Psychedelic Furs- 'Pyjamarama' live @ Emo's 6/30/2010

Another older one that I didn't get to until now- Psychedelic Furs covering Roxy Music @ Emo's in Austin,TX. This was my second time seeing these guys- the first time way back in, like, I think, 2000-2001 @ Stubb's. Great video here:


Here's the setlist:

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Birthday Massacre- 'Horror Show' live in Denver, CO

This was a few months back, so maybe old news, but here's some footage from the Birthday Massacre show @ the Marquis Theater back in August. My fourth time seeing these guys, and they deliver each and every time.



Here's what they played that night:

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Gary Numan- 'The Fall' live in Denver, CO @ the Gothic Theatre

For those wondering, here's what I remember him playing:

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Nachtmahr live @Encore, Austin,TX 6/23/2010

Great show on Wednesday! Here's some video from the show:
'Tanzdiktator':

'I Believe in Blood':


Here's what they played that night:

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The Foxglove Hunt- 'Built My Fortress' EP (2009)

The Foxglove Hunt is a neo- New Wave duo consisting of Rob Withem (former frontman of Christian indie/post punk band Fine China) and Ronnie Martin (the one man synth pop machine behind Joy Electric). Carving out a niche unto themselves in a little bizzaro world where 1983 found a young Morrissey forgoing the Smiths to front New Order, Foxglove Hunt quickly found themselves near the top of my 'must listen' list last year. The two have recently returned with a follow-up EP to their full-length debut 'Stop Heartbeat,' consisting of two previously import-only tracks, a new song, and three "mixes" of stuff from the debut.

'Built My Fortress' follows the same forumula explored on their 2008 debut: catchy song structures featuring lush vocal melodies that would make Morrissey blush, irresistable New Order-esque choruses, all wrapped up beautifully(in the band's own words) "using the latest technology from 1983." The first song, 'The Time Redeem,' continues Withem's idiosyncratic penchant for mixing Christian spirituality with impenetrable yet whimsical new wave poesy; musically, it could almost be New Order's 'Theives Like Us' meets 'A Concealed Weapon, part deux,' with the drum machines, lush synthesizer strings, and Ronnie Martin's pristine programming. 'Alone and You Like It' and 'A Building Collapsing' follow the same pattern, nicely complimenting the debut CD, but lacking the power of something like 'Life Highrise' or ' The Pure in Heart.'

As far as the mixes go, well... I didn't care much for the piano mix of 'A Concealed Weapon'- it was good, but lost was the fun and urgency of the 'Stop Heartbeat' version. The other two are a different story- I thought they were really great all around because they sound like they easily could have fit on Fine China's 'You Make Me Hate Music' or 'Jaws of Life' albums, showcasing Withem's talent for writing maudlin Smiths/Echo & the Bunnymen dirges with all the catchiness of a Robert Smith circa 1986. 'That's Getting Personal' comes off like a track from 'Hatful of Hollow,' and it is here that Withem's breathy, lush vocal tones revel in full-on Morrissey worship. The 'rock mix' of 'It's Not Effective' explores more indepth what was only implied in the original version- a post-punk rocker in the vein of 'Charlotte Sometimes' that would not be out of place on Fine China's 'When the World Sings.'

In conclusion, 'Built My Fortress' is a pretty nifty CD, packed with the same catchy choruses and amazing drum machine handclaps you found yourself in withdrawal from if you went without listening to 'Stop Heartbeat' for more than two days. Fans of this synth pop duo will be more than pleased, and it's also great because it showcases a different side to some of the cooler tracks on 'Stop Heartbeat.' It's well worth a purchase- but will it keep us satiated until the next Foxglove Hunt full length?

Apoptygma Berzerk live, @ Elysium Austin,TX 09-11-2009

It was rainy, dark, and I was hella tired from getting up @ 6 in the morning to go to work, but I dragged my ass to the Apoptygma Berzerk show @ Elysium on Friday. This was easily one of the top three shows I've ever seen in nearly twenty years of concert-going, based on the band's energy, Stephan's stage presence, and the crowd interaction. I went into this one a bit worried- mostly due to little things like: (a) lack of cool merchandise, and (b) crappy opening prog rock band, but Apop didn't disappoint in any way, shape, or form. There was something for just about everybody in the set they played, and I was glad they didn't compromise by playing just the old favs that would appease the goth/industrial crowd, but that they also included a large portion of YAMATW and three of the best tracks from 'Rocket Science' right along side old hits like 'Deep Red' and 'Eclipse.' Not that Apop had to worry: the crowd was singing every word to all the songs, and enthusiastically cheered for 'Apollo' right along side old gems like 'Love Never Dies.' For me, the highlights included an incredible version of 'Shadow,' the stonkin' set opener 'Star Sign,' with its incredible energy, and 'Mourn' stole the show, but it was all so incredible, no one wanted Apop to be done, and they played for nearly two hours. All the while, Stephan and his brother Jonahs interacted with the audience and encouraged them to sing along. The band itself had this almost supernatural energy that punctuated their irresistable synth pop hooks. I'm a little hazy on the order, but from what I remember, the setlist contained these songs:

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Magenta- Art & Accidents (2009)

One of my favorite albums of 2009 has to be Magenta's 'Art & Accidents'- along with Midnight Resistance's 'Remote,' I've been playing the shit out of it more than anything else for months. For those uninitiated into their musical magick, Magenta hails from Norway, and is composed of songwriter/guitarist Anders Odden, guitarist Daniel Hill and vocalist Vilde Lockert.

I've always been a big fan of Magenta's sound- their early stuff (i.e: 'Secret Sky,' 'Eccentricity', 'One Mind') comes off like a trippier, goth version of Garbage- a sound aptly demonstrated on their 1997 Magenta EP. Their newest sound, heralded by the song 'Friendly Fire', the B-side on the now classic 2005 Apoptygma Berzerk single 'Shine On,' is what I consider their best yet. Combining the winding, chugging guitars and aura of FALAA era Sisters of Mercy with the catchy synthpop hooks of Human League, 'Art & Accidents' finds Magenta improving upon the irresistable synth-rock formula of Apop's 'You & Me Against the World' (a formula Anders Odden helped pioneer, as he co-wrote 'Y&MATW's more memorable tracks, such as 'Into the Unknown' and 'Tuning into the Frequency of Your Soul'), and giving it a harder, more metallic shean in places.

'Darkest Dream' gets your attention right away: an urgent drum machine and "spooky" gothic keys lead you into a false sense of security, until thundering guitars rain down upon the landscape and drag you into one of the catchiest dark pop choruses ever as Vilde implores: "Send me to heaven." The ballad 'Untouchable' starts off similarly, with heavenly keys and an incredibly heavy synth bass led on by fercious Sisters-esque guitars verging on metal; Vilde leads what sounds like a children's choir in the chorus as she tells the object of her affection "you own my soul."

The Sisters have been mentioned quite a few times in this review; that's because 'Arts & Accidents' is permeated with their influence- nowhere more evident than in the track 'To Die For.' The guitars wind up and down much like a FALAA track such as 'Nine While Nine' or 'Floodland's 'Driven Like the Snow' until erupting into a chorus worthy of 'This Corrosion' It's a good track, but what ruined it for me was the pseudo-Eldritch vocals in the chorus; something all goth bands should take heed of and realize only Von Eldritch himself can pull this off. Here, it just sounds silly, and I prefer the original version, which is included at the end of the album, without the cheesy male vocals on top of Vilde's already great voice.

'The One' is another great synth rock ballad, perhaps closest to Magenta's early sound, but also in that irresistable formula with its eccentric drum machine and thundering synth bass, accompanied by a Human League-esque chorus and more rocky guitars. 'In Your Arms' 'Black Tomorrow,' and the amazing 'Fallen Angel' continue the metal elements Magenta adds to the synth rock equation, while 'Massive Enigma' stands and falls on being the most experimental track on 'Art & Accidents.' 'Wasted Heart' is decent- if a bit predictable- gothic rock which fails to match the majesty of the other tracks here. 'No One is With Me' is a great way to end things, being the most quirky and "synth pop" song on the record, with a great chorus and playful lyrics about post-apocalypticism and love, with Vilde singing how "the world is ending- now, today... I know no one hears me, there's no one here anymore." 'Art & Accidents' is rounded out by a metal Oingo Boingo-sounding track I didn't really dig called 'Electric Fear (Elec This Mix)' and a cool electro remix of 'Darkest Dream,' as well as the superior original version of 'To Die For.'

There are two kinds of people: those who hated Apoptygma Berzerk's 'You & Me Against the World,' and those who absolutely fucking loved it. I fall into the latter camp. If you do too, then check out Magenta's 'Art & Accidents', because it's a natural progression of the sound Anders Odden helped create there. To put it another way- if 'Rocket Science' was a step in the wrong direction, 'Art & Accidents' is a step in the RIGHT one, and takes it a step further. Hell, even if you have no fucking clue who Magenta is- or even care- check out ''Art & Accidents'. Its irresistable combination of synth rock and dark, catchy choruses and thundering guitars is simply too good to be ignored. You can check out their myspace page @ http://www.myspace.com/magenta