MTV Newsroom › Depeche Mode

Lady Gaga's 'Judas' The Latest Pop Song To Take On Religion

Posted 3/31/11 3:30 pm EST by in Music


This week, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" was finally knocked off the top of the Billboard Hot 100, but the next single from Born This Way seems ready to appear and take its place in the pantheon of her great singles. The lyrics to the song leaked this morning (Thursday, March 31), and as the title suggests, the track uses a lot of religious imagery to get the point across.

And while this isn't the first time Gaga has indulged in lyrics that reference religion (in fact, "Born This Way" has plenty of allusions to a higher power), but it is one of the sharpest. It might even ruffle some feathers (especially the line "Your Bible won't save you"), which would associate "Judas" with some of the most faith-baiting tracks in recent rock history.

Kanye West, "Jesus Walks"
West has managed to antagonize just about everybody under the sun. However, he actually managed to bring people together with "Jesus Walks," as it helped welcome religion back into contemporary hip-hop. That all happened even though the lyrics could be taken as West comparing his journey through the rap world as not unlike the second coming of Christ himself.

Depeche Mode, "Blasphemous Rumours"
Even though the members of Depeche Mode have regularly stated that the lyrics to "Blasphemous Rumours" weren't meant to be anti-religion, it still got banned from quite a few radio stations for the chorus, "I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours/ But I think that God's got a sick sense of humor/ And when I die I expect to find Him laughing."

Joan Osborne, "One of Us"
Osborne's big breakout hit (written by Eric Bazilian of the Hooters) raised some eyebrows in 1995 because the chorus attempted to humanize God ("What if God was one of us?/ Just a slob like one of us?"). Though it seemed relatively safe, that didn't stop the head of the Catholic League from publicly condemning the song and accusing Osborne of "Catholic baiting."
Read More...

Tags , , , , , ,

Depeche Mode Express Devotion: Wake-Up Video

Posted 3/23/11 8:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


The fact that British electronic combo Depeche Mode have managed to thrive over the course of a three decade career is a testament to the songwriting prowess of Martin Gore and the indisputable charisma of frontman Dave Gahan. They first found success during the New Wave takeover of the pop charts, as their electronic masterpieces played well with the keyboard-kissed pop of the time. They soon took on goth leanings and explored darker, more complicated territory. Logically, they probably should have been swept into the afterthought box once alternative rock took over in the '90s, but instead the group continued churning out great music that was widely embraced by fans of all genres.

On this day in 1993, Depeche Mode put out Songs of Faith and Devotion, one of their finest collections. Recorded more "live" and with more guitars than any previous album the group had done, Songs of Faith and Devotion has a particular immediacy that had otherwise been lacking from the band's sound. The live quality of the music perfectly complimented Gahan's lyrics, which continued to tackle big questions about commitment and relationships using his haunting baritone as a vessel.

While Songs of Faith and Devotion didn't match the huge success of the band's previous album Violator (which contained the gigantic hits "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence"), it still topped the charts in both the U.S. and the U.K. and gave Depeche Mode another handful of hits, including lead single "I Feel You" and the edgy "Walking In My Shoes."


Tags ,

'Take Me Home Tonight' Parties With Duran Duran, Wang Chung

Posted 3/4/11 10:30 am EST by in Music


Now that the awards season is behind us, the film crop of 2010 can finally be put away in favor of the stuff on the horizon. This weekend features a whole batch of new flicks, and there are also plenty of great movies still kicking around at your local cineplex (including "Drive Angry," a totally kickass 3-D spectacular that deserves to be seen by more people). The movies opening this weekend include the animated adventure comedy "Rango" (which is directed by "Pirates of the Caribbean" helmer Gore Verbinski and stars Johnny Depp as the voice of a justice-seeking chameleon), the science-fiction romance "The Adjustment Bureau" (starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt), the oft-delayed "Beauty and the Beast" adaptation "Beastly" (featuring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer) and the much-buzzed-about Korean serial killer flick "I Saw the Devil." That's an embarrassment of riches.

But for big laughs and killer music cues, look no further than "Take Me Home Tonight," the new flick starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris that flashes back to a simpler time when Eddie Money ruled the airwaves and there was no limit to how big the hair could be. Naturally, a movie set during the neon decade is going to have some great throwback tracks, and the playlist below should put you in the right frame of mind. It features a collection of smash hits, some from titans (Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, David Bowie) and others from one-hit wonders (Wang Chung, Book of Love). But we kick things off with Human League's classic "Don't You Want Me," which was re-recorded for the movie by Brooklyn rock band Atomic Tom.


Tags , , , , ,

Elvis Presley Gets Hundreds Of Tributes: Wake-Up Video

Posted 1/13/11 8:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


Elvis Presley's birthday was last weekend, and had the legendary rock and roller not tragically passed away back in 1977, he would have turned 76 years old on Saturday (January 8th). Presley's influence and importance still looms large, as traces of his music can be found on modern rock, country, pop and even hip-hop.

But it isn't just about the music. Sure, Presley is responsible for some incredible songs that represent the cornerstones of rock music (including gems like "Jailhouse Rock," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Hound Dog," "Heartbreak Hotel" and countless others), but his draw is also about style, attitude and mystique. He left behind a legacy of envelope-pushing fashion, sexual politics and the kind of swagger that many artists have attempted to replicate but few have really gotten right.

So it's not entirely surprising that on this day in 2005, a report showed that Elvis Presley has had more songs written about him than any other artist in history (take that, Mozart). The list of over 220 songs included tracks like Paul Simon's "Graceland," U2's "A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel," Frank Zappa's "Elvis Has Left the Building," Dire Straits' "Calling Elvis" and Loudon Wainwright III's "Happy Birthday Elvis." But it missed plenty of other tunes, including Alannah Myles' chart-topping hit "Black Velvet," Neil Young's "He Was the King" and slightly more obtuse songs like Bush's "Everything Zen."

For many artists, Elvis clearly embodies a sort of ideal of American culture (for better or for worse). That's no clearer than in Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus," a track frontman Dave Gahan wrote after reading Priscilla Presley's book "Elvis and Me." It's a punchy way to start the day, and a great way to keep the King in mind.


Tags , ,

Swine Flu, Broken Bones And Busted Vocal Cords: The Rock Injury Report

Posted 8/13/09 10:47 am EST by in Music


One of the perks of being in a rock band is the opportunity to travel the world and entertain your fans in exotic locations. Of course, the downside of all that traveling is that you are susceptible to every nasty virus, bug and epidemic the globe has to offer, not to mention exhaustion and a good chance of serious injury.

And so, we give you a shockingly long list of the recent walking wounded.

» Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler: The 61-year-old front man of the veteran hard rockers took a tumble of a stage in South Dakota last week and though no official word has been given on what injuries he sustained, they are rumored to include a broken collarbone.

» Kasabian singer Tom Meighan: The leader of the techno-rocking British band has been quarantined after being diagnosed with swine flu in the midst of the band's current Far East swing.

» Placebo's Brian Molko: The gender-bending singer reportedly fainted onstage at the Summer Sonic show in Japan on Sunday and was carried offstage after suffering from an unexplained virus he picked up on the road.
Read More...

Tags , , , , , ,

Lollapalooza 2009 Friday Fan Favorites

Posted 8/8/09 3:43 pm EST by in Lollapalooza


by Steven Roberts

CHICAGO -- It's day 2 at Lollapalooza 2009, and despite the rain yesterday, the Chicago festival kicked off in style thanks to performances by Depeche Mode, Kings of Leon, Bon Iver and Crystal Castles. Today, the sun is out in full effect, so we decided to catch up with a few fans around Grant Park and ask what some of their favorite sets were from Friday. Not surprisingly for a festival that has everyone from Tool to Bon Iver on the bill, the answers were all over the place.

Speaking of Tool, a bunch of that dark rock band's fans were filing into the park as the gates opened, and they were dead-set on reserving their spot for tonight's headlining performance. Many of them were also fans of Depeche Mode, and they had rave reviews about that classic English synth pop band's headlining performance Friday night.

The Walkers traveled all the way from Vancouver, Canada, and they were happy they saw Depeche Mode perform. "Their new song 'Wrong' is just awesome," said John. His companion, Larissa added, "that was meant to be live."

The Kings of Leon co-headlined on the opposite end of the park, and there were just as many fans still buzzing about their performance. "It was really fun, everyone was singing along, dancing and it was a good time," said Danielle, who traveled with friends and family in a 13-hour car ride from New Jersey.

And finally there were the fans that watched Kid Cudi close the show at Perry's dance zone. Perry's is an area set up where DJ's can spin, essentially creating an all-day rave in the middle of the festival grounds. Grant and Nathan, both 16, said that they spent all 12 hours of their day there, and Kid Cudi capped off their amazing day. Nathan was still blown away - or on something, it was hard to tell.

"It was crazy, yo. He was unbelievable live," he said.

Tags , , , , , , , ,

The Hordes Crowd Into Lollapalooza

Posted 8/7/09 5:00 pm EST by in Lollapalooza


CAPTION_HERECHICAGO -- The fans in the front of the line at Lollapalooza's official start came from far and wide to land a choice spot for their favorite artists at one of North America's premiere music festivals. Oregon, Maine, London, Texas, Ontario, and France were just a few of the locales we saw represented up front, but the very front of the line was manned by two Depeche Mode superfans who came three hundred miles in order to stake out a spot right up front and they didn't plan on moving away from the main stage where DM was set to play all day long.

But they weren't the only pair brought to Grant Park by their love of the famous goth-rockers; just a little further back in line, a coed duo had just made acquaintances over their love of '80s legends Depeche Mode (and fellow '80s stalwarts Morrissey and The Cure), and they planned to buddy up in order to make it through their whole day parked in front of the main stage waiting for their faves to close out the night's festivities.

Kings of Leon proved to be the other crowd favorite in Friday's line-up, with every non-Depeche Mode fan in the crowd citing the now-superstar rockers as the band to see (DM and KOL play head to head against each other tonight on separate stages - should be interesting to see who draws the bigger crowd). Hipstery bands were also represented by the more fashionable types - with Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and The Decemberists all getting call-outs from the crowd.

Unfortunately, as the fans rushed in, so did the bad weather. It got dreary right as the music got right underway, and has been raining steadily since - setting up for a cool and relaxing day in front of the Chicago skyline.

Tags , , , , , ,

Depeche Mode Analyze Their Success In 1989 Interview

Posted 4/21/09 4:45 pm EST by in Lollapalooza


By Rya BackerAmerican Idol Top 7

As a production assistant, my duties on the 29th floor vary. A lot. So when it was confirmed this morning that Depeche Mode would be headlining Lollapalooza, I was brought back to a few weeks ago, when I did nothing for days but watch archived interviews with the British new-wave act — a task that had to be taken care of for MTV News Canada.

After watching hours upon hours of the band, or just the lead singer, Dave Gahan, talk about everything from fashion to their feelings on Erasure, I feel like I kind of know the guys, and there's so much to know about them. Let's just say their "Behind the Music" episode was deep — rife with drugs, bandmembers hating each other and subsequently quitting, and worlds of other gory rock-and-roll cliché details. But they've also sold more than 100 million records, and their sonic style is credited with influencing bands as diverse as Franz Ferdinand, Radiohead and Linkin Park.
Read More...

Tags ,

SPONSORS
AD:
©2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.