Saturday, January 24, 2009

Weekend Video - Airborne Toxic Event




The Airborne Toxic Event is an indie rock band from Los Angeles led
by singer and guitarist Mikel Jollett, The band takes its name from the novel "White Noise" by Don DeLillo where a chemical spill from a railcar releases a poisonous cloud, dubbed by the military as an “airborne toxic event.”.

After an extensive courtship from major labels, The Airborne Toxic Event signed with Majordomo Records in April 2008, and their first self-titled record was released in August, 2008. This December iTunes named the band's song "Sometime Around Midnight" the number one alternative song of 2008.

That's the band's official video, above, and a recent appearance on Letteman, below. And while keyboardist Anna Bulbrook can be a little annoying (you'll see why) I really like their music.



6 comments:

Anonymous said...

White Noise is a great read. We study it in one of our introductory classes freshman year. I think it sticks with a lot of people. In fact, one of the seniors last year (http://www.sophielvoff.com/) named her thesis show 'For Don DeLillo.'

David W. Sumner said...

I love their use of strings and the way the violinists get so much into the music, shredding their bows. Great visuals.

Anonymous said...

The strings section of the performance isn't part of the actual band, but yes it definitely adds to the song in a great way. I saw them open up for Death Cab For Cutie, and although their performance for Letterman was good, they're not too entertaining live. I give them props, but I feel there are other indie bands out there that deserve more recognition.

g+m said...

This is not the first time that something appears in my blog that has a strange tie to my life. I heard "Sometime After Midnight" on the radio for the first time just two days ago, and downloaded it, and it's been stuck in my head since.

Anna MacKinnon said...

Wow, that song just about sums it up for how I've felt the last three months... a lot of passion and great sound. Thanks for giving me a headsup about them!

Diana said...

Recently I can see your weekend videos as well(of course strictly in working time).
You have a great style on music.
I love this one!