Now in Rhapsody: Bloc Party's Silent Alarm

Bloc Party are one of the more exciting bands to come out of the UK in the past few years, channeling the spirit and manic energy of post-punk bands like Gang of Four with the tunefulness of bands like The Cure.

The hype machine is already in full swing for the band, whose debut album, The Silent Alarm, came out today in the U.S. and is now available in Rhapsody. While I hate as much as anyone having a band shoved down my throat, with simultaneous covers on BLENDER, Rolling Stone, SPIN, etc., in this case I urge you to hate the game, not the player. I had the good fortune to catch Bloc Party twice last week at the South by Southwest music festival, and I have to say that this band's got the goods. They're playing tomorrow night at the 200-capacity SF club, Bottom of the Hill, and I can't wait to see them live again.

Anyway, if you listen to one thing today, this album should be it. I especially like the songs "Like Eating Glass" and "Banquet" (the latter of which has been available for some time on the band's self-titled EP, released in the U.S. last year by Dim Mak Records). Enjoy the music.