Favorite Albums of 2016

2016 has been a strange year. A seemingly disproportionate number of musicians and actors have shuffled off this plane of existence. Sure, every year, people are born and people die. But to lose so many musical icons in the span of 365 days? It is hard to imagine though we've lived it, starting with the loss of David Bowie just two days after his 69th birthday in January.

In spite of all those tragedies, 2016 has at least given us several musical gifts to get us through the tough times. Below are my favorite albums of the year, though not necessarily in any sort of order of favoritism.

David Bowie - Blackstar

The genius of this album was apparent to me even when the lead, self-titled single had been the only thing released in late 2015. Embodying the spirit of Bowie in terms of unabashedly reinventing the rock icon, Blackstar was less about rock and roll and more about experimentation, a touch of jazz, many nods to the past, and a farewell that no one could have predicted (I felt he was saying goodbye by the end of the album, but more that this would be the last album and that he'd spend time with family and relax...not that he'd return to the stars so soon). Bowie is one of the few, maybe even the only one, who could turn their death into art. To this day, fans are still finding hidden Easter eggs in the Blackstar vinyl packaging with suggestions that there are many others that people have yet to uncover. It's painful to think this is the end, but I can't think of a more beautiful and touching parting gift from a truly unique artist to his fans. "There's a Starman waiting in the sky..."

Savages - Adore Life

I cannot sing the praises of Savages enough. Dubbed a post punk revival band, I scorn the label for it brings up images of bands like The Bravery, Franz Ferdinand, and Modest Mouse, which may have some musical nods back to the dark 80s genre, but are more influenced by it than anything else. Savages, on the other hand, dish out an English post punk formula that would have fit in perfectly alongside the likes of Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Bauhaus had they been making music in the early 80s as their predecessors were. Savages, to me, are the all-female version of Bauhaus - Jehnny Beth with the same sort of stage presence and theatrics as Peter Murphy, Ayse Hassan carrying the songs with a strong, gorgeous bass guitar turned deep lead, Fay Milton pushing each song along on the rhythm seat, and Gemma Thompson ripping out the same textural art guitar flourishes that Daniel Ash was so known for. Their second album, Adore Life, builds on the successes of their 2013 debut album while adding in a little more experimentation and, in places, slower and more reflective numbers, such as the album's title track. For the complete experience, be sure to catch these bad asses live - an incredible performance from start to finish full of so much raw energy it's unbelievable. It'll be a treat watching what they do next.

Peter Murphy - Wild Birds Live Tour

I've said it before and I'll say it again - it somehow isn't a year if I can't write something about Peter Murphy! In this case, Cleopatra finally gave life to an old House of Blues performance from the ($10 he's shuddering as I write this next bit) Godfather of Goth that took place in April 2000. While official video of that show has circulated YouTube for some time, and numerous bootlegs of the audio have circulated for even longer, Cleopatra finally decided now was the time to give it both a CD and double LP official release. Complete with Peter's interrupted "Indigo Eyes" (where his hand cramps up and he goes "I'm so gothic I'm dead!"), it's about time this show saw the light of day. Now if we could just get a live DVD of the video they took, we'd be golden...

Gary Numan - Here In The Black

It's been a very busy year for synth pioneer (arguably) Gary Numan. Numan has been crowd funding a new album via Pledge Music that brings fans along for the ride from the very beginning, something that is rarely done on Pledge Music (most bands run short campaigns to sell albums that are already finished...here, Numan is starting at the very beginning of writing and recording a new album, offering anecdotes from the studio and sharing rough demos periodically). The new year also brought his live show from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery during the Splinter tour to life. Released as a gorgeous set of picture disc records with an accompanying CD/DVD combo, you get a look at some of the recording of Splinter and most (but not all) of the performance from the Hollywood Forever. Despite some delays, the final product was gorgeous and masterfully done. Now to wait for that new album!

Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression

The last few Iggy Pop albums have been lackluster at best, feeling like poor attempts to rekindle either the successes of the Stooges or of his early albums. Post Pop Depression, thought to be Pop's final album, is the strong note the proto-punk pioneer needed to go out on. Solid from start to finish, it's an album that doesn't try to hide the fact that Pop has gotten older. It embraces the change and evolution, drawing in enough from the past to pay its respects without trying to imitate or match it. The pairing with Queens of the Stone Age/Eagles of Death Metal member Josh Homme works perfectly, as each compliments the other and their two styles meld nicely. I hope this isn't the end of the music from Iggy Pop, but if it is, this was a damn fine album to go out on.

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree

How do you deal with grief, sorrow, and despair? Everyone handles these slightly differently and Nick Cave sought to explore those feelings and resolutions through the latest Bad Seeds album, Skeleton Tree. The album's theme, however, hit very close to home and very suddenly when Cave's young son died tragically. While most of the album was already completed prior to the accident, Cave went back and re-wrote portions to incorporate what he and his family were going through in the face of that loss. While it's hard to say how much of any one song relates to the incident, it's easy to feel the despair and heavy chested sorrow through the music. Taking a page from Leonard Cohen's book and crooning and speaking more than singing, this is an album that must be digested over time for its meaning to really hit home. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds head out on tour early next year to support the album.

Leonard Cohen - You Want it Darker

Leonard Cohen has gone a long way from his hit classic "Hallelujah". Where his songs tended to be somewhat upbeat, You Want it Darker held true to its title, presenting darker themes, both lyrically and musically. Either from age and loss of his singing voice or to drive home the title's point even more, Cohen drops the singing in favor of somber spoken word, adding to the morose musical landscape. Deeply troubled by the passing of a long time friend, Marianne Ihlen, as well as numerous health issues within the last few years, Cohen wrote this album as a farewell of sorts, focusing on themes of death, religion, and the occasional bit of humor. Following interviews where Cohen claimed to be ready to die (then taking back what he said days later), 2016 passed cruel irony over Cohen with the 82 year old icon passing three weeks after his final album was released. We wanted it darker, and we definitely got it.

Mark Gemini Thwaite - Volumes

Though this gem probably won't be found on any major year end "best of" lists (though it should), former Mission/Peter Murphy/Gary Numan/Tricky/etc. guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite ventured into a relatively unknown territory - a solo album. Not traditionally a singer, Thwaite opted to collaborate with several friends (and vocalists) to stitch together a debut album that highlights the diversity of Thwaite's playing abilities and musical interests. Though the numerous lead voices throughout the album may take some listeners a little more time to get used to, the album is solid in its music composition and vocal pairings. From the modern and brilliant ABBA cover of "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (featuring HIM's Ville Valo) to the infectious number "The Reaping" (with Ashton Nyte), Thwaite's solo album is catchy and makes a solid argument for why musicians should branch out into these kinds of projects more often. Currently touring with Ricky Warwick and the Fighting Hearts, we'll have to see what all MGT has in store for us in 2017.

Black Sugar Transmission - In The City's Arms

Speaking of other Peter Murphy guitarists, 2016 brought a glorious gift from Andee Blacksugar - a brand new double album. Pairing a bit of pop aesthetic to brilliant rock guitar solos, Black Sugar Transmission albums have always been a delightful mixing of experimentation with flair. In The City's Arms is a bit more experimental than his previous material, bringing in more industrial vibes ("Machinegun Sun"), heavier rock ("Puzzle"), and even a ballad here and there ("In The City's Arms"). A champion of self-produced music, Blacksugar proves you don't need a label or huge fancy recording studio to churn out quality music. You can pick up this work of art and his prior albums through his Bandcamp page.

Preoccupations - Preoccupations

When I first saw someone talk about Preoccupations earlier this year, they described it as a melding of Bauhaus and Joy Division. Obviously I had to check it out. Formerly known as Viet Cong, the electronic noise rock outfit's second album is solid. Though I'd say the sound is less a melding of Joy Division and Bauhaus and more of a melding between And One and Joy Division. To each their own, right? Regardless, Preoccupations along with the likes of Savages give hope for the future of dark art rock.


What albums did I miss? What are your favorites from this year? Let us know in the comments!

Music Review: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds return this year with a new somber and eerie album, Skeleton Tree. This is the band's sixteenth album since forming in 1983 in the aftermath of post-punk group The Birthday Party. While still retaining various undertones of the original post-punk influence, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds tends to lean on a more experimental musical nature, melding with Cave's visceral lyrics that focus on religion, love, violence, and death. Skeleton Tree embodies the grief and death aspect, holding the perpetual emotional weight of loss overhead.

Skeleton Tree album cover

I have been hesitant on whether to review this album and how to present it. While most of the album had been completed prior to the sudden and tragic death of Cave's son last year, parts were re-recorded and re-written to reflect some of those feelings of inexplicable loss. Not to say that prior Bad Seeds albums are not heartfelt, but there is certainly a very personal tone to this one. It's Cave letting you in on some of the sorrow he's surely felt and expanding on the theme in ways he hasn't exactly addressed in the past. And how do you assess that objectively? You really don't. You can't. It's either a circumstance you've been through similarly and can therefore fully comprehend the wide range of emotion or it's something you've never been through and can only imagine and sympathize with.

Different from prior albums, Skeleton Tree is minimalistic in every sense - the album artwork is very basic, all-black with just the names on the front. Eight tracks comprise the album, which is about typical for a Bad Seeds album, but the tracks are shorter. There is no eight minute long opus on this one. Cave opts for a more reflective spoke-word tone instead of singing or bitter licks. The instrumentation on most of the album is peeled back - revolving mainly around piano chords and an acoustic guitar with some songs adding extra channels.

The album opens on the hair-raising "Jesus Alone." The track begins with an oscillating synth sound meshed to a distorted guitar that fades in and out, a solemn string arrangement tying it all together. Cave enters, soft spoken word lyrics reflecting on loss. "With my voice / I am calling you" repeats throughout, evoking the feeling of calling out to someone repeatedly, only to be met with silence, emptiness. The stage is set and there is no going back.

"Rings of Saturn" lifts the veil of sorrow that we have donned and presents a glimpse of light and realization - "And this is the moment, this is exactly what she is born to be." "Girl in Amber" brings us back to the reality of the situation, however. Linked to his wife in the album's documentary One More Time With Feeling, the song has a dual perspective feel - on the one hand, referencing a girl in amber who essentially goes through the movements without feeling them (possibly referring to Cave's wife and how she handled their son's passing in the immediate days following the accident). On the other hand, the song references a spirit trapped between this world and the next with Cave saying it's okay, you can go - "And if you want to leave, don't breathe a word / And let the world turn..."

"Magneto" and "Anthrocene" continue the journey we've embarked on, delving into Cave's mind. Minimal in nature, both showcase Cave's cryptic lyrical prowess and a contemplation on higher powers. The deeply reflective "I Need You" is the ultimate point of the album. Cave ventures to sing more on this song instead of speaking, bringing a heart-piercing vulnerability to the foreground. I was initially turned off of this song because Cave's voice isn't quite in the right key for this one, but I think that's part of the point - to be so emotional that nothing is quite right and the same anymore. If crying could ever be put into music, this is the song to do that. Maybe it's easy (and incorrect) to assume this song is about as personal as it gets, but you can imagine a tearful Cave directing parts of this to his wife (notably the first half of the song) and others to his son (the second half, largely), in both cases wrought with anguish - "I need you, I need you, I need you."

"Distant Sky" transitions much as "Rings of Saturn" did to take a look at the larger picture and find some means of resolution. Else Torp guests on this one, giving an almost lullaby feel, telling the spirit to rise and let go. The album closes on the brighter self-titled track with a glimpse of moving on - "And it's alright now." You'll never be the same, but there is life after tragedy. It will be alright now.

The album, even with its ambient leanings and stripped down nature, is beautiful. Even as it conveys the grieving process perhaps specific to Cave's situation, it's one that can easily be extrapolated to apply to anyone's grieving process - be it the loss of David Bowie at the start of the year, the loss of a friend, or, in Cave's case, the loss of a close family member. This isn't an album to be listened to in one sitting before forming a final decision. As I continue to listen to it still, my perception of the album keeps changing. There's a subtlety to it that takes several listens to become apparent. It's a strong album, but the tragedy in it is that it took such a catastrophic loss to birth it. My heart breaks all over again for the Cave family.

Music Review: Strap On Halo - Altar of Interim

2016 has been a busy year for Seattle-based goth rock group Strap On Halo. In January, the group released Prayers For The Living (an eleven-track album featuring seven brand new songs and four previously released songs that had been re-recorded and re-imagined). The summer was largely spent writing and recording a new four song EP, Altar Of Interim, and planning out a tour of both the US and Europe. And that only gets us to August!

Strap On Halo (L-R): Layla Reyna, Sean Rial, Marc Jones

Strap On Halo's prior work has melded elements of the original 80s post punk "goth" bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees and lesser-known Xmal Deutschland with more modern sentiments from acts like Italy's Spiritual Bat, Skeleton Family, and the March Violets. The main trademark of Strap On Halo's music is the mixture of fancy guitar work from Sean Rial over the driving, yet subtle, bass lines provided by Marc Jones meshed to the always smooth and soaring vocal performance of Layla Reyna. With this backdrop in mind, we put needle to wax (metaphorically...this EP is not available on vinyl) and give it a spin.

The EP opens on "Perish" and immediately sets the tone for what's to come. The song has some parallels to Turkish darkwave band She Past Away (particularly "Sanri" off the first album) but with a stronger, more pronounced guitar riff that brings a tinge of early Sisters of Mercy to the plate. After a bit, Reyna's voice joins in, providing a textural contrast to the music. The change in lyric rhythm between the first and second verses works nicely (it caught my ear and made me go "oooh" when I first heard it). Without spending forever on just this one song, "Perish" certainly exceeds expectations and excels at drawing the listener in for more.

"Shiver" starts off with percussion only before the guitars enter, bringing a little bit of the early 80s Cure sound with it but heavier on the delay. Reyna's vocals again provide an interesting textural contrast to the music, being slightly succinct compared to the flowing guitar. A solid song in its own right, "Shiver" is closer in some ways to some of the prior Strap On Halo material.

Third on the EP is "Crimson Waves" which is closer to "Perish" in form and delivery. The music is very catchy and immediately sticks with the listener. Truly a song which melds the original goth wave with the new, this song is a gleaming example of how to keep the genre fresh without alienating its past. Without having anything further of merit to add to the discussion, I do hope this one makes it to the setlist.

The EP ends on "Fearless." Musically it's some mixture of Sisters of Mercy meets Christian Death infused with March Violets (you have that distorted guitar sound, the heavier/chunkier chords, but somehow its a lighter/happier...for being goth, work with me here...sound). Lyrically a bit more sinister than other songs, "Fearless" does hold true to the title by not holding back. An interesting song from a musical standpoint, it rounds out the EP on a very strong note.

Overall, yet another strong showing from Strap On Halo and a good combination of their signature sound with some new experimentation to boot. The group have just kicked off their Altar of Interim Tour of the US and stop by Double Wide in Dallas, Texas, on August 17. Tickets are still available, so don't miss out! In September, Strap On Halo go overseas for the first time to rejoin 2014's Near Dark Tour headliners The Last Cry for the Near Dark Over Europe Tour. There's no telling what will be next for these guys, so keep an eye and stay tuned!

Music Review: Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression

Iggy Pop, the godfather of punk, has been a longstanding treasure to the music world, actively making music for the last 45 or so years. From The Stooges, a group who were unbelievably ahead of their time and remain largely influential, to a rather long and illustrious solo career that has meandered over a myriad of genres - blues, garage rock, new wave, and even jazz. In spite of his popularity, most of Pop's recent solo efforts have mostly been overlooked, with 1993's American Caesar being perhaps the last Pop album the larger audience paid attention to. Post Pop Depression is Pop's seventeenth solo album and his newest album since 2012's jazz and blues album of French covers, Après. In what may be Pop's final album, Post Pop Depression brings out the best of Pop's long and varied music career.

Iggy Pop's seventeenth solo album - Post Pop Depression

Post Pop Depression partners Iggy Pop with Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme (also providing the rhythm section for the Eagles of Death Metal), with musical contributions from Queens of the Stone Age's Dean Fertita and Arctic Monkeys's drummer Matt Helders. The beginnings of the writing process revolved around Pop and Homme sending lyrical bits back and forth before the two more formally decided to work together on a new album. Both musicians entered the recording studio in early 2015 with a series of partial songs, allowing them a framework to build upon together. The album itself is a bit of a retrospective journey as Pop looks back on his career and feels his utility is up and all that's left is the legacy. The album's title, Post Pop Depression, captures that looking back feeling and paints it in a somewhat bleak manner. Make no mistake, however. This album is not the dying final breath of someone who should have stopped years ago. Post Pop Depression is, in some ways, a parallel to David Bowie's Blackstar (appropriate as Bowie helped form Pop's early career by writing and producing parts of his first two solo albums).

The album opens with "Break Into Your Heart," a track with a wild west-esque musical vibe, drawing some inspiration perhaps from some of the Eagles of Death Metal work, laced with Pop's still strong croon. In fact, this may be the strongest Pop's voice has been in recent years, full of life, yet controlled. The perfect opening as the stage is set for this album to "get under your skin."

"Gardenia," the album's lead single, comes next, feeling a bit like a throwback to some of the early Ziggy/Iggy work the two pioneered in the 70s. While the song carries that 70s feel to it, there's still that modern, forward moving feeling that Pop has often tried (with varying levels of success) to build into his works. Here, the efforts pay in dividends. Built on one of Pop's usual lyrical themes of sex, "Gardenia" comes together in the right way so as to not cheapen the song (which can't be said about other recent efforts from Pop...I'm looking at you "DD's" from the last Stooges Album!).

Third track, "American Valhalla," revolves around a fuzz baseline that sounds very similar, though perhaps deeper, to Gary Numan's iconic bass/synth line in "Metal" meshed with "China Girl"-esque vibraphone overtones (perhaps another subtle look back?). Skipping over "In The Lobby" (a good song, just nothing terribly standout about it), we come to "Sunday," perhaps the strongest song on the album. "Sunday" combines electric guitar riffs from Homme with a classic disco bass line, creating a dancy little number, somewhat reminiscent of Bowie's 80s period (Let's Dance in particular). Immediately catchy, the song has an abrupt shift after the first four minutes into a classical soundscape. Often this is a transition that leads to utter disaster. Here, the orchestral outro is somehow fitting and pulled off expertly.

"Vulture" meshes a Spanish-style acoustic guitar with bitter lyrics surrounding the idea of death. Pop's vocals bring in an element of Native American peyote lodge and an odd paranoia where you can almost see Pop's eyes shifting nervously, looking for this vulture he croons about.

The most Stooges sounding track on the album, "German Days," brings in that heavy fuzz guitar and bass sound, but isn't matched with vocals of the same ilk. Instead, Pop opts to draw the words out over the fuzz. Certainly an interesting experience and a nod back to the stoner rock days of old.

The second to last track, "Chocolate Drops," is purely decadent (as the title might suggest). Piano chords take the center stage along with tubular bells and Homme's otherworldly falsettos. There is a freedom you can feel in this song, almost like you're flying and leaving behind the weight of the past. Between this and "Sunday," you have my favorite track from this album.

Closing track "Paraguay" opens with a gospel-esque spoken word. More than any other track on the album, this may be Pop's attempt at an artistic farewell, saying that he'll go "where sore losers go / to hide my face and spend my dough." Pop begins to reconcile with his past success and instead of being weighed down by it, he finds a way to let go, move ahead without fear, and go to Paraguay (mind you, not all of this is perhaps a literal account of what Pop plans for the near future, but it's the concept of separating yourself from your past successes so as to not tear yourself apart when you can't match that for whatever reason).

Pop has hinted in recent interviews that this may be the last of Pop's music career, but I hope not. This is Pop's strongest album in years and has the ability to stand fairly strong against even his most applauded albums.

Music Review: Savages - Adore Life

London post-punk "revival" (so quoted because they sound and feel more like an original 80s UK post-punk group than the 2000s revivalist groups in the vein of Franz Ferdinand and the like) Savages have returned with a new album, Adore Life. The album follows on the heels of their very successful debut album, 2013's Silence Yourself.

Savages have released their second album, Adore Life

Silence Yourself carried a very traditional post-punk sound and aesthetic, drawing heavy influence from groups like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division. While a strong album, it was a bit light in the experimental nature that surrounded the original 80s post-punk genre. Adore Life brings that experimental nature to the forefront, resulting in a dynamic album that effortlessly navigates faster, traditional post-punk tunes through slower, ballad-like numbers, all without losing the listener or leading to the often ill-fated "never-ending-album-will-someone-please-turn-it-off" syndrome that over-experimentation can cause.

Adore Life opens with "The Answer," a distortion-laden song revolving around love and adoration. The song presents a larger focus with a driving bass line supplied by Ayse Hassan and a guitar solo from Gemma Thompson. The frantic guitar throughout the song strongly parallels singer Jehnny Beth's vocals with lines like "I'll go insane / Please stand up / What is the point?" which detail some of the struggle in determining how someone feels about you.

Savages. L-R: Fay Milton (drums), Jehnny Beth (front, vocals), Ayse Hassan (back, bass), Gemma Thompson (guitar)

"Evil" starts off with an interplay between Hassan and Thompson that sounds vaguely similar to Killing Joke's "New Cold War" from Pylon (2015), though minus the heavy distortion industrial-leaning sound. Fay Milton on drums rounds out this number, providing a solid background with minor layers of detail that enriches the song further.

What makes Savages, in my opinion, more like the original post-punk bands and less like the modern "revival" post-punk bands is how many of the songs are highly bass-driven. "Evil" is just one example with "Sad Person" being another. Bands like Bauhaus and Joy Division are largely loved on a music level due to this somewhat unique quality, where the bass and drums provide much of the meat and drive of a song with guitar adding little flourishes here and there.

The album's title track opts for a slower, more reflective tone, led largely by Hassan on bass. Beth's lyrics center around a question of humanity and whether the idea of adoring/valuing life is unique to people and contemplates on past actions and whether it was best to do those, even if they led to negative endings, resolving that even if you have regrets, you lived life, you adore life because you continue on.

Adore Life continues in much the same manner as the early songs, offering driving music matched to Beth's Siouxsie Sioux-esque vocals. Songs like "When In Love" and "Surrender" deserve additional praise, the first for one of Thompson's opportunities to shine on guitar, and the latter for a very synth-layered bass backing from Hassan that nods back to 80s new wave meets darkwave sentiments.

Savages are set to tour this spring in support of the new album, reaching Dallas on April 11, playing at Trees. With two strong albums under their belt, and perhaps the only band to play an amazing show at 8am on a Tuesday morning, this is not a show to miss. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.

The Man Who Fell to Earth Finally Returns Home a Starman

As an insider looking out, it's hard for me to comprehend anyone asking "Who was David Bowie?" Then again, I come from an age of younger music consumers who, following the Kanye West/Paul McCartney collaboration had the gall to say things like "We don't know who you are old man, but Kanye has just made your career!" not realizing that McCartney was one fourth of the legendary Beatles, who arguably began the first major shift in what the music world is today.

For the alternative crowd (encompassing every form of societal misfit, from art students to goths to punks to the freedom fighters without label), David Bowie was everything. It may feel a little facetious for a 26 year old to claim Bowie was everything. His touring days ended before I had really traversed high school, and certainly a little before I had first discovered his music. But, at the root of it all, David Bowie came to be everything I believed in, in some sense of the term.

A friend wrote on Facebook about Bowie saying that yes, David Jones, the man, the singer, he has died. But, David Bowie? Bowie is an idea, a way of contemplating life. Bowie will never die. I greatly enjoy this idea. It feels weird to write about Bowie in the past tense. Though Ziggy Stardust "died" in the early 70s, we still refer back to that persona and still often identify with it - this alien being brought to earth for some mission that we as human can't quite fully understand, but we'll help him as best we can.

I first heard the name David Bowie somewhere around the age of 16. It seems that if you're going to discover Bowie, you do it around the age of 14 to about 18. If you didn't find him then, you may never find him. You listen to his songs, and even the ones he did back in the 60s somehow sound fresh and like they were made for you and you alone. My first song, "The Man Who Sold the World," has remained with me ever since, solidly my favorite from him even if it's now about 46 years old. This song is almost twice as old as I am, yet somehow it remains timeless.

Outside the music, there was always something mythical about Bowie. Was he even real or did we all collectively make him up? Bowie was a star in every sense of the word, yet as time wore on, so much of the drama associated with that sort of status was missing. And only Bowie could turn his own death into a work of art. I hadn't watched the "Lazarus" video before he died, but felt the song was some sort of throwback to a period of jazz bandstand in the New York way back. Now, it's seen as a song for us to contemplate over - "Look up here, I'm in heaven / I've got scars that can't be seen." Maybe we're reading too heavily into it, but it feels like Bowie's way of saying "Hey, my suffering is over and now I'm in heaven, flying like the blue bird, free."

I remember being in an online forum where some people were talking about Bowie's death. Some, myself included, reported that we had been crying for hours, with more hours of distraught tears to come. Others said that we were going overboard, excessive in our grief. Why are you so upset over some musician dying? Who cares?

I think back to being younger and seeing the news still report on the anniversaries of the deaths of Elvis and John Lennon. They would always show people grieving, crying, shattered, broken. Having not been alive for either of those events, I wondered how and even why they felt as they did. And after submerging myself in Bowie's expansive catalog ten years ago, I knew I would have a hard time saying goodbye when the day did come. Now that that day has arrived, I know exactly what those faithful fans of Elvis and Lennon felt.

You see, for the alternative crowd, Bowie is our Elvis, our Lennon. He was never afraid to call things as he saw them, having early on called out MTV for not showcasing talent from non-white artists, among other things. Bowie was unapologetically unique. We talk often about bands reinventing themselves, which usually just means after five albums of the same formula, they changed it up a tiny bit, slowing or speeding up the tempo, more or fewer ballads, maybe throwing in a synthesizer for good measure. Bowie's knack for reinvention was universal - from persona, to dress, to hair style, to manner of speech, and certainly to the music.

Much like the preceding icons, Bowie was perhaps one of the only musicians who could completely disappear for ten years - absolutely silent - then reemerge to a frenzied fan base, ready with open arms to accept the gift of a new album, The Next Day. And so, too, does Blackstar truly become an album for the fans. An album full of experimentation, vastly different from anything he's done before, and deep in there, so incredibly personal. I remember listening to it for the first time and by the end, I knew it and felt it so deeply in my heart - this was it. This would be the final album. He is saying goodbye. I just didn't imagine he would ascend into the heavens only two days later.

It's hard to imagine a world without Bowie. But more so, it's harder to imagine a world where Bowie never existed in the first place. So many people cite Bowie as a major inspiration. Arguably, the entirety of post punk may never have occurred as so much of the aesthetic and style drew heavy influence from glam rock in general and David Bowie specifically. It feels laughable almost to even call Bowie a legend. As I've said, Bowie truly was everything for us.

A full thirty-six hours have elapsed since I first learned of Bowie's passing. The tears have finally dried up, at least until I see like-minded friends and we shine each other that fated smile that inevitably leads immediately to tears and that all too familiar heartache. I am finally able to listen to some of his music again, but the void still remains, the knowledge that this is it. This is all there will ever be of the genius that was Bowie. The man who fell to earth has finally returned home...a starman.

Music Review: David Bowie - Blackstar

Today, January 8, 2016, marks the 69th birthday of the Thin White Duke himself, Mr. David Bowie. And in grand style, Bowie celebrates his day with style - releasing his 25th studio album, Blackstar.

David Bowie's 25th album, Blackstar

Blackstar in many respects follows the map laid by its self-titled opening track - longer tracks on the whole, far less of an angry tinge as was heard on his previous album, The Next Day, and a far more experimental musical backdrop than certainly the previous album, but perhaps even more so than his actual experimental phase of albums in the 2000s before his ten year silence.

The album opens on the ten minute long opus, which we've reviewed previously. What still fascinates me most about this song is that it's effectively two songs separated by a musical semicolon - the first four-ish minutes being one song and the remaining six a similar, related, yet distinct song, yet it's all packaged into one.


One slightly annoying realization about Blackstar is that two of the songs had actually been previously released. The first of these, "'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore," was sadly not one that impressed me much to begin with (this and "Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)" were previously released on the 10" Record Store Day limited vinyl for "Sue" while "Sue" saw a second release on the 2014 Bowie compilation, Nothing Has Changed).

"'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore" does receive a slight update from its 2014 counterpart, however. Where the early version was a barrage of sounds and essentially a wall of noise, nothing discernible, the music has now been cleaned up, vocals lifted above the music (previously they felt completely buried) and the jazz-influence dialed down a little (don't get me wrong - it's still very much there, but it is toned down a touch from the 2014 version). Still a peculiar song, the face-lift for Blackstar is a welcome sight.

Next is "Lazarus," the second single released ahead of the album and receiving the music video treatment. Whenever Bowie releases a new single ahead of the album, you often have to wonder if the album will sound like that. Often times, it won't, especially when looking at the first single. We heard that with The Next Day when "Where Are We Now?" was first released - a slow, retrospective number that we found out was like nothing else on the rest of the album. The second single, however, "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" turned out to sound much like the remainder of the album. In that manner, so, too, does "Lazarus" follow that small pattern. A very smooth jazz-based song, "Lazarus" feels to me much like what early jazz-filled New York City may have been like (mentioning that bit only because Bowie sings about first arriving to New York City in this song). The song is slower paced, calmer even, and deep down in your stomach, a knot of anxiety begins to form. More on that shortly.

Following "Lazarus" is the redressed version of "Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)." As with "'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore," this version is a much tighter, dressed down version of the 2014 release. Much of the original jazz work is reinterpreted and written to guitar now, instead of saxophone as previously. The move gives the song more vibrancy and drives it forward, reminding me some of the interplay between electronics and guitars found in songs like "Hallo Spaceboy." It worked well there and again works well here. If I had been iffy about this song before, this redress clears away the uncertainty for me.

"Girl Loves Me" is a turning point in the album, nodding back to "Blackstar" in some respects and showcases an angry Bowie as he yells out "Where the fuck did Monday go!?!" This is my personal low point in the album. The backing orchestral arrangements and the chorus melodies are interesting, as well as the constant vocal nods back to Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange and the Nadstad language he created for the book. Still a good song, but perhaps the weakest of the lot and the low point of Blackstar.

"Dollar Days" has the feel of letting Mike Garson loose to write the entire music (Garson does not appear on this album, but they piano style is very reminiscent of his work...Jason Lindner does excellent work on this song in particular, but also throughout the entire album). A very jazzy song complete with Donny McCaslin roaring to life an amazing saxophone solo. And deep down, in your stomach once more, the knot begins to tighten.

Blackstar ends with "I Can't Give Everything Away." The song, a meeting somewhere between jazz and 80s new romantic sentiments, brings the knot to the forefront. I distinctly remember thinking this as this song played, and I hope I'm dead wrong. This almost feels like Bowie saying farewell. For real, this time. That Blackstar may be the final album. Goodbye, thanks for all the fish. This is pure speculation on my part - I've never met Bowie, never had the chance even to see him live. And certainly I hope I'm very wrong. But, this song in particular has a feel of "Let's go out on a high note, but without giving it all away." Outside of this speculation, the song itself is a lovely ending to the album, the sort of older gentlemanly goodbye you'd expect from saying farewell to a very old, long time friend.

David Bowie is among the few (and maybe even the only person) who can undergo such incredible transitions and still be rock solid in each of them. We'll keep following you, Mr. Bowie, and remain optimistic that this is far from the end. Now, if we could just talk you into a tour...or even some festivals! That'd be great...