Promotion and Release
The Bloc Party EP was distributed in America in September 2004 by Dim Mak Records, while the band performed several gigs at the end of the year in the US and Canada. The release of Silent Alarm was preceded by the marketing of Little Thoughts EP in Japan in December 2004, containing previous UK singles "Little Thoughts/Tulips" and "Helicopter" and new material. Bloc Party commenced UK promotional touring in January 2005 by performing during the NME Awards Tour. "Tulips" was released from Little Thoughts EP in the US on 25 January. The first single from Silent Alarm, "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", was released on 31 January and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart, the band's second highest peaking release on the chart (behind 2007's "The Prayer" which reached number 4). Between 31 January and 4 February, Bloc Party performed after autograph signing sessions in UK HMV stores. The band achieved exposure largely because of word-of-mouth and favourable press reviews.
Silent Alarm was released on 2 and 14 February 2005, in Japan and Europe respectively. Chosen because the album has a sense of disquiet, the name comes from an article in New Scientist about an early detection system for earthquakes in Japan, while the cover art is based on a bare winter landscape by freelance photographer Ness Sherry. Bloc Party followed the album's release with a short European promotional tour in early March 2005. Between 17 March and 9 April, the band undertook a first headlining US tour to coincide with the American release of Silent Alarm through Vice Records on 22 March. The US marketing was geared to establish a long-term fan base among "tastemakers and early-adopter rock enthusiasts", rather than a short-term emphasis on radio play. At the time, Okereke stated, "All I’m concerned about is playing live shows here to people who want to see us."
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