Michael Pohl, a.k.a. synthpop veteran Wave in Head, is back with a new album, The Voice in Me, that should delight any fan of densely layered electronic and vocal synthpop arrangements.

The Voice in Me, Michael’s long anticipated fourth album, contains an intriguing and enjoyable variety of mid-tempo songs and ballads. Great song writing, crisp production and delightful arrangements, as we’ve come to expect from this talented synthpop pro.

One of Michael’s strengths has always been his amazing voice, and I’m pleased to report that it’s in top form on The Voice in Me. Whether it’s providing propulsive emphasis on a faster number like Against My Life or softly floating above subtly crafted electronic and drum machine beats on a ballad like Mit Dir, Michael’s voice has got to be one of the best in the world of modern synthpop music.

Here are a few highlights from The Voice in Me:

Against My Life: An enjoyable mid-tempo song with a strong beat and awesome harmonies. Nice, ethereal outro – something new that I haven’t heard in past WIH albums.

Gone: A likable ballad about love and loss that contains lots of playful electronic blips and beeps.

Dieser Tag: A bright, mid-tempo German language song in which the synth line plays counterpoint to Michael’s crisp, engaging vocals. As much as any song on the album, Dieser Tag draws attention to it’s superb production. Vocals, synths and bass line played in my headphones with astounding clarity and warmth, never sounding muddy or indistict. There’s a surprising balance between electronic precision and warmth that is quite admirable and all too rare.

As If: A slow, atmospheric song that sounds very orchestral in places. It’s a very different style for Michael, almost an ambient song. But it works well and adds variety to this excellent album.

Lead the World of Mine: A dark, dramatic number with ominous-sounding synths and punchy vocals rising above the sea of darkness. Impressive!

Mit Dir: This ballad starts out with a drum machine and Michael’s haunting, melodic vocals (singing in German) and slowly builds, adding a violin-like synth line and a few other instrumental touches. Mit Dir’s minimalist arrangement is just right; Michael’s vocals provide the only drama in this stripped down, haunting arrangement.

The Magician: Bright, swirling synths surround Michael’s minor-key vocals in this very atmospheric, faster number.

What’s nice about The Voice in Me – and most of Michael’s music, for that matter – is that it always seems to hit the perfect blend of experimentation, but without straying too far from the trademark Wave in Head sound. That keeps it interesting from one album to the next.

If you’re a Wave in Head fan, then The Voice in Me is a must-add to your collection. If not, then I heartily recommend this album as a point of entry into Michael’s impressive body of excellent synthpop music. You can pick it up from a number of online retailers, including Michael’s label, A Different Drum, as well as iTunes.

You may also want to check out The Voice in Me single, which features the album version of its namesake song plus two remixes and – best of all – an older tune that Michael has performed live but which apparently has never been released, Suddenly. This track really showcases Michael’s ability to craft dramatic arrangements and stunning vocal harmonies. An outro for Suddenly rounds out this release.

Venus Hum recently released a live DVD that presents an enjoyable cross-section of this excellent band’s music. Filmed in a small club in Cincinnati, Ohio called the Monastery, the Mechanics & Mathematics concert DVD is a real treat.

Until Tony Miracle from Venus Hum mailed me a pre-release copy of this film, I knew that the band existed, but hadn’t paid much attention to their music. My mistake! The live DVD is a great cross-section of Venus Hum’s library of synth-infused music – sort of a “greatest hits” compilation.

Standout tracks featured in this concert film include:

• Hummingbirds: Annette’s staccato vocals ride on top of fat analog synths -pure magic!
• Pink champagne: A dancy tune where Annette really vamps it up on the microphone.
• Soul sloshing: Another bouncy, energetic number that is very enjoyable.
• Mechanics & Mathematics: The title track of Venus Hum’s latest album is another very enjoyable pop number.

This live performance also features a number of excellent ballads, including Magic Between Us, Tell Me Secrets, The Bells and Bella Luna.

Vocalist Annette Strean empowers the group with a magnetic stage presence as she pours put her heart and soul into the microphone. Dressed in a white blouse, black skirt and wearing black-rimmed glasses with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she pulls off the sexy geek look perfectly. Her emotive style is perfect for sharing Venus Hum’s colorful vignettes of daily life.

Tony Miracle deftly juggles a synthesizer and lead guitar, which spices up the arrangements of many of Venus Hum’s songs. Finally, Kip Kubin does a great job of backing up Annette and Tony with a bank of synthesizers, a drum machine and other assorted electronics.

According to a behind-the-scenes documentary contained on the DVD, Annette said that she, Tony and Kip created this concert film out of a desire to share Venus Hum’s music with more people. “Just as we connect with each other long distance (Annette is from Montana, Tony from southern California), we’re hoping that we can do the same with our fans, our audience, that we’ll find a way to have a  conversation with them. I think that doing this live show and putting it on a DVD is one of the best ways to do that,” she explained.

The live show was filmed in the same space that Venus Hum used to record much of its latest album, which gave the group a considerable advantage from a production standpoint. “We had control over the whole space, which was a luxury,” Tony indicated. Normally, when a group tours, it must interface its equipment with a different house sound system each night, which can often result in uneven or poorly mixed sound. Not here – every song on the DVD features excellent, crisp production.

In addition, the team that filmed the live concert uses a nice variety of camera angles, giving you an up close and personal look at a Venus Hum performance. As the lead singer, Annette gets a lot of screen time, but you also get a close-up look at what Tony and Kip are doing. Not too much quick-cutting edits of the band, which seems to be very fashionable today in live concert videos. Just an intelligently-presented, up-close look at a very talented group. The look and feel of this DVD is just right; it’s very enjoyable both visually and sonically.

If you have never listened to Venus hum before, this concert DVD is a great introduction to this excellent group. On the other hand, if you are a Venus hum fan, then this DVD is a must add to your collection! The Mechanics & Mathematics live DVD is available from the shop on the group’s website; the cost is US$18, including shipping and handling. The audio of this live performance is also available for purchase from Amazon.com, iTunes and other online music stores.

Here is the official video trailer that the group posted to YouTube – a small sampling of this excellent performance.

Producer Nick Tutone recently contacted me to let me know he recently collaborated with Christopher Anton (vocalist from Information Society and founder of the band Pseudocipher) to release a cover of Visage’s classic song, “Fade to Grey.”

Three versions of this synthpop anthem have been released on a new EP: the single mix, a Club Mix and the Astrotek Dub Mix. After listening to them for a few days, I’m extremely impressed!

Anton, backed by Donna Jean on percussion and keyboards and producer Nick Tutone on synthesizers, have fashioned a loving tribute to Fade to Grey that successfully updates this classic tune with a contemporary sensibility. In Anton’s reimagining of the single version of Fade to Grey, a driving but understated beat and layered, orchestral arrangement gives the arrangement a solid foundation for his soaring vocals. The French backing vocals are also given more prominence than in the original song.

What’s really refreshing is that the Club Mix and Astrotek Dub Mix also exceeded my expectations. The Club Mix features a more driving, layered arrangement that should make it excellent dance floor filler. This version also takes a slightly different approach to the instrumental interludes between the verses of the song that I really like a lot.

The Astrotek Dub Mix takes a slightly lower-key approach to the song. Again, a nicely layered arrangement that blends echoing synths with what sounds like some synthesized guitar in several spots. Some new instrumental interludes are introduced in this version that sounded awesome on my headphones.

In an interview with me, Anton admitted he hopes that this EP will expose more people to this beloved synthpop classic from 3 decades ago. Can it really be that long since Fade to Grey was released? It’s true!

Interview

Q. What inspired you to cover Fade to Grey? Are you big fans of Visage?

Christopher: We had wanted to do a dance version of an new wave song for some time, then Nick suggested ‘Fade to Grey’. I thought it was a great idea being that the song has such a trademark 80s style melody.

Donna: 2010 also marks the 30th anniversary of the song. (according to Wikipedia, Fade to Grey was released on Polydor Records in November 1980).

Q: What was your goal in updating and re-interpreting this synthpop classic?

Christopher: One of the conditions that Nick and I set up for ourselves when we started working together was that we were going to make music as an homage to synthpop. We’ve done more than that though by orienting ourselves in the dance genre, but with Fade to Grey we really do hope to reach people who are not already familiar with the track by interpreting it in this new form.

Q: How would you characterize the music your band produces?

Christopher: Dance music with themes of love and loss.

Q. What can you tell me about Destination: X, the full-length album that you plan to release next month? What will the style of this release be? What can we look forward to? And how does it differ from A Perfect Tragedy?

Christopher: I am so excited to be releasing Destination:X. This album has something for everyone in it, it took alot of blood, sweat, and tears to make, and I am blown away by Nick’s productions. The style stays true to synthpop, but I think of it as a tribute to all electronic music. It’s more of a dance album than YPT was, Donna does backing vocals on many tracks which is a nice addition.

Conclusion

Christopher Anton wasn’t on my radar screen before. But he definitely is someone I’ll be watching more closely in the months and years ahead. I can’t wait to give a listen to Destination:X when it’s available.

Popgefahr, the new album from De/Vision, has been hailed by several reviewers as their best ever. And I think they may be right.

When De/Vision released Noob 3 years ago, I was frankly underwhelmed. There were several pretty good songs on that album, but it never really connected with me, emotionally, lyrically or on any other level. It just didn’t strike me as one of their stronger efforts, even after numerous listens.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I started listening to Popgefahr last week. It contains a variety of well-written songs that combine the best elements of De/Vision and take them to a whole new level. Many of the songs stick in your head long after listening to them – the mark of great musicianship!

Production is very strong; every element is precision engineered and feels like it belongs there – always just enough, but never too much. Yet the arrangements are never sterile. Instead, they come to life with a variety of layered sounds, electronic beeps and playful textures – the band’s website characterizes their new sound as “feisty” and “flirtatious,” with a hint of danger, and I couldn’t agree more.

In addition, Steffen’s smooth, confident vocals bring an added layer of warmth to the arrangements on Popgefahr – which vary from moody ballads to infectious and rhythmic dance-floor fillers. This awesome selection of songs is strong proof that De/Vision made a great move by starting its own record label and producing Popgefahr on its own. This creative freedom has helped Steffen and Thomas to breathe new life into the trademark De/Vision sound.

Favorite tracks include the edgy single, “Rage,” the beautiful and moody “What’s Love All About” and the mid-tempo “Time to be Alive,” which is an aural masterpiece – you literally won’t be able to sit still when you listen to it. It’s throbbing rhythm instantly had me bobbing my head in time to the song’s insistent beat. “Plastic Heart” and “Ready to Die” are more traditional De/Vision numbers, while “Until the End of Time” is an amazing, ethereal song that is a powerful conclusion this excellent album.

My only minor complaint is that I wish there was more; De/Vision’s new album only contains 10 songs, but they are an excellent selection. In my opinion, Popgefahr is easily one of the best new synthpop albums of 2010, and is certainly De/Vision’s best release in many years. If you’ve ever admired their music, then you’ll definitely want to add Popgefahr to your synthpop collection!

Motel la Solitude is an amazingly strong sophmore album from the Italian synthpop duo, Babylonia.

Released four years after their last album, Later Tonight, Motel la Solitude features a rich tapbestry of well-crafted songs that take the group’s sound in some fresh new directions, while retaining enough of the group’s signature songs – Max Giunta’s plaintive, urgent vocals, electric piano and lush synthesizer arrangements – to create one of the first truly outstanding albums of the new year.

The pleasures of this delightful album are best appreciated with a good pair of headphones. The production on Motel la Solitude is first rate, with the group’s lush arrangements rarely if ever sounding muddy or over-produced. A new addition to the Babylonia sound on this album is guitar, which is perfectly integrated into the group’s rich instrumental tapestry on several songs, and adds an exciting new dimension to the group’s already-distinctive style.

Here are some highlights:

A Feeling Without Feeling: The first song on Motel la Solitude starts out with a stark, lonely synth line, followed by Max’s expressive vocals. Against this spartan backdrop, the song slowly builds into a delectable, multifaceted mid-tempo number punctuated by a soaring synthsizer riff.

On The Corner: An ominous sounding mid-tempo song that is one of my favorites. After a 30-second synthesizer intro, the lead guitar is paired with drums to establish a strong, driving beat for this excellent song. As usual, Max’s plaintive vocals reinforce the ominous tone of On the Corner: “Something waits around the corner/I don’t want to discover/What stands around the corner/I’m trembling.” A very cool song!

By My Side: A great selection for the first single from Motel la Solitude. This song has a very lush sound and a strong beat. I love the way Babylonia uses different instruments and vocals to set up a point-counterpoint, with synth and guitar playfully swirling around in my headphones.

Better Days: An excellent ballad, underscored by a soaring synthesizer line that reflects the lyrics’ hopeful tone:  “We just can’t seen to find a way/So I can pray for better days.”

Ethereal Connection: Another well-crafted, lush mid-tempo song. One of its highlights is a beautiful instrumental interlude about 1:40 into this excellent song that serves as its bridge.

Myself Into Myself: This song features many playful touches and contrasts in it’s lush arrangement that gives it a DM-esque sound.

Requiem For Me: A sparse but blissful ballad that features a great point-counterpoint between Max’s heavenly vocals and atmospheric synth lines. Pure ear candy!

Soundtrack for an End: This excellent song features propulsive vocals, underscored by a playful beat underscored by jangly synths. At the end of the song, there is a very cool interlude with what sounds like a synthesized slide guitar. Heavenly!

Love Not For Me: A soaring, multi-layered violin intro slowly reaches a crescendo, then transitions into a propulsive beat with synth accents that sounds very reminiscent of recent Depeche Mode songs. Lots of playful noises and synthesizer riffs swirl around Max’s distinctive vocals, making this a real stand-out track, in my opinion.

Although it’s too early in 2010 to proclaim Babylonia’s new release as the best album of the new year, it’s certainly in first place on my playlist right now!

You can listen to excerpts of four songs on Babylonia’s MySpace page. Motel la Solitude will be released on January 15, 2010.

During the past few weeks, I’ve had an opportunity to preview Babylonia’s new album, Motel la Solitude. During the next few days, I will post my review of this awesome new work from the talented Italian synthpop duo.

Meanwhile, here is an interview I recently did with Max from Babylonia:

Chuck Frey: What were your goals for Motel la Solitude?

Max: We have tried to move forward from the previous album “Later Tonight” in terms of experimenting. We wanted a harder and more organic album and we think we did it.

CF: What does the name of the album signify?

Max: A motel is a place where people stay for just a night or a little more. A place of transition and meditation as well, but also a place of rest and break. We think that somehow this is the mood of the new album. In addiction to that, we find the words “Motel La Solitude” very poetic and elegant.

CF: What is the official release date?

Max: Motel La Solitude will be out on 15th january 2010 on CD and digital formats.

CF: What are you and Robbie proudest of on this album? What excites you about it?

Max: To be honest, we are really proud of every part of the album : we love the production, most of the songs (melodies and lyrics), the artwork itself. We worked hard for this new record, so it’s a great satisfaction for us.

CF: How does this new album reflect an evolution of the Babylonia musical style?

Max: At the beginning of the recording sessions of Motel La Solitude we felt that we didn’t wanted another dance/club oriented album as Later Tonight. We keep on listening new music and discovering new artists and genres, so somehow this reflects on our work. We have grown as persons as well as musicians and probably, thanks to this, new album sounds more articulated and rich.

CF: What made you decide to work with sound engineer Marco Barusso? What did he help you to achieve on Motel la Solitude?

Max: We knew what Marco did with bands like Lacuna Coil, Cradle Of Filth and other great names. So we were lucky to work with him. He was fundamental in studio because he helped us in giving a cooler energy to the tracks, especially on the drums.

CF: Four years between albums – do you consider yourselves to be perfectionists when you’re writing and producing songs?

Max: Oh yes! We release a new work only when we are very proud and feel secure about it.

CF: What were your sources of inspiration while writing and producing Motel la Solitude?

Max: Personal life and an uncertain amount of records we listened to during these years.

CF: Do you feel that you’ve grown in confidence as songwriters and performers? How so?

Max: Yes we do! We had the chance to perform in many European cities like Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Praga, Bratislava and more. Moreover, we opened the concerts of many talented artists like IAMX, Clients and Melotron : watching all these acts at work from a very close perspective was very instructive. All these experiences helped us in feeling more confident on stage, so nowadays our concerts are more enjoyable and rich than before!

CF: You mention in your publicity materials that you have refined your sound in part through your experiences of playing live shows throughout Europe. What are some of the things you learned, and how have they influence the direction of your music?

Max: Playing new songs in front of an audience can help you in perceiving your songs in a different way. For example, you can realize that a song needs a different structure as the old one doesn’t work at all. Also, playing live new material from “Motel La Solitude” pushed us in searching a sound more powerful and strong, because you want to see people dancing and moving during your shows.

CF: You also indicate that Motel la Solitude appeals not only to fans of synthpop music, but also anyone who loves a good pop song. Did you write the songs on this album with the goal of appealing to a much broader audience?

Max: We don’t have any expectation or goal during the writing but we find new songs potentially enjoyable to a larger audience.

CF: Where will you be touring to promote Motel la Solitude? Any plans to come to the States?

Max: We are currently building up a promotional tour that will start on 20th february 2010 in Istanbul. Then we will play 6-7 shows throughout Italy. We will constantly update out websites with news dates and further infos. We’d love to play in the States, it would be a dream!  We hope someday to have the chance to come and play there!

CF: What else would you like to say to the readers of the Modern Synthpop blog?

Max: We invite them to discover our music through our websites (www.babyloniamusic.com and www.myspace.com/babylonia) and we hope to meet them to one of our next concerts. Keep on supporting synthpop music! Thanks for your kindness and ciao from Italy!

Watch for my review of Motel la Solitude on this blog!

Some albums just grab hold of you the first time you listen to them. With other albums, it takes repeated listening sessions for the songs to grow on you. And some albums you “connect” with only in a limited way, no matter how long you listen to them. I’m afraid to say that the latter is the case with Mesh’s new album, A Perfect Solution.

I had high expectations for this album, especially because their last release, We Collide, is an absolute masterpiece.  Mesh set the bar very high for themselves with this stellar album. In comparison, A Perfect Solution just doesn’t measure up.

I waited for weeks to write this review, waiting and wondering if perhaps I was jumping to conclusions too quickly. Maybe if I gave it more time, it would start to grow on me, I reasoned. But that never quite happened.

To be fair, A Perfect Solution does contain some excellent songs, such as Only Better, If We Stay Here, It’s Gone and Who Says. But the rest of the album seems to be populated with fairly mediocre songs that just didn’t resonate with me.

Here are some highlights:

If We Stay Here – A very strong opening track, with a rocking beat.

Only Better – A great choice for the first single from this album. Only Better has that signature Mesh sound – Mark Hockings’ distinctive vocals, angst-tinged lyrics, guitar for underpinning and soaring synths. The outro on this song feels bolted onto the song, and doesn’t quite seem to fit. Still, an excellent track overall. Be sure to check out the Alien 6 Mix of this song, which gives it a driving clubby beat and contains numerous neat little touches. It can be found on the Only Better EP, which was released a month before A Perfect Solution.

Everything I Made – Another solid mid-tempo Mesh song; just not very memorable.

Is It So Hard – A ballad; just doesn’t do anything for me.

Hold It Together – Another mid-tempo song that feels a little bit like filler.

The middle of the album is where Mesh seems to run out of steam. It’s not that they’re badly-written songs; they just don’t meet the usual standard that Mesh fans have become accustomed to.

It’s Gone – I like this pop-styled ballad, which is supported by a sweet-sounding acoustic guitar. Synths are used sparingly, mainly in the bridge of the song.

How Long – Another forgettable mid- tempo song, with somewhat inane lyrics: “If we’d ever write the play/We’d never need rehearse/Cause everything we say/Someone’s said it first.”

Who Says – What makes this song really stand out is the duet between Mesh frontman Mark Hockings and Julia Beyer of Technoir.

Hope.Dreams – Very much a classic Mesh mid-tempo song, with percussive synthesizers and Hockings’ minor key vocals. This is one of those songs that took a while to grow on me.

Want You – Not one of Mesh’s more memorable ballads.

The Bitter End – The closing song on A Perfect Solution starts out with an echoey synthsizer riff that sounds like an homage to VNV Nation, and transitions into a driving, industrial beat with Hockings’ punchy lyrics proving the counterpoint. This is a strong end to an otherwise average album.

A Perfect Solution marks the return of a former Mesh staple, the instrumental outro. They work well on a few songs, such as Who Says and Hope.Dreams but they seem randomly bolted on to other songs, such as Only Better and Hold It Together.

My verdict: A Perfect Solution is a pretty good album, but as a follow-up to their last album, We Collide, it’s not of the same caliber. Die-hard Mesh fans will want to pick it up to complete their collection. But if you’re new to the Mesh camp and are looking for an entry point into their extensive catalog, We Collide is still your best bet.

Tenek’s new album, Stateless, is one of the standout synthpop releases of 2009. It’s filled with infectious, complex songs that are a delight to listen to, with a myriad of rhythms and textures that are pure ear candy.

Tenek is the latest project from Geoff Pinckney (The Nine/Mesh) and Pete Steer. Both gentlemen have had long careers in the UK electronic music scene, and it shows in the confident, polished but never over-produced arrangements on Stateless. This is the first full album produced by the duo.

What really sets Stateless apart is the variety of songs, from synth-driven pop to club-friendly, beat-heavy, densely arranged floor fillers, plus several impressive instrumental tracks. A number of songs do an excellent job of blending synthesizers with guitars – a rarity in most electronic music these days. Steer’s guitar playing is used for emphasis, and never overwhelms the arrangement of the songs.

I’m a fan of layered arrangements where different elements swim around in the headphones, sometimes supporting and other times contrasting with each other. That means there’s lots to love in Stateless. There is literally no filler on this album. Every song is a strong effort in its own right.

Here are a few highlights:

Breakdown – One of my favorite tracks on Stateless. A club-friendly beat becomes really pronounced in the chorus of this densely layered arrangement. Vocals are punctuated by some use of vocoder, but it’s not excessive.

Submission – Opens with very cool guitar riffs. This is a nicely arranged mid-tempo song.

If I Should Fall – A driving uptempo number with nice use of vocal harmony. Another favorite from this album.

Where’s the Time – A rocking song with a great rhythm. Rather sparsely arranged, with pulsating synths and lyrics providing a very effective counterpoint to each other.

Fatality – A mellow instrumental track that starts out with a sparse beat, adds an understated, spacey guitar riff and is eventually punctuated by driving synths about two-thirds of the way through.  Nice!

I Don’t Cry (For You) – Intelligent lyrics and soaring synths combine with a nice, driving beat. Synthesized guitar is used nicely for emphasis between the chorus and verses. Another one of the better songs on Stateless.

Less is More- A driving beat and chilly, cool-sounding synths combined with Geoff’s sharply-punctuated vocal stylings make this perhaps the best track on the album, in my opinion.

State of Mind – Spacey opening that quickly evolves into a lush arrangement with pulsating, layered synths.

Sombre Friday – An awesome chilled-out instrumental that you simply must listen to on headphones. Nice layered arrangement point-counterpoint about halfway through the song between the stately “chorus” synths and an electric guitar.

If you’re a fan of contemporary synthpop, chances are you’re going to love Stateless, which is released on the Toffeetones label. I can’t wait to see where Pinckney and Steer go from here!

Depeche Mode has always been one of my favorite groups, thanks to their awesome songwriting skills and the infectious style that is uniquely their own.

I recently went through the song list on my iPod Touch and compiled a list of my favorite DM tunes of all time. It contains quite a few “old school” songs, but also some very recent ones:

• Behind the Wheel – One of the first DM songs I ever heard, which I immediately fell in love with.
• Black Celebration – I first heard this on 101, and fell in love with it even more when I saw the live version in the 101 movie.
• Things You Said – Another early favorite, which I originally heard in its studio version on a cassette tape that a coworker gave to me. Soon after, I bought 101, and liked the live version even more!
• Strangelove – How can you not love this song?!
• Halo – An excellent song off of the amazing Violator album, from 1990. I love the way the vocals and synths punctuate this song!
• In Your Room – Spooky, moody DM at its best.
• Never Let Me Down Again – One of the biggest crowd favorites at any live DM performance – and rightly so!
• Personal Jesus – One of the closest things that DM has ever had a to a pop hit.
• Sister of Night – Another brooding, classic song off the Ultra album. I love the synth solo at the end of the song. Gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.
• Waiting for the Night – Also from Violator, the lyrics of this song paint a rich word picture. Cool!
• Higher Love – A great song from Songs of Faith & Devotion.
• In Chains – One of my favorite songs from DM’s latest release, Sounds of the Universe. It’s got a definite bluesy feel to it.
• Perfect – Probably my favorite song from Songs of the Universe. It has a real classic DM sound to it.
• Little Soul – This odd little number from SOTU caught my ear for some reason. I just like it a lot – I can’t explain why, though.
• Sacred – I first became acquainted with this song on the local alternative radio station in Milwaukee, WMSE. Heard it while driving to Chicago one day, and was amazed by its vocal harmonies and punchy synths. I think this song was what pushed me over the edge to buy 101, which I nearly wore out in my car’s tape player during the next few years!
• Stripped – I love the live version of this song from the 101 movie (and the live album).
• World in My Eyes – Another solid hit from Violator with punchy synths and great lyrics.

What are your favorite DM songs?

(Flickr image by leeno used under Creative Commons license)

On Tuesday night, my sister and I went to see the Pet Shop Boys in concert at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. Despite the fact that they’ve been making music for over 20 years, I had never had an opportunity to see them live, so this was a real treat for me.

The show was amazing. PSB played an entertaining blend of old and new songs, including many of the classic tunes that I listen to regularly on my iPod Touch, such as Two Divided by Zero, Closer to Heaven, Left to My Own Devices and Kings Cross.

New tunes from the group’s latest album, Yes, released in March of this year, were also well represented, with the boys performing Did You See Me Coming, Love Etc., Building a Wall and More Than a Dream. Neal Tennant and Chris Lowe incorporated several interesting “mashups” into their performance, at one point starting off with the instrumental part of Disccoteca, seamlessly morphing into several riffs from Domino Dancing and then transitioning into a cover of Coldplay’s Viva la Vida.

A Pet Shop Boys concert is not only an aural treat, but a visual one as well. Tennant and Lowe made multiple costume changes. The stage setup was amazing: A stark wall of giant white blocks, which served as both a prop and a projection screen. Four “cube people” – singers and dancers wearing cube heads and robotic-like outfits provided back-up vocals and entertained with well-choreographed dance moves. About a third of the way through the concert, the performers knocked down the wall, after which stage hands in white lab coats and hard hats periodically rearranged them into different configurations.  The motif was both simple and amazingly flexible.

The capacity crowd at this intimate venue was very enthusiastic, dancing and cheering for PSB classics like West End s, Go West and It’s a Sin.

All in all, it was a stunning experience that was over too soon, and exceeded my expectations. In an age when many 80s new wave and synthpop icons are trying to recapture their now-middle aged audience, the Pet Shop Boys have confidently kept doing their own thing. Listening to this well-chosen retrospective of their considerable catalog in a span of 90 minutes was truly impressive!