JMG Top Ten For 2014

For the second year in a row, my favorite track of the year is by out and openly HIV+ singer/songwriter John Grant, whose collaboration with Hercules & Love Affair spawned a gorgeous modern dance video interpretation of Grant's tale of coming out positive to a lover. Culled from my Spotify playlists, here's my top ten for 2014.

1. John Grant - I Try To Talk To You
2. The 2 Bears - Not This Time
3. Duke Dumont - I Got U
4. Perfume Genius - Queen
5. Royksopp & Robyn - Monument
6. SBTRKT - New Dorp, New York
7. Clean Bandit - Rather Be
8. Dave Aude w/Andy Bell - Aftermath
9. Le1f - Boom
10. Bright Light Bright Light - I Believe

My 2013 list is here, my 2012 list is here. Let us know what your favorites for 2014 have been.

MORE FAVORITES:
Sufjan Stevens - A Little Lost
Erasure - Elevation
Aphex Twin - Minipops 67

LONDON: Subway Erasure Singalong

Via the BBC:

A fan of Erasure sparked an impromptu singalong on the London Underground with his own version of the band's A Little Respect. Neil Francis, who sings at venues around Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was waiting at the Kentish Town station when he decided to break into song. "I love the sound of the acoustics in the tube station, so I thought 'give it some'," he said. "It went mental, and got louder and louder." Mr Francis, who admitted having had a couple of drinks to "wet the whistle", said people asked him to carry on singing once they got on the train.

636K views so far. Hit the link for an interview with him.

Erasure - Reason

This is the second single from The Violet Flame, which is now available. Their current tour concludes in Manhattan on December 30th and 31st at Terminal 5.  Erasure first entered the US charts 29 years ago with Who Needs Love Like That, which peaked at #8. The first single from the new album, Elevation,  peaked last month at #3.

Erasure - Paradise

Erasure's new album debuts on Tuesday and today the full album is streaming on USA Today. One track jumps out from their review:

"I love that Eurotrance sound," Bell says. "It was another one of those uplifting songs." Paradise also has that sound, perhaps something Giorgio Moroder would have imagined. "I really love all his work with Donna Summer," Bell says. "I love the feeling of those arpeggiated synths, rhythms just going on. Or the sequences going on and vocal on top. That's sublime. Especially with Donna. She reached her peak with that. That was the idea behind Paradise. I was channeling Donna quite a bit — and Grace Jones, as well."

Sounds a bit more Cerrone than Moroder to me, especially the album version. Erasure plays DC this weekend and concludes the current tour in New York City on New Year's Eve.

Erasure - Elevation (BT Remix)

This is the first single from their coming album, The Violet Flame, due next month. (Tipped by JMG reader Warren)

Andy Bell: Torsten, The Bareback Saint

This week Erasure frontman Andy Bell released his fourth solo album, which carries the provocative title Torsten, The Bareback Saint. Reviewers are raving about the album's unusual premise.

This album, to be performed live at the Edinburgh Festival from 5-16 August, is possibly Bell’s finest vocal outing. Strong and well-tuned, his voice is nothing short of superb and the songs, written by Barney Ashton (lyrics) and Christopher Frost & Simon Bayliss (music), are perfect for him. Where Torsten excels and succeeds is in his ability for each track to be heard individually and to still sound relevant. Torsten is currently 108 years old, sort of. A polysexual teenager throughout most of his life he has a vibrant body with the mind of a withering soul. The tale of this Dorian Gray-esque character sees his many lovers, male and female, slowly abandon him and die.  It can be crude at times, but that is often a strength as Torsten recalls various scenarios from his past. Although tracks such as Freshly Buggered, Vagina and Mobile Fucked are renamed or shortened for the track listing it takes nothing away from the power and feeling behind the tale. Fountain Of Youth sees Bell in fine fettle as he co-habits with a prostitute until she leaves on Torsten’s motorbike. As I Prepare To Take My Life is a heart-wrenching album closer and This Gay Thing Isn’t Working sees Torsten battle with his sexuality. Torsten The Bareback Saint is as ground-breaking as it is entertaining and a remarkable piece of work.

Yesterday the Herald Scotsman published a quite revealing interview with Bell about living with HIV and his 30 years in Erasure, whose next album, The Violet Flame, will be released next month. Erasure's US tour launches in Miami on September 12th and concludes at Terminal 5 in New York City on December 30th and 31st. Below is a clip from Torsten.

RELATED: This week Bell tops Billboard's dance chart with his collaboration with producer Dave Aude. The single, which was the most-heard track at this year's Bear Week, is Bell's first US #1 since Erasure topped the same chart in 2005 with Breathe.

Erasure Previews New Album

Erasure has released the below teaser for their coming album, The Violet Flame, which will be released in September. There are no NYC dates on the supporting tour, but the duo will play DC, Boston, and Atlantic City. The Violet Flame will be their 16th studio album, not counting compilations, EPs, and greatest hits packages. To date Erasure has charted 26 singles in the UK's Top 20. In the US they've landed three hits on the pop Top 20 and 16 of their releases have gone Top 10 on the dance chart.

UPDATE: JMG reader John points out that Erasure does have two NYC dates at the very end of the year. Terminal 5 on December 30th and 31st.

Dave Aude Feat. Andy Bell - Aftermath

Erasure - Gaudete (Dave Aude Remix)

The single and seven remixes are on iTunes today.

HomoQuotable - Andy Bell

"When I was tested for the second time and found out I was HIV positive, I thought my world was going to collapse and cave in but thankfully this test actually saved my life. The sooner you find out whether you are positive (or negative), the sooner you can start your combination therapy and get the virus under control and live your life normally." - Erasure vocalist Andy Bell, speaking in support of Britain's National HIV Testing Week. Bell learned he is HIV+ in 1998.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Snow Globe, the new holiday album from Erasure which is on sale today online and at physical retailers nationwide.

Enter to win Snow Globe from Erasure! Snow Globe - the stunning holiday album from the beloved English duo, Erasure. Produced by Erasure, Gareth Jones and Richard X, Snow Globe is a collection of original compositions and seasonal classics. The first single, "Gaudete," is Erasure's take on the traditional Latin carol, which will be recognizable by many after Steeleye Span's version in the early 70s. Amazon review: Snow Globe is a combination of original Erasure songs and Christmas cover songs. Unlike the bells and whistles, glitter and tinsel sets that crowd the market come Christmas-time, Snow Globe is possessed of something more in the wistfully, strangely subdued celebratory mould of recent seasonal albums by Tracey Thorn and Kate Bush.

We have three copies of Snow Globe to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post and please remember to leave an email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Erasure Posts New Album Snow Globe To YouTube In Its Entirety

Erasure's coming holiday album, Snow Globe, was today posted to YouTube in its entirety. While the album primarily contains standards such as Silver Bells and White Christmas, the opening track below is an Erasure original and includes the lyric, "I don't believe in your religion."

Erasure - Gaudete

ET Online has a review:

Created in collaboration between Erasure's Andy Bell and Vince Clarke with Martin Meunier -- whose work includes Tim Burton's James and the Giant Peach and 2009's Coraline -- the stop animation video has a very Nightmare Before Christmas feel fitting for the season, which fans of Burton's dark and quirky style are sure to love. The first single Gaudete is Erasure's take on the traditional Latin carol, which many will recognize after Steeleye Span's version in the early 70s.

Erasure's holiday album, Snow Globe, is out November 11th.

First Listen: Vince Clark + Martin Gore

Instrumental electronica from two titans of the genre. More here. Purchase. (Via - Allure Of Sound)

Erasure + Depeche Mode = VCMG

Two of my favorite musicians have collaborated for a new release.

After 30 years working on their respective ongoing music projects, Vince Clarke (Erasure/Yazoo/Depeche Mode) and Martin L. Gore (Depeche Mode) come together for the first time since 1981 as VCMG to release a brand new album preceded by a series of EPs. VCMG is the fruit of initially tentative discussion and subsequent enthused collaboration where Vince and Martin, both influential as pioneers in electronic music, get to exercise their lifelong love of the genre as the techno-inspired VCMG.

First to be released will be an EP titled Spock, which will be available through Beatport beginning November 30th.

RELATED: Erasure's latest single, Be With You, is out today. Check out the entries in the contest for the best fan-created video to support the single.

Erasure - Be With You

This first cut on Erasure's just-released 14th album is the best thing they've done since the early 90's. And that's coming from an obsessive fan. Cannot wait for the remixes, which should be epic.

Erasure - When I Start To

The Great British Synth Documentary

It took me half the day to watch this fantastic 2009 documentary because it kept sending me spinning off into Wikipedia and YouTube holes. It's a bit strange that so many of the records that I thought was randomly picking out of the import 45s bin turned out to be such groundbreaking and influential tracks. And most of them I purchased unheard, usually basing my decision on the label, the producer, and most often - the hairstyle. I missed my calling.

New From Erasure

The single is streaming here. Definitely a different sound.

Erasure Announces U.S. Tour

Erasure will launch a U.S. tour this fall in support of their coming 14th full-length studio album, Tomorrow's World. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

August 31st Tampa, FL The Ritz Ybor
September 2nd Orlando, FL House of Blues
September 3rd Atlanta, GA Center Stage
September 4th Asheville, NC Orange Peel
September 6th Washington, DC 9:30 Club
September 7th Washington, DC 9:30 Club
September 8th Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
September 10th Boston, MA House of Blues
September 11th Toronto, ON Sound Academy
September 13th New York, NY Terminal 5
September 14th New York, NY Terminal 5
September 16th Chicago, IL Congress Theatre
September 17th Chicago, IL Congress Theatre
September 18th Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
September 20th Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Theatre
September 21st St. Louis, MO The Pageant

Above is the first half of the tour, hit the top link for the full list of concert dates.