Niki N. Phaser

           Ladytron are one of those bands that seem to engage in a world of their own, that have such a well-defined sound that it’s impossible for their music to ever be outdated. Sure, we can call them synthpop or new wave or synth punk or whatever, but we all (those familiar with the band) know that labeling them is nothing but a convention. Any of Ladytron’s albums could testify for that, but I have to admit that Witching Hour has something slightly more mythical to it, maybe because you can find the band’s best stuff on it. Destroy Everything You Touch is, of course, the first to come to mind, but you can’t leave out Beauty *2 or the eerie good mood of White Light Generator.

             International Dateline has an unique sense of immediacy, while being as melancholic as lovers saying goodbye in the wintertime. The punkish beat will make you expect someone singing “Here comes Johnny, he’s gonna do another striptease”, but that’s just one of Ladytron’s area of expertise: raw energy administrated through delicate means. This track will make you think of endings, but endings you don’t want to end. Facing the silence at the end of these four minutes is always desolating.

LET’S END IT HERE

…suffice to say that Muse were never “the cool band to like right now”, they never made trendy music but managed in the decade since their first album’s (Showbiz) release to become an important name in modern rock history. Maybe it’s because, unlike, for example, the current army of new bands with the same haircut and the same music, Muse became a band because they had a musical vision they needed to express and not just to be cooler than the other kids from their high school. And, in the future, when they’ll close the books, The Resistance will be a chapter that holds its piece to Origin of Symmetry or Absolution.

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Even though they have recently released their second single from Sounds of the Universe, entitled Peace, things on the Depeche Mode front are not that peaceful. Their overanticipated Tour of the Universe, announced in the fall of 2008, has been so far… well, jinxed. First, they had to take a break, one gig in, because singer Dave Gahan fell ill with was prooved to be a tumor in his bladder. Because of this, they had to cancel a show in Greece, twenty minutes before coming on stage, which resulted in a mini riot. Then followed another seven shows in Eastern and Southern Europe and Turkey, that were finally cancelled, the band being able to save one in Croatia and several in Germany and England. Despite having two breaks in their tour agenda, one in July and one in September, the eight shows were not rescheduled, apparently because they were open air gigs. As if this wasn’t enough, recently there’s been some controversy related to tickets for their German dates. Scalpers seem to have hit gold, as tickets to their sold-out arena shows in Germany resurfaced, of course, overpriced. The phenomenon took such proportions that legendary concert promoter, Marek Lieberberg is urging fans to no longer buy secondary market tickets.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR DEPECHE MODE’S Peace