The Television Personalities - A Memory Is Better Than Nothing

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3...according to our Clinton on Fri 28 May, 2010.

Oh the good old TVP's. I wonder what happened with the Domino deal? Anyway for their new album they are on Rocket Girl. Dan Treacy has become even more of a cult figure over the past few years with that MGMT song and lots of bands citing them as an influence (The Pains of Pure at Heart et al). This new album pretty much follows the pattern of most TVP albums in being a mixture of the sublime and the shambolic. 'She's My Yoko' is a particular standout with its aptly Beatle-esque melodies whereas on the brilliantly titled 'Funny He Never Married' Treacy sounds somewhat like Orville the Duck. As the years go by Dan Treacy could be seen as a UK version of Daniel Johnston, a troubled man barely able to sing in tune but with a catalogue of songs that sometimes hit the mark despite the ongoing chaos that surrounds them. For the uninitiated its shambolic lo-fi indie pop with eccentric arrangements and occasional bursts of pure melody yet contains some songs that are so bad its scarcely believable. For long term fans: its more of the same - you'll probably love it.

Dan Treacy is the TV Personalities in the same way that Mark.E.Smith is The Fall! The run-ins with Dave Gilmour, the Syd Barrett connection, Alan McGee's whole life template based on what Dan was doing? The drugs, the crimes, the prison time...yet surprisingly little of this has been documented in the music. Seen as the quintessential UK cult band for nigh on three decades...never attracting the masses at shows...but in a day and age where indie by numbers rules...TVP’s have always transcended that. Blighted with missed opportunities, and horrendous drug / health problems, written off, and never fashionable TVPs are one of rock and rolls last great secrets...But for how long? With a new album, new single, and support slot with MGMT on their 2010 UK Tour may be not that long at all. MGMT have even written a song dedicated to Dan’s colourful existence.TVPS have always meant something more in other countries than their native UK. The music has been remixed by many; Swedish New Yorker enigma Mabel recorded a fantastic version of 'All The Young Children on Crack'. MGMT are collaborating with Dan soon and they have a song on their new album 'Song for Dan Treacy'. Dan has been asked over and over to write songs for other bands and is working on tracks for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Crystal Stilts. TVPs rocked many festivals including Benicassim and All Tomorrows Parties (invited by MBV) , where The Horrors, Sonic Boom, Kramer, J. Mascis and more all waited in TVPs backstage dressing room before and after the show to pay their respects. Who else has shared a bill / dressing room etc with TVPs? : Nico, Kurt Cobain, Pink Floyd, MGMT, Genesis P.Orridge, Evan Dando, to name but a few.....The new album ‘A Memory Is Better than Nothing’ has been made with great love by Dan, TexasBob and Mike Stone with the help of some new and one or two old faces around him., with the help of some new and one or two old faces around him. But the violence inflicted on himself remains, the self doubt…the lack of medical help, the wrong help...the fucked up relationships...the heroin the heroin always the heroin means that this could well be the last LP or who knows may be the start of something? Right now TVPs are under the comforting wing of music and friend-wise the Brooklyn bands scene, however in Dan's eyes it is becoming more and more a freak show where he feels everyone is waiting for him to fall off the edge. Three overdoses - two in art galleries (irony) in the past few weeks give Dan the lead… expect eulogies when the inevitable happens as we don't know what the inevitable will be. We may as well swing along for the journey when Dan's revelations about his time working at 16 years of age at Swan Song for Led Zeppelin come to light in the next few months.

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