TV On the Radio

Starting with the big bang of 2003's Young Liars EP, TV On the Radio emerged with a future-perfect sound from a grimy Greenpoint, Brooklyn rehearsal space — sonic explorers who pop your rock preconceptions like a bubble, but do it with sharp, irresistible hooks. This is what prog-rock really means, and Tunde Adebimpe's Peter Gabriel-esque vocal on "Staring at the Sun" calls up ideas of what art-rock sounds like when it's made by cutting-edge Brooklyn hipsters. "Wolf Like Me's" scrappy, post-punk grooves, squalling hornet's nest of guitars, and hazy, low-hanging clouds of electronic atmosphere show off the band's "what next?" adventurous spirit. Ultimately, these guys want nothing more than to keep us guessing: who'd have guessed that their third album, Dear Science, would sport groove-savvy hot-steppers like "Dancing Choose"? It's time to get tuned into the best of TV On the Radio's ever-shifting frequency, courtesy of their most Essential tracks.