The Airborne Toxic Event

The Airborne Toxic Event | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 16, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island
• ASIN: B001V7UXCG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,789 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #87 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > General

Track Listings

1. Wishing Well

2. Papillon

3. Gasoline

4. Happiness Is Overrated

5. Does This Mean You're Moving On?

6. This Is Nowhere

7. Sometime Around Midnight

8. Something New

9. Missy

10. Innocence

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant Classic, March 25, 2009

By 

W. Dietrich "WD" (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Airborne Toxic Event (Audio CD)

I tell everyone that they have to hear the Airborne Toxic Event. They have the best debut album since the Killers and in my opinion they are even better. They are as good on cd as they are live!

I first saw this band on VH1 Nocturnal State, and was capitavated by the song Sometime Around Midnight. I went out and bought the album the next day, and was not disappointed. Every song was solid and performed with passion. I have bought 5 cds this week and this is the only one that I have played more than once. I strongly suggest you give this album a try...you will not be disappointed.


It has been several months since I posted this review and I have bought at least a hundred more cds. Hands down this is my favorite cd of 2008. It does not even compare to such media darlings as TV On the Radio. If you enjoy the ATE than I suggest you also look at the Nationals but otherwise the Airborne Toxic have their own unique sound and style. The songs are catchy and the lead singer has an intersting voice that is easy to enjoy. I tell people who ask me for a recommendation that you must get the AIrborne Toxic Event. It is a 5 star cd in my book.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, August 14, 2009

By 

Daniel G. Lebryk (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Airborne Toxic Event (Audio CD)

(What's this?)

After seeing The Airborne Toxic Event at Lollapalooza, I completely changed my mind about this album. This band should release these songs live, with all the grunge and noise those recordings deliver. There was a ton of passion in that performance. Relistening to the CD, I can now hear something very different in their music.

On first listening two months ago, I really didn't care for this album, the group seemed like a wanna be British Pop band that was derivative blending into the woodwork - in fact I renamed them Toxic Avenger I loved them that little. That Lollapalooza performance (no I'm a bit old to attend Lolla, I didn't want to be that creepy old guy hanging out there - I watched the live streaming performance) really changed my mind. I hadn't really noticed the fine guitar playing, the passion of the vocals, a driving beat that wasn't a rehash of many other bands like Modest Mouse or Elvis Costello or some random British pop band. The mash up of the live performance compared to a perfectly recorded song, I acquired the flavor of The Airborne Toxic Event.

This is an approachable album, cutting across a wide range of music tastes. This is an album where lyrics are important, intelligent, and worth hearing. The lead singer has a good solid clear middle tone voice that clearly annuciates the words. They do have a Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, Cure, Elvis Costello sound. Where these other artists swallow virtually every lyric, The Airborne Toxic Event clearly sings every word. The guitar playing is outstanding.

The recording is crystal clear. Each instrument is highlighted perfectly. The really good guitar playing is well positioned directly behind the vocals. A couple of songs have a very slight reverb added to the vocals. Bottom line, this is a very sharp well recorded album. There is a little bit of the problem. They produced out some of the passion from these songs. Live, its clear there's a ton of passion. Maybe the studio recording is just a bit too sterile.

Three songs stand out, Gasoline, Wishing Well, and Sometime Around Midnight. Gasoline doesn't play well in the preview mode, the song changes a lot from those opening 10 or 20 seconds. Sometime Around Midnight is a great song about meeting a beautiful woman in a bar, but losing her to a stranger. I could see this song as part of a film soundtrack. Missy was my least favorite song of the selection, it was a little too sing songy.

Overall, the whole album is worth downloading or purchasing. A very fine debut album.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best New Bands in a Long Time, May 27, 2009

By 

Mr. Bey (Riverside, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Airborne Toxic Event (Audio CD)

(What's this?)

I'm a big fan of indie music but I think the genre has become a bit too repetitive lately with too many bands attempting to sound like The Shins or Death Cab for Cutie. For those of you who feel the same you should definitely check out The Airborne Toxic Event. Singer Mikel Jollett has a very pleasant voice that is very fresh in a music industry that loves to mimic Chris Martin. The tracks on the self titled album are really different from each other yet still feel like they belong on the same album together.

The Airborne Toxic Event incorporates strings and pianos into some of their songs which adds another whole new depth to the album Some songs use strings and some don't but none of them sound the same. Personally I thought Sometime Around Midnight, Wishing Well, and Happiness is Overrated but the album really is a well diversified album. It may be their debut album but it feels like The Airborne Toxic Event matures a lot from the first track Wishing Well to the final track Innocence.

Music is all about finding what's next in the business. While I don't think The Airborne Toxic Event will perform well on the mainstream chart I think they will find their place amongst the indie and alternative fans. This is one band you don't want to miss.