Depeche Mode's Sounds Rock NYC
by: Allyson Yates (staff writer)
Depeche Mode’s Tour of the Universe made a stop at Madison Square Garden on August 3rd and rocked the sold-out house to its core. The excitement could be felt hours before the band took the stage. As the main lobby played their greatest hits through the speakers, fans were singing and donning their newly bought t-shirts while waiting for the doors to open. When walking through the gate to get to the seats, I knew that this wasn’t going to be just another concert. It was going to be an experience I’ll never forget.
As the crowd waited in anticipation, the disco ball like LCD screen flashed the letters “DM” around and around, getting the crowed psyched for the band. When the arena went dark at 8:57pm, fans got on their feet awaiting the Mode men to take the stage, as the introduction of the opening song, “In Chains,” played on.
The members of Depeche Mode always had an interesting dynamic between them when they appeared on stage. You first have guitarist/keyboardist/primary songwriter Martin Gore. Quietly bold, wearing a silver suit reminiscent of Gary Glitter in the 70’s, and going through about eight different guitar changes throughout the show (different colors; different shapes, etc.) Then there is keyboardist Andrew “Fletch” Fletcher, standing calmly behind his keyboard, conservatively dressed in a leather jacket, t-shirt and jeans. This same casual look was also the case for live drummer Christian Eigner and keyboardist Peter Gordeno. And then there’s lead singer/secondary songwriter Dave Gahan. Looking very classy in a black suit jacket, vest and slacks; showing off his Mick Jagger/David Bowie like moves; the ultimate front man. He is one of, if not the, best front men in the business. Despite his cancer scare and surgery back in May, he showed the crowd that he still had it at 47 years of age. Since this is where Gahan has lived for the last few years, during the show he proclaimed that “it was good to be home.”
As the night went on, they dipped into their back catalog of hits (“Policy of Truth,” “Fly on the Windscreen,” “Enjoy The Silence,” “A Question of Time,” “I Feel You”), as well as songs from their latest album Sounds of the Universe (“Wrong,” “Little Soul,” “Come Back,” “Hole To Feed,” “In Chains”). No matter where you sat in the place, you could feel the energy all around. Gahan’s voice was as amazing as ever, as were Gore’s harmonies. During “Never Let Me Down Again,” the entire crowd followed Gahan’s lead as he waved his arms in the air. The entire crowd looked like a field of grain swaying in the wind. When you are at a Depeche Mode show, that is the moment that you wait for the entire night; just to be a part of that wave. To just see it on one of their tour DVD’s doesn’t do the moment justice. It is just magical to see it in person and be a part of it. For the encores, they went back to the 80’s with “Stripped,” “Personal Jesus,” “Master and Servant” and “Strangelove” (the latter songs haven’t been played since their World Violation tour in 1990).
They finally ended the evening with one of their slower songs: “Waiting For The Night” from 1990’s Violator. To end a show with such a song wouldn’t usually be the norm for Depeche, but after experimenting with ending shows on their Touring The Angel tour in 2005 with “Goodnight Lovers” (from 2001’s Exciter), they can make it work. You could have heard a pin drop as Gahan and Gore took center stage for this duet, with the exception of the handful of fans singing along. When the song was over and everyone on stage took their bows, no one wanted them to leave. But with Gahan’s usual goodbye, “We’ll see you next time,” the fans know that they will come back on their next tour and put on another phenomenal show for the New York fans.
the music is pulsating the people are dancing the bass line is vibrating in my solar plexus making me move my hips to the beat.
my arms are around him his around me dancing to the beat his skin is so cool to the touch our lips meet for passionate kisses never wanting the night to end...
i’ve written about love in the past but now I know how it feels at last how it feels to have the love of another not just the love of a brother or a sister or of a mother. it’s finally my time for love for affection for those long embraces that you just don’t want to end ever. i want to stay in his arms forever endure whatever may come our way i’ll hold on tight and won’t let go and together we will grow they say you reap what you sow everything has finally paid off now I’m in the arms of another and I know exactly how he feels he loves me i love him that’s all that matters now…
This is the first song that I really liked from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Maps" was okay to me). Love the New Wave-esque sound in the song. My boyfriend did a good job getting me to like this song. Now I must get a Depeche Mode song stuck in his head for good measure (mwhahahaha!)
Whoever came up with the phrases "Good things come to those who wait" and "Love happens when you least expect it" should be hailed as geniuses. Because of bad experiences with men in the past, I was becoming cynical about love. I was holding onto that tiny thread of hope for so long that I thought that that thread was going to break, and there would be no hope left for me, especially after my father died last year. I was so scared and felt so alone and I was hoping for my prince charming to save me from all the misery and pain I was feeling. I had been waiting for twenty-two years for my prince charming, and I think he's finally arrived. He treats me like a princess. He makes me feel so attractive and beautiful. No man has ever made me feel like this in the past. I look into his eyes and we just click. There's no one else around. It's just me and him; that's it. When we kiss I just melt into him. Is this what love is supposed to be, or am I just dreaming? If this is what love is supposed to be, I want it to last forever. If it's all just a dream, well...I never want to wake up.
This will be the next single from Sounds Of The Universe in the US and I think the right choice was made. This is one of those tracks that stick out like a sore thumb (in the best way possible) and just make you go "wow." After 30 years, there is still something about Dave Gahan's voice and Martin Gore's words that just create some amazing music. One of my fave tracks on the record for sure (I knew this was going to be a single somewhere down the line) and highly recommended.
Tinted Windows Bring Back Fun Pop Music by: Allyson Yates (staff writer)
Tinted Windows is the new super-group in town. Created by Taylor Hanson (lead vocals, Hanson), James Iha (guitar, Smashing Pumpkins/A Perfect Circle), Bun E. Carlos (drums, Cheap Trick) and Adam Schlesinger (bass, Fountains of Wayne), they have brought back that nostalgic 70’s rock/power-pop sound to the masses on their debut album. With simple, predictable melodies and lyrics written by Schlesinger, Iha and Hanson, this record just breezes by; some of these tracks can get lost in the shuffle, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not enjoyable.
The record kicks off with the first single, “Kind of a Girl.” This is a nice way to showcase to the world what they’re about, but after repeated listening, the “whoa oh whoas” do get a bit under your skin for sure. The whole album isn’t filled with those “whoa oh whoas” at every turn, however, so it shouldn’t be discouraging. “Messing With My Head” follows with yet another catchy chorus reminiscent of Cheap Trick that will get you playing air guitar and bopping your head to the beat in no time. “Can’t Get A Read On You” is one of those songs that after hearing the chorus once, you can sing along right from there because the words are so easy. “Nothing To Me” starts like a Paul McCartney and Wings track – simple guitar riff and drums that build it right up to the vocals – and could slip right into a pre-Steve Perry Journey record with its little bit of blues influence. “We Got Something” strangely sounds like an early Green Day track at first, but then it finds its place.
Throughout the record, you can hear how much Taylor Hanson’s voice has grown from those teenybopper years with his brothers. Usually it shows when a singer is singing something outside of his niche and it just doesn’t work. At some points throughout the record, you don’t even recognize him. His voice has definitely come a long way, and it’s evident on tracks like “Dead Serious” and “Cha Cha.” Listeners that weren’t big fans of Hanson back in the late 90’s may just come away from listening to this album having a quite different opinion.
With so many genres of rock coming together in this one super-group, fans can get a bit confused as to how they all came together to make music in the first place. Also by either recording music outside of the comfort zone of their former bands or as to how they would even bother to record such pop music with such a culture that is dominated by urban/hip-hop music. It is always nice to have something different out there musically – an alternative, if you will – to break up the monotony on today’s radio and MTV. Tinted Windows definitely succeeds in doing this, and they do it with a retro sound that is friendly to any ear and will be a nice surprise to those that give this record a spin.
Depeche Mode Keeps The Universe Talking by: Allyson Yates (contributing writer)
After a four year hiatus, Depeche Mode make their return to the music scene this year with their 12th studio album, Sounds Of The Universe. The Mode Men are one of the few bands left out of the 80’s post-punk/New Romantic movement that still makes (relevant) music in the new millennium. In a Mute/EMI Records press release it was declared that this record was “a Violator for the 21st century.” A little too much hype, perhaps, but a great record nonetheless. It could be put on the list of their best work to date.
The first track on a Depeche Mode album makes a strong statement - that they have returned to embark on the next era of their almost 30 year career (i.e.: the siren intro on "A Pain That I'm Used To" from 2005's Playing The Angel) and “In Chains” is no exception to that tradition; starting off with a bombardment of analog synthesizers that could easily be a turn-off. But lead singer Dave Gahan’s rich baritone vocal will bring you right back.
The album’s first single, “Wrong,” is an anthem for the outsiders. With its lyrical chant of life gone wrong (“I was born with the wrong sign/In the wrong house/With the wrong ascendancy…There’s something wrong with me chemically/Something wrong with me inherently…”), primary songwriter/guitarist Martin Gore has succeeded yet again with writing lyrics that would make one reach for the black goth clothes from the closet; put on the heavy black eyeliner and sing right along, and have no remorse while doing so. Not since “Barrel Of A Gun” from 1997’s Ultra have they released a dark single to announce they’re back.
This album marks the second time that Gahan has contributed songs to a Depeche Mode record (the first time being Playing The Angel in 2005). The three songs that he contributed this time around -“Hole To Feed,” “Come Back,” and “Miles Away/The Truth Is” - show that his writing is getting stronger as time goes on. There is a significant evolution from his debut solo album, 2003’s Paper Monsters.
“In Sympathy,” “Fragile Tension” and “Little Soul” are the most classic Depeche Mode-sounding tracks on the album, with their heavy use of analog synths and familiar melodies to any fan’s ears; best fit for the dance floor or for sitting around in those black clothes and matching eyeliner. You can easily fit these tracks within past records, such as Violator and Music For The Masses.
“Corrupt” closes the record with raunchy lyrics and crunching guitars, proving once again that Gahan’s voice and Gore’s words are a match made in musical heaven. After the song ends, there are about three minutes of dead-air, until a music-box version of the melody of “Wrong” is reprised to officially close the album; leaving the album on a high, open-ended note.
Depeche Mode fans always speculate over if they will ever release another record, since they only have a new album roughly every four years. With this kind of close to Sounds Of The Universe, it’ll keep the fans talking and wanting more for after their massive world tour is completed.
Bat For Lashes - Worth A Listen by: Allyson Yates (contributing writer)
The highly-anticipated sophomore record from Bat For Lashes, Two Suns, is an acquired taste. At first listen, it may seem a bit quirky - not exactly what you would hear on today’s Top 40 radio, but after a few listens, it definitely grows on you. Natasha Khan’s gorgeous vocals and lyrical imagery keep you hooked on every track and wanting more. This album could be the soundtrack to a Francesca Lia Block novel. It sounds kind of like a passage from Weeztie Bat while listening, and it just fits, words and music; the same imagery is conjured up. Two Suns is a beautiful record from start to finish if you give it a chance.
The album’s opener, “Glass,” builds up from a cappella vocals and ambient sounds to a pulsating, tribal drumbeat; sings of “a thousand crystal towers,” “a hundred emerald cities,” and her “knight in crystal armor.” The drums will stick in your head for days. Khan’s falsetto throughout the chorus adds to the dreaminess of the track, definitely one of the highlights of this record.
“Daniel,” the album’s first single, and “Pearl’s Dream” use synthesizers and drum machines to create a 1980’s New Wave throwback. This is the closest thing to mainstream pop as it gets on this record. “Peace Of Mind” has a group of gospel singers assisting Khan in the lyrical mantra. “Two Planets” also has catchy percussion and handclaps that will get you moving. “Moon and Moon” is a minimalistic track, unlike the rest of the album, with just piano and vocals and the occasional snapping, but doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Another highlight on this record is “Siren Song.” This piano-driven ballad showcases Khan’s beautiful voice singing about being in love and happy with someone until they take her away (“Promise I’ll never get sad/’Till the siren comes calling, calling”). This song also introduces Khan’s album alter ego, Pearl, which is present throughout the whole album (“My name is Pearl and I’ll love you/The best way I know how/My blonde curls slice through your heart”). From this track on forward, you can start to see these songs weaving together to create this concept. “Pearl’s Dream” mentions “a sign that says ‘Good Love Town’” and the subsequent track is named “Good Love” (“Passed it last night in a dream/Good Love/And my heart caught fire”).
“The Big Sleep,” the final track, has vocal arrangements that could make this get away with closing an opera. This is a very poignant ending to the record. The first line in “Glass” is “I will rise now” and the final line of “The Big Sleep” is “Goodbye my dears and into the big sleep I go.” The journey has ended, the album is done and you feel as if you just woke up from a dream that you didn’t want to get up from. One can’t help but think that this was Khan’s intention while writing and recording the album: to take us on a journey with her words and the music. Mission accomplished.
i can feel the blood rushing through my veins as i try to sleep away the pain every time my heart beats, it yearns for you i see you in my dreams, but i can't see your face but i know that you're out there somewhere... out there...
