Bloc Party

Bloc Party

Interview: Bloc Party on new frontiers, life after hiatus, and a return to Bloc rocking

This interview appears in ALARM #40. Subscribe here to get your copy!

Bloc Party: Four (Frenchkiss, 8/20/12)

“Octopus”

Bloc Party: “Octopus”

Rumors of Bloc Party’s demise circulated after it concluded touring on Intimacy in 2009. Front-man Kele Okereke released an electronic solo album in 2010 and hinted in interviews that he might have been replaced in the band. So it’s all the more surprising that the band returned in 2012 with Four, a rawer, more aggressive, rock-based take on the band’s energetic Brit-rock sound that also features a more confident, crooning Okereke. We caught up with the singer/guitarist to talk about new frontiers, making Four, and dropping fiction into interviews.

ALARM Magazine: Nov/Dec 2012

Free iPad download of ALARM #40 w/ Soundgarden, Refused, Converge

ALARM is back in print, and being the shameless self-promoters that we are, we’d love if you bought a print subscription. But let’s say that you have one of these newfangled “iPads.” Let’s also say that you like free things, particularly those that pertain to awesome music and cultural stuff. In that event, might we direct you to download ALARM #40 (Nov/Dec 2012) for free?

Go here to read about and see what’s inside #40, which includes interviews with and stories on Soundgarden, Refused, Converge, Melvins, Dirty Projectors, Bloc Party, P.O.S, Squarepusher, Fang Island, and more.

Then go to bit.ly/ALARMiPad and click on “view in iTunes” to download that bad boy for $0.00. Mom might not love loud music, but she digs thriftiness. Make mom proud.

Bloc Party

Concert Photos: Bloc Party @ Riviera Theatre (Chicago, IL)

Bloc Party: Four (Frenchkiss, 8/21/12)

Since Bloc Party hit Lollapalooza in early August, the UK indie quartet has tirelessly toured Europe and the United States in support of Four, its hard-charging new album. Now, with only a few dates left in the Pacific Northwest, the band sets its sights back across the Atlantic for dates through late November. Hey, touring isn’t for the faint of heart!

Drew Reynolds was on hand in Chicago last week to capture Kele and company.

Bloc Party

Bloc Party

Review: Bloc Party’s Four

Bloc Party: Four (Frenchkiss, 8/21/12)

“Octopus”

Bloc Party: “Octopus”

After a hiatus that saw front-man Kele Okereke testing the solo waters of R&B-inflected electronics, London indie outfit Bloc Party has returned leaner, meaner, and more dynamic than ever. Some studio banter between tunes is a dead giveaway that Four is a more documentary approach than the boys have taken previously. Rawer sounds and a live recording environment make this the closest to representing the band at its naked best.

Lollapalooza 2012

The best of Lollapalooza 2012 (in photos), Day 2

Saturday’s Lollapalooza festivities began well enough, with Minnesota rap collective Doomtree and soul singer/rapper Aloe Blacc providing early highlights. Things got a little less festive, however, as 60,000 people were evacuated from Grant Park in advance of a powerful storm with 70 MPH winds.

Lollapalooza 2012

ALARM’s must-see sets for Lollapalooza 2012

With the day’s first set, Lollapalooza 2012 officially begins at 11:30 AM CST — “bright and early” for professional rock bands.

We’ll be tweeting and posting to Facebook intermittently with our thoughts, and if you’re down at Grant Park too, let us know if you’re still alive. (Today’s high temp. will be in the low 90s with 50% humidity. Drink your bubble tea.)

Tonight’s festivities end with two of the billion bands to use “black” in their names — Black Sabbath and The Black Keys. Here’s our quick list of sets to catch: