Bloc Party

Bloc Party is a British indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Russell Lissack (lead guitar), Gordon Moakes (bass guitar, synths, backing vocals, glockenspiel), and Matt Tong (drums, backing vocals). The band was formed at the 1999 Reading Festival by Okereke and Lissack. They went through a variety of names before settling on Bloc Party in 2003. Moakes joined the band after answering an advert in NME magazine, while Tong was picked via an audition.

In February 2005, the band released their debut album “Silent Alarm.” It was critically acclaimed and reached #3 on the UK Albums chart before being certified platinum. The first single from the album, “So Here We Are”/”Positive Tension,” made the top 5 on the UK Top 40 chart. “Silent Alarm” was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize.

The band built on this success in 2007 with the release of their second studio album, “A Weekend in the City,” which reached a peak of #2 on the UK Albums chart and #12 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The first single, “The Prayer,” became the band's highest charting single in the British Top 40, reaching #4.

In August 2008, Bloc Party released their third studio record, “Intimacy.” It peaked at #8 on the UK Albums chart and entered the Billboard 200 at #18. The band went on a hiatus in October 2009 to focus on side projects, and reunited in September 2011.