Depeche Mode Some Fans Say It's the "Worst Ever"

Depeche Mode "Hole to Feed"
Right now, on depechemode.com there is a 103 page thread on the band's Eric Wareheim directed video for "Hole to Feed." Frequently, the words used to describe the video are "disgusting," "tacky," "gross" and "worst ever." If this ongoing conversation is any indication of fans on the whole, then it's clear that a lot of Modies cannot stand the new clip. But why?
Could it be that the rampant tongue fighting is just too disturbing to handle or is it that the video simply doesn't fit with the image the band has created over the years? Between Black Celebration and Playing the Angel, Depeche Mode worked so frequently with Anton Corbijn (on videos, photographs and cover designs) that he might as well have been a member of the band. His sleek, seductive style became the public image of Depeche Mode, moving them far beyond the awkward early MTV look of their earlier years. How can any director fill the void left by two decades of near constant collaboration? Wareheim's borderline cringe worthy sense of humor is at odds with what Modies have come to expect from the band. At the same time, though, the video proves that Depeche Mode isn't afraid to push the buttons of its fanbase. Whether or not it works is still up for debate. And so, the question remains, what do you think of "Hole to Feed"?

Older and wiser, Bob Mould still wants to dance

The beer gut is gone, and so is the sebaceous pile of hair. In fact, anyone who knew Bob Mould as the disheveled lead singer of Minneapolis punk band Hüsker Dü in the 1980s would just recognize him now looking lean, sporting a scholarly beard and speaking in complete sentences. "Isn't it funny how that happens?" he says, calling from his recently home in Washington, D.C. "Do you think it might have had anything to do with the alcohol and drugs and being on the road?"

But it's not just Mould's current acquisition of designer polo shirts that has thrown people off. Since his powerhouse trio imploded in 1988, the 48 year old songwriter has built up one of the most interesting resumes in rock 'n' roll, highlighted by experimental techno albums, writing scripts for World Championship Wrestling and keeping a tell all blog.
Sure, he's also played to form along the way as the former frontman for roaring three piece Sugar and now as a revered solo artist, but for the past six years or so, Mould's most unexpected endeavor has kept him the busiest a gay dance party called Blowoff.
Started as an experiment with dance music producer Richard Morel when he moved to D.C., Mould's speculation quickly grew into a popular monthly party for hundreds of shirtless, sweaty men at the 9:30 Club. The duo subsequently decided to take it on the road, expanding into cities like New York, Chicago and Atlanta. On Saturday, Blowoff celebrates its first anniversary in San Francisco at Slim's.
"I started listening to a lot of electronic music out of boredom with guitar rock," Mould says. He roped Morel, who has worked with Depeche Mode and the Killers, into the deal because he convinced him it would be a good way to meet new people. "I didn't actually leave the house much," Morel says. Luckily, Mould delivered on his promise: "We met a lot of people."
The party boasts an eclectic playlist, with the tag team DJs spinning everything from indie rock and electro pop to straight up house and, well, maybe even a little Kelly Clarkson. "You never know what you're going to get," Morel says.
"I used to be a college radio DJ," Mould says. "I've always played the things I needed people to hear."
In 2006, the duo collaborated on an album called "Blowoff" that they would play live at the parties. Now most of the performance is left up to Morel's partner, Nick Lopata, who creates visuals on a laptop in time with the music using looped scenes from films, television shows and archival footage from the Library of Congress.
"The gay community used to be actually on the cutting edge of dance music until 10 years ago, and then something fell off," Mould says. "It's been our goal to get people back on plate."
He hasn't completely turned his back on the rock world. Mould released a guitar based solo album, "Life and Times," earlier this year and has shows lined up with noise merchants No Age and Dinosaur Jr. He's also playing the Treasure Island Music Festival next month.
So how do the two distinct worlds fit together?
"They really are the same thing, and I had no idea until the last couple of years," Mould says. "A lot of people that used to come to Hüsker and Sugar shows now come to Blowoff. I always suspected the hardcore scene had more homos than I thought. They were always in the crowd, and they were outnumbered. I have no idea how it ended up going full circle, but for that I'm really grateful." {lgsbox}

Depeche Mode Heat Up Soggy Lollapalooza, King of Leon

Kid Cudi, the Knux, Gaslight Anthem also make a splash on a day plagued by storms.

Kings of Leon's Caleb Followill performs at Lollapalooza 2009 on Friday.

Somewhere in Chicago on Friday night, hopefully dry and warm, you can bet that Perry Farrell was grinning ear-to-ear. Despite a persistent all-day rain that turned the massive Lollapalooza fairground along the Chicago waterfront into a slippery mudbog worthy of Woodstock, the musical mash-up spirit that the festival's co-founder has been chasing for nearly 20 years made a strong showing.

As the rain at last let up in time for the headliners to take the stagecoach, on the north end, the struggle band of brothers (and cousin) Kings Of Leon were making the most of their third go-round at the fest, pumping out their muscular Southern boogie to an adoring sea of fans. Meanwhile, at the other end, British synth pop veterans Depeche Mode moved muddy feet with a classic set of keyboard anthems, including "Enjoy the Silence" and thunderous set peck up "Personal Jesus."

Depeche Mode 12th Studio Album

In August 2007, during support for Dave Gahan's second solo album, Hourglass, it was declared that Depeche Mode were heading back in studio in early 2008 to work on their forthcoming twelfth studio album.
In May 2008, the band smack the studio to work on some songs that Martin Gore had been working on at his home studio in Santa Barbara, California (USA). The songs are in pre-production stage, and Depeche Mode are working with Ben Hillier as producer.
In August 2008, it was declared that Depeche Mode were splitting from their long-term US label, Warner Music, and will be signed to EMI Music worldwide. Their new, as of yet untitled, album will be launched internationally on April 20, 2009 and in the U.S. on April 21, 2009.