My Favorite Mode

Our internet is still very intermittent at home (due to flooded phone lines causing our DSL to act up), so my post about cape jackets will have to wait until the repairs to our lines happen later this week.  I’m on my little Nokia Booklet 3G with an LG wireless modem, and it doesn’t have any kind of photo editing program, so my ability to post a nifty pictorial is very limited.   What I will do is stay on my Depeche Mode/Alan Wilder high and post my all time favorite albums, songs, tours and rarities. 

Favorite album:  Some Great Reward

For all the reasons I’ve stated before, this is still by far my absolute favorite album.  This album solidified me as a fan, and provided  the soundtrack that justified all my reasons for feeling different at an age when conformity was forefront.  It also marked the first time I had seen the band live.

No other album juxtaposes the angst of personal religious struggle with sadomasochism like “Some Great Reward”.  The lyrics have some of the sexiest lines, and some of the most ironic.  The album also showcases the beginnings of how they started mastering their industrial yet fluid sound, which really was very metallic on “Construction Time Again” but became more organic with “Some Great Reward”.  I have an interview were they said that they would just walk around outside the studio recording sounds and manipulating them before running them through their synthesizers.

One of the songs that sort of hit me was the beautiful ballad “Somebody”.  The haunting acoustic piano with the street background noise only enhance the irony of the words.  The lyrics are quite sentimental and lovely, until the very end of the song:

But when I’m asleep
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me
And kiss me tenderly
Though things like this
Make me sick
In a case like this
I’ll get away with it

As I got older, the words of all of their songs started to really take on new meanings, only because I really started to understand exactly what they meant (I was a very naive 14-year-old).  Here are my favorite lines from various songs:

It’s a lot like life
This play between the sheets
With you on top and me underneath
Forget all about equality
 Let’s play master and servant

So lie to me
But do it with sincerity
Make me listen
Just for a minute
Make me think
There’s some truth in it

I don’t want to start
Any blasphemous rumours
But I think that God’s
Got a sick sense of humour
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing

Of course a line from “If You Want”, the only song on the album penned by Alan Wilder, became the quote that I would use time and time again:

Let tomorrow and today
Bring a life of ecstasy

Funny how that at the age of 14 this album became a defining musical moment in my life.  Was I really that complex at that time?  I’d like to think so.

Favorite Song:  World In My Eyes

I have many favorite songs from my favorite band, all of which would require its own top 20 list.  But when someone asks me to define what I think the “Depeche Mode” sound is, I don’t ask them to listen to “Enjoy the Silence” or “Personal Jesus”.  I don’t even ask them to listen to anything from “Some Great Reward” because that was just the beginning of their ever evolving sound.  I think the song that is quintessentially Depeche Mode is the song “World in my Eyes”.  Another very sultry song, it comes from their most popular album to date, “Violator”.  All of the songs on the album again juxtaposition religious overtones next to very sexual undertones.  The reason I think it’s the most “Depeche Mode” sounding song of their repertoire is because of the overall production, the rhythmic beat and the layering of sounds along with very seductive lyrics.  It’s upbeat yet dark, all at the same time.  Dave Gahan had truly honed his soothing voice by this album, so this song is just dripping with pure sensuality.  The best part is that you can dance to it.

As it is time that I tend to my son who is having trouble sleeping, I will tackle some of my other favorites in the next few posts.  Good night!

Next:  Favorite B Sides, Rarities, and tours

Never Let Me Down Again

I’m going to be on this Alan Wilder high for a little while longer.  I’m sorry if my blogs posts have become so Depeche Mode/Alan Wilder centric, but I guess I have to confess about how the fandom started in order for anyone to understand why this weekend was so important to me.

I remember when I first heard Depeche Mode.  I was in CCD class when I first heard about the station 91X back in 1983.  Someone had told me about this station because of my taste in music, so I started listening to it.  The first song I ever heard by Depeche Mode was “Everything Counts” and I thought it was a great song.  I saw the video and I really enjoyed their music.  When “People are People” came out the following year, I started to pay attention more and more.  I found out that they were an all synth band, and as a classically trained pianist, it was a band I could relate to because they played the same instrument that I did.  A whole band, all on keyboards?  Could it be true?

The fandom really didn’t kick in until the next album “Some Great Reward”.  It’s ironic that I had heard about 91X and Depeche Mode in CCD class because I really was trying to figure out what role religion was supposed to play in my life.  At the tender age of 13 going on 14, I had started to struggle with my relationship with God and Catholicism.  Then I heard “Blasphemous Rumours” and for whatever reason it spoke to me.  It let me know that I wasn’t the only one wondering about what it all meant.  There in lyrical and musical form was my struggle.  From then on, I had found my band. 

Luckily the following year, Depeche Mode toured to support “Some Great Reward”.  By some miracle, my friend Eileen and I were able to snag these incredibly hard to come by tickets.  They only opened up about a third of the San Diego Sports Arena because they were unsure of how well the tickets would sell.  We already purchased our tickets when they opened up a few hundred more seats, then those sold out almost instantly.  I didn’t realize then that this was the first time Depeche Mode had ever played in San Diego (April 1, 1985).  I still have the ticket stub that says the tickets were a mere $13.75.  My how times have changed!

I went on to see Depeche Mode eight more times, only missing “Tour of the Universe” last year because it was cancelled here in San Diego.  The only other member I had seen solo prior to seeing Alan Wilder this weekend was Dave Gahan for his “Paper Monsters” tour.  My biggest regret was missing the 1988 Rose Bowl concert that turned into the “101” movie.  I did see a show for the “Music For the Masses” tour, but the Rose Bowl concert was the one that almost any fan who was in the Southern California area was in attendance, except for me (it seemed at the time). 

Through it all, my favorite member had always been Alan Charles Wilder.  The oldest of the group, he is the only classically trained musician, so I related instantly with him.  I taught myself how to play “Somebody” on piano, among a number of other Depeche Mode songs.  I bought myself a drum machine and a Korg keyboard to write songs.  Much like people followed the Beatles, I followed Depeche Mode.  And much like people liked Paul McCartney or John Lennon, I liked Alan Wilder.  I had followed his career from all the way through Depeche Mode, and now to Recoil.

As you can see, this weekend was very important to me because it marked such a milestone in my fandom.  I had never tried too hard to try to meet Alan or any member of Depeche Mode because it was always an elusive idea.  When the opportunity presented itself the way it had this past weekend, it felt like fate.  This weekend was meant to happen, exactly the way it was supposed to, and it did not disappoint. 

So please pardon the interruption while I let this weekend’s experience sink in.

Photos 1, 2, and 3 are courtesy of the official Recoil Facebook page

Strange Hours: The Alan Wilder Experience

Sometimes one doesn’t have to plan for a spectacular event to happen. Sometimes it just happens because of synergy or karma. Sometimes it’s just pure luck, and sometimes it’s all about timing and opportunity.  Sometimes, it’s all of the above.

I had an unbeliveable day with my sister in meeting Alan Wilder and seeing his show “A Strange Hour” with Recoil and friends.  It started off with being the very first person in line at the M-Theory Music store signing (we got there and met up with my friend Rob and his friend, Todd at 2:30pm), winning the “dance-off” judged by Alan Wilder himself (music by DJ Edgartronic), then chatting with him briefly while getting many of my Depeche Mode and Recoil rarities signed.  The dance-off was quite funny because five people signed up, but I was the only who danced.  Alan remarked that I won not only because of the dancing, but because I was the only brave one to go up there and actually do it!

Winning the contest afforded me two tickets to the show, so I took my sister.  While still at the signing, Alan said that I need to be there because Anthology is such an intimate venue that he wanted to make sure I got up and danced to get the crowd going.  I said that since I won the contest that I had tickets, I would definitely be there.  After waiting for my sister, Rob and Todd and their signings, we exited M-Theory. 

Later that night, my sister and I went to the show at Anthology.  Because I won the contest, our seats were just five feet from the stage.  I’d never been to Anthology before, and it’s a very beautiful venue.  The night started with Conjure One, who did a pretty good set (this was my first time seeing them).  Then Alan Wilder himself came out to check out the crowd.  He scanned the front to see if there was any one he recognized, and pointed me out and said “I remember you from earlier!”  I got a couple of high-fives for the “shout out” from Alan, which just brought out the 16-year old in me all over again.  He then introduced Daniel Myer of Architect.  Alan encouraged people to please come down to the floor, as this set up was just too “sophisticated” and wanted to see people dance.  He also mentioned that the Architect set was cut short at the show the night before, so we would get the privilege of enjoying Daniel’s entire set (a little over 30 minutes long).  The Architect set mixed in some Depeche Mode samples which really got the crowd going.  It was a very strong proggy/industrial set, which I enjoyed. 

Of course, last but not least was Paul Kendall and Alan Wilder, who did a magnificent set from their new “Selected” album, which is a selection of classic Recoil songs that are remastered.  What surprised me the most about the set was just how much Depeche Mode was mixed in.  Songs that I remember the snippets of were “Never Let Me Down Again”, “Behind The Wheel”, “Walking in my Shoes” and the encore song that included “Personal Jesus”.  I guess I expected it to be strictly Recoil music, but one can never forget where Alan spent a big part of his musical career.

I felt that Alan was also so much more relaxed and grooved the entire concert, something I don’t recall seeing when he was with Depeche Mode (who I’ve seen at least eight times in concert since 1985).  Maybe it was the dynamics of the group at the time he was there, but Alan was in his element last night, enjoying every single moment of this musical journey he started well before he left Depeche Mode.  Additionally, Alan is just such a nice person.  He was so gracious judging the dance-off and so very sweet during the signing.  One always hopes for a great experience with someone they have admired and followed for so long, so the moment is even better when that person is as wonderful a person as Alan Wilder is.

All in all, it was a spectacular day.  I was so pleasantly surprised throughout the day by all the events that it made the day even better than I hoped it would be.  My inner-teenager was so thrilled to have had this opportunity to fulfill what seemed to be a lifelong dream.  I want to thank my sister, my friends Rob and Todd, M-Theory Music, Anthology, DJ Edgartronic and most of all, Alan Wilder for making this an experience I will not soon forget.

True Calling: Major Art

I entered this great contest by The Natori Company that I received today in my email.   Click on the picture for the Facebook link to enter the contest (you can also enter on Twitter).  My entry is in the quote below.  Good luck to those who enter!

Major Art

Choosing to have an art major was a difficult decision for me because as the daughter of Filipino immigrant parents, it was expected that I choose a different path, preferably something in the medical field like a nurse or doctor.  But luckily my parents understood that my calling was to choose a path less travelled by my friends and relatives and to choose a major of visual arts.  I’ve always been very creative, both musically and visually, so choosing an art major was natural for me. 

As a result, my time in college was one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life.  I was at my most creative, working with film,  video and music (I also became a choir director at my church).  It afforded me some incredible opportunities that I will never forget, like the many shows I got to work on for MTV; working with Toni Braxton on a made for TV movie for VH1 (“Play’d”); and most notably, working with Denzel Washington on a major motion picture (“Antwone Fisher”).

I’m currently in a different career that allows me to have time for a family (which was difficult when I was a free lancer for film and video production), but I do not regret at all the decision to have the chances and opportunities that I did as an art major.

Two Day Warning

I’m a big fan of indie-record stores and M-Theory Music is as indie as they come.  I love their selection of older vinyl records and CD’s mixed in with new and independent artists.  They even have 45’s, which is a rare find these days.  Located in Mission Hills, this award-winning store has listening stations which makes it a great place to listen before you purchase.  Since it’s near Hillcrest, one can head on over to grab a bite to eat or get a cup of coffee close by after a little music shopping. 

It’s Thursday and the Alan Wilder signing will be in two more days.  My husband and I went to M-Theory Music to scope out the area and see how this highly anticipated signing may play out.  I got a chance to chat with Rick, the manager at M-Theory, who stated that this is going to be a very popular event, with people coming down from LA and elsewhere (I know someone coming from Riverside).  There’s even going to be a dance off to win Recoil tickets.  Overall, it sounds like they are going to do what they can to make this a fun event for everyone.

I’ve already called my friend Eileen and my sister to let them know that we may have to get to the signing a bit earlier due to the size of the store and the location.  Either way, my excitement is starting to grow.  Friday will be spent thinking about what I’m going to bring for Alan to sign and what I’m going to wear.  Although I want to bring practically my whole collection, I’m going to have to narrow it down.  I’m taking lots of deep breaths for the next two days…*sigh*

Outfit:  Trilogy jacket; Tucker for Target dress; Zac Posen for Target belt; Jessica Simpson suede boots; Louis Vuitton Palermo PM purse; vintage cameo necklace, Old Navy tights

Photos by Deon Chen

(Note:  The title of this post is a play on the song entitled “Two Minute Warning” written by Alan Wilder when he was with Depeche Mode.  I’m sure some of you new that, right?)

Stick a Fork In It!

I’m breaking a bit from the fashion posts today to share one of my son’s firsts:  we bought him his first utensil set!  He’s used a spoon before, but this is Dominic’s very first fork and spoon set and his first “big boy” meal.  It’s amazing how fast they grow, so we’re always capturing his firsts. 

In the end, Dominic ditched the fork and spoon (and the rest of the meal) to pick up his fruit snacks.  Well, we tried.

(And for those who are wondering:  yes, that is a Juicy Couture bib.  Can’t completely escape fashion, now can I?)

Cameo Appearance

Aren’t cameos beautiful?  I own three (so far) and am always happy to add more to my collection whenever I come across a beautiful one.  Full of whimsy, they always remind me of the era of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth anyone?).  They are delicate and intricate, adding a vintage touch to any outfit.  I wore one for my “Military Luxe” outfit that I bought from Forever 21 (seen here), but I have an antique cameo that I got from my mom quite some time ago that can be worn as a brooch or a necklace (the one pictured above).

I’ve included a couple of cute cameo items I found on Modcloth that I will be adding to my collection (I’m such a fan of “Pride and Prejudice” that it’s funny the bracelet I found is called “Ms. Darcy”).  I just purchased a mini-lot of cameos on eBay (sparking the idea for this post).  Now that my cold has run its course and as soon as the weather permits, I guarantee that all of these cameos will accompany a few outfits on many a pictorial.

(Click on the Modcloth pictures for links to the items)

Buckle Up

Thinking about meeting Alan Wilder this Saturday (see the original post here) has sparked my inner goth again, so I’ve been loving everything buckled, lace & laced, strappy, chained, zippered and studded.  It started with seeing the Dolce Vita for Target boots while shopping for necessities for my son, and the hunting went from there.  Now I’m trying to think of what to wear for my fateful meeting with Mr. Wilder, not necessarily for him, but how I want to remember my day in pictures.  I’m definitely steering away from wearing the concert/Depeche Mode shirt to the signing because I don’t want to be “that guy/girl” (PCU:  “What’s this? You’re wearing the shirt of the band you’re going to see? Don’t be that guy.“). 

I’m sure my posts for the rest of this week will be infused with dark and gothic images as well as all things musical.  I’m so very excited for Saturday!  Not only will I get to meet a personal musical idol, but I’ll be surrounded by friends who were there to witness the lifelong fandom from day one until now. 

(Click on each picture for a link to the item)

eBay’s Lookbook Contest – Vote for Me!

I submitted this picture from the “Hearts & Flowers” post to eBay’s “Lookbook” contest.  Please vote for me by clicking on the picture or the link below, thank you!

http://ebaylookbook.com/look/sighgee-romantic/

(Note:  You can vote up to 5 times until October 31, 2010)

Very Grey & Lazy Saturday

It’s a bit cloudy today so I’m just at home with my son while my husband plays golf and my mom takes some time off from babysitting all week.  These kinds of days allow me to just play all day with my son, while doing a few chores in-between until the rest of my family ventures home.  It also allows me to do a little bit of on-line shopping and perusing through my magazines.  I just got my Urban Outfitters and Downeast Basics catalogs, a coupon from Bloomingdales and an email about Bona Drag’s newly updated website.  In addition, I still want a few things off of Lulus.com, so there’s plenty for me to look at around the web today.

Here are a few highlights I found, which seems to be heavy on black, white and grey (click on each picture for a link to the item).  Hope everyone is having a wonderfully lazy weekend as well!