The News Of The Day

Duncan Sheik is releasing a remix of his 80s covers album in case you didn't get enough the first time around. The painfully-obviously-titled Covers Eighties Remixed is out next week and is now available for pre-order. His voice seems well-suited for the synth-era so it should be interesting. Duncan is also touring. Details below.

Official Site | Amazon MP3 | iTunes | Tour

My Convictions Could Not Lie

Next week Tony-winning artist Duncan Sheik is releasing an album of 80s covers including tunes from The Smiths, Depeche Mode, The Cure, etc. Not usually a fan of covers albums, but Nada Surf changed that all for me with last year's stellar If I Had a Hi-Fi. Should be interesting to hear what Sheik does with these dark synthy classics.

Check out his cover of New Order's Love Vigilante here.

Updated:The album was released today. Download it(iTunes).

Peace and Joy Be With Them

Evidently his fine work on Spring Awakening has awakened a whole new Duncan Sheik. American Psycho will be a musical and Sheik is the man to make it so. Kudos if he can pull it off without sounding ridiculous.

All Shall Know the Wonder of Purple Summer

Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening a movie?!

McG is in talks to bring the Broadway rock musical "Spring Awakening" to the big screen, developing it with original book and lyrics writer Steven Sater.

McG is attached to direct and would act as a producer.

The project is not yet set up at a studio, though McG's Wonderland Sound and Vision has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. McG may opt not to go the studio route in order to make a more intimate, or indeed an edgier, movie version.

Sure, why not? It's a great story but an even better musical. Hopefully they'll retain Sheik's outstanding contributions on celluloid.

Buy the original Broadway cast recording:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
Amazon.com

You're Fucked If You Speak Your Mind

As promised, here are the purchase links for Duncan Sheik's new album Whisper House.

iTunes
Amazon MP3
Amazon.com

From allmusic.com review:

It can be broken up into small, digestible pieces — the ten tunes are either delicate folk numbers or surprisingly sprightly pop tunes — and it can be appreciated as a concise collection of catchy straightforward songs that build upon each other. Indeed, among Sheik's albums this ranks among the best, showcasing his subtle skills and sense of quiet adventure in ways his sometimes fussy earlier records never did.

Related: I had the privilege of seeing Spring Awakening at the Des Moines Civic Center this weekend. Duncan Sheik wrote the music for this musical, which went on to win 8 well-deserved Tony Awards. The 19th century German coming-of-age story was appropriately melodramatic to warrant its own rock musical. Sheik (along with lyricist Steven Sater) ably created the sonic masterpiece that could hold the weight of the material while being accessible enough to have it resonate on such an intimate and emotional level. The music teeters from ethereal folk pop to punk as the mood fits, the range of which is well handled by the cast of kids with an obscene amount of talent. Christy Altomare and Kyle Riabko are especially brilliant as the leads (and are both already somewhat accomplished musicians), but judging from the abilities of the other players, seemingly any one of them could step it up and fill in at any given time. The amount of talent represented on that one stage was staggering. I highly recommend you see Spring Awakening given the chance.

See if Spring Awakening is coming to you soon.

Buy the original Broadway cast recording:

iTunes
Amazon MP3
Amazon.com

Hey Are You Listening?

Duncan Sheik is taking his success with his highly acclaimed musical Spring Awakening (which I'm seeing soon here in Des Moines - can't wait) with a new album that serves as a collection for an "upcoming theatrical release:"

Whisper House marks the first solo album since White Limousine (2006) and comes on the heels of the success of the Broadway musical Spring Awakening. On Whisper House, Sheik employs a narrative approach to songwriting, combining elements of the chamber pop that first brought him critical and commercial acclaim. Much like Spring Awakening, which the New York Times praised as a deft blend of straight-up rock, folk and melodic pop, Whisper House is just as much a pop record as it is a musical theatre composition. Structured as a melodrama, each of the 10 songs on the album weave together to tell the story of a childs grief and spinsters longing as seen through the eyes of the ghosts that haunt the remote, World War II-era Maine lighthouse where they live. Singer-keyboardist Holly Brooke plays a prominent role alongside Sheik on several of the songs.

The album comes out 1/27 but you can pre-order via Amazon.com or get an autographed version via FYE. Come back next week for download links.

Never did pick up White Limousine - I didn't like much of what I heard from it. But the quality of his voice is undeniable - very Drakish. Check out the video below for Earthbound Starlight courtesy of USA Today's Pop Candy.

I'm On a High, On a High, There's Nothing More To It

Congratulations to Duncan Sheik. He created the music for the big winner at last night's Tony Awards, Spring Awakening. It won 8 awards, including best musical and best original score. And to think I missed seeing him live at Vaudeville Mews. Frick.

There's Nothing Left to Hide

Duncan Sheik is hairy. He's also playing Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines next Wednesday night. Anybody want to babysit a couple kids? Me and the missus are planning to go if we can take care of the kid issue.

I have to admit, I never did pick up his latest studio effort, let alone his highly acclaimed foray into Broadway. But I have enjoyed the rest of his work quite a bit and would really regret missing him. He's so much more than Barely Breathing (think a fully realized Nick Drake, Sheik's obvious top influence), although if he wasn't, kudos to him anyway.

But I won't believe you now, I've got to check this out

Duncan Sheik provides Frank Wedekind’s play Spring Awakening with a fresh rock score. Frequent Sheik collaborator Steven Sater provides the lyrics. Sheik is an Apple fan and used Logic Pro and a suite of Apple computers to compose the score. Now I like him for more than his music.

Download the free podcast.