David Cronenberg's Wife

David Cronenberg's Wife is a London-based band.

David Cronenberg's Wife
Origin	England
Genres	post punk outsider music anti-folk[1]
Years active	2004-
Labels	Blang

Described as "where genius meets idiocy" by BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr, the band's lyrics combine dark subject matter (anorexia, murder, rape) with an off-kilter humour. They released their first single "I Couldn't Get Off" in 2007, followed up by two singles and their first album Bluebeard's Rooms in 2008. The album was recorded by Simon Trought (formerly of Tompaulin and Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee) and Dot Allison guitarist Ian Button (formerly of the Thrashing Doves and Death in Vegas) and was described in The Fly as "one of the albums of the year". Other reviews, however, were more critical of the album's dark subject matter and "repugnant imagery".

In August 2009, the band released their fourth single "The Fight Song" and played a second session on Marc Riley's 6Music show. This was followed by an appearance on Cerys Matthews' show, also on 6music, in October.

Second album Hypnagogues was released in November 2009, with a noticeably more personal feel to the lyrics and a less harsh sound, even approaching alt.country on some of the tracks. The NME called it "a promising work in progress" with Drowned in Sound naming opening song "Sweden" (the band's sixth single) "one of the tracks of the year", adding that "it stands so far out from the rest that it encumbers the rest of the album."

Their third album "Don't Wait to be Hunted to Hide" was released in December 2012 and features some of the band's most controversial songs, such as the album's first single "Spiked" which describes a date-rape from the attacker's point of view. The album's themes caused one reviewer to call it the "most truly controversial I’ve heard all year", adding that it may "upset and unsettle" some listeners. In December 2012, the band supported The Fall at the Islington Assembly Hall.

Band members are currently singer & songwriter Tom Mayne, keyboard player and bassist Rhian Tucker, lead guitarist Chris Potter, drummer Stuart Saunderson, violin player and guitarist Thomas Alder and bassist Ian Button.

Singles

• "I Couldn't Get Off" / "My Date With Jenna Bush" / "I'm on the Booze, Mama [Norwood version, mix No. 2]" (Download only) / "My Ukrainian Girlfriend" (download only) - (7" vinyl/download) (Blang Records - 2007)
• "My Best Friend's Going Out With a Girl I Like" / "Altair Voyager" - (7" vinyl/download) (Blang Records - 2008)
• "Runaway Pram (English/German/Russian versions)" - (download) (Blang Records - 2008)
• "The Fight Song" / "Suicide-Stretch Out" / "I Do Know [Hackney version]" / "I Couldn't Get Off [Solo version]" - (download) (Blang Records - 2009)
• "Jailbird / "Eugene" / "A Bad Feeling About Anna Karenina" / "Harry the Morgue [Church version]" - (download) (Blang Records - November 2009)
• "Sweden" / "Cymru" [Sweden in Welsh] / "Sweden [Oculus III remix]" / "Sweden [8Spirit remix]" / "Sweden [David Apple remix]" - (download) (Blang Records - September 2010)
• "Spiked" / "Music is my Enemy" / "Jonny Bentham's Dilemma [Casio version]" / "Spiked [Oculus III remix]" - (download) (Blang Records - December 2012)

Albums

• Bluebeard's Rooms (CD/download) (Blang Records - August 2008)
• Hypnagogues (CD/download) (Blang Records - November 2009)
• Don't Wait to be Hunted to Hide (CD/download) (Blang Records - December 2012)

Compilation Tracks

• "Sweden [Version 1]" on "Fruit Machine" (Blang Records - 2006)
• "Coming To Your Hometown [Norwood version]" on "AFUK & I (Vol. 1)" (AFUK Records - 2007)
• "I'm on the Booze, Mama [Norwood version, original mix]" on "Somewhere Between Heaven & Woolworths" (Fortune Teller Records - 2007)
• "I'm on the Booze, Mama [Album version]" on "SWEETFA3" (Strummerville Charity compilation - 2009)
• "Suicide Stretch Out [Prison friendly mix]" on "Breaking Rocks" (Silverdoor Records - July 2010)
• "The Diplomat" on "Electio Pop" (Helen Llewelyn Product 19 - September 2010)

External links

• Official website
• Website of Antifolk UK
• http://news.q4music.com/2008/06/q_radios_featured_albums.html - Q radio featured Album of the week.
• http://www.timeout.com/london/music/review/audio/1188/david_cronenberg-s_wife-bluebeards_rooms.html - Time Out review of Bluebeard's Rooms
• The London Paper review of Bluebeard's Rooms
• http://www.timeout.com/london/features/1971.html - Time Out London article about the Antifolk UK scene, with talk of DCW