Dead Man’s Bones Set to Give Chills this October

They cite Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, ‘60s girl groups and doo-wop as their main influences (yum!) and, on October 6th, L.A.’s winsome Dead Man’s Bones will release their debut album and hit the road. The band has three Canadian dates scheduled, but Calgary is not listed on their itinerary thus far (wince). Take a listen to the incredibly charming LP teasers on their MySpace page — from “My Body’s a Zombie for You” to “Name in Stone,” it sounds like this band is worth making the trip to Vancouver to see, friends. Their live performance is tailor made for each city and promises to be a ghastly and heartwarming good time. Plus, vocalist Ryan Gosling (yes, that Ryan Gosling) has a promising case of the Nick Cave-itis.

From their press release:

Dead Man’s Bones’ self-titled debut album will be in stores October 6th. Zach Shields and Ryan Gosling will then bring their ghastly show on the road, playing select cities in the U.S. and Canada. The album, which was originally the soundtrack to a stage play about ghosts, zombies and werewolves, was completed with the help of a children’s chorus. The band (Zach, Ryan, plus three other musicians) will be re-creating the songs with a local choir in every city. The band and choirs will be performing unique versions of their werewolf, zombie, and monster inspired love songs and tales. Reviving a ritual from a bygone era the band is organizing a talent show in each city in place of a traditional opening act (more info on this to be announced this coming week). These shows will be a spectacle of the highest order and will not be something to miss.

10/14/2009 Brattle Theatre, Cambridge
10/15/2009 LPR, New York
10/16/2009 First Unitarian Church Sanctuary, Philadelphia
10/17/2009 Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington
10/19/2009 Le National, Montreal
10/20/2009 The Music Gallery, Toronto
10/21/2009 Schubas Tavern, Chicago early show
10/21/2009 Schubas Tavern, Chicago later show
10/23/2009 The Triple Door, Seattle
10/24/2009 Venue, Vancouver
10/25/2009 Mississippi Studios, Portland
10/27/2009 Swedish American Hall, San Francisco
10/30/2009 The Regent, Los Angeles

DEAD MAN’S BONES SITES:
http://www.myspace.com/deadmansbones
http://www.deadmansbones.net/

Depeche Mode Relevant All Over Again in Las Vegas (August 22/09)

Fresh off releasing a deluxe box set of Sounds of the Universe, Depeche Mode performed to a sold-out audience of 2,200 at the Palms Casino Resort’s Pearl Concert Theater — an intimate soft-seater comprised of tiered levels and an open floor.

Swedish indie pop sensations, Peter Bjorn and John opened the night with a friendly and tidy 25-minute set beginning with “Nothing to Worry About” and the Paul Simon-influenced title track from their latest release, Living Thing. The band ended with a prelude taken from their 2007 breakthrough release Writer’s Block and “Young Folks,” which seemed like an incredibly gutsy move. First, euphemistically speaking, people have heard the happy-go-lucky hit more than a few times. Second, Peter Morén left the stage to considerately sing to the floor crowd, which consisted of hardcore DM fans (a.k.a. grown-up versions of formerly dark-angsty-twisty-n-twitchy teenagers) and who knows what could have been dangerously awoken inside these post-industrial new wavers by a precious pop song. Either way, PB&J bravely put on an energetic and warmly received set and were wise to keep it under a half hour. Kudos to Björn Yttling, who has split his time between PB&J and doing production work for the likes of the Concretes, Shout Out Louds, Robyn and Lykke Li.


At nine o’clock sharp, members of Depeche Mode walked onto the stage — the crowd roared and it sounded as though every one of the 2,200 fans in attendance began screaming their excitement at the same time. Andrew Fletcher took his spot behind the keys and, as the only member of Depeche Mode who hasn’t written a song, mostly disappeared in the background. A sparkly and body glittered Martin Gore took his spot on stage right and Dave Gahan confidently planted his feet at the centre of the stage as the band broke into “In Chains.”

A dozen years have transpired since Depeche Mode’s last obvious sign of a commercially successful album, Ultra. The pop music landscape has inhospitably changed and shifted and artistic music videos — the band’s forte due to the immensely creative eye of Anton Corbijn — no longer have the opportunity to monopolize music channels. Even so, the band continued to release new albums and quietly sell millions. Now with the synth revival comfortably settled in, the music community seems ripe for another love affair with these sonic pioneers from the alternative scene.


The rest of the 90-minute gig was a (black) celebration of old hits and new material coexisting with smooth continuity. The show was more than a trip along memory lane as a rapt audience sang along with songs of their youth and the new songs. With “Walking in My Shoes,” “A Question of Time,” “Enjoy the Silence,” and Gore’s a cappella “Question of Lust,” the audience’s collective voice nearly overtook the volume of the nearly 50-year-old front men. They were permitted to take over certain choruses with the blessing of Gahan, whose rich baritone had recently been on rest and was as strong as ever.

Appearing to be enjoying themselves as much as the audience, the ageless Gore and Gahan kept amping up the energy as the set proceeded. Gahan’s trademark moves haven’t changed — wiggling hips, flamenco-inspired shuffles, fierce spins and lascivious interactions with the mic stand. Gore, dressed like a glittery spaceman, kept swapping one gorgeous sounding Gretsch for another before connecting with a sparkly star-shaped guitar as iridescent as his outfit.

As a whole, the set firmly laid down the band’s relevancy and impressive attention to production detail. After all, Gore is a man at home in a recording studio. There have been remixes (and box sets of these remixes) from the start of their career. Due attention was paid to resonant bass and thick bottom end, so that the instantly recognizable melodies were given a bright spotlight and sturdy ground to dance upon.

As a lesson or reminder to all music fanatics, don’t be discouraged when concerts sell out. In this case, the gig sold out within minutes. However, the band released tickets they didn’t need (for friends, family and media) before the concert began and a few lucky fans walked away from the box office with highly coveted floor tickets. Previously, floor tickets had only been available for purchase on eBay for triple and quadruple the face value.

Depeche Mode is on tour. Head to www.depechemode.com for details on upcoming dates.

Upcoming guest DJs for Shindig!

Hey everyone! Due to an action-packed work schedule (you know it's madness when the caffeine stops working), Bryson will be filling in for me on today's episode of Shindig!. Bryson is one of the entertaining co-hosts of CJSW's Monday Morning Letdown who also moonlights as a local club DJ. He's got solidly eclectic music taste, so you'll be in great hands. Speaking of being in great hands... on Monday, August 24th, make a point of catching CJSW's former music director Gary Powers when he trots out his excellent music taste as he hosts Shindig! while I'm in Las Vegas catching up with Depeche Mode. Will be back on Monday, August 31st with some good stories. Have a great couple of weeks, friends.

Chic-a-Go-Go on the next Shindig!

In the spirit of American Bandstand, Soul Train and other variety shows, Chic-a-Go-Go is not only Chicago’s Dance Show for Kids of All Ages... it could very well be the coolest thing on television today.

Tune into Aubrey’s Shindig! on Monday, August 10th between 4-6pm MT to hear an exclusive interview with Chic-a-Go-Go's friendly hosts lil Ratso and the lovely Miss Mia. Hear the story behind the Midwestern television rock’n’roll sensation! Only on CJSW 90.9 FM in Calgary and www.cjsw.com everywhere else.

Interview with Dan Deacon runs until 3.05. At 3.05, witness the studio magic of Chic-a-Go-Go!