I've never heard of Diamond Rings prior to seeing him open for Stars at Webster Hall. In talking with the woman next to me, she described him as sounding like Vanilla Ice. Haircut aside, I think a more relevant comparison is to either Klaus Nomi or David Gahan.
For anyone who also hadn't heard of Diamond Rings, here is some background from Wikipedia on the artist: "John O'Regan (born July 6, 1985) is a Canadian artist and musician best known by his stage name Diamond Rings. In addition to writing, recording, and producing his own music, he is also noted for transcending traditional representations of gender and identity in his live performances and videos...His debut full length album, Special Affections, was released in North America on October 25, 2010, by Montreal's Secret City Records. Lead single "Something Else" was released a month prior and features a cover of the Milla Jovovich song "The Gentleman Who Fell," with string arrangements by Canadian musician and Polaris Prize winner Owen Pallett. Diamond Rings has since signed with New York City-based Astralwerks Records a division of Virgin/EMI Records, which re-released Special Affections on June 21, 2011."
Diamond Rings' October Tour Dates
10/09/12 - Lawrence, KS, Bottleneck w/ Stars
10/10/12 - Tulsa, OK, Cain’s w/ Stars
10/11/12 - Little Rock, AR, Revolution Room w/ Stars
10/12/12 - Houston, TX, Fitzgerald’s w/ Stars
10/13/12 - Dallas, TX, Granada w/ Stars
10/14/12 - Austin, TX, The Mohawk
(Austin City Limits Official After-Party w/ Friends)
10/17/12 - San Diego, CA, House Of Blues w/ Stars
10/18/12 - Los Angeles, CA, The Mayan w/ Stars
10/19/12 - Santa Cruz, CA, Rio Theatre w/ Stars
10/20/12 - San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore w/ Stars
10/26/12 - Chicago, IL, Empty Bottle w/ Gold Fields
10/27/12 - Minneapolis, MN, 7th Street Entry w/ Gold Fields
10/28/12 - Madison, WI, The Frequency w/ Gold Fields
10/30/12 - St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway w/ Gold Fields
10/31/12 - Nashville, TN, The Hi-Watt w/ Gold Fields
Links:
Diamond Rings
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Diamond Rings - Live Photos from Webster Hall, NYC 9-22-12 (Astralwerks)
Posted by Mike at 9:32 PM
Labels: Astralwerks, Diamond Rings, Live Photos, Paper Bag Records, Webster Hall