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.

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.

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.

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.