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Television
1,665,187 plays (154,661 listeners)
Listening now: bathurst-91
post-punk, punk, new wave, rock, proto-punk… see all
New York City, New York (1973 – 1978, 1991 – 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.
Videos
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Play
Television - Call Mr Lee
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Play
Television - Beauty Trip
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Play
Television - Glory
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Play
Television - Prove It
Top Albums
Shoutbox
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theansweris42x wrote:
I reckon plenty of bands have ripped off Television, but Television haven't ripped from anyone.
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recurringdream wrote:
Underrated, much? Foxhole is awesome! :P
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brunoooooo wrote:
beautiful beautiful
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mattfogg18 wrote:
ripped of joy division haha. yeh anyway, marquee moon is such a good record, from a great band.
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borntohang wrote:
Both are xcellent bands, though.
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borntohang wrote:
Joy Division and Television both have the word 'vision' in their names. Comparisons end there. Also Television came before JD.
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distantfingers wrote:
apparently SikTh thinks everyone ripped off Joy Division: Television, Magazine, PiL, Elvis, Lindsay Lohan.
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nych wrote:
definitivamente.
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badoom_bum wrote:
Television > Joy Division
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tgies wrote:
what
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TrevorJuvenile wrote:
v uhhhhhh
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SikTh wrote:
ripped off joy division
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LeLarsch wrote:
I seeeee noooo evaaaaaaahl
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teckendecken wrote:
Great new rock band that is very inspired by the punk/post-punk era. Listen please! http://www.lastfm.se/music/The+Phonographics
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nicoinfurs wrote:
I LIVE LIGHT ON THESE SHORES TONIGHT
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Robrouge wrote:
I love, fantastic
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nicoinfurs wrote:
lol nice one mr_ethanboy
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punk6268 wrote:
it's so cool when clubs play their songs...they should always be played really really loud...
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novemberland wrote:
Starkly elegant production...tremendous songs and incomparable musical chemistry...one of the truly seminal bands in rock history...guitars have never sounded better...the playing of Lloyd and Verlaine is pure genius.
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qcardy wrote:
haha, mr_ethanboy...so true.
Including The Modern Lovers, Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Velvet Underground, Wire and more…
Listeners
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bathurst-91
Listening now
to Prove It -
_bri_
Listening now
to Shane, she wrote this -
undenied
Top Listener
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iHeen
Top Listener
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drunkengirl
Top Listener
Recent Activity
- reegsy, urban_d, Delbeave and 6 other people added Television to their libraries. 3 hours ago
- boy_with_VU_tee tagged Television with ‘art rock’ and ‘art punk’. yesterday evening
- nihilista11, Huddingesonen, aesideusi and 10 other people added Television to their libraries. yesterday evening
- andrezero tagged Television with ‘garage punk’, ‘new wave’ and ‘from: new york usa’. yesterday morning
- revperry33 added Television to revperry33’s library. Sunday evening
- recurringdream tagged Television with ‘post-punk’. Sunday evening
- amlighthouse, Wlosek, pakito_spain and 12 other people added Television to their libraries. Sunday evening
- jarvtard tagged Television with ‘rock’. Sunday morning
- zoedalyan added Television to zoedalyan’s library. Sunday morning
- massardi tagged Television with ‘rock’ and ‘post-punk’. Sunday morning
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