i like.

Gaslight Anthem

Kings of Leon for the Alternative Rock crowd.

The Whitest Boy Alive

Their new album is on their way and a tour through the UK and Europe is on its way.

So far the live confirmations are:

London – Scala – 16.04.09

Manchester – Ruby Lounge – 18.04.09

Get tickets here.

Tell me what music you listen to and I tell you who/what you are

This is great. News from CMU daily musicletter (05.09.2008):

“STUDY FINDS LINKS BETWEEN PERSONALITY AND MUSIC TASTE
A new study of more than 36,000 people by Heriot-Watt University has found that musical tastes and personality traits are very closely linked. Amongst the findings, it was discovered that both heavy metal and classical music fans tend to be gentle and at ease with themselves.

Professor Adrian North, who conducted the research, told the BBC: “We have always suspected a link between music taste and personality. This is the first time that we’ve been able to look at it in real detail. No-one has ever done this on this scale before”.
He added that the findings could have significant uses for marketers. He said: “If you know a person’s music preference you can tell what kind of person they are, who to sell to. There are obvious implications for the music industry who are worried about declining CD sales”.

He continued: “One of the most surprising things is the similarities between fans of classical music and heavy metal. They’re both creative and at ease but not outgoing. The general public has held a stereotype of heavy metal fans being suicidally depressed and of being a danger to themselves and society in general. But they are quite delicate things”.

There is still time to take part in the study. Just fill out the questionnaire at www.peopleintomusic.com

Here’s what your taste says about you:

Blues: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle and at ease.
Jazz: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing and at ease.
Classical: High self-esteem, creative, introvert and at ease.
Rap: High self-esteem, outgoing.
Opera: High self-esteem, creative, gentle.
Country & Western: Hardworking, outgoing.
Reggae: High self-esteem, creative, not hardworking, outgoing, gentle and at ease.
Dance: Creative, outgoing, not gentle.
Indie: Low self-esteem, creative, not hard working, not gentle.
Bollywood: Creative, outgoing.
Rock/Heavy Metal: Low self-esteem, creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, at ease.
Chart pop: High self-esteem, not creative, hardworking, outgoing, gentle, not at ease.
Soul: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle, at ease.”

Seems like the hip indie kids are loosing out.

review of bbc’s choices for 2008

On January 4th nme.com reported on BBC’s new music talent list for 2008. (see my report and nme.com)

I was aware of the first few on the list. But I neglegted the latter. But suddenly they are all over the place. It is time to review all 10 and they are all certainly worth a listen.

It was:

1. Adele - it happened. and she went big. we’ll see what she’s got to offer in future. the game is on.

2. Duffy – mercy was and still is all over the place. great voice, but a bit to dusty springfield revival for me. but you go girl.

3. The Ting Tings – that’s not my name! what a tune. and they cover many music magazines these days.

4. Glasvegas – i’m over it, but they are slowly sneaking to the top.

5. Foals – i loved them over a year ago when i saw them at korova, liverpool. they have yet to make it big and they already had their feautre on uk’s show skins. time is running out in my opinion. sadly.

6. Vampire Weekend – very impressive melodies from these (rich boys) New Yorkers, and they are buzzing on the island.

7. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong – mmh. Didn’t do it for me but for many others it seems.

8. Black Kids – these floridians are a huge hit at o2 wireless and a favourite these days.

9. MGMT – you can believe the hype. They opened for Radiohead and have more promising shows coming up around the world.

10. Santogold – she’s so 80’s but so much fun. a domesticated version of M.I.A. with her own edge.

It seems the BBC are doing their job! Or maybe they just are a great media company to have behind you, allowing the bands they touch become the new big thing..

The Long-Distance Relationship Guide

This started out as an e-mail. Then it turned into a diary like entry. But because I have no diary it will be memorised in my blog.

SATURDAY evening.

I managed to meet some friends during the day, catch up, talk about life and all its happenings. I got home just in time to watch the European cup match Spain-Sweden. Sadly I am not interested who will win or what is going on. I am saving my energy for Germany’s game. Facebook and Myspace have been checked, important messages replied to. But no news have arrived that would solve my current unknown future. Where will I be in two weeks time? I have an idea but no set future.
So I wander around. No, I do not want to eat anything. Tempting though. I look at my new novel; I am too lazy to continue reading. It is certainly too early start watching my daily episode of 24. I go upstairs. Turn on football. I don’t watch it. I then turn on iTunes. I have 14 hours of new music. I start listening to MGMT. Will I really like it? I’m not a fan of track one and two. But I love track three and four. I’m getting into it. I then grab a book I once bought for fun at Urban Outfitters:

“The Long-Distance Relationships Guide”

A fun read for a lazy saturday evening. And an interesting guide to every day situations it turns out. Let me show you the guide:

“How to Clean Up in Under an Hour”

1. Put on some entertainment. Choose some dance musicthat you can sing along to or a book on tape to keep your mind occupied.
2. Tackle the clutter. Make the rounds of your place holding two bags: one for trash, the other for everything else. Pick a starting point and make your way around the place clockwise, not letting yourself get distracted at any point.
3. Dust. Using an electromagnetic dust cloth (like Swiffer), work your way around again clockwise, dusting every surface you come across from top to bottom.
4. Vacuum. Make sure you get into the corners and along the floorboards. Don’t worry about going beneath and behind furniture – this is only a surface cleaning.
5. Dispose of clutter. Remember the bagof „everything else“ from Step 2? Unless there is something in it you’ll need that weekend/day, throw the whole thing in a closet, to be sorted and organized later.
6. Bathroom/kitchen surface cleaning. Again, focus on the superficial and obvious.
a. Clean the bathroom after a hot bath or shower: the steam will have loosened the dirt.
b. Definitely use a toilet cleaner.
c. Spritz and wipe off surfaces with lemony disinfectant.
d. Empty the sink of dishes.
7. Disguise funky odors: Light strong-smelling candles or incense. Dab perfume or cologne on a light bulb – the heat produced when the light is on will release the perfume.
8. Dim lights for good measure.

The music has now switched to Yeasayer. I’ve listened to it before. I like it even more now. For the mellow ones listen to Joan As Police Woman and Martha Wainwright.

References:
Tiger, C. (2005) The Long-Distance Relationship Guide. Philadelphia: Quirk Books.
MGMT – www.myspace.com/mgmt
Yeasayer – www.myspace.com/yeasayer
Joan As Police Woman – www.joanaspolicewoman.com
Martha Wainwright – www.marthawainwright.com

Tracklisting was provided by 2151.

SatC

Hello again. I have already got a long list of topics that I want to write about. It is a selection of stories and newsfeeds I have read the last few days. So stay tuned for further reading regarding the funding of future music, the importance and role of management for artists and the emerging or rather increasingly important development of the band and the brand.

But for now I will focus on a very girlie matter: the new Sex and the City movie.

Did I like it? Jain – the German word for yes and no simultaneously.
I have to admit, I was always more of an Ally McBeal fan than a Sex and the City girl. As many of my close friends can confirm, I am more of a geek, a hopelessly romantic and someone striving for a successful career, like Ally McBeal. But I did discover Sex and the City last year when I was staying with my lovely Norwegian friend Birgitte, and we escaped to the mountain cabin somewhere in the middle of Norway with a few beers and season four of the four girls in NYC. I liked it. A lot. And like any other Sex and the City girl, I wanted to see Carry finally get married to Mr. Big.
I went to go see the movie on the preview night with a friend in Frankfurt. The movie was on on five screens simultaneously and it turns out that most were sold out and the cinema was filled with girls all dressed up!.We did get some tickets in the 4th row.

So the movie starts and the clichés start flying in. And I started to get bored because frankly, as much as I love romantic comedies the clichés have started to really bother me. And then I wondered: Does such an endless girl friendship ever exist?

Yes, I have very good friends, girls and guys alike. But to be honest, I think there will always be jealousy involved in a group of four successful females. Especially once you are in your thirties striving for a successful career and a suitable husband for future family planning. Do you really think the Sex and the City Girls would be able to live side by side not wanting what someone else in the group has? Are there really selfless girls ‘groups’ existing in the western world? Because I haven’t experienced it. In many cases where I was very close to friends it ended up splitting up because the other got jealous after a while. It is simply in our nature, I believe.

But at least the movie does its job to entertain you for a good two hours, with a few tears, great dresses, a few jokes and the big question: do these girls and their friendship really exist?

You tell me.

news of the world

I am back. I was planning to write a lot more…but what can I say.

Today has been eventful. CNN Breaking News reports Yves Saint Laurent has died. I was surprised that I didn’t find a  bulletin by one of my  ‘pseudo’ myspace friends reporting the death of one of the most influential designers of all time. To be honest- I really wouldn’t know. Yes, I love fashion, but I have always tried to ignore the catwalks because I prefer to travel the world than spend a ridiculous amount of money on designer wear. But I have to admit, that fashion can be very exciting. Sadly, the only YSL fashion I really know is the one he hasn’t created. YSL Rive Gauche always has incredible outfits, but they were created after his designing times…

Oh no, hold on, I do remember one thing YSL has created: the suite for women. If only I had incredibly long legs like Nadja Auermann, I would without a doubt, wear YSL suits. All day. I like my masculine style. At times, anyway.

Alright. Moving on. I read an article of a journalism meeting in Copenhagen where they contemplated who will rule the future of written media: the journalists (online + print) or maybe the consumer & the blogger, the average person next door… They didn’t find a conclusion.. I think the journalists will always have their say.

Done and done.

Then I read about Bronfman stating that he believes in 5 music sales platforms within the next 5 years. One of them he is very keen on: mobile sales. Me personally, I would never buy a track over my phone. I like to transfer my favourite mp3s to my mobile (USB or bluetooth) and have them as my ringtone. I wouldn’t pay a penny to do otherwise. And now that I am looking for a new phone, I want a small phone with 3 attributes: UMTS (3G), at least a 3.2 megapixel camera and preferably Bluetooth. It should be able to play mp3s but doesn’t have to have over 1 GB space, because I will never ever use it all. It is a phone after all.

But then I think about a 12-year old friend, who uses almost every aspect of his mobile and mobile downloads. Am I already getting old with 21? Really?

In Asia, especially Japan and South Korea mobile downloads are one of the main platforms selling music. Digital media is huge over there. But will it ever be over here? Costs for mobile internet and transfers are still fairly high. with faster mobile internet connections 3G or UMTS in Germany it might be possible. But it seems to take a while to catch up. My friend Oliver did a presentation on mobile downloads over a year ago, reporting on the success in Asia. Another friend said media on mobile phones won’t be as successful. They will merely be used as navigation systems, and use handy softwares; not entertainment.

I haven’t used either and I would rather plan to use it as a navigation system- in fact, the phone I’ve been keeping an eye on has an integrated navigation system. It certainly sounds interesting! I wouldn’t mind. The amount of times I have sent myself a picture of maps so I wouldn’t get completely lost is certainly higher than ever wanting to buy a track via my mobile….And I am sure it won’t change in future.

I have more to say, more in my head but I will save it for later. Come back soon for more.

disgust

what a reunion..

I very much dislike these two characters.

Source: Perez Hilton

blog tagging

This one is in german.

Sie haben eine neue Nachricht bei Facebook! Aufregend! Es ist von JaundKo. Jan hat mich im neuen Blog getagged und folgende Nachricht hinterlassen: du hast schon monate nichts mehr geschrieben, darfst es auch gerne als myspace bulletin weiter schicken, die myspace fragebogen sind momentan anscheinend deine lieblings beschäftigung.

Ha! Es gibt also doch noch Leute auf myspace, die Bulletins lesen! .. Ich muss zugeben, ich war sehr faul, was das bloggen betrifft. Viel Arbeit, eine 3-wöchige Reise nach Australien und Singapur und eine priese Faulheit haben mich von all dem abgehalten. Nun sind wir hier. Ein Blog Spiel.

Ehrlich gesagt sind mir die Blog regeln alle noch ein wenig unbekannt, aber hier das Spiel:

Die Regeln:
1. Setze einen Link zu der Person, die dir das Stöckchen zugeworfen hat. (siehe oben)
2. Erwähne die dazugehörigen Regeln in deinem Blog. (siehe hier)
3. Erzähle von dir 6 unwichtige Dinge/Macken/Gewohnheiten. (siehe unten)
4. Gib das Stöckchen am Ende deiner 6 Antworten an 6 Leute durch Verlinkung weiter.
5. Hinterlasse bei jeder der gewählten Personen einen Kommentar in ihrem Blog, wonach sie getagged wurde.

6 unwichtige Dinge/Macken/Gewohnheiten.

1. Jedes mal, wenn ich meine Zahnbürste nass mache, muss ich sie 3 mal ausklopfen.

2. Ich schiebe gerne Dinge vor mir her. Vor allem, Leuten zu schreiben, anzurufen, etc.

3. Control freak.

4. Mein bestes Geschenk zum 21. Geburtstag war eine goldene Schallplatte von Prince.

5. Ich esse Doritos gerne mit Natur Joghurt.

6. Ebenso wie Jan, fasse ich ungern Türklinken oder Schwingtüren in der Öffentlichkeit an. Eklig!

So, das wars.

Hier ein paar Bilder aus Australien. Einen Report gibt es hoffentlich bald… Wenn ich meinen Business Plan fertig geschrieben habe..

Just what is entertainment worth?

Here is a very interesting article of the entertainment industry crisis looking at the worth of it’s products. Have a read:

Just what is entertainment worth? LA Times December 4, 2007

movies. movies. movies.

Just about 2 months I have been back in Liverpool and it feels like it’s only been a few weeks! So far it has been one big party. There are hardly any evenings where I stay in and just relax with some good music or a book. There are either private parties to attend, friend’s having a gig, dinner parties or general nights out in Liverpool. I’m having a fantastic time, but I am slowly needing a bit of a rest, stay in, do some work and FOCUS.

I just got an e-mail from CNN headline news stating that: — Tennis star Martina Hingis admits testing positive for cocaine during Wimbledon, but denies taking the drug.

Interesting, but is this really a headline news? As much as I love CNN, sometimes they have an interesting choice of what news to show and what not… Do we really care if Martina Hingis, who has disappeared from the tennis world long ago, took cocain during Wimbledon? If she had a great time, doing it, what the hell. There are so many coke heads living in the world, it surely wouldn’t surprise me if she did..

Anyway. So here I am, sitting at the lovely FACT (Foundation for the Arts and Creative Technology // museum // independent movie theatre!)- I absolutely adore it. I probably come here at least once a week to watch a movie. A few weeks ago it was Björk’s husband’s movie “Drawing Restraint 9”. It was interesting at first, absolutely fantastic visual shots taken in Japan, emphasized by no talking whatsoever throughout the whole movie. But sadly it just got more obscure by the minute, leaving me with nothing but question marks. Other moviegoers (yes, this actually is a word according to Microsoft Word, who would’ve known) seemed to have like it, but I just did not get it. And, it was the first digital movie I have seen in a cinema. The quality amazed me, but still I could tell that it wasn’t a proper movie from negatives because the rendering was weird and especially the colours looked different, somewhat artificial glowing a lot more… Maybe one just has to get used to it. At least there weren’t any fuzzies or other disturbing little things on the negatives.

Drawing Restraint 9 on IMDB

I also saw “Michael Clayton” a fantastic ‘lawyer’ movie with astonishing George Clooney. It isn’t the regular court movie you’d suspect, but a fabulous story emphasizing the characters, rather than the highly important case to be one. Go watch it!

Michael Clayton on IMDB

What else…

Oh yes, the absolutely sad but incredibly interesting movie “control” about the life and death of Ian Curtis. He was the lead singer in “Joy Division”, heroes of the Manchester music scene. Ian Curtis had a decent life in the Northwest. He had a job and got married at a young age. On the side, he went to many gigs, as all Englishmen do and started singing in “Joy Division”. One day the legendary Tony Wilson, Manchester’s music man, saw them play a gig and was instantly amazed singing them to his label “Factory Records”. They started touring across the nation. It turns out Ian Curtis has epilepsy and thus has to take many drugs. His life gets crazier and crazier and loses track of his old life. He then has an affair with a Belgian girl, played by Germany’s own Alexandra Maria Lara. His life gets out of hands, his marriage goes downhill, until he decide’s to commit suicide at the young age of 23.
It is an absolutely astonishing story, which you must go see!

CONTROL on IMDB

So much for the movie section.

There are many more to come this winter…