OurStage

There’s an old saying that a camel is a horse made by committee. Big Bang TV suggests this adage as an explanation for their music. So, what happens when four people who can’t agree about music get together and start a band? Big Bang TV consists of a singer/songwriter, a hip-hop DJ, a metal drummer turned electronic musician, and a female vocalist whose last gig was playing accordion in a folk trio. Still with me? This unlikely group has banded together to create a strange new breed of dancepop…or is it mathrock? Wait, maybe it’s indie-electro. Hold on, now it’s post-punk-synth-pop-rock-hop. Whatever you call it, the end verdict is that it works. It is a bit sprawling and chaotic, but there’s no denying that it’s catchy. The band, which hails from Brooklyn, recently released an EP called Send/Receive. The recording is a testament to the fact that music doesn’t have to be simplistic to be catchy. With guitars, turntables, electric and acoustic drums, bass, and laptop, BBTV cranks out four tracks of oddly appealing pop music, the catchiest of which is probably the closing track, “Hollywood.” The album can be purchased on their website for a paltry $3, or they’ll let you download the songs for free – but you may want to shell out the three clams, as the EP is rumored to have a hand-painted cover. Oh, and did I mention it’s kind of awesome and clearly worth the pocket change? Because it’s kind of awesome and clearly worth the pocket change.

The name "Big Bang TV" can conjure up the idea of a television station broadcasting from the supposed origin point of the universe. It's too exaggerated an idea to entertain, a criticism that can't be shared with the Brooklyn-based band with that name. The group's sound is less larger-than-life than it is compact, effective and always entertaining. Were there a television station present and broadcasting from the origin point of this four-piece band, we imagine it would involve an early Death Cab for Cutie album, some well-worn DJ Shadow vinyl and a few broken hearts for additional inspiration. That's not a recipe for a whole new universe, but by wrapping their ears around all manner of indie-electro-pop experimentation, the members of Big Bang TV turn on something more universal.

Big Bang TV is a four person band hailing from Brooklyn...some asshole like you might say, "Oh, another one of those?" And then I'd get all up in your face. I'd say, "No, they're actually GOOD!" ...Because they are."

By their own account, "Big Bang TV is what happens when four people who can't agree on anything try to make music". Even if this is probably exaggerated for dramatic effect, there is no doubt that internal conflicts are a huge part of the creative process in most group projects - as Metallica's movie "Some kind of Monster" beautifully illustrated a few years ago. But from such conflicts - and their resolutions in the shape of songs - some of the most adventurous and imaginative music may be created. This foursome (comprised of a singer/songwriter, a hip/hop DJ and producer, a metal drummer turned electronic musician and an ex accordion player) manages to bring the chaotic assemblage of these experiences together in their cohesive yet multifaceted post-punk-pop. Big Bang TV is for those who enjoy Pavement's reckless melodies and Enon's edgy sound. Their song Hollywood, with its contagious melody and its ever changing musical background, has the potential to be a college radio hit. Other tracks like Send/Receive and Renter's Insurance reinforce the impression of a band that can write songs and confer character and attitude. So it seems like Big Bang TV's initial disagreements were channeled into something powerful and beautiful - that's what functional rock bands do. Check these guys out live at Union Hall on August 28. - PDG