TV's Daniel fuses blue rock, power pop, punk and glam on "Better Than It's Been"

AP Track Review

In 2011- I interviewed the Long Beach, California psyche rock post punk band Crystal Antlers and drummer Kevin Stuart (the shirtless wonder) quoted Har Mar Superstar (Sean Tillmann) saying "NO matter how hot it is, never ever wear shorts on stage" and it is a quote I will never forget. When Kevin said it, I grasped what he was saying immediately and I have felt the same since I first started seeing performers, especially rock performers and also when I eventually (for some time) became one. The point was clear, dress up for the audience like they mean something to you. Treat them like a first date, take a shower and smell nice. Of course, this credo means different things to different artists and how artful you are, whether naturally or put on, may have a lot to do with the art you are making and presenting. And while grunge may of put a dagger into the backs of most theatrical styles for a while, the artful of all genres have always been around (some come out of the shadows more than others) and I get a sense that in the world of indie and rock music today "dressing up" on stage is coming back again. 

When I saw photos of  TV's Daniel with his clear sense of style and heard the track Better Than It's Been with pumped up Bay City Rollers meets the Stooges meets the Velvet Underground sort of art pop meets dirty blues meets glam rock postures I knew that his rock artifice and rock music itself were inextricably connected. It is something that I have always appreciated especially if seems to come naturally to the artist. TV's Daniel with his shiny meets late 70's Euro fashion sense made me flash on past heavy art rockers like Bryan Ferry or Duran Duran or Roxy Music or Martin Fry (ABC) or David Bowie (the man himself). 

AND...

while Better Than It's Been may borrow a bit from some iconic folks I will swallow each sound as an inspired homage and chase it down with good spirits. In the end, I do know one important thing... TV's Daniel would never ever be caught dead on stage in shorts. 
-
Robb Donker Curtius

"This is a love song. Or a song about depression. Or a song about how love helps battle depression. I tried to write something in the vein of a "former punk writing a Northern Soul song" a la Edwyn Collins or Vic Godard, but what came out was a bit of a glam stomper with tons of phaser and synth noises. It wasn't until I recorded the vocals in the studio that the chorus made more sense to me. In true pessimistic TVD fashion, I can't write a song about something that is actually good, only something that is better than it's been."

Better Than It's Been is the second single from TV's Daniel (from Austin, TX). The band features members of Rise Against, The Well, Drakulas, OBN III's and Leather Girls."