Category Archives: DEPECHE MODE

Dear Prince: Nothing Compares 2 U

How can this be? How can another musical icon’s time end so soon? I feel like I just got over David Bowie’s untimely passing, and now Prince. The sting of someone so influential and so unique is definitely something I’m feeling on a level I never thought I’d feel. Is it because this is yet another missed opportunity to see a musical great live? Is it because Prince was merely 57 years old and performed a show just last week? It’s all so overwhelming and confusing, and scary at the same time. There is a growing list of icons leaving Planet Earth in 2016, and it’s only April.

Prince was like Bowie: A controversial musical genius and fashion icon. He did what he wanted (including changing his name to a symbol), and fans loved every minute of it. Prince’s music crossed genres in so many ways from R&B to pop to rock. All in all, most will agree: his music was just plain good. An early Prince memory was a bus ride home from Disneyland when I was in the 8th grade, singing songs from the radio. One song we went back to over and over was “Little Red Corvette”. I wasn’t truly aware of what it all meant, I just knew it was a great song.

Since I’m still trying to process the news, I’ll just post about how Prince influenced my fledgling dreams of being a rock star when I was a teen:

I wrote a couple of songs when I was in junior high and high school. I fancied myself to be like Depeche Mode, making the keyboard my instrument of choice. My first one was a Casio, which I chose as a Christmas present. I would set up a mock recording studio in the privacy of my bedroom with a tape deck and a microphone. I finished my first recorded song and presented it live in one of my English classes my senior year. I recall being scared out of my wits because I was not only performing live in front of my friends, but I was putting my creative soul out there for judgement. It went very well, and my friends were so supportive.

In my first few years of college, I wrote many songs, but recorded only one demo. I wrote a song called “Destiny’s Arms”, which was a duet ballad. It was inspired by “The Arms of Orion” by Prince from the 1989 Batman soundtrack, also a duet with Sheena Easton. I love the idea love prevailing above all, no matter where, when, time or space. I recorded “Destiny’s Arms” with one of my former teachers in his mini-home studio over the period of about a month. I even sent the demo tape and lyrics to be copyrighted at the Library of Congress. I never sent my demo anywhere, but in hindsight, I wish I had sent it to Prince. I don’t know if he would have ever responded, since it was a basic little love song. But I wish I had sent it just so he knew that a 19-year-old kid in San Diego found inspiration from one of his works of art.

Farewell dear Prince, rest in peace.

In the heart of a sleepless moon
I’ll be with you forever
This is my destiny
‘Till my life is through

The Arms of Orion by Prince

(Top image from my personal collection)

Moto Mania

I have been on the hunt for a classic moto jacket for the better part of a year now. I didn’t want anything fancy, just a simple moto jacket like the ones Depeche Mode used to wear (check out Alan Wilder’s in the picture below). I had a great faux leather one (post here and here), but my search began after it started to wear in the shoulder area. I was deciding between a more affordable faux leather one and a real leather one, but I didn’t want to keep replacing the faux one due to possible wear. Imagine my delight when my husband surprised me at Christmas with this wonderful, absolutely classic real leather moto jacket by BCBGeneration. I searched for months to find what he found in one evening, simply by chance. But it’s definitely no accident that my husband’s years in retail have helped in finding exactly what I wanted!

Check out Alan Wilder’s jacket; classic, no? (Photo courtesy of The Place)

I’ve always loved black paired with navy blue. It’s almost monochromatic, but with just a slight bit of contrast.

Outfit: BCBGenerations Moto Jacket (no longer available); Forever 21 houndstooth sweater; Madewell jeans; Naughty Monkey suede boots; Warby Parker “Simone” glasses in Blue Coral; Tahari scarf; Beret from Paris; Love Tatum Rings; “Adelaide” crossbody purse c/o Kipling (Fashion Valley)

Thank you SO much to Kayde and the fantastic folks at Kipling in Fashion Valley for my lovely Christmas present!

(Outfit photos by Deon Chen)

Ashes To Ashes: Remembering David Bowie

As I write this, I’m still in shock over the untimely death of David Bowie. I’m not going to get too much into his history because you can look that up anywhere, and at press time, he is definitely trending all over. But what I will do is just touch on what he meant to me, especially since he was such a major influence on the bands I adore.

I’ve possibly been exposed to David Bowie as early as four years old because my parents used to watch The Dinah Shore show and Dick Cavett back in the 70’s. My parents were also very big fans of Bing Crosby, so I completely remember the Bowie and Crosby version of Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth, although it may have been a memory from repeated Christmas specials because I was only seven when they performed that together in 1977. But I definitely remember the first song I heard by David Bowie, which was Ashes To Ashes from his Scary Monsters album. I was a mere 11 or 12 years old at the time, but I distinctly recall seeing the video on MTV, thinking how odd it was to see nuns and clowns on a beach. I also remember the song Fashion because then MTV VJ Alan Hunter proudly declared time and again that he was in the video.

The album that made the most impact on me was the Let’s Dance album because that was when I was in my self discovery phase, which included the importance of music in my life. In 1983, local radio station 91X introduced me to the kind of music that would stay with me with bands like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Joy Division, New Order and of course, Depeche Mode. My favorite bands all site David Bowie and Bryan Ferry as true inspiration when they were youngsters looking for their identity, and I recall how dapper and suave David Bowie looked in videos like Modern Love and China Girl. The fashion influence was obvious on Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran, but I swear Simon Le Bon is vocally channeling Mr. Bowie in New Moon on Monday from the Seven and the Ragged Tiger album.

I think David Bowie’s death has impacted me so much because he’s always been present. I can’t remember a time when I was listening to music without him being artistically somewhere close by. He was an innovator, he was soulful, and he was creative. He gave people like myself, self-proclaimed “weirdos” or “outcasts”, license to be yourself. He was a fashion and musical genius.

I recall a discussion my husband and I had about an impeding Bowie tour about two years ago, vowing that we would see him here or Los Angeles, or even San Francisco or Las Vegas if we needed to travel, just to ensure we would see him in our lifetime. When that tour never materialized and there was no word, I even hinted that something else may be wrong, like some kind of health problem because there was suddenly radio silence about his tour or a new album. So when I heard about Blackstar being released, I was optimistic about seeing more from David Bowie in the near future, even a possible tour. I listened to the whole album on Spotify, telling my friends and family how much it harkened back to his earlier days. Instead of hearing about a new tour and more new music, my best friend alerted me to the news of his death, which was confirmed on all news channels within about 15 minutes of her text. Now, we sadly bid adieu to Ziggy Stardust, aka The Goblin King, aka The Thin White Duke, aka a beloved music legend.

(All pictured vinyl and CDs are from my personal music collection.)

(Edited to add my David Bowie playlist from Spotify)

My Favorite Bowie

Ja-Vie: A Comfy, Stylish & Practical Pair of Ballet Flats

As a blogger, I’m finding out more and more that Instagram is a great place to not only connect with other people, but to discover new and emerging brands. I discovered Ja-Vie ballet flats through a like on my Instagram, and decided to look into these very innovative, yet stylish flats. I’m a sucker for anything houndstooth, so I was excited to see this lovely ivory & black pair.

Ja-Vie ballet flats differ from any other flat I’ve come across. They are made with a jelly outsole, leather cushioned insoles providing comfort and support, and a knit “sock” lining. The leather insole can be removed and the whole shoe can be machine washed (just make sure to use a mesh laundry bag to protect them)! Plus, the price point of $68 is great for any budget. The result: practical comfort and style, which is great for a mom on the go, like myself!

For my outfit, I decided to really play up the 80’s factor, because I have loved houndstooth since I was a teen. I remember I had a houndstooth skirt from The Limited and houndstooth leggings from Express that I wore over and over with everything. I had a hat just like the Topshop version I’m wearing with this outfit, and I also had a leather moto-jacket back then as well. I guess my love for the 80’s doesn’t just stop at music!

Outfit: Topshop hat; Forever 21 faux leather jacket (old); Madewell jeans; Milly purse; Love Tatum necklace (bought on sale at Simply Local); Wendy Brandes rings; Depeche Mode 5 icons sterling silver & leather handmade wrapping bracelet by Little Treasure by Mir; “Mona” glasses in Fuchsia Sunset c/o Spy Optic; Flower Design bracelet in Steel Silver c/o Bittersweet; Ivory/Black Houndstooth flats c/o Ja-Vie

(Outfit photos by Rholnna Jiao)

My latest hair color: “Oil Slick” by Salvador at Kelly Cardenas Salon in Hillcrest. It’s the brunette’s answer to Unicorn Hair! I think this is my favorite color so far!

FTC Disclosure: I received product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Spread Inspiration: #LiveAGreatStory

There are moments where I become overwhelmed thinking about life and how what we do everyday affects others. I’ve been listening to a lot of John Mayer lately, and moments like that make me think of the song Bigger Than My Body. As a mother, I know everything I do and say affects my son. He looks to me and my husband for guidance, and I want to inspire him to do great things, because this is the life you get, so live it in the best way you can. We all have something important to say, and we should all remember that as unique individuals, we can inspire by telling our stories.

Live A Great Story is a San Diego based apparel company that aims to “Spread Inspiration” through its clothing and create a movement. A percentage of their profits for their tanks and tees goes towards their “Story Fund”, reinvesting in those choosing to make a difference in their communities.

In addition to their line of clothing, Live A Great Story also has sticker and button packs to help spread inspiration anywhere and everywhere. For Any Second Now readers, they’ve created a special discount code: by entering the promo code ANY2NDNOW at check out you will receive a 30% discount when purchasing through www.liveagreatstory.com.

Be bigger than your body and get out there. Remember there is a whole world may not yet know your story, so make it a great one!

Outfit: Live A Great Story tank top (c/o); Say What? cardigan; Madewell jeggings; ASOS Dark Star sneakers; Kipling backpack; Unknown brand fedora; “Exciter” Depeche Mode necklace by Little Treasures by Mir; Warby Parker “Simone” in Tea Rose Fade

Cousins + sisters + sisters-in-law = family

FTC Disclosure: I received product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

“The List” For Fall 2015, Presented by Neiman Marcus

I’m finally getting to post the events I’ve attended last month! Each year for the past couple of years now, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Valley held a luncheon and fashion show to preview what they affectionately call “The NM List”. It’s a set of trends they foresee will be at the forefront of fashion for each of the seasons, and right around the launch of this list, they invite select bloggers and stylists to see those trends in action as styled by Alex Yanez. It’s always a lovely event, and each season its presented, I fall madly in love with a few of Alex’s creations. This year was no different, and I was able to capture all of them for this post, enjoy!

Lunch was so very delicious! And that dessert…it was a yummy as it looks!

My first favorite outfit of the day, was from the “Full-Bodied Reds” trend. The mixed prints and splashes of red are so attractive. Plus, I was overwhelmed by the gorgeousness of the Valentino purse and Prada shoes.

I believe this outfit was from the “Modern Fur” and/or “The Last Layer” trend, and I could not get enough of it! The modern yet very vintage feel of the lace flares, in combination with the fur poncho, leather gloves, stylish hat and that YSL Bourse Star Fringe purse is what makes it all happen for me. If money were no object, THIS is how I’d dress all the time.

“The NM Men’s List” of trends includes the following: Go Green, Statement Coats, Velvet and Full-Bodied Reds. I think my husband should definitely rock any of these for fall!

Alex with the final looks of the day.

Can I take these all home?

Other than the Valentino and the YSL purses, I absolutely adored the Bottega Vaneta Irish Madras & Exotic Skin shoulder bag and the “Hello” clutch by Edie Parker.

With the always dapper Alex Yanez.

(My outfit: Topshop dress; Elisabeth Gothic boots c/o CorsetDeal.com; Chanel earrings & necklace from Designer Vault; Depeche Mode wrap bracelet by Little Treasures by Mir; Rings by Wendy Brandes)

Part of the fun of this event is seeing all of these beautiful bloggers and stylists! (Picture 2 going clockwise is courtesy of Ayana of Thrifting Diva‘s Instagram account here.)

Our gift from Neiman Marcus was a beautiful pair of earrings from Stephanie Kantis, which I wore recently to the FWSD Culinary Couture event (post to come).

Thank you Neiman Marcus for another lovely event!

More Than a Party: Martin Gore’s DJ Set in Santa Barbara

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll already know where I was on June 27th. That’s right, I attended one of the most intimate Depeche Mode gigs ever in my life: Martin Gore’s DJ set at SOhO in Santa Barbara, which was a part of their fundraising show series!

If you read back to 2010 here on my blog, you’ll see that meeting Alan Wilder was probably one of the biggest highlights as a long time Depeche Mode fan because Alan was my favorite member while he was still with Depeche Mode (original post here). Regardless of whether or not he’s with the band, I still follow his career and meeting him was more than memorable. So seeing Martin Gore DJ in the intimate setting of a night club was the next best thing to meeting him because I was just a few feet away from him. Until then, the closest I’ve been to any current member of Depeche Mode was when I was 16, and I went with my sister and best friend at the time to the backstage entrance of the San Diego Sports Arena (now the Valley View Casino Center). We watched Depeche Mode board their bus during the Black Celebration tour (the actual picture from July 11,1986 is below, and you can see Alan Wilder approaching in the white shirt and black pants).

For this fateful trip to Santa Barbara, I went with my good friend Angi, who has attended several Depeche Mode concerts with me over the years. I believe we’ve seen the Singles Tour, the Exciter Tour and the most recent Delta Machine tour together, so it was fitting for us to take a girl’s weekend and see Martin. Once we settled into our hotel room and went out to dinner, we made the trek to SOhO and waited patiently in line, along with a night club full of true fans. Because we arrived so early and also because we are Visual Arts majors (that’s how we met in college), we started off the evening by taking random artsy pictures of the club’s interior.

The highlight, of course, was seeing Martin Gore. Martin didn’t just play random remixed club hits. His set was very eclectic, and really reminded me of Alan Wilder’s show for Recoil, without the visual effects presentation. I recognized a few songs off of his latest album and I couldn’t stop smiling for the entire show because it was just such a cool event.

I’ve captured the evening in a few pictures below, including a You Tube video of Martin’s entrance to his set, a Filpagram I posted on Instagram (with Brink as the backing song, from Martin’s recent album), and a little story of how I got an autographed flier (*squeal!*). Cheers and enjoy!

These awesome bamboo sticks were scattered throughout the club, with lights inside creating some visual interest.

The cool visuals continued outside with projections on the floor and wall of the patio.

From left to right: 1. A shot of the club as the crowd came in; 2. The DJ who played prior; 3. And the final set up for Martin’s set.

Presenting Mr. Martin Gore (along with another attempt at something more artsy)!A picture “with” Martin…sort of?

A selfie with Angi

Angi and I with Freddie (Devotional Dave) and Brent (Counterfeit Martin) of the Depeche Mode tribute band Strangelove (my review of their concert here)!

Backstory (because I always have one): I originally asked for a blank flier from a couple of people who worked at SOhO, just as a take home souvenir. When I asked one of the ladies that worked there for one, she said “Well, I don’t have any blank ones, but I have signed ones, would you like one?” YES, PLEASE! We took home three: one for me, one for Angi, and I sent one to David (@1doudou42 on Instagram), who’s post alerted me to the show, and I would never have gone had I not seen his post!

Covered in Depeche Mode

Being on this shopping hiatus has given me the ability to refocus and put my energy into other endeavors. As I’m sorting and editing pictures for some “Fashionably Late” posts, I’m also putting together more playlists on my Spotify account because I’ve suddenly got a list of concerts this summer that I’ll be attending. In the midst of putting together “My Favorite…” playlists of bands I’ll be seeing like Spandau Ballet and Echo & The Bunnymen (which are my versions of “Greatest Hits” playlists), I decided to put together a playlist of Depeche Mode cover songs. There are some that were known to me already (all of the ones from For the Masses), some I discovered while searching to see if there was a cover version of a certain song (like People are People by A Perfect Circle), and some I wish I could have added but just couldn’t find on Spotify (like Duncan Sheik’s Blasphemous Rumours or Monument by GusGus).

Initially, I posted this playlist on Facebook, and some friends reminded me of some songs that I forgot. Of the songs I found, I placed them in an order that I thought was “audibly aesthetically” pleasing (like the juxtaposition of Marilyn Manson’s Personal Jesus next to the Pitch Perfect sounding Just Cant Get Enough cover by InsideOut). Some songs repeat, because both versions were just too good to be left off (Cage9 and Nada Surf’s versions of Enjoy the Silence). I had to end my playlist with one of my most favorite covers ever: Depeche Mode’s version of Route 66.

Below, you’ll find my Spotify playlist which I called “Covered in Depeche Mode”, and the full list of songs as well. I’ve also added my Spotify playlist to the sidebar of my blog, and will change it up regularly. Cheers and have a great weekend!

I Feel You – Johnny Marr

Personal Jesus – Johnny Cash

Lie to Me – Razed in Black

Leave in Silence – Marsheaux

Enjoy the Silence – Cage9

Stripped – Rammstein

Walking in My Shoes – Finger Eleven

A Question of Time – Clan of Xymox

Ice Machine – Royksopp

Everything Counts – Real Life

World In My Eyes – The Cure

Personal Jesus – Marilyn Manson

Just Can’t Get Enough – InsideOut A Cappella

Master and Servant – Bernd Delbrugge & floorJIVERS

Never Let Me Down Again – Smashing Pumpkins

But Not Tonight – Scott Weiland

People Are People – A Perfect Circle

Policy of Truth – Dishwalla

Enjoy the Silence – Nada Surf

Just Can’t Get Enough – John Lindberg Trio

Route 66 – Depeche Mode

I'll Take More Than Another River Full

I know they’re not new, but I have found myself completely smitten with British brand River Island lately. I made a couple of RI purchases on ASOS, including these lovelies (prior to Ash Wednesday, as I gave up shopping for Lent). I keep seeing the chunky sandal trend everywhere and I didn’t think I would get into it, but the large pyramid studs on this pair sealed the deal for me. I’m so glad I snapped them up because they are now sold out, but here are links to other awesome chunky sandals under the River Island brand on their official site and ASOS.

(Title of this post is a lyric from Strangelove by Depeche Mode.)

Strangelove: The Ultimate Depeche Mode Tribute Band in Concert!

Earlier this month, I attended a fantastic night of music at San Diego’s House of Blues with my sister Rholnna, and my best friend Janice, featuring three tribute bands: Only-U, a tribute to Kraftwerk; SIN, a tribute to Nine Inch Nails; and Strangelove, a tribute to Depeche Mode.

Unfortunately we missed Only-U, but I swear it was for a good reason! But we did catch SIN, and they were fantastic. They played the staples like Closer and Head Like a Hole, but it was good to hear them include NIN’s version of Joy Division’s Dead Souls.

The highlight of the evening was of course, seeing Strangelove. Prior to the show, we had the honor and privilege of interviewing the band (coming soon), which allowed us to have a backstage view like I’ve never had before.

STRANGELOVE is (left to right):

Jim Evans as “In The Fletch” – keyboards, sequencing, backing vocals, percussion
Freddie Morales as “Devotional Dave”– lead vocals, visuals, lighting design, sequencing
Brent Meyer as “Counterfeit Martin”– music director, keyboards, vocals, guitar, melodic, sequencing, percussion
David Sepe as “Alan Wildest” – keyboards, sequencing, backing vocals, percussion

With Janice and Rholnna backstage.

As a Devotee to the religion that is Depeche Mode, I must insist that you see Strangelove live. If you are a regular follower of my blog, you know how big of a fan I am Depeche Mode, and when I closed my eyes at the Strangelove show, I not only hear them, but I feel them. It is truly amazing how much they devote to not only sounding like them musically, but Freddie (“Devotional Dave”) and Brent (“Counterfeit Martin”) also use British accents to complete the authenticity. Since Dave is the main visual focus of the group, Freddie turns it up a notch by taking the audience through a history of Dave Gahan’s looks, like the fringed jacket in the Personal Jesus video, the white outfit from the World Violation Tour and Dave’s more current sleek suited look from the Delta Machine tour. Freddie truly does Dave’s live persona justice to the point where is it almost uncanny, not just with his near exact replication of Dave’s vocals, but by the way he dances and interacts with the audience. But really all of the members take their rightful place in their true-to-life rendering of when The Mode were a fabulous foursome. Jim (“In The Fletch”) may be in the back, but he is incredibly energetic with his tell-tale Andrew Fletcher glasses. I nearly cried when Dave (“Alan Wildest”) played a spot on version Somebody on piano and Brent had me breathless at how much he sounds like Martin Gore on his amazing renditions of Home and Somebody.

With Brent Meyer as “Counterfeit Martin” (Violator dress by Idil Vice, Some Great Reward clutch purse by Sugar Shox Crafts)

From one song to the next, their set list reads like the greatest Depeche Mode show that would ever be played, and the sold out crowd loved every minute of it! In my upcoming interview with the band, Brent explains that some of the sounds are authentically Depeche Mode, received from none other than Alan Wilder himself! Still need convincing? I’ve included their version of Get The Balance Right below from the HOB show.

I want to thank the gentlemen from Strangelove for taking the time to talk to me and especially to Brent for inviting me, Janice and Rholnna backstage to experience their live show. I hope you enjoy the pictures, and stay tuned for the upcoming interview post!

All live photos of SIN and Strangelove were taken by Rholnna Jiao.

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