Radio Wars (album)

''Radio Wars'' is the second studio album by London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. It was released through Independiente in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2009 to mixed reviews. Recorded at four different studios, it was produced by Dan Grech-Marguerat except one track by Howling Bells.

Songwriting efforts for ''Radio Wars'' were provided by all four members of the band. The album's themes encompass a wide range of topics, from chaos and optimism to unity and the technological revolution. Most songs were demoed in Australia with one recorded in Melbourne, three in London, and the rest in Los Angeles. The album was the band's first physical release issued outside of the UK and Australia. Three singles were issued from ''Radio Wars'', but all failed to chart. The album peaked within the Top 30 on the Australian Albums Chart and just outside the Top 50 on the UK Albums Chart. Although listed as containing ten tracks, the sixth, "Ms. Bell's Song/Radio Wars Theme", is two separate pieces of music. Additionally, a hidden track, "To LA", is omitted from the booklet and back cover. Musically, the album contains elements of rock, pop, blues, folk, and electronica, with songs that range from synthesised percussion rhythms to crooning 1950s style balladry.

To promote the album, the band played a free show at retail outlet Fopp Records, in London, on the day of the UK release. The following week, they played another free show in London, this time sponsored by ''NME''. While touring ''Radio Wars'', Howling Bells supported The Duke Spirit, Mercury Rev, and Coldplay.

Background

''Radio Wars'' was a collective songwriting effort among drummer Glenn Moule, bass guitarist Brendan Picchio, guitarist Joel Stein, and Joel's sister, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Juanita Stein.Strange, Francesca (March 2009)
"Howling Bells: Interview"
4orTheRecord.com. Archived fro

on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2011. The majority of the songwriting on ''Howling Bells'', their debut album, was provided by Juanita. For ''Radio Wars'', members collaborated in the rehearsal studio whenever they could find time. Yet, while touring to support their debut album, the four members wrote much of the new material on laptops.Cohen, Ben (31 March 2009)
"We Meet The Howling Bells"
t5m Insider. The 5th Medium Ltd. Archived fro

on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011. In August 2007, they all brought their songs to a listening party at Juanita and Joel's parents' house in Australia and selected the songs that they would work on."Howling Bells + The Magi + The Joy Formidable + Two Skies"
The-Plug. Scott Bailey, Adele Armitage. (14 March 2009). Archived fro
the original
on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011. They sought out a country home in Victoria where they recorded fifteen to twenty demos of their new material."Howling Bells's Blog – New Record!"
Myspace. News Corporation. (13 September 2007). Archived fro
the original
on 18 April 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011Tan, Sandy (2009)
"On the Couch With: Howling Bells"
Access All Areas. AAA Entertainment Pty Ltd ¤ Marc Mancini. Archived fro
the original
on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011. Note: ^{''a b c''} Under Heading: Artist Biography. At this demoing location, attempts to tune into radio stations to capture a regular signal generated unstable and erratic reception – referred to as 'radio wars' by the band. This provided ideas for two of the tracks, "Radio Wars Theme" and "Digital Hearts" and the album's name.

In 2007, Howling Bells departed from Bella Union, the UK record label that had released their eponymous debut album. The band declined the option of signing to a major label for the release of ''Radio Wars''. Discussions with major labels had affirmed that their objective was for the band to continue to write the same kind of music from their first record. The band opposed the idea of someone dictating to them the type of material that they should be creating. In January 2008, Howling Bells brokered a deal with, Independiente, since the record label's main focus was for music rather than money. The group maintained their relationship with Liberation, which issued the album in Australia. ''Radio Wars'' became the band's first album issued outside of the UK and Australia after they signed with Play It Again Sam, which released the album in Europe, Hostess Entertainment, which released the album in Japan, and Nettwerk Music Group, which released the album in North America."Howling Bells – ''Radio Wars"''
MusicBrainz. MetaBrainz Foundation. (2009). Archived fro
the original
on 8 May 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.

Recording

In early September 2007, work on ''Radio Wars'' started when the band re-recorded and self-produced, "Cities Burning Down", at Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne. Previously titled "This City's Burning", it had appeared as the b-side on the 2006 singles, "Low Happening" and "Wishing Stone". They felt the song needed more life, so extra instrumentation was added to deliver a bigger sound. As "Cities Burning Down", it became the album's second track.

Howling Bells sought a producer that had experience working on electronic-sounding records.Fungus, Slender (14 May 2009)
"Howling Bells Interview – We Talked to Juanita Stein from Coldplay's Latest Support Act"
Coldplay-official website. EMI (IP) Ltd. Archived fro
the original
on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2011. Producer and mixer, Dan Grech-Marguerat, who had previously worked with Howling Bells' manager, had listened to demos of the new tracks. The band knew of his collaborations with Radiohead and Air, and thought he could help develop their new sound. He came to their rehearsal studio with handwritten notes about the new songs and expressed what he could add. This encouraged the band, and they agreed to let him produce the album.

In January 2008, Howling Bells recorded more tracks for ''Radio Wars'', now working at The Sound Factory, in Los Angeles. The band chose Los Angeles as they wanted a recording experience which was different from previous sessions. ''Radio Wars'' was about Howling Bells being optimistic and united in spirit. Looking to bring a more colourful perspective with a new sound and new feel, the group opted for a more electronic texture. Picchio and Joel experimented with synthesisers, and Moule's percussion parts were more distinct than his previous work. Grech-Marguerat worked prolonged hours and experimented considerably, in an effort to bring more life to each song. The band often struggled with ideas that were presented by him, and the recording sessions were burdened by occasional arguments. Though, members of the band attested that it ultimately worked out.

Five of the demos created for ''Radio Wars'' were not used on the final product. Just over half the songs that appeared on the album were recorded in LA: "Treasure Hunt", "Nightingale", "Ms. Bell's Song/Radio Wars Theme", "Golden Web", "Into the Chaos" (minus the strings), and the hidden track, "To LA". After the band returned from Los Angeles, they recorded "It Ain't You", "Let's Be Kids", and "Digital Hearts" at AIR Studios in London. Session musicians recorded string and brass instruments for a number of the tracks at Mayfair Studios. The last song to be recorded for ''Radio Wars'' was a 1950s style ballad entitled "How Long", which Joel had written the lyrics for. The rest of the band liked it, so arrangements were made to go back into a non-specified London studio where they spent two days recording it. Twenty-two songs had been created by the end of their recording sessions, in July 2008. The album was mixed by Cenzo Townshend at Olympic Studios.

Singles

''Radio Wars'' was preceded by two singles "Into the Chaos" (November 2008), and "Cities Burning Down" (February 2009). None of the singles from the album charted in any country. The unofficial release of "Into the Chaos" was in October, where it was issued for free through the band's website. The song was originally an electronic track without melody or vocals that Juanita and Picchio had put together from other bits and pieces. The week of its official physical release, ''NME'' named it as their "track of the week". The single also appeared on a best-of-2009 playlist.Servant, David (29 December 2009)
"Les Meillurs Albums de L'anee 2009 (The Best Albums of the Year 2009)
(in French). Stars Are Underground. David Servant. Archived fro

on 7 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011. Note: ^''a'' Under Heading: La Playlist de L'annee 2009. The accompanying video was composed of in-and-out of studio footage while the band recorded the album. "Cities Burning Down", the oldest track from the album, was a song that Juanita and Moule created music for first, and the song's lyrics developed out of the instrumental's dark sound. The music video was directed by Piper Ferguson for Lodger Films and shot in December 2008 in London. In 2010, "Cities Burning Down", was one of over 100 tracks by various artists that appeared on the Realtime Worlds developed multiplayer online video game, APB: All Points Bulletin. "Digital Hearts" (May 2009) embodies the message of the album's title – the technological struggle in the new age. The lyrics for it were written by Juanita and Joel and influenced by Juanita and Moule's inability to tune in a tangible radio signal at their demoing location. A music video for the single was not released until three years after it was shot and produced. It was directed by Dan Lowe for Partizan and filmed in April 2009 in London.

Artwork

Artwork for ''Radio Wars'' was by Mark James and photography by Clare Shilland. Howling Bells wanted a luminous front cover art that represented each individual to signify that the album was a brighter, colourful, more vibrant compendium, as well as a more collaborative songwriting effort with a greater input among the four members. By contrast the debut album's artwork has front and back covers that are grey-washed, appropriate to the gloomier, more languishing material mostly written by Juanita.Leahey, Andrew (2009)
''"Radio Wars'' Howling Bells"
Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived fro
the original
on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011. In December 2011, Perez Hilton proclaimed on his website that Hot Chelle Rae copied the cover art of ''Radio Wars'' for its second album, '' Whatever''. He concluded that both bands had copied Andy Warhol's paintings of the Shot Marilyns.

Promotion, release and reception

After recording ''Radio Wars'', Howling Bells returned to touring in July 2008. They incorporated new songs from the album into their live sets. The band performed at festivals over the next couple of months, including O₂ Wireless, Latitude, and Lovebox Weekender. Howling Bells also supported The Duke Spirit and Mercury Rev

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases