Vinyl Therapy: Depeche Mode "Delta Machine" (2013)

32 years after their debut album, Depeche Mode have released yet another fantastic collection of brand new songs.  My admiration of this band, and what they have achieved, only seems to grow as the years stretch onward.  On Delta Machine, they've written a collection of songs that they say are akin to their 1993 album Songs Of Faith And Devotion.  While that is true in some areas of the production, this album could have actually been called Songs Of Damnation And Redemption for many of its lyrical elements.  No other band makes soundscapes or blends analog and electronic elements quite like Depeche Mode.  There have been many imitators over the years... all of them easy to identify.  The truth is that no other artist (or group) will come close to reaching the breadth of their sound palette or the depth of feeling that they can conjure.  It's amazing to note that they're not only one of the few acts that rose to fame in the early 80s that are still thoroughly engaged in the pop music game, they're one such act that still enjoys commercial success and sellout tours at large venues across the globe. 

And while we're at it, they can kick ANY other band's ass in terms of live performance... Just sayin'. 

What It Was & What It Is

Scenes from seven days in April 2013.

Times Square News Stand 1950 (Complete)

CHRISTIAN MONTONE

"Times Square News Stand 1950"

 Mixed media on mounted collage. (11" X 14") April 2013.

Uncropped Version Below:

1960s Magazines: The Sensational & The Sensible

In the pre-internet age, magazines were the final word for news and gossip.

Some things were sensibly stated for news purposes and presented in a sober, dignified way.  Other times, newsmakers and celebrities were ripe fodder for sensationalized headlines, conjecture and escapist entertainment. The 1960s was probably the decade when the latter was at its glossiest (and most lurid) peak. We, as a country, were reeling from the murder of a president, his brother and the escalation of a war that few were clear about our involvement in.  It makes sense that many Americans would become obsessed with screen stars, high-profile widows and all of the torrid glamour they represented. Are things really different today across our many media outlets?  I don't think so.

Parklife: The Dawn Of Spring

General shots and Instagrammed details...

Rectangular and square images from my first springtime walk in a nearby park.

I can't wait to see these limbs covered in trees and to hear the water bubbling with life.