Radio 4
With a five-piece dynamic comprising of Anthony Roman on vocals and bass, Tommy Williams via vocals and guitar, drummer Greg Collins, P.J. O\'Connor utilising the merits of percussion and Gerard Garone manning keyboards, the collective formed is one that has swept industry-praise, intrigue and unfettered enticement alike after creating one of the most memorable crossover records of the past half-decade – ‘Gotham!’.
Initially, the quintet formed in the spring of ’99. Inspired by the post-punk barrages of the early-80s – the highly notable Mission of Burma, Gang Of Four, etc. – after grouping, the band joined forces with Buffalo Tom and Sebadoh producer Tim O’ Heir to record what would form Radio 4’s debut-LP, ‘The New Song & Dance’, a record that followed a low-key, three-track EP originally released on the Gern Blandstein label. Issued in May 2000, the album prompted a US tour for the band with The Dismemberment Plan, a period that soon created a considerable creative-spell for the ‘4.
… Enough of one that the following year saw a new EP-recording produced with O’ Heir, ‘Dance To The Underground’ – a drastic change of direction, that included a dance-remix of the title-track… Altogether enough to spawn an overall alteration of tact. One that would see them hooking a link up with fast-emerging production-duo The DFA (Primal Scream, The Rapture, UNKLE) to record their second record – the aforementioned ‘Gotham!’: a release that has helped pioneer and trigger a new scene following its release in later-2002 – a culmination of the disco-punk hybrid currently rising and rising, faster and faster.
With live-shows swift becoming word-of-mouth moments of legend, and singles selling out of their limited batches, it’s time for the irresistable groove of the underground to take flight into the presence of the mainstream. And it will happen.
Photo Credit: Derrick Santini
OFFICIAL SITE: Cunningly designed in the form of a, erm, radio, the band\'s official website is the net\'s first R4 terrain worthy of investigation; visit and be confounded.
CITY SLANG: The band\'s record-company website, and a domain revealing the exciting projects of fellow, ace label-mates inclusive of The Faint and Calexico.