The Recent Accomplishments of David J
Original Post Date: 24 June 2011
Retooled: 13 November 2012
You might know David J as the aloof bassist for Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, but the bloke's been quite busy on his own for many years.
I'll be focusing on his more recent exploits in this post - but, for the record, if you haven't heard David J fly solo yet, look up The Etiquette of Violence and/or Glass, a brilliant singles compilation.
Now, in the past few years or so, David J has been supremely busy. He's written musical scores for two stage plays, including the cult hit The Chanteuse and the Devil's Muse, and even dropped a new LP last year - Not Long For This World. As the title suggests, it's a concept album - an "accidental" one, according to David himself - that explores death from several perspectives, often specific ones (case in point - "Hank Williams to the Angel of Death"). Not Long utilizes a range of styles, too, from jovial cabaret to moody narratives to sweet acoustic.
That variation, coupled with David's compelling storytelling, is just what makes this album so genius. "Spalding Gray Can't Swim" is so magnificent that it's positively cathartic, while "Dress Sexy At My Funeral" conveys a charming romance with a delightful (albeit slightly indecent) twist. "Eulogy for Jeff Buckley", however, might be the most devastating track on Not Long, as David J relates with painful honesty and visceral imagery his memory of Jeff Buckley's passing, as a terse violin sputters erratically in the background. It's powerful stuff.
To purchase Not Long For This World, you may order the album as either physical CD or a digital download - both $15 - at Starry Records.
I'll be focusing on his more recent exploits in this post - but, for the record, if you haven't heard David J fly solo yet, look up The Etiquette of Violence and/or Glass, a brilliant singles compilation.
Now, in the past few years or so, David J has been supremely busy. He's written musical scores for two stage plays, including the cult hit The Chanteuse and the Devil's Muse, and even dropped a new LP last year - Not Long For This World. As the title suggests, it's a concept album - an "accidental" one, according to David himself - that explores death from several perspectives, often specific ones (case in point - "Hank Williams to the Angel of Death"). Not Long utilizes a range of styles, too, from jovial cabaret to moody narratives to sweet acoustic.
That variation, coupled with David's compelling storytelling, is just what makes this album so genius. "Spalding Gray Can't Swim" is so magnificent that it's positively cathartic, while "Dress Sexy At My Funeral" conveys a charming romance with a delightful (albeit slightly indecent) twist. "Eulogy for Jeff Buckley", however, might be the most devastating track on Not Long, as David J relates with painful honesty and visceral imagery his memory of Jeff Buckley's passing, as a terse violin sputters erratically in the background. It's powerful stuff.
To purchase Not Long For This World, you may order the album as either physical CD or a digital download - both $15 - at Starry Records.