Duran Duran Appreciation Day points to big things ahead

This year, Duran Duran Appreciation Day is focused on the future, namely the band’s 15th studio album, “Future Past.”

The annual holiday celebrating Duran Duran was bookended with big pieces of album news. The band released the second single from the album, “More Joy,” last week, as well as revealing the album’s track listing. On Thursday, a video for “More Joy” is due to be released.

In addition to first single “Invisible,” “More Joy,” and “Give It All Up” (which was performed by the band on “Today,” minus the vocals of singer Tove Lo), the album’s 12 tracks include some surprises. 

“Hammerhead” features a rapper, Ivorian Doll. The song with Bowie pianist Mike Garson is called “Falling.” And the contribution of Mark Ronson, save for possible collaborations on forthcoming bonus tracks, is limited to “Wing,” on which he co-writes and plays.

As for “More Joy,” the response has been positive. The curious inclusion of all-girl Japanese punk group Chai, in the end, seems spot on for the song. “More Joy” turns out to be a slice of pure Duran pop with just a sprinkle of Chai’s chants in the background. 

In addition to the “More Joy” video out this week, Duran posted a “Behind the Scenes” montage for DDAD. The short video includes clips of the band, guitarist Graham Coxon, and producer Erol Alkan in the studio, plus commentary from Coxon and Nick Rhodes. 

“It’s always good to give Duran Duran deadlines,” Rhodes says in the video. Indeed it is. “Future Past” is due out Oct. 22.

40th Duraniversary: Duran Duran’s debut album a new wave classic

Exactly 40 years ago, Duran Duran released its eponymous debut album, “Duran Duran.” 

The album introduced the Birmingham band to the world as New Romantics, a label Duran would soon shed. But the now-classic album is so much more: a new wave opening salvo with a touch of darkness that has inspired countless musicians over its four decades.

Hit singles “Planet Earth” and “Girls On Film,” with their unforgettable videos, are the album’s most recognizable moments. The second single, “Careless Memories,” and “Friends Of Mine” are high-energy tracks that became concert staples. 

But there is dark beauty lurking under the new wave sheen. “Anyone Out There?” and “(Waiting for the) Nightboat” almost veer into goth. “To the Shore” produces another deeper moment, though the track was removed from later pressings of the album in favor of the stand-alone single “Is There Something I Should Know?”

“Sound Of Thunder,” the first song the band wrote together shortly after joining forces with singer Simon Le Bon, rounds out side two of the album, along with “Tel Aviv.” A demo of the latter song, which ended up as a mostly instrumental track, shows a rock side of Duran the band may have decided was best kept hidden in the synth-centric ’80s. As for “Sound Of Thunder,” the fact that Duran wrote the song straight out of the gate truly shows that the band was meant to be.

There really isn’t a bad track on “Duran Duran.” Here’s to 40 years of this classic album, and to many more 40th anniversary celebrations to come.

Single review: Duran Duran unleashes 'Invisible' with eye toward future, past

Duran Duran has been going big for more than 40 years, and the band shows no sign of stopping with new single "Invisible."

The song, from the forthcoming "Future Past" that's set for release Oct. 22 via Tape Modern/BMG, is one of 12 album tracks, plus three bonus tracks. Two more of the album's song titles revealed by band members so far are "All of You" and "Can't Say That It's Love," both purportedly featuring Bowie pianist Mike Garson.

But "Invisible" is the only song to have surfaced thus far, and its whispered intro may be the only quiet thing about it. The members of Duran, behind producer Erol Alkan, form a wall of sound with Nick Rhodes' funky keyboards, John Taylor's slap bass, and Roger Taylor's powerful electro drums. Graham Coxon's guitar stabs are at times reminiscent of early Andy Taylor. 

Among modern-day Duran albums, the sound falls somewhere between the slickly produced electro pop of "Paper Gods" and the more organic "All You Need Is Now." But whatever sound Duran decides to go for, the be-all-end-all is Simon Le Bon's voice. 

Whether the music on "Future Past" is an identifiable as Duran as Le Bon's vocals remains to be seen. For his part, Alkan promises that the songs he has produced capture the "spirit and dynamic" of Duran "as I know them now, or as I remember them whilst growing up." 

"Invisible" is backed by a spooky new video by AI "director" Huxley, touted by the band as the "first collaboration of its kind between artists in different planes of existence."

Next up, the Billboard Music Awards, where the band shares the bill with acts like BTS and Pink. This album cycle, apparent grabs for younger listeners have been accompanied by an array of physical products like colored vinyl aimed squarely at its target audience. 

This time out, Duran Duran seems to be truly straddling the line between its future and its past.

At top, "Future Past" album artwork (Tape Modern/BMG)

Read more

Duran Duran’s long-awaited single materializes May 19; ‘Future Past’ album due in October

New music by Duran Duran is finally coming into focus, with the single “Invisible” ready to drop and the band’s new album, “Future Past,” expected out this fall. 

The band has been sharing bits of the song on radio and social media since announcing its upcoming performance at the Billboard Music Awards. One of those brief snippets aired at the end of the two-part “Duran 40” show on BBC Radio 2. Zoe Ball is set to premiere the single in full on Radio 2 on Wednesday.

Details of the band’s new album were revealed after a virtual meet and greet with bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor on Friday presented by BMG. The 12-track “Future Past” is set to be released in October. The studio album, Duran’s 15th, will be the band’s first album in six years. “Paper Gods” was released by Warner Bros in 2015.

Mark Ronson, who lent his production to “Paper Gods,” is back in the fold, as well as fellow producers Erol Alkan and the legendary Giorgio Moroder. The band has also enlisted singer Lykke Li and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon.

Early reports suggest an outsize role by Coxon on the album. He appeared in photos with the four Durans outside Hammersmith Odeon in London last week. He’ll also join the band for the “live premiere” of “Invisible” performed remotely from London and airing during the Billboard Awards broadcast on May 23.

A video for “Invisible” is also imminent. Duran shared a clip from the video on Twitter that seems to follow the ghost-like theme of the single artwork (above). The band also revealed the album artwork ahead of its availability for preorder.

Fans couldn’t be happier with the acceleration of “Durantime.” Since the release of “Paper Gods,” there has been no new music, save for a cover of David Bowie’s “Five Years” released earlier this year. COVID-19 had slowed down progress on the album for Duran, whose recording process involves writing together in the studio. The lingering effects of the pandemic and the cancellation of most of the band’s concerts this summer had raised worries that any new releases would be put off anew.

But come Wednesday, Duranies at long last will be listening to a new single in full and looking forward to a new album in about five months’ time. I’m happy to share in the excitement … and share my review of “Invisible” later this week!

2020 was a dark year for music, but there were bright spots

Early in 2020, it looked to be a dazzling year for live music.

Bands like the Strokes, the Psychedelic Furs, and Duran Duran were planning to deliver long-awaited studio albums, with tours likely to follow. By March, around the time COVID-19 took hold in the U.S., there were already tours announced by the likes of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and dates by the reunited Bauhaus (we had tickets for both). Early in the year, I’d already seen two concerts, one by 69 Eyes and another by The Reverend Horton Heat with the Buttertones.

But live music soon came to a screeching halt amid the global pandemic. Bands like Duran Duran shelved their albums. Others went ahead with their releases, giving music fans much-needed hope during a dark time.

These are some of the great albums of 2020:

The Psychedelic Furs could have waited another year; after all, the band’s previous studio album came out nearly 30 years ago. But the Furs finally delivered “Made of Rain.” The band couldn’t back the critically lauded album with live shows, but the music will be just as fresh when a return to the stage is possible. Read the review.

The Strokes ended a seven-year hiatus with “The New Abnormal,” and there wasn’t a more fitting album for its time. The New York band combined all its classic sound with a dose of ’80s flair: the track listing included writing credits for Billy Idol and the brothers Butler (of the Furs). The Strokes released a batch of stunning videos, launched a Zoom series, performed on “Saturday Night Live,” and earned their first Grammy nomination. Read the review.

The Buttertones released ”Jazzhound,” showing all the promise that had propelled them to their status as perpetual up-and-comers. About three months later, the Los Angeles band imploded amid allegations of sexual abuse (Read more). Some fans declared the band unfairly canceled, but the silence of lead singer Richard Araiza only raised questions. After more than a month, he and guitarist Modeste Cobian released a video statement on Instagram. The duo’s denial of wrongdoing and promise of a comeback in 2021 mostly failed to resonate with the band’s core fans. 

Also in 2020: Muzz, a “supergroup” led by Interpol vocalist Paul Banks, released a self-titled effort, its debut no less. When he couldn’t tour, Nick Cave recorded the haunting “Idiot Prayer,” alone with a piano at Alexandra Palace. The Damned tided fans over with “The Rockfield Files” EP. Read the review.

As for Duran, the band wants to support any new release with live shows. While that’s not possible now, at least in a conventional way, Duran opted to largely stay quiet in 2020. John Taylor delivered an entertaining round of bass tutorials and interviews after recovering from COVID. Simon Le Bon also endured a bout with the virus and carried on with his Spotify podcast. Optimistically, the band has announced live shows for next summer.

Along with an annual list of top live shows, I also won’t be compiling Duran Duran’s top moments of the year for the first time since 2011. If Duran's 2021 concerts are able to take place, its 15th studio album may finally materialize. But it appears that a true 40th anniversary celebration for the band may be falling by the wayside due to COVID. 

True, there are more important things than music in these times. But it sure would have been nice to have had one more bright spot during a dismal 2020. 

New record review: The Damned 'The Rockfield Files'

The Damned must be feeling nostalgic of late.

First, the British punk icons released a new EP, "The Rockfield Files." It's described as a "return to the scene of the crime," Rockfield studios, where the band's groundbreaking "The Black Album" was recorded some 40 years ago. The four-song collection promptly debuted at No. 1 on the British vinyl singles chart.

A few days later, the Damned did something that some expected would never happen: The band got its original lineup back together with plans for a U.K. reunion tour.

While "The Rockfield Files" (Spinefarm) is a nod to the band's past, the EP continues in the vein of modern-day Damned music. 

Opening track "Keep 'Em Alive" is a bad ass track about the modern-day plight of the bumblebee. One can imagine "Manipulator" to be about the president of the U.S., at which several lyrics on the band's 2018 album "Evil Spirits" were also squarely aimed. "The Spider and the Fly," perfectly delivered by singer Dave Vanian, is about the seductive dance between predator and prey. And "Black is the Night" appeared on the band's recent career-spanning compilation of the same name. 

The lineup for "The Rockfield Files," recorded last year, included Vanian, founding guitarist Captain Sensible, "Black Album"-era bassist Paul Gray, longtime keyboardist Monty Oxymoron, and now-former drummer Pinch.

The lineup will look a little different next summer, pandemic permitting. The four original Damned, Vanian, Sensible, Brian James and Rat Scabies, held a socially distanced press conference, the first in the U.K., to announce the reunion. The tour presumably will be only for five shows.

Sensible isn't likely to want to play second fiddle to James on guitar for more than those few gigs. But there's a tantalizing possibility that Scabies could fill the band's permanent opening on drums. Scabies has expressed a desire to get back with the band and even collaborates with Gray in Professor and the Madman.

Whatever the future holds, it's great that the Damned have a chance to reunite the original band. From there, one can imagine a version of the band touring the world in late 2021 or 2022. Hopefully, Gray will be there ... and maybe even Scabies. 

The sad saga of the Buttertones: #MeToo allegations and a band's demise

It has been almost two months since the Buttertones, a band that once had so much promise, instead imploded under the weight of sexual misconduct allegations.

It started with a single story about what seemed like a consensual encounter between the band’s bassist, Sean Redman, and a female fan on Instagram. It wound up with a band unraveling, one member being fired and two others quitting, the Buttertones’ label dropping the band, and then a disappearing act: first by the band on social media, then by most of its music off streaming services.

Some fans have declared the band unfairly canceled. Some are vowing to listen to the music regardless of the accusations. Others have stopped listening, permanently or at least for now. But everyone can agree that the Buttertones, instead of an up-and-coming band, are now a cautionary tale.

The sad saga of the Buttertones is a story about not just the band, but about Clem Creevy, Ava Hawk McDean, and many others.

After an Instagram account titled “Exposing the Buttertones” posted the story about Redman, others flowed in. The stories detailed accusations of sexual abuse in many cases and alleged misconduct in others, and the accounts were mostly anonymous.

Then Clem Creevy shared a brave account of her relationship with Redman, her former bandmate in Cherry Glazerr. The bassist initiated a sexual relationship with Creevy when she was just 14, falling solidly into the category of statutory rape. According to Creevy, Redman gave her a sexually transmitted infection and was a cheater and an abuser. The woman who made the initial allegation against Redman on Instagram had said that he didn’t ask her age or tell her that he had an STI before they had sex, which jibed with Creevy’s account.

Once the respected indie-rock frontwoman posted her story, the fallout was swift. The Buttertones offered a one-sentence statement on Instagram saying that Redman was no longer in the band. The remaining band members, save for singer Richard Araiza, posted their own more sincere statements.

Guitarist Modeste Cobián apologized for not speaking up sooner but denied the allegations against him. Keyboardist and sax player London Guzmán left the band, vowing to donate future royalties from the band to support women. Drummer Grant Snyder also called it quits. Innovative Leisure, the Buttertones’ label, dropped the band and soon removed their music from Spotify. Somewhere along the line, social media accounts for the band and various members were deactivated.

During all of this, there has been one constant: the silence of Araiza, who maintains an active Instagram account but hasn’t responded to the allegations. Privately, in messages detailed by fans, Araiza assured them that he’d post a statement soon. Almost two months later, we’re still waiting.

The Buttertones came into my life in 2017. I wrote blog posts praising the band, even declaring them "the next big thing.” I saw the band twice with guitarist Dakota Böttcher, a key member of the band who quit under somewhat mysterious circumstances last year. 

But things never really materialized for the Buttertones. Since the allegations surfaced about Redman, as well as Araiza and Cobián, fans have speculated about what role the band’s long-rumored behavior may have played in their trajectory.

The accusations against other band members centered on abuse, sexual and otherwise, and were mostly anonymous. The singer of the Aquadolls, Melissa Brooks, posted her story about an encounter with Araiza, but it seemed to stop short of sexual assault. 

Anyone who had doubts about Araiza’s character got some certainty when former girlfriend Ava Hawk McDean posted an account of her time with the singer. She broke her silence a couple of weeks after the band’s demise. According to his girlfriend of two years, Araiza was verbally abusive; transferred cocaine into her mouth, breaking her sobriety; and threatened her against speaking out after the two broke up.

Her account did not accuse the singer of assault specifically but was a tale of alleged abuse and poor character. Without hearing Araiza’s side of the story, followers of the band are left with questions and frustrations.

The Buttertones appear to be "no more," as fans have quoted Araiza as saying. The band isn't the first musical act to face misconduct allegations, and its music could still live on. But the band might be among the first to be done in by #MeToo allegations.

I'll still listen to the Buttertones. But with so many questions unanswered, it will be difficult to go back to earlier this summer, "a time when everything was fine." 

****

Epilogue (February 2024): The Buttertones, nearly derailed by the 2020 allegations and with only two members left from its previous incarnation, are releasing new music again and recently played a string of live shows.

At top, this illustration by Jordan Wright (@robbersden) depicts the Buttertones in better times. The band's latest album, "Jazzhound," was released in April. About three months later, #MeToo allegations brought the band's seeming demise.