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TV on the Radio

TV on the Radio

Date: Feb 02 2009

Themes: Alternative, Music

Grammar: Direct vs. Reported Speech

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Do you ever feel like all the music that’s popular right now sounds exactly the same? Maybe it’s time to give TV on the Radio a try.

It’s hard to describe TV on the Radio’s sound because they have so many different musical influences. They experiment with a lot of different genres, including soul, electro, punk, and more. They’re doing something new with their music that sets them apart from all the other bands out there.

Beren and Devan both love TV on the Radio. Listen to them try to describe the band’s unique music.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Devan

Devan

Beren:  Devo, do you have the new TV on the Radio album, Dear Science?

Devan:  They’re actually my favorite band right now.

Beren:  Are you serious?

Devan:  Yeah. Last fall, I waited out in line for two hours to see them, and wasn’t able to get in because it was too full.

Beren:  I saw the line around the block.

Devan:  I was in that line, and I got all the way to the front of the line right before they cut it off. And they said, “The venue is too full, sorry, we’re not letting anyone else in.” And I was really bummed, because I think…I just think they’re so cool. The kind of music that they’re doing…There’s nothing else out like that right now. I think they’re by far the most innovative band.

Beren:  Oh, totally. And they’re multiracial, which you don’t see that often.

Devan:  Yeah.

Beren:  It’s like rare enough that people point it out a lot. And I love love love their a-capella songs, like on the first full-length.

Devan:  Oh me too, I love that Pixies do-wop cover on uh…

Beren:  Oh “Mr. Grieves”? That’s so good.

Devan:  You know, they just…They cover all the different genres. They’ve got soul, shoe-gaze, electro…

Beren:  Free jazz?

Devan:  A little bit of free jazz.

Beren:  I would say free jazz.

Devan:  They’re one of those bands that if they come out with a new album, I go buy it right away, because I know it’s going to be completely different and not sound like anything else that’s out at the moment.

Beren:  Totally. It’s like on a bunch of year-end best-of lists too, I think it’s like Spin’s number one album of 2008.

Devan:  Yeah, and a couple years ago I think like Pitchfork said that they were the best new band of the year.

Beren:  They’re incredible.

Devan:  Yeah, they’re great.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Beren asks Devan about the latest album by TV on the Radio. Devan loves the band so much that she waited for two whole hours to see them in concert. Unfortunately, when she finally got to the front of the line there were too many people inside the venue and she couldn’t see the concert.

Beren and Devan both think that TV on the Radio is a really unusual band. Their music is very innovative and has a lot of different influences. Plus, the band members are many different races. Their sound is unique, and each album they put out sounds new and different from the others.

A popular music magazine named TV on the Radio’s album Dear Science the best album of 2008. Would you agree? If not, what do you think was the best album of last year?

 

Comments

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Sreedhard2217

India

Nice vocabulary

06:59 PM Sep 30 2011 |

KONY

KONY

Mali

wow nice what beautiful what amazing.birdLaughing

11:55 PM Dec 16 2010 |

shimaa82

shimaa82

Egypt

good i knew now what the meaning of

innovative= creating 

cut off= break some thing like line

multiracial = alot of nationalities and races 

 lol thks

12:55 PM Jun 13 2009 |

shimaa82

shimaa82

Egypt

i did not understand all the underlined words , and did not know what it is means 

04:15 PM Jun 03 2009 |

reema_gal26

India

hmmmmmmmmmmm., it was good

01:07 PM Apr 27 2009 |

Nanynha66

Nanynha66

Brazil

I've never heard of them too.

11:00 PM Mar 22 2009 |

neajven

Philippines

i love more ella's voice…

 

10:40 AM Mar 18 2009 |

TTing

TTing

China

oh,I search the TV on the Radio on the  Youtube,and I find it realy unique,the geys the name of the band.ok,it is the first time I heard about the band and I like it,it is realy cool.

02:25 AM Mar 16 2009 |

Benjamin Elizondo

Mexico

i have never hear about that band before but i bet they are good.

11:41 PM Mar 10 2009 |

tuncay.02

tuncay.02

Turkey

hi all

10:06 AM Mar 04 2009 |

lucalamucca

Italy

I'll check it out!

11:55 AM Feb 23 2009 |

lucalamucca

Italy

Never heard of them!

11:54 AM Feb 23 2009 |

wazizo

Egypt

hi are u ok

06:33 PM Feb 08 2009 |

Amido Hernan Rios

Colombia

I use more the reported speech.

They said they didn't go on sunday.

I use very little the direct speech.

They said "We don't go on sunday".

 

08:17 PM Feb 07 2009 |

naxaki

naxaki

Viet Nam

who is in the country caller "viet nam" respond to me  

01:43 PM Feb 06 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Unfortunately I don’t know this band,but they seem cool…

12:16 PM Feb 06 2009 |

sleepbeauty928

China

the band's name sounds cool

01:17 AM Feb 06 2009 |

nour_2

nour_2

Syrian Arab Republic

nice lesson…..

to hear about a new band we don't know  before…Wink

 

11:34 PM Feb 03 2009 |

Vita128500

Vita128500

Russian Federation

good lesson, very interesting, now i will be know this band

 

 

08:27 PM Feb 03 2009 |

Vita128500

Vita128500

Russian Federation

good lesson, very interesting,now i will be know this band

 

08:23 PM Feb 03 2009 |

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