It's been a while. And to be honest, I'm overdue with a few things that I want to get out. One of those things is … Brazil doesn't let me go. I'm watching this country since over a year now, hopefully understandable with the political changes last year and this year's debconf being there, and I promise to go into more details with that in the future because there is more and more to it …
Because one of those things that showed me that Brazil doesn't want to let me go was stumbling upon this artist. They were shared by some friends, and I instantly fell for them. This is about Oxa, but see for yourself:
Toy: Their first performance at the show »The Voice of Germany«, where they also stated that they are non-binary. And the song is lovely.
Born This Way: With this one, the spoken word interlude gave me goosebumps and I'm astonished that this was possible to get into the show. Big respect!
I'm Still Standing: The lyrics in this song are also just as powerful as the other chosen ones. Extremely fine selection!
I'm absolute in love with the person on so many levels–and yes, they are from Brazil originally. Multo brigado, Brazil!
Just the other day a working colleague asked me what kind of music I listen to, especially when working. It's true, music helps me to focus better and work more concentrated. But it obviously depends on what kind of music it is. And there is one project I come to every now and then. The name is Enigma. It's not disturbing, good for background, with soothing and non-intrusive vocals. Here are the songs:
Return To Innocence: This is quite likely the song you know from them, which also got me hooked up originally.
Push The Limits: A powerful song. The album version is even a few minutes longer.
It's been a while. And currently I shouldn't even post but rather pack my stuff because I'll get the keys to my flat in 6 days. Yay!
But, for packing I need a good sound track. And today it is Apollo 440. I saw them live at the Sundance Festival here in Vienna 20 years ago. It's been a while, but their music still gives me power to pull through.
I need music to be more productive. Sitting in an open workspace it helps to shut off outside noice too. And often enough I just turn cmus into shuffle mode and let it play what comes along. Yesterday I just stumbled upon a singer again that I fell in love with her voice a long time ago. This is about Anouk.
The song was on a compilation series that I followed because it so easily brought great groups to my attention in a genre that I simply love. It was called "Crossing All Over!" and featured several groups that I digged further into and still love to listen to.
Anyway, don't want to delay the songs for you any longer, so here they are:
Nobody's Wife: The first song I heard from her, and her voice totally catched me.
Last fall I went to a Silent Disco event. You get wireless headphones, a DJane and a DJ were playing music on different channels, and you enjoy the time with people around who can't hear what you hear. It's a pretty funny experience, and it was one of the last warm sunny days. There I heard a song that was just in the mood for the moment, and made me looking up the band to listen more closely to them.
The band was Icona Pop, they have a mood enlighening pop sound that cheers you up. Here are the songs I want to present you today:
I Love It: The first song I heard from them, and I Love It!
Girlfriend: Sweet song, and probably part of the reason they are well received in the LGBTIQ community.
I guess you know by now that I simply love music. It is powerful, it can move you, change your mood in a lot of direction, make you wanna move your body to it, even unknowingly have this happen, and remind you of situations you want to keep in mind. The singer I present to you was introduce to me by a dear friend with the following words: So this hasn't happened to me in a looooong time: I hear a voice and can't stop crying. I can't decide which song I should send to you thus I send three of which the last one let me think of you.
And I have to agree, that voice is really great. Thanks a lot for sharing LP with me, dear! And given that I got sent three songs and I am not good at holding excitement back, I want to share it with you, so here are the songs:
Lost On You: Her voice is really great in this one.
Halo: Have to agree that this is really a great cover.
Someday: When I hear that song and think about that it reminds my friend of myself I'm close to tears, too ...
It's not often that an artist touches you deeply, but Thomas D managed to do so to the point of that I am (only half) jokingly saying that if there would be a church of Thomas D I would absolutely join it. His lyrics always did stand out for me in the context of the band I found about him, and the way he lives his life is definitely outstanding. And additionally there are these special songs that give so much and share a lot. I feel sorry for the people who don't understand German to be able to appreciate him.
Here are three songs that I suggest you to listen to closely:
Fluss: This song gave me a lot of strengh in a difficult time of my life. And it still works wonders when I feel down to get my ass up from the floor again.
Gebet an den Planeten: This songs gives me shivers. Let the lyrics touch you. And take the time to think about it.
An alle Hinterbliebenen: This song might be a bit difficult to deal with. It's about loss and how to deal with suffering.
Last week we lost another great musician, song writer, artist. It's painful to realise that more and more of the people you grew up with aren't there anymore. We lost Prince, TAFKAP, Symbol, Prince. He wrote a lot of great music, even some you wouldn't attribute to him, like Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares To You, Bangles' Manic Monday or Chaka Khan's I Feel For You. But I actually would like to share some songs that are also performed by himself, so without further ado here are the songs:
Today is one of these moods. And sometimes one needs certain artists/music to foster it. Music is powerful. There are certain bands I know that I have to stay away from when feeling down to not get too deep into it. Knowing that already helps a lot. The following is an artist that is not completely in that area, but he got powerful songs and powerful messages nevertheless; and there was this situation today that one of his songs came to my mind. That's the reason why I present you today Moby. These are the songs:
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?: The song for certain moods. And lovely at that, not dragging me too much down. Hope you like the song too. :)
Extreme Ways: The ending tune from the movie The Bourne Ultimatum, and I fell immediately in love with the song. I used it for a while as morning alarm, a good start into the day.
Disco Lies: If you consider the video disturbing you might be shutting your eyes from what animals are facing on a daily basis.
Hope you like the selection; and like always: enjoy!
Happy new year everyone! Let's start with another round of nice music, this time it is coming from Chipzel who is a great chiptune composer. Given that I'm coming from a c64 background I love chip tunes, and she does a really great job in that area. Check it out!
Focus: The first tune I heard and I still like it. I had it as ringtone for a while. :)
To The Sky: Nice one too, always set your high goals.
I don't really remember where or how I stumbled upon these four women so I'm sorry that I can't give credit where credit is due, and I even do believe that I started writing a blog entry about them already somewhere. Anyway, I want to present you today Salut Salon. They might play classic instruments, but not in a classic way. But see and hear yourself:
Wettstreit zu viert: This is the first that I stumbled upon that did catch my attention. Lovely interpretation of classic tunes and sweet mixup.
Ievan Polkka: I love the catchy tune—and their interpretation of the song.
We'll Meet Again: While the history of the song might not be so laughable the giggling of them is just contagious. :)
It's time for some new music. And given that this artist was suggested to me at least twice by different people I guess I finally have to feature her. This time it's about Sookee, a rapper from Berlin with queer-feministic background. I guess if you listen and see the first song you might know why she was suggested to me, and also why I consider her an important artist to share. So without further delay, here are the songs:
D.R.A.G.: The saying you're born naked and the rest is drag couldn't be more true. Actually, that quote says it all, even though I try to use this drag to help people get my gender on a more regularly basis these days.
Pro Homo: Wie kann man nur hassen, dass Menschen sich lieben. "How is it possible to hate that people love each other" - is there anything to add to this? I don't think so.
As you can see, Sookee isn't just some artist but transports a lot of messages. And even when you might not understand them because they are in German I hope you get the concept nevertheless. :)
I wrote well over one year ago about Earthlings. It really did have some impact on my life. Nowadays I try to avoid animal products where possible, especially for my food. And in the context of vegan information that I tracked I stumbled upon a great band from Germany: Berge. They recently started a deal with their record label which says that if they receive one million clicks within the next two weeks on their song 10.000 Tränen their record label is going to donate 10.000,- euros to a German animal rights organization. Reason enough for me to share this band with you! :)
(For those who are puzzled by the original upload date of the video: Don't let yourself get confused, the call for it is from this monday)
10.000 Tränen: This is the song that needs the views. It's a nice tune and great lyrics to think about. Even though its in German it got English subtitles. :)
Schauen was passiert: In the light of 10.000 Tränen it was hard for me to select other songs, but this one sounds nice. "Let's see what happens". :)
Meer aus Farben: I love colors. And I hate the fact that most conference shirts are black only. Or that it seems to be impossible to find colorful clothes and shoes for tall women.
Sometimes one stumbles upon stuff that touches one deeply. Granted, the topic of the first video from the artist I want to present you now did touch me naturally. But it made me take a closer look. This is about HollySiz. Yes, yet another French singer, but fortunately (for me) she sings mostly in English. :)
So here are the songs:
The Light: At first I wasn't even aware it's a music video. And the story is strong. I'm uncertain on the story of Nils Pickert did inspire the video, but it's lovely to see people getting it right. The parents job is to support their kid in finding their own identity instead of defining it for them.
Better Than Yesterday: In the light of The Light everything else looks antique. So what's better as a video that actually does look antique. ;)
Tricky Game (feat. Sianna): I somehow like this version of the song better because it contains rap. But that might be just me. A catchy beat anyway.
Like always, enjoy! And take good care of your kids if you happen to have some.
Friday the 13th was my day. In so many different ways. I received a package which was addressed to Rhonda D'Vine with a special hoodie in it. The person at the post office desk asked me whether it was for my partner, my response was a (cowardly) "no, it's my pseudonym" but that settled any further questions and I got my package.
Later I received an email which made me hyper happy (but which I can't share right now, potentially later).
In the evening there was the WortMacht FemSlam (WordMight FemSlam) poetry slam to which the host asked me to attend just the day before. I was hyper nervous about it. The room was fully packed, there were even quite some people who didn't have a place to sit and were standing at the side. I presented Mermaids because I wasn't able to write anything new on the topic. One would think I am attached enough to the poem by now to not be nervous about it, but it was the environment that made my legs shake like hell while presenting. Gladly I hope it wasn't possible to see it enough under my skirt, but given that it was the first time that I presented it in my home town instead of the "anonymous" internet made me extra anxious. In the end I ended up in place 5 of 7 attendees, which I consider a success given that it was the only text presented in English and not in typical poetry slam style.
(Small addition to the last part: I've been yesterday to the Free Hugs Vienna event at the Schloss Schönbrunn, and one of the people I hugged told me I know you, I've seen you at the FemSlam!. That was extra sweet. :))
I'm happy that I was notified about the FemSlam on such short notice, it was a great experience. So today's entry goes out to the host of that event. This is about Yasmo. One can just be envious about what she already accomplished in her still young life. And she is definitely someone to watch out for in the years to come. I have to excuse to my readers who don't understand German yet again, but I'll get back to something English next time, I promise. :)
Wer hat Angst vorm weißen Mann: Most straight-to-the-point line of the lyrics is Wie kann es sein, dass es immer noch diesen Jolly-Buntstift gibt, der "Hautfarbe" heißt?" (How is it possible that there is still this jolly crayon called "colour of the skin"?)
Wo kommst du her?: Not a song but one of her great slam poetry texts that I love since I first heard it.
Just recently I stumbled upon one of these songs again and thought to myself: Are there more out there? With these songs I mean songs that could from its lyrics be considered queer-positive. Lyrics that cointain parts that speak about queer topics. To get you an idea of what I mean here are three songs as examples:
Saft by Die Fantastischen Vier: The excert from the lyrics I am refering to is: "doch im Grunde sucht jeder Mann eine Frau // Wobei so mancher Mann besser mit Männern kann // und so manche Frau lässt lieber Frauen ran" ("but basically every man looks for a woman // though some man prefer men // and some women prefer women").
Liebe schmeckt gut by Grossstadtgeflüster: Here the lyrics go like "Manche lieben sich selber // manche lieben unerkannt // manche drei oder fünf" ("some love themself // some love in secrecy // some three or five"). For a stereo sound version of the song watch this video instead, but I love the video. :)
Mein schönstes Kleid by Früchte des Zorns: This song is so much me. It starts off with "Eines Tages werd ich aus dem Haus geh'n und ich trag mein schönstes Kleid" ("One day I'll go out and I'll wear my most beautiful dress" sung by a male voice). I was made aware of it after the Poetry Night at debconf12 in Nicaragua. As long as people still think of people like me as "a dude in a dress" there is a lot work to do to fight transphobia and gain tolerance and acceptance.
Do you have further examples for me? I know that I already mentioned another one in my blog entry about Garbage for a start. I am aware that there probably are dedicated bands that out of their own history do a lot songs in that direction, but I also want to hear about songs in which it is only mentioned in a side note and not made the central topic of the whole song, making it an absolutely normal random by-note.
Like always, enjoy—and I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
It is time for some more music. This woman was introduced to me by a friend who actually understands what she sings about, because she sings in French. Regardless, her voice and feeling for music touched me deep, so today I want to present to you Zaz (homepage seems French only). Like mentioned, she sings in French, and her connection with the Chanson genre brought her (deserved) comparison with the great Édith Piaf.
Without further ado, here are the songs:
La Fée: I think this was the first song I heard from her and caught me.
Je Veux: This live version of the song shows how much of a charming person she is and that she simply enjoys music. :)
Happy New Year everyone! How did you celebrate the year change? I've been at the Seestadt Aspern listening to electric:indigo (who is also part of the open:sounds project powered by artists of the female:pressure collective), watching a show called "Laser-City", enjoying the really chilly air.
With so much female power mentioned in the former paragraph, it is almost hard to find a matching artist/band to present you today. Almost I said, because Beth Ditto and her band Gossip are definitely up for the challenge. That woman is pure power and has a uniquely great voice. They are definitely worth listening into closer, and here are my suggestions:
I do hang out in #debian-women on IRC, which shouldn't be much of a surprise after my last blog entry about my Feminist Year. And for readers of my blog it also shouldn't be much of a surprise that Music is an important part of my life. Recently a colleague from Debian though asked me in said IRC channel about whether I can recommend some female artists or bands. Which got me looking through my recommendations so far, and actually, there weren't many of those in here, unfortunately. So I definitely want to work on that because there are so many female singers, songwriters and bands out there that I totally would like to share with the broader audience.
I want to start out with a strong female voice who was introduced to me by another strong woman—thanks for that! Fiona Apple definitely has her own style and is something special, she stands out. Here are my suggestions:
Hot Knife: This was the song I was introduced to her with. And I love the kettledrum rhythm and sound.
Criminal: Definitely a different sound, but it was the song that won her a Grammy.
Not About Love: Such a lovely composition. I do love the way she plays the piano.
Actually I was working already on a different music blog entry, but I want to get this one out. I was invited to join the Organic Dancefloor last thursday. And it was a really great experience. A lot of nice people enjoying a dance evening of sort of improvisational traditional folk dancing with influences from different parts of europe. Three bands playing throughout the evening. I definitely plan to go there again. :)
Which brings me to the band I want to present you now. They also play sort-of traditional songs, or at least with traditional instruments, and are also quite danceable to. This is about The Pogues. And these are the songs that I do enjoy listening to every now and then:
Medley: Don't meddle with the Medley. Rather dance to it.
A good friend just yesterday sent me a link to a one and a half hour lasting live concert of 2CELLOS. And wow, I was deeply impressed. Terrific! Even Sir Elton John approves. Have to share them with you, too. :)
It's almost a month since I last blogged something, and one of my new year's resolution is to change that, a bit. Let's see how it goes.
I've been listening a lot to this great band from Sweden recently again, put all their songs onto my mobile phone. It might sound weird because they have a rather aggressive style, both soundwise but also lyricswise, but it helps me to get things off my chest and stay relaxed in the rest of my life.
The band I want to present to you was already twice mentioned in some other articles of my blog I noticed, but this is the proper post about them: I'm talking about Clawfinger. They came up in the nineties during the crossover phase and did blend in pretty well, but it's mostly their direct and political statements they carry in their lyrics that did let them stand out.
One warning though: the direct language they use might be considered blunt and maybe even offensive by some. The message behind it though should rather get you thinking of your own doings if you consider it to be offensive. Here are the songs:
What Are You Afraid Of: Most people would have probably gone with their first hit for the topic, but I think this song transports the point extremely well too: It's just a color and I'm color blind, the only color I know is the color of my mind. There's only one race and that's the human race, and every human being's got the right to feel save.
The Faggot In You: Well, it's like Coyote Too twittered or Andy Singer drew it. Get over it and think about what actually stirs these emotions in you. If you're so sure and you feel secure about yourself and your reality, then why do you need reject and refuse where other people stand sexually?
Life Will Kill You: Let's face the fact, it will. ... and given the choice between your own life and death I suggest that you cherish the time you have left 'cause time waits for noone and we're all growing older. Life for today, not for a future that might never come.
Like always, enjoy! And maybe also think about it a bit. :)
Tuesday was a really nice evening. A few weeks ago I found a poster about the concert of [dunkelbunt], and got my ticket only on monday. I was told by the ticket sellers that they still have plenty left. In the end when I turned up at the event at tuesday though the concert hall was fully packed with people and I was told that it actually was sold out. There wasn't much place inside the hall left, so I mostly stood in the doorway to the bar area and enjoyed the music from there.
If you listen to their songs you might get an idea why the music catched me and I started to let the music move my body, literally. It's a great feeling after a tough day, and there were some other nice people around which let the same happen to them so it did feel less awkward for me.
Anyway, if you want to find out if their music can do the same to you, here are some songs to listen to:
The Chocolate Butterfly: This was actually the first song that got me interested in them which was playing on a local radio station.
Cinnamon Girl: One of the reasons why [dunkelbunt] is put into the electro swing genre. :)
Schlawiener: The title is a pun, a mix between "Schlawiner" (smooth operator) and "Wiener" (Viennese).
And now for something completely different. No, this blog entry isn't about the great Monty Python's, even though they definitely deserve to be brought to the attention of the still unenlightened. This is about something completely different music style wise.
This is about Caravan Palace. I was recently introduced to this band, and I must say, they definitely have the swing. Just listen to them and feel your feed starting to move along.
Suzy: The first video that I listened to, and it definitely got me interested, as you can see.
Jolie Coquine: The kind of swing our (grand?)parents did listen and dance to. I definitely feel it in my legs, too.
I hope you like the selection because I just started listening to them. They might not be the best options, but should get you started to get a feeling for the band.
I know it's been ages since I last blogged anything at all. To some degree I had a down phase, but I hope to get out of it. It's nice to see that there are people out there who give me a prod every now and then, and don't let me drown. Thanks, most of you probably know that I mean exactly you, and in case you are uncertain, you probably are meant if you contact me every now and then.
Anyway, if you remember that I blogged about Lindsey Stirling last year and you started to follow her you might have already stumbled upon the next band I'd like to present. I'm speaking of Pentatonix. These five humans have terrific voices that they use in a very special way that is quite unique.
I don't want to delay the songs I want to present to you any longer, so here they are:
Sometimes one stumbles upon artists by accident and immediately falls in love with them. A link to a video from Lindsey Stirling was dropped in a chat I was paying attention to at that time, and it immediately touched me. She's got style, and she's got great videos.
Speaking of videos, here they are:
Electric Daisy Violin: This was the song that was dropped. And it touched me, especially her dressing style. Maybe her legs will also catch your attention like they did to me. :)
Crystallize: The subtitle Dubstep Violin of this video is what describes her style best. Great play.
No, my blog isn't dead, and neither is me. It's just that way too many things happened since this year's debconf that got me a bit off tracks. I managed to do daily business like keeping my packages in shape and the backports queue low, and that was mostly it.
No clue if that will change anytime soon, but I guess I would like to keep you updated with an event where you can meet me next week: There will be the Global 2000 Birthday Party going on in the WUK on Thursday 20th, so if you happen to be in Vienna at that time, drop by and enjoy some great bands.
... which brings me to one of the local bands from Vienna: Heinz aus Wien. They are around for well over 10 years now and are still rocking quite well. Here are some examples of their songs, like always:
Ich hab mit Tocotronic Bier getrunken: Quite funny song from their early days, and interestingly, people regularly claim that it was done by a different band ...
This is a very special person. He is a very well known songwriter, at least in German language countries because he sings in German. He was that special kind of person with his lyrics when I was still a kid, and is still around continuing to write his songs in his very own special way. This person is Reinhard Mey, and if you understand German and have missed him so far, you have missed a lot.
The songs that I present to you are special in the way that they are all contained in the special compilation titled Mein Apfelbäumchen. The dedication he wrote for the album is also very special:
Ich glaube, Kinder zu haben ist das aufregendste Abenteuer, das wir erleben können. Es ist der schwerste Beruf und die größte Herausforderung, die ich mir denken kann, und die glücklichste Erfahrung zugleich. Ich bin dankbar dafür! Dies sind die Lieder, die ich bis heute dafür geschrieben habe. Mein Anteil aus dem Erlös dieser Schallplatte gebe ich der Hilfe für krebskranke Kinder.
Rough translation: I believe that having kids is the most exciting adventure that we can undergo. It is the hardest job and the biggest challenge that I can think of, and at the same time the happiest experience. I'm thankful for it! These are the songs that I wrote up to today for it. My part of the revenues of this record go to Help for children with cancer.
So here are the songs:
Mein Apfelbäumchen: The song that gave this compilation its title. Extremely touching, and it manages regularly to wet my eyes... Absolutely lovely.
Keine ruhige Minute: This is actually a live version of the song with a longer introduction that is worth listening to on its own.
Menschenjunges: A thoughtful song about the thoughts when seeing your kid for the first time.
Enjoy! And if you feel like it, support these kind of special people.
Sometimes people will tell you what you should do. Sometimes they will even shout at you for simply asking a question on why they want something done because it isn't clear just from itself. And others likes to jump the boat and join in just for the fun of it...
Gladly, this is MY life, and I choose how much abuse I'm willing to take, especially for a voluntary work that I didn't even enroll for but got put into. Sometimes through my dedication to getting quality into things and seeing that others simply neglect these areas, but they need to get addressed anyway, no matter how little respect is shown for people investing in these boring areas.
The topic of It's MY Life is an old one and thus it is no surprise that a fair amount of songs surrounding it popped up over time. In my previous blog entry I wrote about different interpretations, some responses seem to hint that I wasn't clear enough about that I really meant different interpretations of the same lyrics, not just regular cover versions.
The following set of songs is special in a different sense: It is about the same song title and thus does also cover different bands.
No Doubt: This is the band that Gwen Stefani got known through.
Bon Jovi: No matter what you might think about Bon Jovi, they for sure wrote some pretty touching songs.
Like always, enjoy! And think about how you interact with others. I know that I'm sometimes crossing a line myself too, no one is perfect. What though makes the difference is the willingness to learn, and especially: To excuse. But in the end: It's MY life!
Mostly everything in life boils down to the same troublesome issue: people are reading different things into what they read, and interpret them regularly in a way it wasn't meant to. It seems that in certain areas a culture of interpreting things in a bad way instead of good or asking how they were actually meant has established the rules of (not) working together but rather against each other and around each other. At times I would like to account it to language barriers, or cultural differences, but it happens with people from all areas so that reasoning would be too easy.
Even artists manage to do that, and in that certain area it creates something extremely creative and thoughtful. This blog entry thus contains three songs—and six videos: Two different interpretations of the same lyrics. Maybe this is able to stir some thinking process whether the interpretation that one found for a given situation might be biased or even just looking from the wrong angle.
Imagine (John Lennon vs. A Perfect Circle): It gives me the shivers when thinking about what a different tune and might turn the same lyrics into. The various videos going with this interpretation make me even cry, and since the official video might be blocked in your country I linked one of the private made ones.
Mad World (Tears For Fears vs. Gary Jules): You might not have known the original (Tears For Fears is well known for other songs actually) but only the cover, which was in the soundtrack of Donnie Darko.
Drive (R.E.M. vs. R.E.M.): You read correctly: a band covering itself is rare but it happens. And yes, when I heard the live version back in the years it was a quite enlightening situation.
Enjoy!
One thing I'd like to mention, and that is two cross references to former blog entries. For the first song, James Iha played as guitarist in The Smashing Pumpkins before he joined A Perfect Circle. The second cross reference is with respect to my former blog entry about the Wise Guys: They did also cover Mad World, in the Gary Jules' interpretation but of course in a capella.
My brother did invite me to the concert of the Wise Guys, a German acapella group. They are one of those special groups who are able to give a cheering live show and have this special cheek-in-tongue humour in a fair amount of their songs. This is the selection that helps me keeping my mood up though, you are invited to dig further.
Jetzt ist Sommer: This was the first song I heard from them and got me interested to dig further into this band. And yes, it's true, summer is an inner feeling, not something governed by the outer world.
Lass die Sonne scheinen: I have the feeling that this is a sequel to the former song. And it definitely helps too.
Am Ende des Tages: No matter how your day went, what matters most are the people you think of at the end of the day.
Hope you are able to appreciate them as much as I am. At least they are able to cheer me up a fair bit.
I guess it won't be very many people reading this blog to know the name, even though he was without any doubt one of the biggest entertainers. Lots of movies, his own TV show, and an enormous amount of albums made him well known far outside the borders of Austria, his home country. Last saturday he died in the age of 84, yesterday was his funeral. This is a special dedication to him. Peter, you will be missed.
Die süßesten Früchte (1952): He was still rather young at that time but it already shows his great talent, both in acting and in singing.
Mamma di Mandolin (1956): Another great excerpt from a movie in which he starred.
It's been over a month already since I last suggested a band, this is overdue. Today because of a discussion this band came back into my mind and I want to share it with you: The Chemical Brothers. So without too much further talking here are the songs:
Galvanize: This song got me into love with the band, and it still is a great motivation push.
Hey Boy Hey Girl: An older song of theirs which might also be well known.
The Test: It's not just a nice song but also a terrificly great video!
On 24th of October we've been to the concert of Unheilig. It was actually very touching, even though the sound quality of the venue was disappointing. Here are the common three songs that I usually share about bands that I like to introduce you to:
Mein Stern: Even though it's not my star in those pictures, the song still gives me goose bumps.
Geboren um zu Leben: He wrote this great song for his best friend that isn't anymore.
An deiner Seite: Another truly great of their songs. Let it touch your soul.
I am aware that these songs are all pretty emotional and rather quiet. Unheilig has also a much harder side to them. It's just that my current mood is pretty emotional, that's also the reason for this selection.
I guess it's time again to push for another band. This time I present you Garbage. I love them, but one has to be careful in what mood one is when listening to them; it's possible that they move you in a direction you don't feel comfortable with at that time.
Bleed Like Me: If you listen closely to the lyrics of the second verse you might get an idea why had to love that song.
The World Is Not Enough: One might argue that a band has made it when they do a James Bond title song. This is it.
Only Happy When It Rains: Probably the best known song from Garbage. Damn fine, great tune and groove for the message it contains.
A while ago I was with my SO at a concert of a band I might cover at a later point. This time I want to cover the support act of that concert: Jerboa. It was a bit weird to see a single person on stage turning some knobs, but he quickly caught both our attention and heart. And he was a charm to talk with afterwards when we bought his CD. He's definitely worth your attention, and if you are able to see him live take the chance for it.
Number 1: The obvious number 1 song in the list. Perfect groovy song, great video too.
Just Another Number: It starts off pretty smooth but then really kicks in. Hard to not headnick along to the song, it is far away from being Just Another Number.
Actually I would have loved to include What if in the songs but unfortunately that one wasn't available so I had to look for a replacement for it.
Alright, get ready for the next round of music links. This time I stumbled upon an old (and still) favorite band of mine while looking for references to Max Headroom: Art of Noise. You most probably have heard the one or the other song from them, they are featured pretty often. Here they are:
Peter Gunn: Also very well known and used often. You have to wait a bit for the music to hook in, there is an intro in the video.
Paranoimia: Third great song you might have heard somewhere already. Absolutely lovely song indeed.
It's really sad to see such great bands to pass away. But it's still the perfect music to have running in the background when hacking along. Highly motivating, great to hum along. Oh, and you might ask, where is the connection to Max Headroom. Here it is, in a special version of Paranoimia featuring Max Headroom!
This Monday I was again at concert of Grossstadtgeflüster, and it was again one of the best concerts I've visited. Their new album again has again great songs on it like the former two, and their live performance is truly worth it. Besides they are charming like hell offstage, too. Jen, Raphi and Chriz, I simply love you!
It's hard to choose which songs to put here because there are way too many great ones, so feel free to dig around yourself if you like them:
Weil das morgen noch so ist: Their current single, great video, giving a good impression of their style and the fun they have doing this.
"Today is the greatest day I've ever known,"—this is the line that is spinning around today in my head because of many little things that happened. And it's this time of the month anyway for putting up another band feature into this little blog of mine. So here they are, one of the great bands of the nineties, and like many of them, back after a break again: The Smashing Pumpkins, and these are their featured songs:
Today: The song with the initial mentioned catchphrase. Unfortunately not the official video because in those versions the music is strangely broken. If you want to match it yourself, you can still watch it here: Today (true video, broken music)
Disarm: From the same great album, and one of their songs that gives me goosebumps.
Hope you enjoy this small distraction once a month. I hope I can keep up with it, it's not a question of material, there are too many great bands out there that I'd like to share with others. :)
My SO did had an extremely good idea for my birthday this year: We went to a concert of Ich + Ich. We both were a bit sceptical beforehand—but actually we were both in agreement about that it was one of the finest concerts we have been to. I want thus to share some of the great songs of the band with you:
Universum (Universe): I am thinking of my son when listening to this sweet song.
Stark (Strong): Not only the title but the lyrics.
Dienen (Serve): Probably the best known of their songs.
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