Bloc Party: C/D?

In any case, it would seem they aren't going to be called "Bloc Party"

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke has admitted he is unsure of his future in the band after the rest of the group went into the recording studio without telling him.

The singer has told NME he recently spotted guitarist Russell Lissack, bassist Gordon Moakes and drummer Matt Tong outside a rehearsal studio in New York and he wasn't even invited to take part in the sessions.

"I was actually having lunch about three weeks ago, just here on 8th Avenue and I saw somebody walk past and I recognised the haircut," he said. "It was Russell. I was like, 'Hey!' but he didn't see me and I followed him around the corner and then I saw Matt, Gordon and Russell all standing outside this rehearsal space. They all went inside."

He added: "I hope I haven't been fired. I don't really know what's going on, because we haven't really spoken recently and I'm a bit too scared to ask."

This is weird. Just talk to the band, you big goose.

manager Simon White on twitter now saying it's all bollocks.

Man Bloc Party fell hard and fast, but I still love the debut album and a couple scattered songs from the next two albums. I can't see this being a good idea at all.

this is weird...

my only hope is that they go back to being more of a rock band? all the electronic & dance stuff they tried to do -- and i think a lot of it was kele's lead, tho i'm speculating -- was sort of noble at the time but it never really fit for them. kele didn't know how to write interesting or good songs of that nature.

that said the band is so much about him at the forefront that having a new vocalist really wouldn't even be the same band

also weird that they went behind his back to record/to nme to announce they're looking for a new singer but he also didn't even bother to call them?? fucking people

"i still remember" has aged really well for me, sorta wish that they'd gone the route of kings of leon & tried to sell out with stadium pop-rock stuff than try and become a rock band that is cool for dance fans to like

J0rdan pretty much otm on all counts

y'all

UPDATE: Bloc Party's camp have told us that, despite reports, Kele is not being kicked out of Bloc Party. A post on the band's website claims that "Bloc Party is still Bloc Party," with a cartoon of the band drawn up as characters from "The Simpsons" and a promise to "see you soon."

http://pitchfork.com/news/44139-bloc-party-kicks-out-kele-okereke/

cool, i hope they go back to writing rock songs

I do have to admit that one thing I miss from the "old days" was having to wait until a new promo cycle came around to find out if all of the wild break-up rumors flying around were true or not. Not as much fun when they get debunked within hours.

They tried to follow a Radiohead route and tried way too hard I think, electronic influences, useless state-of-the nation lyrical clangers. Neither they nor their producers were talented enough to pull it off. If ever a band needed an editor.

http://blog.yellowbirdproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/the-editors.jpg

"You rang?"

No, no I didn't. Please get off my porch you lot.

They tried to follow a Radiohead route and tried way too hard I think, electronic influences, useless state-of-the nation lyrical clangers.

^^ why I lost interest in the first album. Their weaknesses were their strengths too: all that racket made political and musical sense in 2005 (lots of good memories dancing to "Banquet" and quoting "Price of Gas" in another record review) but when they became better record makers they eliminated that beguiling vagueness.

*why I lost interest AFTER the first album.

I'd also say: "They tried way too hard to think."

otm

http://www.nme.com/news/bloc-party/59460?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Lol. With the exception of AC/DC, has rebooting a band with a different singer ever worked?

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 28 September 2011 12:28 (7 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

New Order?

Seems to have worked reasonably well for Alice in Chains so far.

Alice in Chains have been going at some point since 1993?

They just released a new album in 2009 with a new lead singer, seems to have been pretty well reviewed too.

http://www.thefader.com/2012/01/03/bloc-party-confirms-reunion-new-album/

In an interview with the BBC’s Zane Lowe, Bloc Party lead singer, Kele Okereke confirmed that the band is back in tact and will be recording a new album in 2012. Fans were never given concrete reasons for the band’s shaky future, but can now look forward to a new year with new material, the first since 2008′s Intimacy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is cool and all, but based on Kele's solo tracks and the fact that Intimacy was pretty lame, I'm not sure I care anymore.

Hoping this is a return to their earlier spirit, also. Get out of Matt Tong's way and scuff up the production as stated above.

these guys went downhill so fast :( that debut album is still a cracker though

Yeah, I listened to 'Silent Alarm' the other day and quite enjoyed it. Not only that, but it made the flaws of their other albums more apparent... two things that I always find appealing about the first Bloc Party album is the frantic drumming and the guitar sound. It definitely has the most 'tolerable' lyrical content of all their albums too... not smacking you around the head with clunky lyrics about eating foie gras with complete disdain or taking ones watch off before one makes love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s4M5EqOGsMA

this video has some clips of new music. it sounds lush... and warm, a key ingredient whose absence did a lot to spoil intimacy.

New album is imaginatively titled Four. It is their fourth.

the last two albums were definitely cold and stiff and just very rudimentary in their experimentations

BUT kele's lyrics also went way the fuck off the rails in an embarrassing way. his vocals sorta, too. so, we'll see.

haha

would it be better or worse had they titled it Nine

One of the clips of new material in that youtube sounds very Smashing Pumpkins.

i thought that too! i was even confused at first and then i realized oh it really is a bloc party song.

Ha this is great -- so I was scrounging through my old Suede fan club newsletters (as one does) and in the 'Swap That Shop' section of issue 14, winter 1997:

Kele Okereke, [with his then-address, as opposed to now, presumably], Manor Park, London

Original and very talented vocal-lyricist seeks guitar genius (Marr, Oakes, Butler) to write beautiful art rock. NOT a Suede tribute band; original and dynamic! 100% committed, real music head, style and image also. London area, willing to travel. Contact me after 5 pm on [phone number]. "Let's make it beautiful!"

As well as a musical partner, I'm also searching for various Suede bits. I'm desperately seeking copies of the promo videos to "Drowners" UK version, "New Generation," "We Are the Pigs," "Trash" and "Beautiful Ones." I'm also after copies of all the unreleased tracks: "Be My God," "Art" and "Wonderful Sometimes," as well as any decent live recordings of "Stay Together" and Richard playing "He's Dead." Any articles and posters are also most welcome.

I have a signed Suede CD and a signed (Bernard) "Stay Together" and also Bernard's black plectrum. I'm willing to pay for postage and packaging and for your services.

He would have sent that in when he was all of fifteen!

that's awesome, ned

Okereke responded critically to comments made by Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis in early 2007. Liam called Bloc Party "A band off of University Challenge", while Noel dismissed them as "indie shit". In retaliation, Okereke stated, "I think Oasis are the most overrated and pernicious band of all time. They had a totally negative and dangerous impact upon the state of British music. They have made stupidity hip. They claim to be inspired by The Beatles but, and this saddens me, they have failed to grasp that The Beatles were about constant change and evolution. Oasis are repetitive Luddites."[17] Ironically, when Oasis cancelled their headlining set at the Rock-en-Seine festival near Paris in August 2009 (the concert where the Gallagher brothers clashed backstage, which resulted in Oasis splitting up), it was Okereke who announced to the crowd that Oasis had cancelled their slot and dedicated their track "Mercury" to the Oasis fans in the crowd, referring to the Gallagher brothers as "those inbred twins." [18]

There was a shorter note in the next fanclub issue where he was asking to see if someone wanted to edit a fanzine, kinda fun.

Kele otm about Oasis.

Ah, that's such a great find!!

kele needs to zing oasis using fewer syllables tbh

why?

so oasis can understand duh

fair enough.

i've got a copy of the zine he used to do at school if anyone's interested, iirc it's stuff about how the longpigs were great and oasis are rubbish, plus some stuff about my high school band that he was desperate to join but we wouldn't let him in haha who's laughing now eh oh wait

Haha amazing. Was it called Noir by any chance?

yes that's it, i was going to see how much i could get for it on ebay but never got round to it. it is, er, 'not great'

kinda weird that a dude that lives on the other side of the world has a window into my adolescence eh

This is why I'm glad my own adolescence is safely in the memory hole.

very wise!

anyway i always knew the guy would make it in the industry somehow but i reckoned on him being some record company apparatchik, not what has actually turned out :(

they are kind of 'heavy' now

heavier than a death of a hamster in the family