TV on the Radio Sextet Tunes In, Warm-Up Caveman Catching Fire

Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe whistled, wind chimes tinkled, brass pipes rang out and guitars screeched as TV on the Radio kicked off its April 13th show at Radio City Music Hall with “Young Liars.”

It was a blistering start for this local band’s largest headlining show to date.

On the heels of the six-piece band’s fourth album, “Nine Types of Light,” the players were excited to show the crowd what they’d been working on since taking a break in 2009.

A trombone solo brought on “The Wrong Way,” which came with muscular drumming and audience clapping.

“Caffeinated Consciousness” was introduced with Adebimpe saying, “This is a jumping song.” Bassist Jaleel Bunton set the bottom before a thrashing guitar rift cut through. A screen behind the band displayed lines of light as the track moved between energy and calm.

The slowed-down “You” highlighted the album’s theme of love, with a taste of heartbreak in this cut. Guitarist Kyp Malone supplied a catchy scale as Dave Sitek’s slide guitar drifted beneath easy-going vocals.

Any chance to mellow out quickly faded with “Staring at the Sun” from the debut album “Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes,” which began with a howling guitar and ululations from Adebimpe before a drum machine kicked in.

“Wolf Like Me” had Malone’s hands moving like a saw across his strings and fans shouting the lines.

Since the original bassist, Gerard Smith, died from cancer last month, the band has rescheduled some postponed dates and will be on tour in Europe this summer and headlining the final night of the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park on July 17th.

Caveman in Top Hat

At the sold-out Bowery Ballroom on April 14th, headliners Wye Oak had a tough act to follow. Local rock outfit Caveman opened and then some.

The quintet began with an untitled new jam that built to a rollicking conclusion, nicely complemented by Guitarist Jimmy Carbonetti’s formal attire, including tie bar, vest and top hat.

“My Time” featured shimmering keyboards and lush harmonies -- the latter being one of the groups driving forces. Lead singer Matthew Iwanusa traded his guitar for a tambourine on “December 28th.” With the disco ball spinning overhead, primal sounding beats and synths stretched out over spacey guitar scales.

Fully Seasoned

Just over a year together and yet older than most up-and- coming indie acts, this still-unsigned band comes across as fully seasoned. Of course, each member has spent time in other bands.

“Vampire/Old Friend” had a lengthy and heavy intro that had sound washing over the audience in waves. Feedback then carried the house into the night’s finale, “Decide,” an impressively fluid tune with Iwanusa’s soft vocals laid atop howling harmonies. A complete sound that’s ready to break out.

The guys will open for Yuck later this week at Bowery Ballroom. They’ll soon be releasing their debut album but until then, they will be on tour for nine May dates from Pennsylvania to Texas with Here You Go Magic.

Here’s a selection of New York-area shows in May. Please note that opening bands aren’t always listed. Shows marked (SO) are sold out, although online services such as Craigslist often have tickets:

May 2
Peter Bjorn & John (early & late) at Bowery Ballroom
May 3
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin at The Rock Shop
May 4
Foals/Freelance Whales/The Naked & Famous at Terminal 5
May 5
Jackie Greene at Brooklyn Bowl
May 6
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart/Twin Shadow/Big Troubles
Webster Hall
May 7
Yuck/Caveman at Bowery Ballroom
May 8
Interpol/Blonde Redhead at Terminal 5
May 9
John Maus/Gary War at Glasslands Gallery
Eric Johnson with Anton Fig and Will Lee at the Bitter End
May 10
Yo La Tengo at Bell House (SO)
Eric Johnson with Anton Fig and Will Lee at the Bitter End
May 11
Yo La Tengo at Bell House (SO)
Manchester Orchestra/Cage the Elephant/O’Brother at Terminal 5
Eric Johnson with Anton Fig and Will Lee at the Bitter End
May 12
Cass McCombs at Bowery Ballroom
James Blake at Le Poisson Rouge (SO)
May 13
David Vandervelde/Fences at Mercury Lounge
May 14
Here We Go Magic/Porcelain Raft at Mercury Lounge
May 15
CSS/Sleigh Bells at Bowery Ballroom (SO)
May 16
Sherlocks Daughter at Knitting Factory
May 17
Lykke Li/Grimes at Webster Hall (SO)
May 18
Fleet Foxes/Cave Singers at United Palace Theater (SO)
May 19
Fleet Foxes/Cave Singers at United Palace Theater (SO)
The Antlers/Little Scream at Music Hall of Williamsburg (SO)
May 20
The Antlers/Little Scream at Bowery Ballroom (SO)
May 21
Tune-Yards/Buke and Gass at Music Hall of Williamsburg (SO)
May 22
Elvis Costello & The Imposters at Beacon Theater (SO)
May 23
Glasvegas at Bowery Ballroom
Elvis Costello & The Imposters at Beacon Theater (SO)
May 24
Arctic Monkeys/The Vaccines at Central Park SummerStage (SO)
Booker T Jones at Bell House
Elvis Costello & The Imposters at Beacon Theater (SO)
May 25
Friendly Fires/Wise Blood at Webster Hall (SO)
May 26
Dylan Fest 2011! at Bowery Ballroom
Stornoway/Sea of Bees at Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 27
Dylan Fest 2011! at Bowery Ballroom
May 28
Delicate Steve at Brooklyn Bowl
May 29
Alexander and Fam at Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 30
J. Roddy Walston and The New Business at Brooklyn Bowl
May 31
The Wombats at Bowery Ballroom

(Jaime Widder works in sales for Bloomberg News. Any opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer on this story: Jaime Widder in New York at jwidder@bloomberg.net;

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff in New York at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.