midlake live at mudd club berlin

i think it's been mentioned quite a few times on here that midlake is my current favourite band, and that i can't get enough of their album the trial of van occupanther (released this june). i catched the record right back then after reading a review and have been waiting ever since to hear those great songs performed live - waiting for yesterday, when they performed at the mudd club berlin.

midlake had two support bands with them. the first one was a singer/songwriter called robert gomez, who had a five-piece band with him. physically, they looked a lot like what i expected from midlake on stage: drums, keyboard, bass, guitar - and a violin. their music though wasn't really moving me.

the second support act was fionn regan, one guy with an acoustic guitar and a little help from the drums, and this worked out perfectly. his songs were extremly catchy and the lyrics very smart. one could compare fionn regan with jose gonzales, only with a more beautiful voice and humour and entertainment added.

even before midlake started their gig, they impressed me with all the instruments they brought on stage. five guys on four keyboard stands (with 6 keyboards) and a selection of at least 7 guitars guaranteed the right sound, but had one disadvantage: the atmosphere suffered from that. while it was wonderful to hear the songs and see midlake do their best to make them as atmospheric and eccentric as they are on the album, the pauses between songs, when they plugged out and plugged in guitars, always brought me back into reality.
but of course i'm not gonna blame them for stopping songs once in a while (singer tim smith said this probably was the show with the most technical difficulties ever).

they played all my favourite songs. started with they cannot let it expand, threw in young bride really early, played a fabulous balloon maker and then drifted into songs from their first album bamnan and slivercork, which i think most of the audience (including me) were not that familiar with. everybody except the drummer switched places and the show became more calm then, but kicked back in with the trial of van occupanther songs, which are more energetic than the ones from bamnan and slivercork. it was a collection of my favourite pieces saved for the last minutes of the gig: roscoe, bandits and head home.

chasing after deer, a very laid back acoustic encore closed the set and now i turn back to the record again, one of the most beautiful records i've discovered this year. the live experience added a different perspective to it, and i can't wait for a new record with a tour that brings out all the best of midlake.

Gregory Sylvester Coleman is dead

Gregory Sylvester Coleman was the Drummer of the "The Winstons", a funk band which did the Song "Amen Brother", which is the source of the "Amen Break", the Standard-Break for Drum and Bass, all sorts of electronic -Core music, early Hiphop and so on.

Although I am personally fed up with this break for nearly a decade now and even did an "Amen"-Diss in one of my older tracks, it definately is a very important piece of audio in the world of music.

Watch this video if you want to know more about it.



RIP.

Very nice.

A Link

Yep, I am busy too at the moment, but I do have an exceptionally great link for you :

The Top100 Musicvideos of all Time.

Lots of videos I didn't know about and the best thing is that they have a youtube link to every single entry in the list. Have fun spending some time watching those.

And first place is very well deserved.

sometimes i just cant get my head around this

due to the fact that the university i study at is currently having a lot of fun sending me from secretary to secretary and telling me all sorts of crazy stuff about whether i can take a certain test or not, i have absolutely no time writing anything here. and i am just not capable of thinking about anything than party propaganda, mass media of the 15th century and illocutinary speech acts.

i am very sorry, but there will be nothing going on in this blog for at least two weeks, unless my dear looza writes something (don't feel obliged, i know you are busy, too).

depending on the degree of madness in my brain after these two weeks time i'll go on posting about nice music later or will probably just rant about ringtones being soo much better than real music. let's hope this won't happen..


hopefully, posts about the reception of music as part of a cultural heritage and about klaus renft, one of former gdr's most frequently forbidden musicians, who died very recently, will follow..

my current favourite song: jens lekman - pocketful of money

jens lekman is a solo artist from gothenburg, sweden. being only 25 years old, he has already released a nice amount of albums and compilations. the good thing about him is that he is seeing the whole music business in a very relaxed way: 'If you like my music , please buy my records or download them legally' he writes on his webpage, but he also offers links for free downloads.

this page, however, is worth looking at once in a while, because he keeps on adding thoughts about his music and his life on the road. it's almost like a blog of it's on.

the song that got me into him about two months ago is pocketful of money, to be found on the 2005 compilation oh you're so silent, jens.
starting with finger-snapping and a piano, gently accompanied by bass, this song slowly turns into a hymn with brass and vocals in two voices. it's one of these songs that catch you right when you're listening to it for the first time, and then creates this certain feeling of desire and yearning every time you hear it.

the fastest way for you to listen to it now would be to follow this link.

here are the lyrics:

i got my pockets full of money
i'm gonna spend it all tonight
i got my pockets full of money
i'm gonna spend it all tonight

i hold my salary
i'm gonna set it to flames
on some girl i just met recently
i barely know her name

oh take me some place decent
where we meet up with true friends
where the people are pleasant
where the music never ends
where the music never ends

i can say that you are pretty
that would make me a liar
but you turn my legs to spaghetti
and set my heart on fire

you set my heart on fire
you set my heart on fire
you set my heart on fire

i'll come running with a heart on fire
...

you set my heart on fire
...

Mixed Tapes ?

Who still got tapes anyway ?
Well, actually I finally dug out my bag of old tapes while moving and plan to digitalize all the old crap that is still worth listening (like old techno-mixtapes from as far back as 92/93 ... big up to DJ Ten (who sold his tapes for 10 bucks back then ... total ripoff.))

However, to hijack the idea I just want to give you this link to some mixsets (big difference) of mine on xstreamist.com

Better grab those mixes while they are up there, there will be a total exchange of mixes there soon (because I can use only 200mb).

I am currently working on some bigger text about sampling. And todays rockmusic compared to old rockmusic. And some rant about indyrock. And whatever falls into my mind when I finally have time again.

mixtapes

this is a mixtape:



and this is mixed tape:




mixtapes:

every music lover likes getting them as much as creating some to give away. they are supposed to be mix of favourite artists and songs and some recently dicovered stuff, a broad overview of what you like.

i wanna show you what i listen to on a lazy day, as today was the german national holiday and that meant staying at home. i was 'hedgehogging' today, meaning i didn't go out and didn't talk to anyone on the phone. i rather listened to great music and thought of loved ones today - instead of communicating with them.


this is my mixtape:

01 dj shadow - gdmfsob (unklesounds edit)
02 the ramones - i wanna live
03 the innocence mission - when mac was swimming
04 ian brown - lovebug (acoustic version)
05 midlake - balloon maker
06 unkle - lonely souls (unklesounds edit)
07 flunk - morning star
08 noel gallagher - teotihuacan
09 karen dalton - something's on your mind
10 professor pez - stealin' sneakers (demo)
11 sgt. petter - honky tonk rose
12 madonna vs. ian brown - fear of music
13 blue oyster cult - (don't fear) the reaper
14 the cardigans - lovefool (dance mix)

i shouldn't actually post it here, because mixtapes are there to be given away, and i don't wanna spoil the anticipation. but you receiving this one, you know who you are and i hope you're looking forward to listening to no. 12 ;-)

tba on tour update

not so many concerts coming up, but i will be here:
**Oct 26th MIDLAKE, Mudd Club, Berlin



--> my momentarily favourites (listen to songs here - click on open menu, then on media)

a texan band that uses lots of nature-like images of hunting and hiking for their beautiful songs.



and:
**Nov 06th GEORGE MICHAEL, Velodrom Berlin



--> all-time fave, and something that's surely gonna be fun!

read comments here after the gigs!

international music day

today, october the first, is international music day. it was introduced in 1975, by lord yehudi menuhin, then president of the international music council. it's purpose is to arise awareness for the promotion of all sorts of musical art among the society.



what's this?
well, bon jovi maybe took this idea a bit too far by producing a collection of goods for babies called rockstar collection. have a look at prams, furniture and jewellery for kids, designed by jon bon jovi and tico torres, here or here.


nevertheless, the promotion of music is exactly what this blog is trying to achieve ;-)

so let's celebrate!