The Artist: Television
Television emerged from the same New York scene that birthed the Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads - but they were the odd ones out. Where others were bashing out two-minute anthems, Television were building a delicate architecture of tension and tone.
Formed in 1973 by Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell, the band cemented its lineup with Richard Lloyd, Billy Ficca and Fred Smith. They became fixtures at the legendary CBGB music club - but they always felt a little out of step.
Their debut Marquee Moon arrived in 1977. It was raw, yes - but also intricate. Angular. Hypnotic. Punk in attitude, but not in sound. Verlaine and Lloyd played interlocking guitars, threading through songs with jazzy patience and nervous energy.
Television never became a commercial force. But their influence is immeasurable. You can hear them in Joy Division, Sonic Youth and Radiohead. Bands attracted to the idea that noise could be elegant, that repetition could feel like levitation.
The Record: Marquee Moon (1977)
This isn’t a punk album. Not really. It’s cleaner, sharper, more cerebral. Every guitar line is a conversation - winding, angular, never wasted. The rhythm section holds everything in place while Verlaine and Lloyd’s guitars spiral skyward, crash, and reassemble.
It opens with See No Evil - all jagged riffs and deadpan declarations. Then Venus, strange and romantic, full of haunted glamour. Friction snarls like a cornered stray dog.
But it’s the title track that changes everything.
Ten minutes long. No chorus. Just slow, hypnotic build and glorious collapse. One of the most remarkable guitar performances ever recorded.
This was music from a band out of time. Too precise for punk. Too raw for prog. Too literate for rock ‘n’ roll.
There’s tension, beauty, distance. It doesn’t beg to be liked. It just exists, fully formed, indifferent to your approval.
And maybe that’s why Marquee Moon still feels so alive.
Play Now:
🔊 Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Start With:
- Marquee Moon - A hypnotic climb toward transcendence
- Friction - Angular, urgent, addictive
- Venus - Beauty and unease in perfect balance
