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Bloc Party

NME.com feature on Bloc Party including news, reviews, biography, youtube video, audio, concerts, tour dates, photos, pictures, commentary, album reviews and live reviews and cool facts.

Bloc Party News

Watch Bloc Party's new video now - exclusive

Watch Bloc Party's new video now - exclusive

Clip for new single 'One More Chance' is on NME.COM now

  • Jul 2, 2009

Bloc Party challenge Glastonbury fans to drown out Neil Young

Kele Okereke and co headline the Other Stage

Bloc Party to release all-new single in August

'One More Chance' doesn't appear on any previous albums

Bloc Party wrap up UK tour in London

Kele Okereke dresses up as the Easter bunny

  • Apr 13, 2009

Bloc Party ask Olympia fans to contribute to video

If you're taking a camera to the gigs, the band need your help

  • Apr 9, 2009

More Bloc Party News

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Bloc Party YouTube Videos

Bloc Party - One More Chance

Bloc Party - One More Chance (04:02)

The brand new single by Bloc Party out on the 10th of August through Wichita Recordings.

Bloc Party - Helicopter

Bloc Party - Helicopter (03:40)

Music video for Bloc Party's single "Helicopter". www.wichita-recordings.com

Bloc Party - Banquet

Bloc Party - Banquet (03:13)

Music video for Bloc Party's single "Banquet". www.wichita-recordings.com

Bloc Party - "Hunting for Witches" VICE Records

Bloc Party - "Hunting for Witches" VICE Records (03:32)

Like this video? Come see thousands more at the Net's biggest, uncensored, completely diy punk, hardcore, indie and alternative music video site, BlankTV.com! We've got News, Games, Contests and the stuff that we...

Bloc Party - Flux

Bloc Party - Flux (03:37)

Music video for Bloc Party's single "Flux".

More Bloc Party Video

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Bloc Party Reviews

Album Review: Bloc Party

Album Review: Bloc Party

Intimacy Remixed

Bloc Party

Kele striking a pose in a straw hat and cracking jokes about bowels. Glasgow (January 26)

  • Feb 6, 2009

Bloc Party

One Month Off

Bloc Party

Talons

Lollapalooza 2008

Perry Farrell’s festival, featuring Radiohead, Bloc Party and lots of support for Barack Obama. Grant Park Chicago (August 1 – 3)

More Bloc Party Reviews

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Bloc Party Biography

Originally known as Union, this London, England-based art-punk quartet emerged in 2004 as one of the year's most intriguing prospects. Kele Okereke (b. Kelechukwu Rowland Okereke, 13 October 1981, Liverpool, Merseyside, England; vocals/guitar) and Russell Lissack (b. 11 March 1981, London, England; guitar) first met in 1998 and after several attempts to start their own band, finally found two musicians, Gordon Moakes (b. 22 June 1976, England; bass/vocals) and Matt Tong (b. 29 April 1979, Bournemouth, Dorset, England; drums), with mutual musical tastes.

The quartet began playing live shows at the start of 2002 and recorded a demo under their original name, Union. Drawing inspiration from key 80s bands such as the Cure (particularly in Okereke's vocals) and Gang Of Four, the quartet began to draw rave notices for their endearingly ramshackle stage performances. They released the three-track 7-inch vinyl single "She's Hearing Voices" on the Trash Aesthetics label in February 2004. "Banquet"/"Staying Fat" followed on the Moshi Moshi label in May. UK critics fell over themselves to praise the latter release, in particular, comparing the quartet's jittery pop punk sound to recent releases by media darlings Franz Ferdinand and the Rapture. The tracks from both singles were subsequently re-released on the Bloc Party EP, and shortly afterwards the quartet signed a recording contract with Wichita Records. The single "So Here We Are" broke into the UK Top 5 in January 2005, prior to the release of the quartet's much-hyped long-playing, Silent Alarm. Despite lacking a certain cohesion, the album was greeted with widespread acclaim and was a commercial success.

An album of remixes followed in August, featuring Ladytron, Four Tet and Mogwai, following which Bloc Party retreated to the studio to plan and record their second album. Released at the start of 2007, A Weekend In The City was hailed as a great improvement on the quartet's debut, eschewing that set's pop leanings to fashion a taut statement of post-punk intent.

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Bloc Party Discography

Bloc Party albums.

  • Silent Alarm - 2005 (Wichita)
  • Silent Alarm Remixed - 2005 (Wichita)
  • A Weekend In The City - 2007 (Wichita)

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