Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Artist Profile: Ruben Cossani

It takes something special to keep me sane during my 1 1/2 hour morning commute through heavy Washington, DC traffic.  Fortunately, I have found that special something in Ruben Cossani.

Formed in late 2006, when already established solo musician and producer Michel van Dyke overheard his recreational soccer teammate Konrad Wißmann singing, Ruben Cossani ultimately became a fully functional trio soon after with the addition of drummer and singer Leonard Lazar (replaced in 2010 by Alexander Jezdinsky).  Their first single, Mitgefühl appeared in early 2008, after a year of writing songs and honing their sound in the clubs of Hamburg.

Perhaps influenced by their development in many of the same clubs where the Beatles appeared during their early years, or by listening to early Kinks albums, with a hint of Burt Bacharach, Ruben Cossani has a sound that is reminiscent of early 60s pop.  While Ruben Cossani's look and musical roots are decidedly retro, their richly conceived songs of love and longing, accompanied by achingly beautiful music, carry them beyond simply being a novelty act.  Certainly their ability to write catchy music that speaks directly to the listener helped them to place 8th in the 2009 Bundesvision Song Contest with Bis auf letzte Nacht.

So far, Ruben Cossani has released two albums: 2008's Tägliche Landschaft, and 2009's Alles auf einmal, and can most recently be heard in their 2010 single, Raus.  Unfortunately, none of these is available either on American Amazon.com or American iTunes, but relatively inexpensive CDs can be purchased from Obsessed Music in Germany.

Typically, I am not one to enjoy really mellow music.  But, to my ears, Ruben Cossani is not your typical band.  I typically tire very quickly of songs and bands, but the more I listen to Ruben Cossani, the more I like them.  They refer to the past, while speaking to the present; they play to emotions, without self-consciously manipulating them; they are stirring, without being cloying.  Finally, they can even be more than a little fun when they want to be with songs like Besser Jetzt.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Thuringia

Norman Sinn & Ryo: Planlos

In my effort to preview each of the 16 different Bundesvision 2010 entries, I have developed a healthy respect for professional music writers. They get vast amounts of music that goes to their "To Review" pile, and despite the fact that most of it is strictly average, they have to try to write something compelling for their loyal readers. I have had similar issues with the Bundesvision entries. Some are really good.  Some are really unspeakably awful. But most just kind of fall in the middle somewhere, neither making me want to get up and dance/sing along, nor making me wish that somebody would drop a brick on my head from a great height to make it all stop.

And so, without further set up, I bring you Norman Sinn & Ryo's Planlos. It's vaguely danceable. It's vaguely sing-alongable. Ryo even does a nifty little rap in the middle to demonstrate that he's got that urban hip-hop edge that's so popular with the kids these days. I could see humming this song to myself during an absent minded moment on the train. In this age of disposable art, there is probably a lot that can be said for that. But being well suited for our disposable culture may not be the highest praise that can be sung for a song like Planlos.

Prediction: Norman Sinn & Ryo's Planlos no doubt fills a consumer driven need in music. I won't begrudge it that. But like so much else in this world, you could repackage it, rename it, and sell it as "New and Improved" tomorrow without actually having changed anything from the hundred times it has been done before. I predict that Planlos will do reasonably well, if only because it touches all the bases, but I don't see it getting above the middle of the pack.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Schleswig-Holstein


Stanfour: Sail On

I don't know if it was Styx that did it first, but they may have been the ones who were the most notorious for using the sailing metaphor in a pop song. That was back in 1978. Today it's 2010, and that same threadbare metaphor is still being used in Stanfour's Sail On. Can I make a suggestion? How about from this day forward, all musicians around the world make a solemn blood oath to never use sailing as a metaphor for love (unless they're singing about literally getting on a boat and going somewhere), never sing about a "fire burning inside" (another metaphor Stanfour uses in Sail On), and never sing that you're "gettin' down on my knees to pray" (when it isn't a religious song, and you're not actually praying to any particular god, but rather just hoping that the object of your affection listens to your song and agrees to hook up with you)(Sail On doesn't use this cliche, but it should be abolished anyway).

"But Peter," I hear my imaginary readers saying, "That's just the title of the song, oh, and most of the lyrics. What about the rest of the song?" A fair question. The short answer is that the rest of the song is just as embarrassingly cliched. The long answer is that, in order to make what was originally a cliched pop ballad into a contender for Bundesvision, certain changes had to be made that transformed Sail On from being passable Top-40 radio filler to being a musical Frankenstein's monster, with all of the subtlety and grace of the monster but none of the emotional complexity. First, the original album version of the song was entirely in English. Unfortunately, as all Bundesvision entries must be at least partially in German, this had to be changed. So, they did what any self-respecting band would do: they added a completely out of place German "rap" to the beginning and end of the song. Second, in order to stand out from all the other tepid ballads in Bundesvision this year, Stanfour added a danceable electronic back beat to appeal to all those kids who like to spend their evenings at the discotheque. Mission accomplished! Bundesvision here we come!!!

Prediction: Stanfour's Sail On has two advantages in this year's Bundesvision. First, Stanfour themselves are young and almost unnaturally good looking. Second, Sail On will no doubt appeal to the many people out there with the bodies of young adults and the emotional depth of a slightly under-ripe melon. But to be honest, I doubt that will make up for the fact that Sail On is just too damn precious for its own good. Stanfour, meet the Bundesvision basement.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Saxony-Anhalt


Silly: Alles rot

Every once in a while a great old band like Fleetwood Mac or Jefferson Starship (or is it Airplane? Jefferson Airplane? just Starship? what day is it?) get together and do a concert tour or put out a new single. More often than not, this is a pleasant trip back down memory lane for us aging folks who enjoy revisiting the music of our youth. At the same time, while these great bands are still able to showcase their musical chops, they are tied by their fans and by label expectations to return time and again to the tried and true sounds of their successful past, rather than moving into new musical landscapes.

So it is with Silly and Alles Rot.

For those of you who may not already be aware of them, Silly has been around since the late 1970s. Originally based in the East Berlin of Erich Honecker, Silly was able to build a solid following while maintaining an uneasy relationship with The State. Fast forward to 2010, and Silly is still around (with some key changes in personnel) producing music that still appeals to their original demographic of Germans in their late 40s, 50s, and 60s. Alles rot falls right within this paradigm. It's a well crafted song, performed by musicians who have been around the block more than a few times. That having been said, listening to Alles rot takes me back to the 80s. It doesn't make me think of the new modern Germany - or modern anything for that matter.

Prediction: Silly's Alles rot is a nice sentimental journey, just as the latest Fleetwood Mac reunion tour was a nice sentimental journey. But, for all of the pleasure that it provided its fans, the latter hardly set the musical world on fire, and the former hardly will either. Alles rot is an enjoyable diversion to a bygone age, but listeners under the age of 40 will wonder what all the fuss is about. I predict Alles rot will appeal to enough fogies like me to get it out of the bottom third, but it won't go any higher than that.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Saxony


Blockflöte des Todes: Alles wird teurer

I will admit to being harshly torn on Blockflöte des Todes' Alles wird teurer. On the one hand, I love Blockflöte des Todes. Over the course of one album and a couple of EPs, he (BdT is one guy) has done some really interesting and innovative things musically. He's almost like a 21st Century German version of Robyn Hitchcock, in that he puts out consistently quirky, but also consistently appealing songs. On the other hand, while it has grown on me over repeated listening, Alles wird teurer is nowhere near his best song.

All of this would be okay, if it ended there. After all, great musicians often hit it big with songs that I think are well beneath what they're capable of. But there are a couple of other factors that I think will work against BdT. First, while I personally like quirky music, I think Alles wird teurer is simply way too quirky for popular mass consumption - particularly on a stage like Bundesvision. Second, I think that BdT himself is a little too quirky. I don't mean this in a malicious way, far from it, but Bdt basically looks like a bearded nerd. Again, I find that appealing, but I don't think that this look will appeal to more than a small fringe of Bundesvision viewers.

Prediction: I personally think that Blockflöte des Todes deserves wide recognition for his skill as a songwriter and performer. Realistically, however, I strongly doubt that Alles wird teurer is terribly appealing to the German masses. As much as it pains me to say it, I predict that Alles wird teurer will be stuck down in the basement of Bundesvision 2010.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Hamburg


Selig: Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit

I have a confession to make. Selig's Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit was released only a few days ago, but in the lead up to its release I listened to a lot of other Selig to get a sense of what to expect. To be honest, I was expecting to hate Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. I was expecting it to be of a similar ilk to Sebastian Hämer and Unheilig's entries, which were both decently executed but emotionally overwrought power ballads. To put it bluntly, I hate power ballads.

Fortunately, I was wrong. Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit is emotionally loaded, but it isn't cloyingly so. It carries that load with a lightness that the competition can't seem to manage. Yeah, it doesn't quite break out of many of the conventions of a power ballad - up to and including a synth string section to add some punch. But, within those conventions, Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit is able to maintain a basic level of self-respect that can often be lost when frayed emotional strings are too often pulled.

Prediction: While Selig's Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit is a pretty decent song, I doubt that it will over-awe the German public. It will probably beat other songs in this genre in the competition, but it will still probably end up at the lower end of the middle of the pack.

Bundesvision 2010: Saarland


Mikroboy: Nichts ist umsonst

Every once in a while I'm torn. When I listen to Mikroboy's Nichts ist umsonst, I think to myself, "Hey, this ain't a bad tune." But then I think to myself, "But is it a great tune?" At this point, if I weren't writing a blog, I would just shrug and go on with my life. But, despite ample evidence to show that nobody particularly cares what I think about the upcoming Bundesvision Song Contest, I feel compelled to comment.

As far as the genre of alternative rock goes, Mikroboy's Nichts ist umsonst is a pretty good song. It's catchy, it rocks when it wants to, and Mikroboy has an appealing presence. My question is whether there is anything about Nichts ist umsonst that sets it apart from the pack. In addition, even if excelling within the confines of the alternative rock genre, is this really what the German public is in the mood for? If I'm honest, I really don't know the answer to these questions.

Prediction: Mikroboy's Nichts ist umsonst is a pretty good tune. But how does it compare to the competition? Depending on the mood of the German public on October 1, I'd predict that Nichts ist umsonst could land anywhere between the upper middle third and the lower top third of the competition.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Rhineland-Palatinate


Auletta: Sommerdiebe

Okay, first let me bitch (again) about something that has been bugging me. Both in my little adventure through Bundesvision, as well as through my broader delving through the world of international pop music and its various - sometimes unusual - variants, I try to share with you samples of the music so that you can judge for yourselves whether you too will like it. Frankly, it is always my hope, if you do find something here that you enjoy, that you'll want to buy it. To be honest, when I hear about a new band that sounds interesting, the first place I go to listen to it is the band's website, the band's MySpace page, or YouTube. It's kind of the "try before you buy" principle.

Well, in my attempt to find a good web-based version of Auletta's Sommerdiebe, I kept running into record label erected walls. Everywhere I turn, I'm told that this song is "not available in your country". Yes, I understand there are international copyright issues and all that, but almost every other song is available in my country, why not this specific one?

Anyway, I wanted to make this post all about how much I like the sample of Sommerdiebe that is available from the Auletta website. It's fresh, it's "alt"-poppy, it's got a good beat you can dance to. Broadly, it's a song that makes you feel good. I like that, and I think the German public will like that too. Fortunately, Germans will actually be able to listen to the entire song, and to watch the video. Sadly, the rest of us won't. It's a pity really. I would have liked to buy the album.

Prediction: Rhineland-Palatinate has historically done abysmally in the Bundesvision Song Contest. With Auletta's Sommerdiebe, or at least what I've heard of it, I think they have a chance to turn that around. I predict that Sommerdiebe will land among the top third in 2010.

ADDENDUM (Sept. 16): Well, wonders will never cease. After posting the above I notice that the official video for Sommerdiebe has been uploaded to YouTube, with access available everywhere. Hallelujah! Now having heard the entire song, I still like it, but perhaps not as much. Sommerdiebe will still do reasonably well, but maybe not in the top third after all.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: North Rhine-Westphalia


Unheilig: Unter deiner Flagge

Sssssnnnnnrrrrkkkkkggggghhhhhh. . . huh?. . . wha'?. . . was I asleep again?

Oh man! Here I was listening to Unheilig's metal(ish) ballad Unter deiner Flagge, and I must have just lost consciousness for a few moments. But I'm back now.

Sssssnnnrrrrkkkkkgggghhhhhh
. . . pflable???. . . urrrrkkk. . . whoa!!!!

Okay! I'm back again. I just need some more coffee. And maybe a quick run around the block. Oh, yeah, and a song that isn't quite so mind bendingly boring.

Yeah, I know that Unheilig has been around for years. And yeah, I know that Unheilig has a solid following among the Neue Deutsche Härte crowd. But that all just promises way more than Unter deiner Flagge either can deliver, or frankly even tries to deliver. It's all atmospheric build up with no climax - no emotional release - no point.

Prediction: Unheilig's Unter deiner Flagge may garner some of the broody, black fingernail polish crowd, but even that won't save it from a long and dreary night - which seems appropriate as it's a long and dreary song. I predict Unter deiner Flagge to be put to sleep near the bottom of the pile.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern


Sebastian Hämer: Ist shon okay

What happens in a televised music contest when a good looking singer with a wonderfully rich voice sings a rather run of the mill ballad? It means that amateur pundits like me are left without any idea of what to expect of Sebastian Hämer's Ist shon okay in Bundesvision 2010. Those who enjoy well-executed ballads as performed by a singer who is easy on the eyes will likely enthusiastically support Hämer, while those who want some nourishing filling to fill that attractive crust will likely find the song Ist shon okay to be somewhat lacking.

"But wait," I hear some readers saying, "you hate all ballads. Surely, that colors your opinion of Ist shon okay negatively. That means, if you take away the negativity on the ballad aspect, and consider the positivity of the skilled delivery, Ist shon okay stands a great chance of winning!"

That's a very astute comment, if it were true that I hate all ballads. But actually, I don't hate all ballads; just the ones that return to the same tired formulas that tug at the same over-tugged emotional strings. I love ballads that say something new in an innovative way. While Ist shon okay is not the worst offender of over-tugging by far, it is also neither new nor innovative. Only time will tell if the German public feels the same way I do.

Prediction: Sebastian Hämer's Ist shon okay is probably the most aptly titled song in the Bundesvision 2010 contest. This song doesn't make me want to get up and dance, nor does it melt my frozen heart. On the other hand, it doesn't make me want to cram knitting needles into my ears to stop the musical pain. Because of this middling reaction, I predict Ist shon okay to do okay, and end up in the middle of the pack.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Lower Saxony


Dirk Darmstaedter & Bernd Begemann: So geht das jede Nacht

Sometimes, in order to move forward, you must first look back. Sometimes, you have to look really far back - as in 54 years back. That is certainly what Dirk Darmstaedter and Bernd Begemann are thinking with their song So geht das jede Nacht.

Well, I say "their" song, but actually So geht das jede Nacht is a cover of one of Germany's two entries into the 1956 Eurovision Song Contest, as sung by Freddy Quinn. It was, and still is, a groovy rockabilly tune that sounded, and still sounds, like part of the American Graffiti or the Happy Days soundtrack. It is hard to tell at this point, as the Dirk Darmstaedter and Bernd Begemann version will not be released until September 10, 2010, but from live performances it appears that their version is a pretty faithful reproduction of the original.

I guess that's fine, but it strikes me that there are a couple of factors working against Dirk and Bernd. First, the Bundesvision Song Contest is supposed to be a reaction against the Eurovision Song Contest. As the song did not even win Eurovision in 1956, it is hard to imagine it doing particularly well in Bundesvision 2010. Second, when stacked up against music that speaks directly to the current generation of Germans both musically and lyrically, it is hard to imagine a 54 year old song making that same connection. While it may be unfair to judge a song from one live video before it is even released, I'm going to go out on a limb to say that surely Lower Saxony could have done better.

Prediction: While it is a fun enough song for those still into the concept of wearing bowling shirts and going to sock hops, So geht das jede Nacht strikes me as little more than a novelty act competing against real songs. Dirk Darmstaedter and Bernd Begemann will be lucky to claw their way out of the bottom 5 with So geht das jede Nacht.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Hesse


Oceana & Leon Taylor: Far Away

A poorly constructed love song is truly an abomination. But there is something truly sublime about a love song that is well written, and that is performed with an emotional depth that does not spill over into self-consciously manipulative sentimentality. Oceana & Leon Taylor's duet Far Away is definitely one of the latter. Far Away uses a mix of English and German lyrics (the original is all English, but Bundesvision rules require that at least some lyrics be in German) almost as a mirror of distance between separated lovers. Oceana has a beautifully rich and clear voice and, together with Leon Taylor, neither would be at all out of place in the American R&B charts.

Oceana & Leon Taylor's Far Away is yet another welcome reminder in Bundesvision 2010 that German popular music is rich and fertile ground for talented performers and skilled songwriters.

Prediction: I think that Oceana & Leon Taylor's Far Away will hit an emotional nerve with the German public. It is a well-written song that connects with universal emotion. I predict that Far Away, while probably not taking first place, will probably land in the top 5.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Bremen


kleinstadthelden: Indie Boys

Writing a good music review is easy. Good music touches emotions and creates connections. Writing a bad music review is even easier. There is nothing like spite and disdain for something to excite ones literary pretensions. But God almighty, it's hard to write an interesting and informative review of a song that's just eh.

And that brings us to Bremen's entry in Bundesvision 2010: kleinstadthelden's Indie Boys. It's competent alternative rock without innovation or passion. The musicians play their instruments well. Their key progressions demonstrate an understanding of musical form. But put Indie Boys up against 100 other alternative rock anthems by competent musicians, and it will disappear without a trace.

Of course, standing out in a crowd can win it all or it can spell ruin. Sometimes the best strategy is just to do what you do well, without attracting too much attention with innovation. In the restaurant world, it's certainly worked well for TGI Friday's. In the automobile world, it's certainly worked well for General Motors (setting aside the past few years). I'm sure this strategy will serve kleinstadthelden well in the marketplace over the years. Unfortunately, it's not going to win them Bundesvision.

Prediction: kleinstadthelden will do tolerably well. They are young and good looking, and look like they can put on a decent live show. But even with all of that, I predict that Indie Boys will rise no higher than the middle of the field.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Brandenburg


Das Gezeichnete Ich: Du, Es und Ich

It's a television based popular music contest, so it only stands to reason that there will be a power ballad in Bundesvision 2010. Hailing from Brandenburg, Das Gezeichnete Ich provides that ballad with Du, Es und Ich. I would be the first to admit that I have never particularly liked ballads. They tend to be overwrought with cliche and to be blatantly emotionally manipulative. Fortunately, though, while Du, Es und Ich sometimes seems at times to teeter on the cusp of going over the top, it manages to have just enough restraint to maintain its sense of self-respect.

It has always struck me as something of a mystery why certain songs are chosen for competitions over others. After listening to some of Das Gezeichnete Ich's other songs (Halleluja, or Innen for example), I think he could have done much better in Bundesvision than he will with Du, Es und Ich.

Prediction: Unlike me, the public at large seems to like music that couples emotional release with the backing of a full orchestra. Du, Es und Ich is certainly not the most contrived song in Bundesvision 2010, but it's not the best either. My prediction is that Das Gezeichnete Ich's Du, Es und Ich will settle comfortably somewhere in the middle of the pack.

Bundesvision 2010: Berlin


Ich + Ich: Yasmine

Perhaps it shouldn't be too controversial an opinion that Germany's largest city Berlin produces more credible "urban" music than its neighbors to the south in Bavaria. After all, Peter Fox's Schwarz zu blau, a fresh and innovative hip-hop take on Berlin after hours, won last year's Bundesvision Song Contest by a huge margin. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that fellow Berliners Ich + Ich come through with a wonderfully evocative and emotional urban soul song in Yasmine. Pairing up with an uncredited Egyptian singer, Mohamed Mounir, Yasmine mixes German and Arabic lyrics along with German and American musical cues into a multi-cultural melange that is so reflective and evocative of the melting pot that is modern Berlin. Unlike some of it's competitors, Yasmine has depth and character that is able to take these disparate elements and combine them into a whole that is greater than its parts.

Over the years, Americans have come to think of German popular music consisting entirely of avant garde synth-pop or heavy metal. But Germany, and particularly Berlin, has developed an amazing depth of "urban" music talent. Ich + Ich and Yasmine demonstrate this beautifully.

Prediction: Over their first three albums, Ich + Ich have sold over 2.6 million copies, which indicates a massive base of support. Couple that with a fine song, and I predict that Ich + Ich should place comfortably in the top 5.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Bundesvision 2010: Bavaria


Blumentopf: Solala

One could be forgiven if the term "hop-hop" does not immediately pop into one's head when one thinks of Bavaria. But Blumentopf has been busting out the rhymes for well over a decade from Bavaria's capital city, Munich.

Blumentopf's entry for Bundesvision is their track Solala. Perhaps it was an unintentional comment on their song, but solala translates roughly to "so-so", and frankly that's how this song strikes me. Perhaps it's almost inevitable that an ensemble hip-hop act like Blumentopf would be compared to the Beastie Boys - which I never particularly liked either. But surely, Blumentopf does nothing with their music to discourage this comparison. The lyrics bounce from one rapper to another over a Casio sounding back beat based on Queen's Another One Bites the Dust. Some of Blumentopf's other music is far more interesting and engaging, but here it just sounds like it has all been done before.

Perhaps the saving grace of Solala are its lyrics, which are about as pointed and obliquely political as you can get in a mass media music competition. Unfortunately, lyrics alone are seldom enough to make a song more than solala.

Prediction: If this were a judged competition, and if the wind was blowing in the right direction, I'd say that Blumentopf and Solala might have a shot. As this competition is judged by the public calling in on their phones, I have somewhat less faith. Solala simply lacks the musical hook that is needed to set it above the competition. My prediction is that Solala will place somewhere in the bottom third.

Bundesvision 2010: Baden-Württemberg


Bakkushan: Springwut

I'll confess that I have a personal preference for aggressive, guitar-driven, alternative music. Bakkushan's Springwut provides that in spades. Sure, there's a lot of screaming vocals, a monotonous beat, and less than a handful of repetitive driving chords. But, for all of that, Springwut is a catchy tune that you can dance to (or bounce, or slam, or whatever the kids are doing these days).

Perhaps just as important, in a contest that has the word "vision" in the title, Bakkushan themselves have an appealing edgy look. They're young, good looking, and energetic, and that always conveys well on TV.

Prediction: Will Bakkushan's Springwut win? Probably not. While I generally like the song, I think it lacks the lyrical or melodic depth that it will need to carry the day. My prediction is that Springwut will place in the top 10, maybe the top 5.

Bundesvision 2010 Preview

For us fans of German popular music, the Bundesvision Song Contest is always an enjoyable showcase of some of Germany's best (or at least most marketable) popular music. Because the current year's show is always hosted by the winner of the previous year's show, Berlin's Max-Schmeling-Halle will be hosting Bundesvision on October 1 (Peter Fox of Berlin won last year with Schwarz zu blau.

I don't want to go into too much detail about Bundesvision (for more info go here), but if you have never heard of it, I'll give you a quick rundown of the structure. Each of Germany's 16 states contributes a song from one of its residents as selected by local radio stations. When each song is presented, the German public can then vote for their favorite. The primary rule is that each nominated song must be at least partially in the German language.

As most Americans have never heard of the Bundesvision Song Contest, and particularly as most Americans have never heard any of the nominated bands, I wanted to provide a preview of each entry, and give my unsolicited opinion of which entry I think should win. Over the next few days/weeks, I will dedicate a post to each of the 16 nominated songs. At the very end, I will wrap it all up with my choice of winner. I also hope that any readers who see these posts will also chime in with your favorite(s). When the actual results come back from Germany in October, we can then compare our opinions with how Germany at large feels.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Artist of the Week: Mono and Nikitaman

With a great driving dancehall beat, Mono & Nikitaman represent Austria and the Netherlands respectively. Check out their videos on my "Artist of the Week" video link on the sidebar to the left (when it's not cluttered by advertisements). If you're interested in finding out more, check out their official website.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Video Review: Peter Fox and Cold Steel "Live aus Berlin"

Anybody who has spoken with me about music over the past year has discovered that I have an obsession: Peter Fox. No, I haven’t gone peculiar, but I have fallen in love with the music of an artist who has set the German music world on fire for years – first as a singer with the dancehall group Seeed, and more recently as a solo artist. For me, Fox’s 2008 album Stadtaffe was a revelation. Brimming with emotion and vigor, Stadtaffe seamlessly blended elements of hip-hop, reggae, jazz, rock, and even the sounds of a classical ensemble and the North Carolina based Cold Steel drumline providing percussion, to create a hybrid that is both danceable and thought provoking at the same time. So powerful was Stadtaffe that it peaked at Number 1 in the German and Austrian charts, and in the Top 10 in Switzerland and the Netherlands, with the single Schwartz zu Blau even winning the Bundesvision Song Contest for 2009. So deeply did this album impact me, and so surprised was I both by its success in Europe as well as its complete lack of exposure in the United States, that I felt compelled to search out other artists creating great music in other parts of the world that are never heard in the English speaking world and to write about them in this blog.

Being the inveterate consumer that I am, though, one album is never enough. That is why I was so excited to hear that Peter Fox released the perfect thing for those of us craving more: a live album along with an accompanying live DVD called Live aus Berlin. Well, I should qualify that. He released three different versions: the live DVD only; the live DVD with the live album; and for the fan with spectacular amounts of money, the DVD, the live album, a book of photos of the concert, and a second CD of instrumental versions of the songs on the original album. While I am, by my nature, obsessive about getting everything I can possibly get my hands on, I generally find instrumental versions of songs to be unappealing to all but the karaoke aficionados out there (you might as well release an album of songs without drums or bass). Therefore, I opted for the DVD/CD version of this release, and it was well worth the investment.

First, the live album is a real treat. While there is nothing new or novel about the presentation, it is an excellent recording of most of the songs off of the Stadtaffe album, plus a few classic Seeed songs for good measure. Fox’s backup band is huge, including the usual guitar/bass/drums triad plus two keyboardists (one presumably to mimic the sound of the orchestra on the original recording), a two-man horn section, three backup singers, and five members of Cold Steel, and their musicianship is flawless. Not only do they play the melodically and rhythmically complex songs with remarkable precision, but they inject a level of energy and vitality that is what makes a live recording special.

The real prize in this offering, though, is the live DVD. In addition to playing through the songs on the live album, the main DVD feature also includes outtakes from the tour, a brief description of how Fox found Cold Steel and involved them in the project, and a mind blowing drumline sequence involving Cold Steel and every other member of the band. But the true value is watching this band play live is, true to his roots in Seeed, so much effort and energy is put into the visual as well as the aural aspects of the show. For this, most of the credit goes to Cold Steel, who do things with percussion that make your heart race. The DVD extras add the live version of the song Zucker (which is on the Stadtaffe album, but was for some reason excluded from the concert feature), the music videos from the various singles from the Stadtaffe album, as well as a handful of tribute videos created by Peter Fox fans. While my collection is full of videos of live performances, many of which have only collected dust since I first watched them, I can watch Live aus Berlin over and over again.

Unfortunately, if my rather elementary German skills haven’t failed me, Peter Fox will not be putting out another solo album. Instead, he will be returning to Seeed, and will presumably turn his abundant talents more toward production, which is where his true love lies. But, if Stadtaffe and Live aus Berlin remain as his entire body of solo work, Peter Fox will be remembered as a unique and uniquely engaging artist.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Just Discovered File: Mallu Magalhaes

This is my first installment of hopefully many that I am calling "The Just Discovered File". It will be a quick blurb noting an artist that I have somehow stumbled across whom I find interesting and exciting.

Anyway, my first entry in the "File" is Mallu Magalhaes from Brazil. At the ripe old age of 17, this innovative songwriter is already on her second album (both albums are called "Mallu Magalhaes"), and is taking Brazil by storm.

Her music is a mix of folk, rock, reggae, and any number of other styles you can mention. But what pulls them all together is her compelling yet vulnerable voice, fun lyrics in both Portuguese and English, and incredibly catchy tunes.

So far, she's not on iTunes or Amazon in the U.S.. You can find her on Amazon.de and Amazon.fr though, if you're willing to pay for shipping (which, by the way, is a couple of Euros cheaper from France).

Monday, January 18, 2010

International Copyright Law

This week’s post isn’t meant so much to be informative, as to ask a question.

I am hoping that somebody out there is an international copyright expert, because I’m trying to find out why it is so difficult to find music published abroad here in the United States.

I’ll tell you what I mean. Let’s say, just for the sake of argument that I’m trying to find the latest album by the group Jennifer Rostock (I know, it sounds like it’s a solo artist, but they’re actually a really good band). I start out hoping to get a hard copy, as I’m something of a Luddite, so I go to Amazon. Nope, they’re not there, and if they are, a new copy is $58 not including shipping. So, I go to Barnes & Noble, Borders, and most of the mass music retailers out there. Nothing. Okay, fair enough. They’re faceless corporations that care as much about music as I do about discount rates used in the pudding industry. I’m not picky. I’ll get a digital copy to save on shipping costs. iTunes tells me flat out that, despite the fact that they have Jennifer Rostock in their library, they’re not allowed to sell it to me here in the United States. Figuring it might just be an issue with iTunes, I go to the download store at Amazon.de (the German version of what we’re all familiar with). Again, they tell me to get lost as I’m not in Germany. Ultimately, my only option is to buy the CD from Germany, and suffer the insult and indignity of a $15 shipping and handling charge (which is still far less than that insulting $58 from Amazon in the U.S.).

I could be wrong, but I thought that one of the great advantages of the digital age was that borders would become irrelevant to commerce, and that digital transmission of data (including music) would mean that excess costs like printing, packaging, and shipping could be eliminated forever. This should be a great new age where artists from around the world can distribute their work anywhere without having to suffer the expense of printing out hundreds or thousands of CDs and shipping them hither and yon. Instead, here we are in the second decade of the 21st Century, and we are still facing the same distribution limits that we did 30 years ago.

Well, I take that back. 30 years ago, we weren’t aware of music produced elsewhere in the world (except in the UK, of course), so we didn’t know what we were missing. Now, we are aware of this music, but we still can’t get it.

So, I have been thinking about this conundrum, and I have played out various scenarios in my mind. Perhaps it’s that music publishers do not want to have to spend the money to market their bands in countries where they don’t believe they would have any appeal. I could have understood this 10 years ago, when music was only distributed by CD, cassette, or album, and publishing and shipping costs would have been prohibitive unless a certain return on the investment could be reasonably expected. But, as far as I know, there is no additional incremental cost for selling a digital copy of a song in Uzbekistan over selling it in the United States. Even if only 5 copies are sold, that is 5 additional copies that cost nothing to produce or distribute.

All I can think of is that there is some sort of copyright exposure for certain artists trying to distribute their work overseas. I wouldn’t have thought this would be true, after all some artists send their work overseas all the time and are apparently covered by copyright laws – except maybe in China. But, does it entail some sort of extra incremental cost to copyright your work internationally instead of simply in your home country?

These are only the random speculations of a fevered mind, and they have no basis in any understanding of international copyright law. I am hoping that somebody who reads this knows more on the subject than I do, and can offer me some insights. If there are no good legal reasons why international music cannot be distributed in the United States, perhaps it’s time for a company to focus some energy on opening up international artists to American consumption. At the very least, perhaps it’s time for international publishers and distributors to open up the sluices and take away their silly regional restrictions on distribution.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Open World Music

Shhh. . . I don't want to burst any bubbles out there, but the United States and Great Britain aren't the only countries in the world that make great rock music.

"But Peter," you say, "I already knew that. I have the entire 5,000 volume set of Putamayo CDs, and I can sing Tajik falak music at ritual circumcisions with the best of them!"

Well, that may be so. But that's not what I'm talking about. I am talking about the whole realm of rock music (including its subsets: pop, rap, reggae, soul, R&B, and many others) that is produced around the world, often in languages other than English, that should be extremely appealing to the American consumer, but that is all but unavailable through normal consumer channels.

As a rabid lifelong fan and collector of music, much of it rather more esoteric than the usual stuff you find on Top 40 radio, I have always been at least somewhat aware that there is a whole world of great rock music out there. When traveling overseas, or while making foreign friends, I have occasionally been exposed snippets of really exciting bands. While living in Prague in the early 90s, MTV Europe was burning up with videos of Mano Negra, a band that practically invented the genre of Latin Alternative. While visiting East Asia for business school in the early 00s, Tokyo was reverberating to the sound of Pushim, a band that performs hot vibe reggae and soul in Japanese and that has a lead singer who could blow Christina Aguilera (and others of her ilk) out of the water. And yet, despite the widespread success of these bands and many others in their home countries or geographic regions, few in the United States are even aware that these bands exist.

This issue ultimately came to a head in my own mind when I enrolled my daughter in the German School of Washington, DC this past September. As she follows in her parents' footsteps in being an avid lover of raucous rock and roll music, and knowing that many of my foreign born friends first learned English through their exposure to American and British popular culture, I naturally wanted to find her good German language music. Unfortunately, if you go to your local record store and look in the "German" bin or search for "German Music" on Amazon.com or iTunes, you could be forgiven for coming away thinking that all music produced in Germany is played on accordions and tubas.

Interestingly enough, it was YouTube and then later LastFM that offered me the "in" to German rock. It was there that I first became aware of platinum selling artists that, for whatever reason - be it cultural, linguistic, or legal, you will never find in the United States through the usual distribution channels.

Since then, I have made it my personal mission first to find these exciting musicians, and second to let Americans know about them. Up to the point that my ADD kicks in, and my obsessive interests migrate to something else equally shiny, I will be posting here my commentaries on the rock music scenes of countries around the world, reviews of artists and albums, links to places you can purchase international rock, and videos of songs that I particularly like.

This is not to say that I know more on the subject than anybody else. Rather, I am hoping that I can start a conversation with other music lovers, music producers, and music marketers. Tell me about what is going on in your music scene in your part of the world. Tell me about the exciting new band that you just discovered, or tell me about your band. Alternatively, tell me why you think American or British rock has more universal appeal than what comes from elsewhere. I want to know!

Frankly, I think there is something terribly wrong when the vast majority of European Grammy Award nominees are American artists, and I hope that - in my own small way - I can do something about that for people who want to know more.