Hip To Be Scared

Photo by Jason Nocito.

“Kyp is like a walking emblem for hipsters. He just oozes color-coordination.” So sayeth Tunde Adebimpe, founder of Brooklyn band TV On The Radio, of his group’s newest member. Adebimpe is right, too. Kyp does indeed have a certain shy finesse. He knows that modesty is sexy (as are interband latent- homosexual crushes). TVOTR’s music is fashionable and sexy too. Their EP on Touch and Go sounds like Peter Gabriel backed by Slowdive for an experimental doo-wop album. Members of the Liars, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Love Life dropped by during recording to add yelps, guitars, or whatever. “[Third member] Dave and I lived in a loft and people would come over and add noises. Then we realized it was starting to get good,” said Adebimpe. Yes, but what do the clothes look like? Tunde says he’s afraid of fashion and describes his wardrobe as “ready wear.” He also sounds sincere when relating his loathing of hip Brooklyn, and I believed him when he said, “One day I was on my way to work and thought, ‘Why do I feel like such a fucking scumbag?’ The answer was obvious. I was on the L train.” But now he spends his days in a loft making puppet animations for Yeah Yeah Yeahs videos and doesn’t have to deal with those loathsome cool kids anymore. At the same time, he knows that the future probably depends on the date-raping of current downtown culture by people with lots of money. “I think we’ve experienced a paradigm shift,” says Adebimpe. “And it’s a good thing. If Britney and Janet want to get remixed by DFA, then we should definitely be able to do something with Jewel. I mean, have you seen that bondage-glove thing she’s been wearing lately?” DAPHNE CARR
The Young Liars EPis out now on Touch and Go.