Musings on the past and present state of music, film, and pop culture. Get off my lawn.
Albums Revisited: Depeche Mode’s ‘Music For The Masses’ Turns 30: a look back at the album that turned a gloomy cult electronic act into stadium rock gods. Depeche Mode sure took a strange road to stardom. They started off as a synth-pop act, hitting it big with 1981’s Just Can’t Get Enough. But then their primary […]
Concert Review: Depeche Mode at Austin360 Amphitheater: electronic icons thrill the faithful and devoted on a sultry Texas night. [rating=5] It speaks to Depeche Mode’s enduring popularity that even the wide confines of Austin360 seemed barely able to contain their adoring (mostly black-clad) public last night. It was a humid evening, but the group donned […]
Depeche Mode ‘Spirit’ Review: electronic music icons get political on bleak new album. [rating=3.5] We are the bigots, we have not evolved/we have no respect, we have lost control. That’s the opening line to Going Backwards, the brooding first track off Depeche Mode’s 14th studio album Spirit. Even for a band known for moodiness, it’s an especially dour […]
The Mission ‘Another Fall From Grace’ Review: influential Goth rockers make their finest album since their 80’s heyday. [rating=5] “This album is the lost link between The Sisters Of Mercy’s First And Last And Always and The Mission’s God’s Own Medicine.” That bold statement comes from The Mission’s frontman Wayne Hussey, regarding the band’s new album Another Fall From […]
Albums Revisited: Depeche Mode’s Violator Turns 25: a look at back the 25th anniversary of an album that turned a synth-pop group into an arena rock band. Depeche Mode’s Violator celebrates its 25th anniversary on March 19th. And to fully understand that 1990 album’s definitive impact, one has to rewind the clock back to 1988. The […]
Albums Revisited: Depeche Mode ‘Ultra’ Turns 20. Depeche Mode’s 1997 album has been maligned as one of their weaker releases. It’s time to set the record straight for its 20th anniversary. I saw Depeche Mode in concert last week. The set list was varied (pulling largely from new album Delta Machine) and it was nice to […]
Concert Review: Depeche Mode at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion; Veteran synth-pop act plays a triumphant set to the welcoming Houston crowd. [rating=5] Depeche Mode played to a sold out crowd at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion this Wednesday in Houston, TX (aka The Woodlands). And while both Depeche Mode and the Houston audience were largely middle-aged (myself included) […]
‘Delta Machine’ Album Review: Depeche Mode add new elements to their patented sound, with mostly winning results. [rating=4] Many Depeche Mode fans (myself included) have been pretty meh with their recent single Heaven. Too slack and straightforward, it doesn’t scratch the right itch. Therefore, I was worried their new album Delta Machine would be a dud. Good […]
Stream Depeche Mode’s ‘Delta Machine’ on iTunes before it’s release on March 26th. One week before its release, Depeche Mode are allowing fans a free stream of their new album ‘Delta Machine‘ via iTunes. Click here to listen. The band has been in a flurry of activity in preparing for the release; they’ve appeared on […]
Hear New Depeche Mode song “Heaven” . New album ‘Delta Machine’ arriving in March. I reported last year that Depeche Mode were working on a new album, and previewed a new song entitled “Angel Of Love“. Well now they’ve released a new song; “Heaven“. They’ve also announced a proper release date for their new album, […]
