Bloc Party

Indie / Rock

London, England

Billboard

Bloc Party is an autonomous unit of un-extraordinary kids reared on pop culture between the years of 1976 and the present day. Like many such kids, between them they eventually concluded that their own attempts to imitate what had informed them could be construed as a worthy variation on the many forms that preceded. They do everything that's required to conform to the currently received ideas of what a band is: ostensibly to play instruments at the same time, but also have a title for the work created.

Kele picked up a guitar when his hands enabled him to do so and his brain gave him the inclination. Russell had already done as much beforehand when they met in 1998. In the fine print of music papers and in telephone conversations they enabled meetings with Gordon and Matt who also had ideas of some relevance to bring to the collective effort. In this sense a band was created.

Henceforth should follow a list of auteurs and musicians that figured in the formative minds of the four as they went about their work. But to do as much seems churlish in an already self-referential world. Suffice to say there would be no band without the efforts of guitar bands formed in British and American towns in the 70s, 80s and 90s, aswell as visionary writers and artists of various kinds whose work has informed the world and culture itself as it stands. The precise names are as good as any you can come up with, in fact probably much, much better.

Videos - see all 10

Stats

plays today - 1

all-time plays - 18658

profile views - 23277

Discography - see all 2

A Weekend in the City
Silent Alarm

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Photos - see all 25

Comments - see all 66

SavageEden says:

Caught you guys here (ATL-Lakewood Amphitheatre) when you came a while back opening for panic at the disco. I felt your frustration, the crowd was not aware of what they were in the presence of. You guys killed it, despite being under the weather (either someone was sick or recently injured...can't remember) and just generally pissed at the fact that people were not paying attention, even if not familiar with your work they could have shown some respect or at least half a brain and enjoyed being exposed to something new...anyway. Just wanna say you guys have provided the most tranquil soundtrack for these first few years of my (gasp!!!) thirties. Thanks for that. I praise you every chance I get, and I love introducing your music to peoiple who aren't aware. I hope to catch you guys in the UK, but both times in the past two years I missed you by days in London, maybe one day. Keep killing it, and making good music, there are those of us who really appreciate it. "Never stop spitting for the few who do listen" - T. Kweli Ciao Eden PS congrats on fatherhood to the dude who just took a break from the tour for the birth etc, read it somewhere, thought it was cool.l8r

posted 3 days ago