling stones with a bit of punk not bad not bad at all x
-
bryantee wrote:
Psamanthe, you need to keep listening then.
-
Psamanthe wrote:
I don't see how this is post-punk or even punk either.
-
Grinv wrote:
they must have more auditions! they deserve more!! =)
-
OptionalToaster wrote:
Great band. And this jojowas fool obviously doesn't know what he's talking about.
-
GrungeIndiani wrote:
cold beer in my hand and Television in my ears - and I feel happy now....
-
distantfingers wrote:
jojowas: they are usually considered "punk" because they were part of the NY punk scene. They played at venues like CBGB and Max's and were friends with people from the punk movement. But if we are strictly speaking music, they can't really be called punk - as some producer said: "this is not earth music." Actually, if you listen to their early playing, they were pretty punk, if punk means "can't really play music." Haha.
-
heaventree22 wrote:
makes me picture dingy gross new york punk venues <3
-
Skeid wrote:
I need to give these guys more love..!
Videos
See more
Listeners
-
HoratioManic
Listening now
to Torn Curtain -
lJehrennt
Listening now
to See No Evil -
tylko_sprawdzam
Top Listener
-
Yair_Etziony
Top Listener
-
simplius
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
cassioxavier, eloiblanc, LUGLYO and 9 other people added Television to their libraries. 2 hours ago
-
jtb34 tagged Television with punk and post-punk. yesterday evening
-
szafi19, ccpdx and bunny_on_extasy added Television to their libraries. yesterday evening
-
Jet_Blaqk tagged Television with proto-punk and post-punk. yesterday afternoon
-
madik81 and RozinaBashir added Television to their libraries. yesterday afternoon
-
Nickandroff tagged Television with classic rock, punk rock, rock and 2 other tags. yesterday afternoon
-
DarknessOutsidr, glowen74 and annastone9 added Television to their libraries. yesterday morning
-
EmptyxEcho tagged Television with ‘first wave punk’. Friday evening
-
EmptyxEcho, qw3rtyy, Mbentivegna and 1 other person added Television to their libraries. Friday evening
-
Wormwood37 wrote about Television in Playlist for Things that Are Square on KUCI 7/9/09. Friday afternoon
Related Journals
-
Playlist for Things that Are Square on KUCI 7/9/09
by Wormwood37 |
10 Jul 2009 | Add comment
-
500 Greatest Songs Of All Time (The Rolling Stone Magazines)
by FanMusic2 |
28 Jun 2009 | 11 comments
-
My Top 10 Songs... ever!
by Kieran0411 |
26 Jun 2009 | Add comment
Groups (140)
-
Extensive Musical Taste
27,657 members
-
Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs to
9,276 members
-
INDIE INDIE
7,259 members
-
I was born several decades too late
4,746 members
-
The Strokes
4,007 members
