A Weekend in the City

Last updated

A Weekend in the City
A Weekend in the City.jpg
Studio album by
Bloc Party
Released24 January 2007 (2007-01-24)
Recorded2006
Studio
Genre
Length51:13
Label Wichita
Producer Jacknife Lee
Bloc Party chronology
Silent Alarm
(2005)		A Weekend in the City
(2007)		 Intimacy
(2008)
Singles from A Weekend in the City
  1. "The Prayer"
    Released: 29 January 2007
  2. "I Still Remember"
    Released: 9 April 2007
  3. "Hunting for Witches"
    Released: 9 July 2007
  4. "Flux"
    Released: 12 November 2007 (on re-release)

A Weekend in the City is the second studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded at Grouse Lodge Studios in Westmeath, Ireland, in mid-2006 and was produced by Jacknife Lee. The album was refined and mixed at several locations in London at the end of 2006. It was released on 24 January 2007 in Japan and in the first week of February in the rest of the world, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and on the Irish Albums Chart. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 12.

Contents

Bloc Party worked to craft an album that distanced them from the conventional guitar band set-up by incorporating more electronically processed beats and additional instrumentation. Computer programs were extensively used to enrich and amend recorded takes, while a string sextet was hired to perform on some of the tracks. The subject matter of frontman and chief lyricist Kele Okereke's lyrics for A Weekend in the City covers issues such as drug use, sexuality, and the media's use of moral panic surrounding issues such as terrorism. The album's three original singles, "The Prayer", "I Still Remember", and "Hunting for Witches", address these themes respectively.

Bloc Party's new musical directions and more forthright lyrics either impressed or alienated critics. Reviewers generally treated A Weekend in the City as an important stepping stone for the band members in their quest for musical maturity, while The Guardian included it in its list of the "1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die". In November 2007, the album was re-released globally—with the final single, "Flux", as a bonus track—to coincide with Bloc Party's extensive touring schedule.

Origins

All band members of Bloc Party conceived A Weekend in the City during 2005 while on tour in support of their critically acclaimed debut album Silent Alarm . Despite missing their home city of London, the quartet became increasingly disillusioned with the culture in the area each time they sporadically returned. Band member Gordon Moakes has noted, "The contrast we saw between being away on tour and being home ... we would see that London wasn't changing really and that the people we'd grown up with were part of that." [1] Okereke wrote many songs in 2005 and early 2006 and used a concept he called "Urbanite Relaxation" to expand upon the themes of life and leisure in the metropolis. [2] [3] The band recorded around 30  soundchecks for the initial lyrics using a MiniDisc player. [2] [4] The rest of the tracks were written in April 2006 before they entered the studio recording process. [5]

The music of minimalist composer Philip Glass inspired the band in composing A Weekend in the City 20.IX Book of Longing.jpg
The music of minimalist composer Philip Glass inspired the band in composing A Weekend in the City

The band members drew up a shortlist of possible producers in early 2006, which included dance music-oriented staff such as Chemical Brothers sound engineer Steve Dub and high-profile producers like Garret "Jacknife" Lee. At the time, Moakes told Rolling Stone that the album would hopefully include electronic, processed beats and a sound in the vein of alternative rock band Radiohead and indie rock ensemble TV on the Radio. Bloc Party wanted to expand their sonic palette without losing the musical "jerkiness" of Silent Alarm. [6] They selected Lee—who had worked with world-renowned act U2 and indie rock band Snow Patrol—based on the rapport that developed between the two parties while recording the demo song "I Still Remember", which later appeared in A Weekend in the City. [2]

Moakes has explained the choice of producer by stating that the band members were looking to work with someone who could help them craft an accomplished album, "although as much as anything it's about finding someone who you'd want to spend six weeks in an enclosed space with". [7] Before the studio sessions, Bloc Party listened to varied musical sources, from composers Philip Glass, György Ligeti, and Krzysztof Penderecki to urban artists Amerie and Missy Elliott. [8] The band members were largely disillusioned with the evolution of contemporary guitar music and aimed to re-create the highly stylised production values of R&B and hip-hop records, [9] while relying on an atmosphere similar to neo-classical music. [8]

Recording

In mid-2006, Bloc Party travelled to Lee's Grouse Lodge Studios in Westmeath, Ireland, to record A Weekend in the City. [2] [10] The band members initially worked by experimenting with their respective instruments and sound check arrangements. Moakes additionally focused on using different types of synthesiser. [9] All parties soon moved to the main recording room, a large area with "a lot of natural ambience" according to sound engineer Tom McFall. A makeshift booth was built around the back of the drum kit to reduce any sonic interference, while a roof was sometimes used over drummer Matt Tong to isolate a pure sound. Different types of microphones were used for each component of the drum kit. The miking scheme was crucial to prepare the drum tracks for the looping and processing Lee planned using production program Logic. [2]

Bloc Party before the performance of "I Still Remember" in Sydney on 4 August 2007; Okereke often opted to use a Gretsch Tennessee Rose guitar, which creates a softer sound, in the studio and in concert BlocPartySydneyAugust4.JPG
Bloc Party before the performance of "I Still Remember" in Sydney on 4 August 2007; Okereke often opted to use a Gretsch Tennessee Rose guitar, which creates a softer sound, in the studio and in concert

The band worked by setting up all the instruments with only a single power amplifier. McFall has pointed out that distorted and heavily compressed mics were used to capture some of the room's ambience "to add a bit of grit" to the instrumental tracks; the recordings were often processed further using distressors, [2] special types of compressor noted for their distinctively aggressive sound. [11] The production staff tried other unconventional effects once the basic tracks were recorded. The band sometimes performed while Tong's kit was re-amped and played sections live while a brick was placed on the sustain pedal of a piano to capture the vibrations during the performances. [2] During the six weeks at Grouse Lodge, Bloc Party tried multiple versions of songs and, at times, attempted playing live alongside recorded versions of the same track. [12]

Lee recorded everything using Pro Tools and treated the parts as individual stereo files in Logic. The drum and guitar tracks were processed using computers. [8] Much of the synthesiser-sounding parts of the album were generated by Russell Lissack's lead guitar following his extensive use of pedal effects. [12] Lee added the live string, synth, drum machine, sample, and ambient noise tracks to create an expansive, hyper-stereophonic final product. [2] After finishing the instrumental album, Bloc Party left Ireland to continue touring. Okereke later returned to Lee's studio to add the vocal tracks to the album; [13] he has noted that he tried to "convey range and dynamics" rather than simply yelp the lyrics. [2] Several track names were changed following the voice sessions: "Merge on the Freeway" became "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)", "A Prayer to the Lord" was renamed "The Prayer", "Wet" became "On", and "Perfect Teens" was renamed "Where Is Home?". [14] [15]

Promotion and release

"One thing that we've learnt from touring over the last two years is that there are other ways to be powerful whilst making music, rather than being completely full on, 100 miles per hour. We learnt so much about the power of arrangements. I know it sound cheesy, but I guess it is going to be a more grown up Bloc Party." [16]

Kele Okereke, on Bloc Party's musical evolution up to 2007 and its audible results on A Weekend in the City

Bloc Party confirmed a preliminary track list of 13 songs in August 2006; this included future bonus tracks "England" and "We Were Lovers". [15] A low-quality rip of A Weekend in the City was leaked in November and showed a track list of 11 songs. Wichita Recordings did not comment, but the band members were quoted as being worried about a reduction in the potential impact of the album's content and sales. [17] Bloc Party started a promotional tour of North America the same month with Panic! at the Disco, but cut it short after three concerts when Tong suffered a collapsed lung. The focus was changed to interviews throughout the world to explain the album's stylised lyrics and composition in the run-up to its release. [18]

Final tweaks on the album were completed in December 2006 in London. [18] A high-quality version was leaked in January 2007 and its contents were confirmed by Okereke. [17] Journalists who obtained an official copy of the album's final mix suggested that it featured electronically tampered rock soundscapes in the vein of Radiohead, New Order, and Björk. [19] Bloc Party previewed A Weekend in the City in its entirety on 24 January 2007 at the Bournemouth Old Firestation, [20] a performance which coincided with the Japanese release of the album. [21] The first single, "The Prayer", was released on 29 January. [22] The band performed at a special BBC Radio 1 showcase at Maida Vale Studios on 30 January as a precursor to a February promotional tour of the UK. [23]

The album was released in the rest of the world in the first week of February. [23] The title comes as a tangent to the central theme of the album, "the living noise of a metropolis". [24] The cover art is part of A Modern Project by German photographer Rut Blees Luxemburg, famous for her night cityscapes of London and for the cover art of The Streets' Original Pirate Material . [25] The photograph is an aerial image of London's Westway, which shows the road and the adjacent sports pitches lit by the sodium glow of street lamps, [26] and was chosen because the band believed "it was important we captured London breathing". [24] Luxemburg has explained that "in this picture you can see how intricately and optimistically public space in the city is shared". [27]

Content

Lyrics

Okereke's lyrics attempt to juxtapose the monotonous events—nights out on club dancefloors and waiting for a train—with the seemingly epic experiences—terrorist attacks and racial angst—witnessed in a city environment. [1] The direct narrative approach divided reviewers. [28] [29] BBC's Tom Young concluded, "Some will appreciate Kele's openness and revel in his philosophical focus on modern lives ... others will be too distracted by questionable content such as ... lines about sudoku to take Okereke's grumbles into consideration." [30] Okereke has conceded that he was disappointed with the abstraction in Silent Alarm; he used The Smiths as inspiration to try to make a personal album with "a real centre". [31] The lyricist has noted, "I wanted it to be a snapshot, a frozen moment in time. Like in a city, with thousands of stories going on at once, layered on top of each other ... Although I might be speaking through the voice of a character, I'm still expressing, perhaps, my sentiments." [32]

The song "Kreuzberg" tells a story set in the Berlin area of the same name, and mentions its East Side Gallery (pictured). Berlin Wall (15305565944).jpg
The song "Kreuzberg" tells a story set in the Berlin area of the same name, and mentions its East Side Gallery (pictured).

The words to "Where Is Home?" begin at the funeral of Christopher Alaneme, a black teenager stabbed to death in Kent in April 2006 in a racially motivated attack. Okereke has described him as a "cousin" due to their Nigerian mothers' close friendship. The track castigates right-wing newspapers for perpetuating a hysterical fear of black youths in hoodies, an action which often leads to opportunities being denied to the Black British community at large. [31] Populist media is also the target of "Hunting for Witches" (with the right-wing tabloid Daily Mail being singled out for criticism), whose subject matter is terrorism, namely the 7 July 2005 London bombings. Okereke has stated, "I guess the point about the song for me is post-September 11th, the media has really traded on fear and the use of fear in controlling people." [16] Two songs, "Kreuzberg" and "I Still Remember", explore sexuality and homosexuality; the former is an account of promiscuity in the Berlin area of the same name, while the latter details an unrequited crush of a boy for his schoolmate. [33]

The leading track, "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)", was inspired by Less than Zero, a novel by Bret Easton Ellis which depicts excessive hedonism and its effects on individuals. The song title references the protagonist Clay and a billboard in the book which displays the phrase "Disappear Here", while the action is relocated to Les Trois Garçons restaurant in Shoreditch, East London. [4] "Waiting for the 7.18" provides an escapist counterpoint by mentioning a trip to Brighton following disillusionment with working life in the capital. [10] The fifth song on A Weekend in the City, "Uniform", references London again and criticises the youth subculture in the area. It is directly inspired by Douglas Rushkoff's Merchants of Cool documentary, which details the corporate exploitation of popular culture by advertisement companies. [4]

Okereke read Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle and Henri Lefebvre's Critique of Everyday Life, works which analyse how people experience leisure in modern societies, and was inspired to pen several songs which detail the drug and drink culture present in a metropolis. [9] "The Prayer" is based on drug use during nights out in clubs, while "On" specifies the effects and after-effects of cocaine. Okereke tried to treat the tracks as explanations of people's actions, rather than moralising tales; he has stated, "In a time when so many people feel they can't communicate or feel hemmed in, I can see the appeal of cocaine." [33] "Sunday" details the morning-after hangover following a drunken and promiscuous night out, while "SRXT" takes the form of a suicide note following the loneliness and despair of hedonism in the metropolis. The album closer is named after Seroxat, a trade name for the antidepressant paroxetine, and was crafted following the suicide attempts of two of Okereke's friends after they left university in 2005. [31]

Composition

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
'The Prayer'
Industrial rhythms, complex drumming patterns, and layered vocals were used in "The Prayer". [12] [13] The song has a multitracked layout inspired by R&B music and illustrates Lee's hyper-stereophonic production aesthetic. [9] [12]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

A Weekend in the City is largely built around a mix of distorted and layered guitars, electronic elements, and multilayered vocals. [33] The creation of compositions required a high level of technical proficiency and led to songs "tinged with discord". [1] The opening section of "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)" includes a bare falsetto, [34] while "Hunting for Witches" starts with a John Cage-like collage of spliced voices from random radio broadcasts as its main rhythm. [12] The rest of the second track makes extensive use of guitar pedal effects and includes a heavily distorted riff. [34] Moakes has pointed out that the original sound check of "Waiting for the 7.18" was a ballad with a simple rhythmic pattern on the glockenspiel before the band members added a drum and bass section to its second half. [9] "Kreuzberg", "I Still Remember", and "Sunday" are the few songs to provide a counterpoint to the musical manipulation on the rest of the album by having more conventional indie rock arrangements; [34] Moakes has called the compositions "lush, without being too syrupy". [35]

In A Weekend in the City, layered vocals are often used to resemble choral sections, for example in the middle of "The Prayer" and throughout "Uniform", which has over 100 stacked vocal tracks. [12] "SRXT" is a chiming ballad directly inspired by Brian Eno's "By This River" and incorporates double-tracked lead and background vocals. [12] [34] Synthetic aspects—drum machines, synths, and computer glitches—were included as integral parts of compositions. [2] "The Prayer" is built around a computer sample and includes MTV Base-inspired urban contemporary beats and a prominent guitar solo towards the end. [9] [13] "On" is also a computer-reworked live take. Half of the song was recorded as a series of loops of drum beats and bass guitar chords. The recorded take was split in two to make up the first and last quarters of the track, while the middle section was intentionally left blank for the band to improvise in. [12] "On" is one of two songs, together with "Where Is Home?", to use a string sextet. The latter track includes erratic rhythms and clashing guitars. [34]

Critical reception

Media response to A Weekend in the City was mixed, but generally positive; aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalised rating of 65/100 based on 30 critical reviews. [36] Louis Pattison of NME described the album as "tender and reflective, edgy and embittered; a difficult and emotional beast that jolts with nervous electricity" and pointed out that its notable achievement is that it finds moments of genuine contentment amidst "a maelstrom of anger and confusion". [37] Allmusic's Heather Phares did not find the album as immediate as Bloc Party's earlier work, but noted that "its gradual move from alienation to connection and hope is just as bold as Silent Alarm, and possibly even more resonant". [28] Drowned in Sound's Mike Diver called it "dirty, dishevelled, unsure and paranoid; fearful, easily distracted, boisterous and ashamed; reckless, wild, nervous and terrified; graceful, thought-provoking, clumsy and contradictory ... and very nearly perfect." [38] Jeff Miller of the Chicago Tribune concluded, "For Bloc Party, Silent Alarm was a baby step and this is a giant leap." [39]

Michael Endelman of Entertainment Weekly was less receptive and stated, "Too often, the music on A Weekend in the City is less memorable than the ambitious subject matter." [40] Robert Christgau, reviewing for Rolling Stone, suggested that the album fails because it lacks "killer choruses", [41] while Sia Michel of The New York Times wrote that the multitracked vocals and baroque effects do not have "the wiry catchiness" of Bloc Party's previous work. [42] Mike Schiller of PopMatters commented that the sonic direction the band had moved to was unsuited to the members' musical strengths, [43] while Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian stated "grand statements are not earnest frontman Kele Okereke's forte...there's barely a song that isn't kneecapped by one of Okereke's lyrical clangers". [44]

The album was named by Los Angeles Times in its unnumbered shortlist of the best releases of 2007. [45] It figured in several other end-of-year best album lists, notably, at number eight by Gigwise, [46] at number nine by Hot Press , [47] and at number ten by The A.V. Club . [48] The Guardian included A Weekend in the City in its "1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die" list compiled in November 2007 and praised the band's "ambitious indie soundscapes packing a sizeable political punch". [49]

Commercial performance

A Weekend in the City was a commercial success and entered the UK Albums Chart, the Irish Albums Chart, and the Australian Albums Chart at number two. [22] [50] [51] The album was listed at number 56 on the end-of-year UK Albums Chart for 2007 and was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry. [52] In the US, it sold 47,726 copies in its first week of release and entered the Billboard 200 at number twelve, [53] a marked improvement on predecessor Silent Alarm which had only made number 114 when it was released in 2005. The album also topped the Billboard Top Independent Albums. [54] According to Nielsen SoundScan, it had sold 148,000 copies in the US by August 2008. [55] More than one million copies have been sold worldwide. [56]

The first single, "The Prayer", became Bloc Party's highest charting song on the UK Singles Chart and on the Irish Singles Chart to date by peaking at number four and number 18 respectively. [22] [50] The song reached number 20 in Australia and is the band's only Australian Singles Chart career entry. [57] The next single and the first US release from the album, "I Still Remember", entered the Hot Modern Rock Tracks at number 24 and became the band's highest charting US single to date. [54] The third single, "Hunting for Witches", failed to chart in the US, but peaked at number 22 in the UK. [22]

Tours and re-release

Okereke on stage in Barcelona on 26 November 2007 as part of the Flux Tour Okereke Barcelona.jpg
Okereke on stage in Barcelona on 26 November 2007 as part of the Flux Tour

Bloc Party started a lengthy promotional world tour for A Weekend in the City in March 2007, which included concerts in Japan, the US—where they also headlined at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas—Canada, and Italy. [58] A few UK performances in mid-April were followed by a month-long headlining tour with Biffy Clyro, which covered most of mainland Europe. [59] [60] Bloc Party spent the end of May and the start of June 2007 on another headlining tour of the US and were asked to play at Live Earth upon their return to London. [61] [62] The band performed at the main stages of several European summer fests, including Glastonbury, T in the Park, the Reading and Leeds Festivals, Oxegen, and Summercase. [63] [64] [65]

Bloc Party embarked on their second major worldwide tour for the album in August 2007, playing across Australia, the US, Mexico, and Canada. [62] [66] [67] Upon their return to Europe, the band performed at the BBC Electric Proms with the Exmoor Singers as backing chamber choir. [68] The final single from A Weekend in the City, "Flux", was released on 12 November 2007 after the European Flux Tour; a promotional CD of remixes of the song was given out free with the 14 November issue of NME. [69] The track gave Bloc Party another top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart by entering at number eight. [22] A Weekend in the City was re-released with "Flux" in the track list on 16 and 19 November in mainland Europe and the UK respectively. [51] [70]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bloc Party

No.TitleLength
1."Song for Clay (Disappear Here)"4:49
2."Hunting for Witches"3:31
3."Waiting for the 7.18"4:17
4."The Prayer"3:44
5."Uniform"5:32
6."On"4:46
7."Where Is Home?"4:54
8."Kreuzberg"5:27
9."I Still Remember"4:23
10."Flux" (Not included on initial release)3:38
11."Sunday"4:59
12."SRXT"4:51
Australian deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Uniform" (James Rutledge Remix) 
13."Hunting for Witches" (Fury666 Remix) 
14."I Still Remember" (Speaker Junk Bass Bin Remix) 
15."Hunting for Witches" (Crystal Castles Remix) 

Bonus tracks

When present, all songs follow "SRXT" on the January/February 2007 release after a silent three-minute pregap.

Another B side, "Vision of Heaven" (3:32), was released as a promotional track exclusively at PureVolume. [71]

Additional formats

Vinyl

DVD

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of A Weekend in the City. [10]

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormat(s)Catalog
Japan24 January 2007V2 RecordsCDV2CP-320 [21]
Europe2 February 2007Wichita RecordingsCD, CD+DVDWEBB120 [10]
AustraliaCD
United Kingdom and Ireland5 February 2007CD, digital download, CD+DVD, LP
United States6 February 2007Vice RecordsCD, digital download, LPVICE 94598 [28]
CD (Best Buy version)VICE 94700 [30]
CD (Target version)VICE 94677 [77]
CanadaCD
Australia16 July 2007 Universal Records CD+DVD3628120 [51]
Europe16 November 2007CD+DVD (new edition)
United Kingdom and Ireland19 November 2007Wichita RecordingsWEBB120X [76]
Australia3 December 2007CD (new edition)

Chart positions

Singles

SongPeak
UK
[22] 		IRE
[50] 		US Mod. Rock
[54] 		AUS
[57]
"The Prayer"418X20
"I Still Remember"20—24—
"Hunting for Witches"22———
"Flux"841——
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
"X" denotes song not released in a particular country.

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 Lash, Jolie (Winter 2007). "Bloc Party Vs. The Metropolis". Filter . p. 57.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Murphy, p. 36
  3. ↑ Taylor, Chris (2 April 2006). "New Bloc Party Album Theme Is 'Urbanite Relaxation'". Gigwise . Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Baal, p. 77
  5. ↑ Youle, Jo (30 March 2006). "Bloc Party blow fans away". BBC. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Lash, Jolie (23 February 2006). "Bloc Party Get Experimental". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 27 May 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Bloc Party head to Toronto". NME . 13 April 2006. Archived from the original on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Murphy, p. 38
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Baal, p. 74
  10. 1 2 3 4 A Weekend in the City (CD booklet and case back cover). Bloc Party. London: Wichita Recordings. 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ "Glossary of Remix Terms". Remix . 3 January 2007. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Murphy, p. 40
  13. 1 2 3 Baal, p. 78
  14. ↑ "Bloc Party confirms new song titles". NME . 9 June 2006. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Bloc Party reveal new songs". NME . 3 August 2006. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  16. 1 2 Lash, Jolie (2 May 2006). "Bloc Party Grows Up on Sophomore Album". Billboard . Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Bloc Party speak about album internet leaking". NME . 9 February 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  18. 1 2 McLean, p. 18
  19. ↑ Jonze, Tim (3 February 2007). "Depression alienation promiscuity drug-taking fear anger self-gratification...". NME . p. 20.
  20. ↑ "Bloc Party preview new album in Bournemouth". NME . 25 January 2007. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  21. 1 2 3 "ブロック・パーティーの売上ランキング (Sales ranking of Bloc Party)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "UK Top 40 Hit Database". The Official UK Charts Company / EveryHit. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2016.Note: User search required.
  23. 1 2 "Bloc Party showcase new tracks for Radio 1 show". NME . 30 January 2007. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  24. 1 2 "Bloc Party Pack New Tracks for 'A Weekend in the City'". Spin . 24 October 2006. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  25. ↑ "Commonsensual: The Works of Rut Blees Luxemburg". The Guardian . 9 March 2009. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  26. ↑ McLean, p. 13
  27. ↑ Baal, p. 80
  28. 1 2 3 Phares, Heather. "A Weekend in the City: Bloc Party". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  29. ↑ Lynskey, Dorian (2 February 2007). "Bloc Party, A Weekend in the City". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  30. 1 2 Young, Tom (1 February 2007). "Bloc Party: A Weekend in the City Review". BBC. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  31. 1 2 3 McLean, p. 16
  32. ↑ Raber, Rebecca (January–February 2007). "Working for the Weekend". CMJ New Music . p. 32.
  33. 1 2 3 McLean, p. 14
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 Commercial sheet music for A Weekend in the City. Wichita Recordings Music Publishing. February 2007. Distributed by International Music Publications.
  35. ↑ Garrity, Brian (13 January 2007). "Second Time Around The Bloc". Billboard . p. 33.
  36. ↑ "A Weekend in the City by Bloc Party". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  37. ↑ Pattison, Louis (9 February 2007). "Bloc Party: A Weekend in the City". NME . Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  38. ↑ Diver, Mike (24 January 2007). "Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  39. ↑ Miller, Jeff (6 February 2007). "CD review: Bloc Party". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  40. ↑ Endelman, Michael (31 January 2007). "A Weekend in the City: Bloc Party". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  41. ↑ Christgau, Robert (8 February 2007). "Bloc Party: A Weekend in the City". Rolling Stone . Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  42. ↑ Michel, Sia (5 February 2007). "Critics' Choice: New CDs". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  43. ↑ Schiller, Mike (22 February 2007). "Bloc Party: A Weekend in the City". PopMatters . Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  44. ↑ Lynskey, Dorian (2 February 2007). "CD review: Bloc Party". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  45. ↑ "The Best of 2007". Los Angeles Times . 16 December 2007. pp. F11–12.
  46. ↑ "Gigwise's Top 50 Albums of 2007!". Gigwise. 17 December 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  47. ↑ "Critics' singles and albums of the year". Hot Press (pull-out section). January 2008.
  48. ↑ Bahn, Christopher; et al. (12 December 2007). "The best music of 2007". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  49. ↑ "Artists beginning with B (part 1) (1,000 Albums To Hear Before You Die)". The Guardian . 17 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  50. 1 2 3 "Irish Music Charts Archive". Irish Recorded Music Association / Chart-Track. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.Note: User search required.
  51. 1 2 3 "Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  52. ↑ "The Official UK Albums Chart: 2007". ChartsPlus (Special Issue, January 2008). Milton Keynes: Musiqware: 3.
  53. ↑ "Fall Out Boy Rule the Charts, Howard Stern's Warm Fuzzy Side, New Elliott Smith Stuff". Rolling Stone . 14 February 2007. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  54. 1 2 3 "Bloc Party: Album & Song Chart History". Billboard . Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  55. ↑ Paine, Andre (30 August 2008). "New Clicks on the Bloc". Billboard . p. 39.
  56. ↑ "Metallica Headline Reading and Leeds". metallica.com. 31 March 2008. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  57. 1 2 "Bloc Party – The Prayer". Australian Recording Industry Association / Australian-charts. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  58. ↑ "Bloc Party announce world tour dates". NME . 9 January 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  59. ↑ "Bloc Party crack US Album Chart". NME . 15 February 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  60. ↑ Robertson, Mark (22 May 2007). "Biffy Clyro: Rising stars". The List . Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  61. ↑ Madison, T. James (10 April 2007). "Bloc Party returns for another round of US shows". LiveDaily. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  62. 1 2 "Bloc Party announce North American jaunt". NME . 9 June 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  63. ↑ "Bloc Party – 'We're doing Reading'". NME . 22 February 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  64. ↑ "Bloc Party confirm Oxegen". Hot Press . 19 February 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2016.Note: Subscription required.
  65. ↑ Colothan, Scott (24 April 2007). "The View, Bloc Party For Summercase Festival". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  66. ↑ "Diddy And Kim Porter Split; Plus Fergie, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, T.I., Usher, 'Simpsons Movie' & More, In For The Record". MTV News. 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  67. ↑ "Bloc Party announce Australian tour!". Access All Areas (AU). 10 March 2007. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  68. ↑ "Bloc Party defy doctor's orders to perform at Electric Proms". NME . 28 October 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  69. ↑ "Bloc Party to play exclusive secret gig". NME . 6 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  70. ↑ "A Weekend in the City (Special Edition – CD/DVD)". Amazon UK. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  71. ↑ "purevolume - I Still Remember (Bloc Party)". Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  72. ↑ "A Weekend in the City UK LP". Esprit International. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  73. ↑ "A Weekend in the City UK LP Picture Disc". Esprit International. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  74. ↑ "A Weekend in the City UK CD/DVD Set". Esprit International. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  75. ↑ "A Weekend in the City Australia CD/DVD Set". Esprit International. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  76. 1 2 A Weekend in the City [Deluxe Edition] (CD+DVD case back cover). Bloc Party. London: Wichita Recordings. 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  77. ↑ "The Set List Playlists: November 2008". WCMU. Archived from the original on 5 July 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  78. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  79. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  80. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  81. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  82. ↑ "Bloc Party Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  83. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  84. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  85. ↑ "Bloc Party: A Weekend in the City" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  86. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  87. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  88. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Bloc Party". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  89. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  90. ↑ "Charts.nz – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  91. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  92. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  93. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  94. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  95. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Bloc Party – A Weekend in the City". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  96. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  97. ↑ "Bloc Party Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  98. ↑ "Bloc Party Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  99. ↑ "Bloc Party Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  100. ↑ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2007". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  101. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2007". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  102. ↑ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2007" (in French). SNEP. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  103. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2020.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloc Party</span> English indie rock band

Bloc Party are an English rock band that was formed in London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack. They are joined in the band's current iteration by Louise Bartle and bassist Harry Deacon. Their brand of music, whilst rooted in rock, retains elements of other genres such as electronica and house music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kele Okereke</span> English singer and guitarist

Rowland Kelechukwu "Kele" Okereke, 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. Additionally, he has released six studio albums as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Moakes</span> Musical artist

Gordon Peter Moakes is an English musician, best known as the bassist of rock band Young Legionnaire and former member of indie rock band Bloc Party.

<i>Silent Alarm</i> 2005 studio album by Bloc Party

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 three on the UK Albums Chart. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 114 and the Billboard Independent Albums at number seven. “Helicopter”, the double A-side "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet" and "The Pioneers" were released as singles. Silent Alarm went on to achieve worldwide sales of over one million copies.

<i>Silent Alarm Remixed</i> 2005 remix album by Bloc Party

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 2005 in the United States through Vice Records to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The record peaked at number 54 on the UK Albums Chart. In the US, it achieved a peak of number four on the Billboard Top Electronic Albums.

<i>Yours Truly, Angry Mob</i> 2007 studio album by Kaiser Chiefs

Yours Truly, Angry Mob is the second studio album by English rock band Kaiser Chiefs. It was released on 23 February 2007 in Belgium and the Netherlands, 26 February 2007 in the rest of the world by B-Unique Records and in March in North America by Universal Motown. Produced by Stephen Street, who produced the band's debut album Employment, Yours Truly, Angry Mob is lyrically darker and more socially aware than its predecessor, with tracks dealing with street crime, violence, fame, and the inaccuracy of tabloid articles. The song "Boxing Champ" features drummer Nick Hodgson on lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Prayer (Bloc Party song)</span> 2007 single by Bloc Party

"The Prayer" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, A Weekend in the City, except in the U.S. where it is the second single. "I Still Remember" was the first song from the album to be released in North America. It was released by Wichita Recordings on 29 January 2007 and is the band's highest charting single worldwide. The lyrics deal with drug use in nightclubs and party environments. Band frontman Kele Okereke says he was inspired to write the song after hearing Busta Rhymes' song "Touch It". He also described the song as having a "crunk-like" effect. A cover version of "The Prayer" by KT Tunstall is included in Radio 1's Live Lounge – Volume 2, and on her single "If Only".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Still Remember</span> 2007 single by Bloc Party

"I Still Remember" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party. It was released as a single from their second studio album, A Weekend in the City, being the first U.S. single and second UK single from the album. The single was released in Britain in two 7" formats as well as a CD version. The B-sides are "Atonement", "Cain Said To Abel", "Selfish Son", and "I Still Remember ". A limited edition "I Still Remember" 7" was also given to the first 1000 people who pre-ordered the album from Insound. The music video was made by Aggressive and was first shown on 8 January 2007 on MTV2. The song peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it the band's highest-charting single in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banquet (song)</span> 2004 song by Bloc Party

"Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single along with "Staying Fat" in May 2004 by Moshi Moshi Records, it was re-released as a regular single in the United Kingdom by Wichita Recordings on 25 April 2005. It was their first single to chart on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks where it came in at number 34, and is often credited as their breakthrough single in North America. It was also featured in the song "Bloc Party" on the Fort Minor Mixtape: We Major. It was ranked No. 31 in NME's top 100 tracks of the decade, and was number 54 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of all time. It peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2011, NME placed it at number 20 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". The song was featured in the 2018/19 video game Life Is Strange 2.

<i>Favourite Worst Nightmare</i> 2007 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Favourite Worst Nightmare is the second studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, first released in Japan on 18 April 2007 and released in their home country of United Kingdom on 23 April 2007 by Domino Recording Company. Recorded in East London's Miloco Studios with producers James Ford and Mike Crossey, the album was preceded by the release of lead single "Brianstorm" on 2 April 2007. It was the band’s first album with new bassist Nick O'Malley, replacing their previous bassist Andy Nicholson, who left the band shortly before the North American tour of the band's debut studio album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flux (Bloc Party song)</span> 2007 single by Bloc Party

"Flux" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party. It was released as a single on 12 November 2007 and produced by Jacknife Lee, along with several other new songs, during the band's week in the studio after their performances at the Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals. The song uses mostly electronic instruments and features vocalist Kele Okereke's voice manipulated through Auto-Tune. It was first performed live on 26 September 2007 at Covington's Madison Theater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloc Party discography</span>

The discography of Bloc Party, a British indie rock band, consists of six studio albums, three extended plays (EPs), and two remix albums released on primary label Wichita Recordings. Bloc Party were formed in 1999 by chief songwriter and frontman Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack. Bassist Gordon Moakes and drummer Matt Tong joined the band later. The first song by them that we know of is called "This Is Not A Competition" although it hasn't been officially released, it was the first song the band put on their official website. The quartet's first release was the Bloc Party EP in 2004; the first single, "She's Hearing Voices", was released and it failed to chart in the United Kingdom. The next EP, Little Thoughts was released the same year only in Japan; it included Bloc Party's first UK Top 40 entry, the double A-side "Little Thoughts/Tulips", which peaked at number 38.

<i>Intimacy</i> (Bloc Party album) 2008 Bloc Party album

Intimacy is the third studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded in two weeks at several locations in London and Kent during 2008 and was produced by Jacknife Lee and Paul Epworth. The band members made the album available for purchase on their website as a digital download on 21 August 2008. Minimal promotion was undertaken in the UK. The record was released in compact disc form on 24 October 2008, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and entered the Billboard 200 in the United States at number 18.

<i>Contra</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Vampire Weekend

Contra is the second studio album by the American rock band Vampire Weekend, produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij and released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It was preceded by the 2009 singles "Horchata" and "Cousins."

<i>The Boxer</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Kele

The Boxer is the debut solo album by Kele Okereke, the lead singer of British indie rock band Bloc Party. Okereke released the album under the professional name of Kele on 21 June 2010. As promotion, he uploaded the songs "Rise" and "Walk Tall" to his personal website on 13 May. The first single from The Boxer was "Tenderoni", released on 14 June, and the second, "Everything You Wanted", on 16 August. The album's third single "On the Lam" was released on 25 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Legionnaire</span>

Young Legionnaire are a British band formed in 2009. Since 2010, the band's lineup has consisted of founders Paul Mullen and Gordon Moakes alongside drummer Dean Pearson. Will Bowerman was the band's drummer from their formation until his departure in 2010, returning to touring duties with La Roux.

<i>The Hunter</i> (EP) 2011 EP by Kele

The Hunter is the first EP by Kele Okereke, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 7 November 2011 by Wichita Recordings in the UK, set back a week from the original release date, and 3 days earlier on 4 November 2011 by Wichita Recordings and Liberator Music in Australia. The first single released from the EP was "What Did I Do?", which features guest vocals from Lucy Taylor. The music video was released on 13 September 2011, with the song released as a digital single in Japan 10 days later.

<i>Four</i> (Bloc Party album) 2012 studio album by Bloc Party

Four is the fourth studio album by British rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded in late 2011 and early 2012 at Stratosphere Sound, New York City, with producer Alex Newport. Newport also produced Wreckonomics—the EP of bassist Gordon Moakes' side project, Young Legionnaire. It was released on 20 August 2012 on independent label Frenchkiss Records, and was made available to stream the week preceding its release. The album peaked at number 3 in the UK Albums Chart, and at number 36 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. It is the last album featuring the original line-up with Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong.

<i>Hymns</i> (Bloc Party album) 2016 studio album by Bloc Party

Hymns is the fifth studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released worldwide in January 2016 on BMG. The album was recorded between March and August 2015 at Lynchmob Studios in London, following a hiatus during which Matt Tong and Gordon Moakes departed the band. It is the first album to feature new band member Justin Harris on bass and keyboards. The songs "The Love Within", "The Good News", and "Virtue" were released as singles.

<i>Alpha Games</i> 2022 studio album by Bloc Party

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 band after drum sessions for Hymns had been completed, and the first to feature significant songwriting input from Bartle and bassist Justin Harris with Hymns having been mostly written by lead singer Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack. This was Harris' last album with the band before departing in 2023.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.