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That's right. 5 girls. Depeche Mode covers. NYC. But don't call us a tribute band, we do it Violator style...

To put these photos in context, Violator are a Depeche Mode cover band - an idea who's time has been long in coming. Won't be long before someone (me) puts together a bill with them, Black on the Outside (Smiths tribute band) and L'il GnR. The only thing missing from their stellar NYC debut set was a rendition of Personal Jesus, but maybe that's Violator's "Creep".

Like most of the new music that one comes across here these days, I found out about Violator pretty much by accident, like tripping over a wallet with a thousand bucks in it. I'd heard rumblings of a "all-girl DM cover band" but hadn't realized that ex-ALF drummer Tracy was involved in the project and was even more clueless as to just how credible, in fact actually incredible their covers were. Adding smokiness and sexiness to a selection of songs that spanned DM's catalog, Violator - like Johnny Cash doing Hurt - not only shed a new light on familiar songs, but daresay expanded on them and brought them to new heights. Or maybe I was mesmerized by lead singer Mary's corset. Well, wouldn't you have been? Seriously though, these girls can rock and if they ever set their sights on Echo and the Bunnymen, goddamn!

-Jasper