Bloc Party are an English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band, composed of
Kele Okereke
Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known mononymously as Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.
Early life
Okere ...
(lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, sampler), Russell Lissack (lead guitar, keyboards), Justin Harris (bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals) and Louise Bartle (drums, percussion). Former members Matt Tong and
Gordon Moakes left the band in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Their brand of music, whilst rooted in rock, retains elements of other genres such as
electronica and
house music. The band was formed at the 1999
Reading Festival
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
by Okereke and Lissack. They went through a variety of names before settling on Bloc Party in 2003. Moakes joined the band after answering an advert in ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine, while Tong was picked via an audition. Bloc Party got their break by giving
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
DJ
Steve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
Early life
He attended The Ramsey Academ ...
and
Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
Fr ...
's lead singer,
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley (born 20 March 1972) is a Scottish musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and author. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist of Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. He has also been a part of the ...
, a copy of their demo "
She's Hearing Voices
"She's Hearing Voices" is a song by Bloc Party that was first released on 7" vinyl by London-based independent label Trash Aesthetics in February 2004. It also appeared on their 2004 '' Bloc Party (EP)''. The song was later re-recorded for the b ...
".
In February 2005, the band released their debut album ''
Silent Alarm
''Silent Alarm'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Bloc Party. Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with Paul Epworth as producer, it was released on 2 February 2005, by Wichita Recordings. The album peaked at number th ...
''. It was critically acclaimed and was named Indie Album of the Year at the 2006
PLUG Awards The PLUG Independent Music Awards, or just PLUG Awards, began in 2001 as a "cartel" of music lovers ranging from DJs and managers to indie retailers and fans.
Winners
Album of the Year
Americana Album of the Year
Avant Album of the Year
DJ ...
and ''NME'' Album of the year which both honour
indie music
Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...
. That year, the record was also certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
in Britain. The band built on this success in 2007 with the release of their second studio album, ''
A Weekend in the City'', which reached a peak of number two in the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
and number twelve in the
''Billboard'' 200. In August 2008, Bloc Party released their third studio record, ''
Intimacy
An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...
'' which entered the UK Albums Chart at number eight and number eighteen on the ''Billboard'' 200. The band went on a hiatus in October 2009 to focus on
side project
In popular music, a side project is a project undertaken by one or more people already known for their involvement in another band. It can also be an artist or a band temporarily switching to a different style.
Usually these projects emphasize ...
s. They reunited in September 2011, and shortly thereafter released their fourth album, ''
Four
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
'', which entered the UK Albums Chart at number three. In 2013, Bloc Party released their third EP titled ''
The Nextwave Sessions
''The Nextwave Sessions'' is an extended play by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 12 August 2013 in the United Kingdom, and 13 August in the United States, via Frenchkiss Records. "Ratchet" and "Obscene" were recorded with ...
'' in August; the band then began an indefinite hiatus to continue with their respective side projects. The band's fifth studio album, ''
Hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
'', the first to involve Harris and Bartle, was released on 29 January 2016. Their sixth studio album ''
Alpha Games
''Alpha Games'' is the sixth studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party, released on 29 April 2022. It is the first studio album by the band since 2016's ''Hymns''. It is notably the first album with drummer Louise Bartle, who joined the ...
'' was released on 29 April 2022. Bloc Party have sold over 3 million albums worldwide.
History
Formation and rising popularity (1999–2004)
Russell Lissack and Kele Okereke first met in 1998 in London. Lissack had attended
Bancroft's School
Bancroft's School is a co-educational independent day school located in Woodford Green, London Borough of Redbridge. The school currently has around 1,000 pupils aged between 7 and 18, around 200 of whom are pupils of the Preparatory School an ...
, while Okereke attended
Ilford County High School
Ilford County High School (often abbreviated to ICHS) is a selective secondary grammar school for boys located in the town of Barkingside of the London Borough of Redbridge. The school was formerly called ''Park High Grade School'' and as a res ...
, then
Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green
Trinity Catholic High School is an 11–18 mixed, Roman Catholic, voluntary aided school and sixth form in Woodford Green, Greater London, England. It was established in 1976 following the amalgamation of Holy Family Convent School (now Upper ...
for
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
. They bumped into each other again in 1999 at Reading Festival and decided to form a band.
Bassist
Gordon Moakes joined after answering an advert in ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', and drummer Matt Tong joined after an audition.
After going through a variety of names, such as Union, The Angel Range, and Diet, the band settled on Bloc Party in September 2003, a play on ''
block party
A block party or street party is a party in which many members of a single community congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual solidarity and enjoyment. The name comes from the form of the party, which ofte ...
''. The band has said that the name was not intended to be an allusion to the
Soviet Bloc or the Canadian political party
Bloc Québécois. However, Moakes said on the group's official Internet forum that it was more a merging of the eastern "Blocs" and the western "parties", in the political sense. He also notes that the name was not explicitly driven by politics, but rather it "looked, sounded, seemed fine so we went with it."
In November 2003, Bloc Party had their track "The Marshals Are Dead" featured on a compilation CD called ''The New Cross'' released by
Angular Recording Corporation. They then released their debut single "
She's Hearing Voices
"She's Hearing Voices" is a song by Bloc Party that was first released on 7" vinyl by London-based independent label Trash Aesthetics in February 2004. It also appeared on their 2004 '' Bloc Party (EP)''. The song was later re-recorded for the b ...
" on the then fledgling record label
Trash Aesthetics
Trash Aesthetics is a British independent record label founded in 2004 by Rob Fawkes and Claire Hewitson and active until 2014. Based in South London, it specialised in releasing limited-edition runs of singles by both local bands and internat ...
. Also in 2003 Bloc Party personally mailed Steve Aoki a 7-inch of the track “She’s Hearing Voices” and signed to
Dim Mak
The touch of death (or death-point striking) refers to any martial arts technique reputed to kill using seemingly less than lethal force targeted at specific areas of the body.
The concept known as ''dim mak'' (), alternatively ' () traces its ...
shortly thereafter. Dim Mak teamed up with VICE, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, and entered a major label deal for the first time. Dim Mak and Atlantic later released Bloc Party's critically acclaimed and commercially successful Silent Alarm in 2005. The band got their break after Okereke went to a
Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
Fr ...
concert in 2003, and gave a copy of "She's Hearing Voices" to both lead singer
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley (born 20 March 1972) is a Scottish musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and author. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist of Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. He has also been a part of the ...
and
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
DJ
Steve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
Early life
He attended The Ramsey Academ ...
. Lamacq subsequently played the song on his radio show, labelling the track "genius", and invited them to record a live session for the show. The buzz generated off the back of the single led to another release, "
Banquet/Staying Fat
"Banquet"/"Staying Fat" is a double A-side single by Bloc Party. A follow-up to "She's Hearing Voices", it was released in May 2004 on Moshi Moshi Records, following the band's support slot for several dates with ex- Blur guitarist Graham Coxon. ...
", this time through
Moshi Moshi Records
Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label founded in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The label has released music by bands including Lykke Li, Fimber Bravo, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, H ...
, and to the eventual signing with independent label
Wichita Recordings
Wichita Recordings is an independent record label located in London, founded in 2000 by Mark Bowen and Dick Green. Its most notable signees include Bloc Party, The Cribs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Ye ...
in April 2004.
''Silent Alarm'' (2004–2006)
![Kele Russell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Kele_Russell.JPG)
Bloc Party's debut album, ''
Silent Alarm
''Silent Alarm'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Bloc Party. Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with Paul Epworth as producer, it was released on 2 February 2005, by Wichita Recordings. The album peaked at number th ...
'', was released in February 2005 and was met with universal critical acclaim.
It was voted 'Album of the Year' for 2005 by ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', and reached number 3 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
before being certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
.
[ ''Note: Search for "Bloc Party".''] The first single from the album, "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", made the top 5 on the
UK Top 40
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
chart.
Further singles "Banquet" (which reached number 13 in ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'
''
s 'Top 50 Singles of 2005'), "
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
", and "
Pioneers", whilst failing to repeat this success, still managed to reach the UK top 20.
The animated video for "Pioneers," made by the
Shoreditch-based Minivegas design agency, was top of the ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' video charts for four weeks. ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' tagged them as "art-rock" at that time but the band felt it was too limited.
The band received positive reviews from critics in the United States and they toured there heavily in the 18 months that followed the release of ''Silent Alarm''.
In early 2006, they finished their tour with sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Miami and
Berkeley
Berkeley most often refers to:
*Berkeley, California, a city in the United States
**University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California
* George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher
Berkeley may also refer ...
.
The album went on to sell more than 350,000 copies in North America and over a million worldwide.
After this success, the established electronic group,
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...
, soon collaborated with Okereke for "
Believe", a track on their ''
Push the Button'' album. An album of remixes of tracks from ''Silent Alarm'' had also been released at the end of August 2005 in the UK. This remix album, entitled ''
Silent Alarm Remixed
''Silent Alarm Remixed'' is the remix album to ''Silent Alarm'', the debut album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 29 August 2005 in the British Isles on Wichita Recordings, the band's primary label, and on 13 September ...
'', retained the album's original track list and includes remixes from the likes of
Ladytron
Ladytron are a largely British electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999. The group consists of Helen Marnie (lead vocals, synthesizers), Mira Aroyo (vocals, synthesizers), Daniel Hunt (synthesizers, guitar, vocals), and Reuben Wu (synth ...
,
M83,
Death from Above 1979
Death from Above 1979 (also known as Death from Above) is a Canadian rock duo consisting of bassist Jesse F. Keeler and drummer and vocalist Sebastien Grainger from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band released their debut album, '' You're ...
,
Four Tet
Kieran Hebden (born September 1977), known as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist with charting UK albums such as '' Rounds'' ...
, and
Mogwai
Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mog ...
.
During July 2005, Bloc Party recorded two new tracks with ''Silent Alarm'' producer
Paul Epworth
Paul Richard Epworth (born 25 July 1974) is an English record producer, songwriter, musician, and remixer. He has worked with artists including Adele, Florence and the Machine, Rihanna, and Maxïmo Park, among many others. He is a member o ...
. The songs were released as a single with a
B-side, titled "
Two More Years", to coincide with the band's October 2005 UK tour. The tour was also accompanied by a re-issue of ''Silent Alarm'', which included "Two More Years" and former single "
Little Thoughts" as
bonus track
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
s. A remix of "Banquet" by
The Streets
The Streets are an English music project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner.
The project has released six studio albums: ''Original Pirate Material'' (2002), '' A Grand Don't Come for Free'' (2004), '' The Hardest Way to ...
, as well as a music video for the song, were included in the "Two More Years" single. Bloc Party also contributed the track "The Present" to the ''
Help!: A Day in the Life'' compilation, the profits of which benefited the
War Child charity.
''A Weekend in the City'' (2006–2008)
Bloc Party's second album, ''
A Weekend in the City'', was produced by
Garret "Jacknife" Lee. It was released in February 2007, although it was
leaked in November 2006.
It became available for download on the UK
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
before the physical release, and reached the number 2 spot on the UK Albums Chart. The album also reached number 2 on the
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
and
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
charts, and debuted at number 12 in the
''Billboard'' 200, with 48,000 copies sold. The first single, "
The Prayer", was released on 29 January, and became the band's highest charting single in the British Top 40, reaching number 4. In the buildup to the release of the album, BBC Radio 1 DJ
Zane Lowe
Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter.
After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...
aired a live set by the band from
Maida Vale
Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is ...
studios on 30 January 2007, featuring a mix of old and new songs. On 1 February 2007, ''A Weekend in the City'' was made available to listen to for free through Bloc Party's official MySpace page.
![BlocParty](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/BlocParty.jpg)
The next single, "
I Still Remember", was Bloc Party's highest charting American single, peaking at number 24 on the Modern Rock Chart.
The band released their third single, "
Hunting for Witches
"Hunting for Witches" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party. It was released as the third single from their second studio album, '' A Weekend in the City'', on 9 July 2007. The song peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.
Composition ...
", with an accompanying video clip in August 2007. The single became their only ARIA Chart entry, peaking at number 20. In October 2007, it was announced that Bloc Party would release a new single, "
Flux", on 13 November—ahead of their end of year gigs. The
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
song, also produced by Jacknife Lee, was very different from previous singles released by the band.
The band's first gig following the release of ''A Weekend in the City'' was on 5 February 2007, in
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
,
and was broadcast live on
BBC 6 Music. On 20 May 2007, Bloc Party headlined on the ''In New Music We Trust'' stage at the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend in
Preston. They also performed at the UK leg of
Live Earth
Live Earth was an event developed to increase environmental awareness through entertainment.
Background
Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, ''Live Earth'' was built upon the be ...
on 7 July 2007 at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...
. Furthermore, the band played sets at
T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...
and
Oxegen 07 that same weekend, as well as
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...
and the
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fe ...
later in 2007. Bloc Party announced a tour of Australia and New Zealand in August 2007, which would include a special appearance at the
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
Festival on 5 August.
On 17 September 2007, they recorded a set for the
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
show
Austin City Limits
''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...
a day after playing at the
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-base ...
.
On 27 October, the band performed a set at London's
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhous ...
with the
Exmoor Singers, a London-based choir, as part of the
BBC Electric Proms. The set included songs from both ''Silent Alarm'' and ''A Weekend in the City'' along with the first British live performance of "Flux".
''Intimacy'' (2008–2009)
"
Mercury" was released as the first single from Bloc Party's third album in August 2008.
Again produced by Jacknife Lee and Paul Epworth, ''
Intimacy
An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...
'' was rush-released later that month, with the album available to download 3 days after an announcement in August 2008. Later in the month the band played second on the bill at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
before headlining the
Hydro Connect Music Festival in
Argyll
Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland.
Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
, Scotland.
During the autumn of 2008, the band went on a short tour of North America, which included an appearance at the
Virgin Festival
The Virgin Fest, known as the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in the United States, was a rock festival held in the United States and Canada, a spin-off from the V Festival held in the UK. In North America the Virgin name, and more recently the Virgin M ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, as well as the band's first ever American college show at
Syracuse University and an appearance at the 2008 edition of
MTV Video Music Brazil
The MTV Video Music Brazil awards (originally Video Music Awards Brazil), more commonly known as VMB, were MTV Brasil's annual award ceremony, established in 1995. MTV viewers picked the winners for most categories since 2001.
Unlike in the MTV ...
, their first concert in South America, which was negatively received due to the band choosing to
mime
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) is an Internet standard that extends the format of email messages to support text in character sets other than ASCII, as well as attachments of audio, video, images, and application programs. Message ...
their performance.
[ ] They made their live return to the UK on 30 September 2008 with a special gig in London as part of
Q Awards: The Gigs. They also played the
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
date of
MTV2's and
Topman
Topman is a UK-based multinational men's fashion retail brand founded by Burton Group (later renamed Arcadia Group) in 1978. Along with its women's clothing counterpart Topshop and the rest of Arcadia Group, Topman went into administration i ...
's "Gonzo on Tour" on 19 October 2008.
A follow-up single, "
Talons
A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...
" was released in October 2008. The song was not part of the pre-order album, but did feature on the full album CD release
and was made freely available to people who already purchased the download-only album.
An album of remixes of all tracks on ''Intimacy'', ''
Intimacy Remixed'', was released in May 2009.
The band undertook their first UK tour since December 2007 in October 2009,
dubbing it "Bloctober".
''One More Chance'' and hiatus (2009–2011)
In July 2009, Okereke stated that the band did not have a current recording contract and had no obligation or pressure to release a new album in the foreseeable future; he went on to suggest that the release of a fourth album was on an indefinite timescale. A new single, "
One More Chance", was released in August 2009. The song did not appear on ''Intimacy'' and was produced by Jacknife Lee. After this, the group went on a hiatus, with the members unsure as to whether they would carry on.
During this period of hiatus Lissack revived his project
Pin Me Down
Pin Me Down were a pop/electronica/rock side project of guitarist Russell Lissack, of the British band Bloc Party, and guitarist/singer Milena Mepris. The band was managed by Robt Ptak, who had previously worked with Mepris in Ptak's project Ar ...
and joined the live line-up of Irish rock-band
Ash as guitarist and synthesiser player on their touring for the ''
A–Z Series
The ''A–Z Series'' is a series of singles by alternative rock band Ash. Consisting of 26 singles, each represented by a letter of the alphabet, the singles were first released on a fortnightly basis from 12 October 2009 until 27 September 2 ...
''. Moakes formed the group
Young Legionnaire
Young Legionnaire are a British band formed in 2009. Since 2010, the band's lineup has consisted of founders Paul Mullen (of The Automatic, formerly of yourcodenameis:milo) and Gordon Moakes (formerly of Bloc Party) alongside drummer Dean Pe ...
with
Paul Mullen, vocalist & guitarist of
The Automatic
The Automatic (also known as The Automatic Automatic in the U.S.) was a Welsh rock band. The band's last-known lineup was composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesisers, James Frost on guitar, synthesisers, backing vocals and occas ...
, and William Bowerman, drummer for
La Roux
La Roux ( ) is an English synthpop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album '' La Roux'' (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles su ...
, releasing a single, "Colossus" in August 2010. Okereke released a solo album, ''
The Boxer
"The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone si ...
'', in June 2010. Produced by
Hudson Mohawke
Ross Matthew Birchard (born 11 February 1986), better known by the stage name Hudson Mohawke, is a Scottish-American producer, composer, and DJ from Glasgow. He is known for his influential work in 21st century hip-hop and electronic music. A ...
and XXXChange, its release was preceded by the single "Tenderoni". Rumours throughout 2011 suggested Okereke had left the group to focus on solo work, though these were denied by other band members.
''Four'' and ''The Nextwave Sessions'' (2011–2013)
![Bloc Party live at HARD fest, Los Angeles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Bloc_Party_live_at_HARD_fest%2C_Los_Angeles.png)
Bloc Party started writing material for a fourth album in 2011,
but decided not to play live.
In the meantime Okereke finished an EP titled ''
The Hunter''.
The group stated they intended to release a new album in 2012. In May 2012, Bloc Party announced ''
Four
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
'', which was released on 20 August 2012, after being made available to stream in its entirety for over a week preceding release. The album was recorded with Alex Newport, who had previously worked with
At The Drive In
At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums) ...
and
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership for ...
, in New York City. Bloc Party released "
Octopus" that July and later released another single entitled "Day Four". The band released "Kettling" on 12 November 2012, followed by "Truth" on 25 February 2013. ''Four'' peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and at number 36 on the ''Billboard'' 200.
The band debuted new material during their 2013 North American tour, including "Children of the Future" at
Rams Head Live!
Rams Head Live! is an indoor music venue, club, and bar located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Located in the Power Plant Live! district of downtown Baltimore, the venue is surrounded by several other bars and clubs. Rams Head Live! ...
, "
Ratchet" at
The Pageant
The Pageant (also called The Pageant Concert Nightclub) is a popular American nightclub in St. Louis, Missouri.
Built as a dedicated nightclub, The Pageant first opened its doors on October 19, 2000. It was named for a "long-gone Pageant movie ...
, "Montreal" at the
Ogden Theatre
The Ogden Theatre is a music venue and former movie theater in Denver, Colorado, United States. Located at 935 E. Colfax Avenue in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill, it was built in 1917 and has a maximum capacity of 1,600 for concerts. It is list ...
and "X-cutioner's Song" at Mr. Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh. Lissack later confirmed the band's plans to release a new EP in "northern hemisphere summer". He told Marc Zanotti of Australian website MusicFeeds that the new material was "not like a continuation of the record we've just made, it's a completely separate thing
..the next step; the next progression".
"French Exit" was given its debut live performance at
Crystal Ballroom on 24 May. Some of the new material would feature on ''
The Nextwave Sessions
''The Nextwave Sessions'' is an extended play by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 12 August 2013 in the United Kingdom, and 13 August in the United States, via Frenchkiss Records. "Ratchet" and "Obscene" were recorded with ...
'', an EP announced on 25 June and for release on 12 August via Frenchkiss Records.
Hiatus and line-up changes (2013–2015)
During the summer tour of 2013, drummer Matt Tong left the band.
Lissack told a Canadian newspaper, the ''
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' that the band were planning to take an indefinite hiatus following their appearance at the Latitude Festival on 19 July.
In October 2013, Kele assembled a DJ Mix for
!K7's ''Tapes'' mix series, released under the Bloc Party name.
In September 2014, Okereke stated that Bloc Party were working on a fifth album.
In March 2015, bassist Gordon Moakes
tweeted
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
he had parted ways with Bloc Party.
Following the departure of their former members, Okereke and Lissack started to work on new songs on their own in late 2014.
Bloc Party unveiled their new line-up at two intimate gigs in the Los Angeles area (19 August 2015 at The Glass House in
Pomona and 20 August 2015 at The Roxy in Los Angeles). Following these performances, Bloc Party also subheadlined
FYF Fest
FYF Fest (short for "Fuck Yeah Fest Fest") was an annual three-day music festival held at the Los Angeles Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by Sean Carlson in 2004 and is now solely produced by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary o ...
in Los Angeles on 22 August 2015. At these shows, the band confirmed that they've finished recording their next album. The shows marked the live debut for new bassist Justin Harris of the
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
, indie rock outfit
Menomena
Menomena is an indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, made up of Justin Harris and Danny Seim. Both members of the band share singing duties and frequently swap instruments while recording. In concert, Seim plays drums, while Ha ...
, who had previously opened several Bloc Party U.S. tour dates in April 2009; and Louise Bartle, who was accidentally announced a month earlier as Bloc Party's drummer by instrument manufacturer
Natal Drums
Natal Drums (in past known as Natal Percussion Company) is a British musical instrument manufacturing company based in Bletchley, England. The name is a portmanteau of the first names of the company founder and his wife, NATalie and ALan.
In 201 ...
in a since-deleted tweet, leading to fan speculation regarding her membership that was ultimately proved correct. These shows also included the first performances of two new songs called "Eden" and "Exes" according to the setlist.
''Hymns'' and ''Silent Alarm Live'' (2015–2019)
![BlocParty2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/BlocParty2015.jpg)
In a performance at
Maida Vale
Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is ...
, Bloc Party gave "The Good News" its live debut; hours later, "The Love Within" was featured as "Hottest Record in the World" by
Annie Mac on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
. Okereke revealed the band's upcoming fifth album is set to be titled ''
Hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
''.
The album's release was later confirmed on social media as 29 January 2016.
Later in 2016, the band released the standalone single 'Stunt Queen' to mark their performance at the
Hollywood Bowl, which Okereke claimed was a "significant milestone" for the band. It marks some of the first new material that featured Justin and Louise as co-writers.
March 2018 saw the band announce a series of shows touring their 'Silent Alarm' album which would be played in full. Due to the success of this short tour, Bloc Party announced further dates in 2019 again playing tracks from the whole of their debut.
''Alpha Games'' (2020–present)
On 22 January 2020, Okereke announced on his personal social media accounts that Bloc Party had begun writing a new album.
On 22 September 2021, Bloc Party posted to their official Twitter account a sneak peek of the tracklist/recording progress of their soon to be released sixth studio album.
On 23 November 2021, Bloc Party released the first single "Traps" off their sixth studio album ''
Alpha Games
''Alpha Games'' is the sixth studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party, released on 29 April 2022. It is the first studio album by the band since 2016's ''Hymns''. It is notably the first album with drummer Louise Bartle, who joined the ...
''. The album was released on 22 April 2022.
A second single "The Girls Are Fighting" was released on 26 January 2022 and the responding music video was released on 28 January 2022. On 25 February 2022, the third single "Sex Magik" was released. A fourth single "If We Get Caught" was released on 24 March 2022.
Musical style
![Kele Okereke on guitar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Kele_Okereke_on_guitar..jpg)
Bloc Party's musical style has been described as
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
,
post-punk revival,
post-Britpop
Post-Britpop is an alternative rock subgenre and is the period in the late 1990s and early 2000s, following Britpop, when the media were identifying a "new generation" or "second wave" of guitar bands influenced by acts like Oasis and Blur, but ...
,
[I. Collinson, "Devopop: pop Englishness and post-Britpop guitar bands", in A. Bennett and J. Stratton, eds, ''Britpop and the English Music Tradition'' (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2010), , pp. 163–178.] alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
,
art punk
Art punk is a subgenre of punk rock in which artists go beyond the genre's rudimentary garage rock and are considered more sophisticated than their peers. These groups still generated punk's aesthetic of being simple, offensive, and free-spiri ...
,
art rock,
dance-rock
Dance-rock is a dance-infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and disc ...
,
and
alternative dance.
Bloc Party's brand of guitar rock draws on influences such as
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...
,
Pixies
A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...
,
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
,
Sonic Youth and
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...
.
[ Okereke has also stated that Mogwai's album '' Mogwai Young Team'' changed his life by being his musical "year zero". Okereke also cites ]Suede
Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...
as a major influence; he says ''Dog Man Star
''Dog Man Star'' is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede (band), Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was th ...
'' was the first record he fell in love with. Particular parallels were made between Bloc Party and Gang of Four upon their arrival on the music scene, yet the band were "mildly infuriated" at such references, claiming they had never "particularly liked" Gang of Four. To achieve their unique style, numerous delay and other effects pedals
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ele ...
are implemented. During the recording of second album ''A Weekend in the City'', the band suggested it would contain "some truly R&B styled beats, a song where ong Ong or ONG may refer to:
Arts and media
* Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction
* “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip
Places
* Ong, Nebraska, US, city
* Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town
* Ong River, Odisha, ...
and oakes Oakes may refer to:
* Oakes (surname)
* Oakes, Huddersfield, England
*Oakes, North Dakota, US
See also
* Oakes test, a legal analysis used in Canada to determine under what situations infringements on rights and freedoms are justifiable
** R. v. Oa ...
play drums simultaneously ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
both eggshell-thin fragility and trouser-flapping hugeness", as opposed to their typical sound. The style has been compared to and inspired by such bands as Radiohead, U2, Depeche Mode, and Björk. Some of the most noticeable changes between debut ''Silent Alarm'' and ''A Weekend in the City'' are that the songs became more layered and less raw due to inclusion of string arrangements.
With the release of " Flux", Bloc Party's style became even more diverse with the inclusion of electronic music. " Mercury" saw Bloc Party distance themselves even further from the traditional guitar band set-up by experimenting with dark electronic sounds and a brass section
The brass section of the orchestra, concert band, and jazz ensemble consist of brass instruments, and is one of the main sections in all three ensembles. The British-style brass band contains only brass and percussion instruments.
They contain ...
inspired by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band's third album ''Intimacy'' also features synths, processed drum beats and loops, vocal manipulation, and choral arrangements. Even though the album was influenced by electronic music, the band still had not lost their feel for guitar music. For example, in an interview, Okereke said that the band was starting to miss their more traditional sound, and confirmed that may have been the way fourth album was headed. However, Tong contradicted this, stating: "There's every chance we might go back to more orthodox arrangements or things that resemble a traditional band but I don't think we'll ever write songs like we did on ''Silent Alarm'' again." A 2009 Vice Records
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tr ...
mix lists the following songs Bloc Party are influenced by: Eagle Boston's "Wild Wild Ost", Pylon's "Working Is No Problem", Delta 5
Delta 5 was an English post-punk band from Leeds.
Career
Delta 5 was formed from the same art school scene at Leeds University as Gang of Four and The Mekons. The original members of Delta 5, Julz Sale (vocals/guitar), Ros Allen (bass) and Be ...
's "Mind Your Own Business
"Mind your own business" is a common English saying which asks for a respect of other people's privacy. It strongly suggests that a person should stop interfering in what does not affect themselves. Contextually, it is often used in an argument or ...
", John Foxx
John Foxx (born Dennis Leigh; 26 September 1948) is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a ...
's "Underpass
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...
", Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
's "I Would Die 4 U
"I Would Die 4 U" is a song by Prince and the Revolution, the fourth single in the US from their 1984 album, '' Purple Rain''. The up-tempo dance song was a top 10 hit—the final one from the album—in the US, reaching number 8 on the Billbo ...
" (also covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
live), Sonic Youth's "Youth Against Fascism
"Youth Against Fascism" is the second single from Sonic Youth's 1992 album ''Dirty''. It was released in 1992 on DGC.
Track listing
# "Youth Against Fascism (Clean-Ex Mix)"
# "The Destroyed Room"
# "Purr (Mark Goodier Version)"
# "Youth Again ...
", Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name.
The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlo ...
's "Freak Scene
"Freak Scene" is a song by American alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr., the opening track on the group's third studio album '' Bug'' (1988). Written and produced by frontman J Mascis, the song was recorded at Fort Apache Studios by engineers Paul ...
", La Roux's " Quicksand (Nightrunners Edit)", and Bruce Springsteen's " 57 Channels (And Nothin' On)".
Members
Current
* Kele Okereke
Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known mononymously as Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.
Early life
Okere ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar, sampler, electric piano (1999–present)
* Russell Lissack – lead guitar, sampler, synthesizer, programming (1999–present)
* Justin Harris – bass guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, glockenspiel, saxophone (2015–present)
* Louise Bartle – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2015–present)
Former
* Gordon Moakes – bass guitar, backing and occasional lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, glockenspiel (2002–2015)
* Matt Tong – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2002–2013)
Former touring
* Sarah Jones - drums, percussion (2013)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Silent Alarm
''Silent Alarm'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Bloc Party. Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with Paul Epworth as producer, it was released on 2 February 2005, by Wichita Recordings. The album peaked at number th ...
'' (2005)
* '' A Weekend in the City'' (2007)
* ''Intimacy
An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...
'' (2008)
* ''Four
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
'' (2012)
* ''Hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
'' (2016)
* ''Alpha Games
''Alpha Games'' is the sixth studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party, released on 29 April 2022. It is the first studio album by the band since 2016's ''Hymns''. It is notably the first album with drummer Louise Bartle, who joined the ...
'' (2022)
Awards and nominations
Bloc Party have had several nominations from a number of different awarding bodies during their recording career. The band themselves were nominated for 'Best New Artist' at the 2005 ''NME'' Awards, and were also up for the 'Best Alternative Act' category at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
. In 2006, Bloc Party were nominated for another ''NME'' Award, this time in the 'Best British Band' category. They were also shortlisted for three PLUG Awards The PLUG Independent Music Awards, or just PLUG Awards, began in 2001 as a "cartel" of music lovers ranging from DJs and managers to indie retailers and fans.
Winners
Album of the Year
Americana Album of the Year
Avant Album of the Year
DJ ...
: 'New Artist of the Year' in 2005, and 'Artist of the Year' and 'Live Act of the Year' in 2006. At the 19th GLAAD Media Awards in 2008, they were nominated in the 'Music Artist' category for their work on second album ''A Weekend in the City''.
Their debut album ''Silent Alarm'' was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
and won the NME award for 'Best Album'. It was also nominated as 'Album of the Year' at three different ceremonies: the New Pantheon Music Award (Shortlist Music Prize
The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
), the 2006 ''NME'' Awards,[ and the 2006 PLUG Awards, where "Helicopter" was also up for 'Best Music Video'.] The record won the award for 'Best Indie Rock Album' at the 2006 PLUG Awards. At the 2008 ''NME'' Awards, "Flux" was nominated in three different categories: 'Best Track', 'Best Video' and 'Best Dancefloor Filler'.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
English indie rock groups
Post-Britpop groups
Musical quartets
Post-punk revival music groups
Musical groups from London
Atlantic Records artists
Musical groups established in 2003
2003 establishments in England
Wichita Recordings artists
Dew Process artists
Dim Mak Records artists
Frenchkiss Records artists
Vagrant Records artists
Infectious Music artists
Musical groups from the London Borough of Lewisham