Desert Island Discourse

Episode 39: Depeche Mode


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Wellp, it finally happened—Max is officially an old maid. And in a desperate attempt to fend off thoughts of her own mortality, she's looking as far back as possible, to her very first favorite band: Depeche Mode. 
Depeche Mode has always been the kind of band that inspired fervent devotion, which is apparent in the fans that take over their Facebook account and the rabid crowds that still pack arenas to see them. But they're also a band that became defiantly less accessible over time, starting with a sugary sweet synth pop album (courtesy of a pre-Erasure Vince Clark) and evolving over the course of two decades into a dark, pseudo-industrial act with impeccably arranged songs about addiction, suicide, and S&M. So, the perfect band for an 11 year old kid to obsess over.
Of course, one's taste can change a lot after 19 years, and Andrew's exposure to the band amounts to his Dad's poorly assembled copy of one of their least popular albums. Will they come to their own personal Jesus? Or decide to enjoy the silence instead? Also: The Residents play Ed Sullivan, God dies again, and we discover the albums that shook Polish rock.
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Desert Island DiscourseBy Desert Island Discourse