thoughts on new electro releases, a painting, some complaining

Not in that order. Here's a tiny little acrylic painting on a 4-by-6-inch canvas, which I did over winter break and only just now got a picture of. (Also, better pictures of Tom Waits & Amanda Palmer in their original post.)



Okay. NEXT.

Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe
...eh. I claim to be a huge DM fan, but mostly I just listen to Songs of Faith & Devotion over and over again. Their late-eighties-to-mid-nineties period is the best, I think. Violator, Music for the Masses, and SOFAD are by far my favorites. Earlier stuff is too puerile, and their more recent releases are tremendously hit-and-miss, generally sprawling and kind of overdramatic, with some exceptions. Call me a bad fan, but I really enjoyed Playing the Angel. I really do not enjoy Sounds of the Universe. "In Chains" is fantastic, and it goes downhill from there. Hate "Wrong". Why is it a single? Self-indulgent PISS. Oingo Boingo did it better with "On the Outside".

IAMX - Kingdom of Welcome Addiction
In stark contrast, there is nothing that I don't love about this album. Except for maybe the a'cappella intro to "My Secret Friend", which tarnishes an otherwise great song. "Tear Garden" is sublime, the beats make my blood run faster. Chris Corner is angry, vitriolic, and spot-fucking-on.

Patrick Wolf - the Bachelor
Haven't quiiite listened to it enough times to make a real judgment, but I like. "Hard Times" hooked me, and "Vulture" is excellent, a touch reminiscent of "Tristan", and the video's pretty hot. "Damaris" is EPIC. Pwolf's obviously been working on his voice, he pulls off some pretty interesting vocal acrobatics throughout the thing and awwww. I've been a fan since Lycanthropy came out, I'm so proud of our little ukelele-playing, electro-queer-forest-man.

/musicbabble.