smile at fortune

New EXPO album

2011-11-11T09:17:00.001+01:00

EXPO is a wonderful pop project consisting of John Lane and Christian Lipski. Their new album "40 Sleeps" is a gorgeous mixture of Americana (a genre I' m not an expert for) and pop elements - yon can listen to and buy the album here on bandcamp. The dreamy and warm melodies are full of harmonies and perfect for November days. Plus, John Lane is mentioned in the thank yous of the Beach Boys Smile Sessions box - amazing!! Read our interview to find out why and to learn more about EXPO's music.

EXPO is two people, you and Christian Lipski – what would you say does each one of you contribute to your music that the other couldn’t come up with on his own?

Wow, that's a great question.Well, first of all, I think that Christian is so great that he could and does contribute waaay beyond my capabilities anything that I bring to the table. But to get more specific - Christian has guitar/banjo/ukelele talents which I just don't have. Add to that, he has a much better voice than mine, so whatever he adds is always superlative. As for what I contribute that he couldn't come up with on his own? That's unanswerable, because our music is such a friend-based dialogue that it would be like trying to find a deficiency in that dialogue which doesn't exist, to my mind.

John Lane
Foto: Promo

How many albums did you record and produce as EXPO and are they still available?

Expo has 3 albums out: Playtime (2008) - which was a sort of "learning on the job" (for me) first record. Very eclectic and ham-fisted. Mainly a solo job with a couple collaborations on there. She Sells Seashells (2010) - me trying to be Brian Wilson and sound vaguely orchestral, and that was a hugely collaborative job with lots of other people who generously shared their talents. There's an approximately 34-second song on there ("The Northern Lights") which closes the album, and Robin Whitney sang it -- I love it for its brevity and the fact that I (to my dim mind) satisfied a Disney-soundtrack-esque jones in writing that. Long, meandering answer, but there you go. And now, 40 SLEEPS (2011) - where the identity of Expo is now firmly solidified as a partnership. (Christian had collaborated on a song from the previous album, and logic/heart/soul dictated that we buddy up musically finally.) They're all available at http://expo.bandcamp.com

Christian Lipski
Foto: Promo

What is your favourite song on your new album “40 Sleeps”?

That's a tough one, as I'm really pleased with them all. The one that secretly nudges into the category of "favourite" though might be "Your Father's Son" - for personal reasons. It's part-prayer, part-metaphor, part-this, part-that. Lyrically, the song shifts perspectives - it's about Christ on the cross looking down at the people crying, but then it's also about the people looking up at him...then it's also part-pep-talk to myself in those bridging parts. Anyway, I wanted to write a gospel-esque song without being preachy, while always being reverential (in my mind). Christian is, I believe, an atheist and I have to hand it to him for not pinching his nostrils when I proposed this song. His guitar work on that IS the soul of that song.

Which instruments do you play and which ones would you like to be able to play?

I play keyboards and drums, enough to get by. If forced, I can play rhythm guitar - but I lack the discipline to retain any knowledge that will simply allow me to move forward on that instrument. Musically, compared to all the people I know and respect, I'm a primitive.

Both members of EXPO live in different cities – do you ever perform live?

We don't perform live, only because geography separates us - but I've got the itch to somehow, some day, remedy that. A good friend of mine, Joe Hamilton, has been gently nudging and feeding that idea to me, so it might happen some day. Performing always takes me back to nerve-wracking piano recitals as a kid, so I'd have to play with people who can put me at ease or buy me beer.

You’re a huge fan of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys – you’re even mentioned in the credits of the Smile Sessions box! Do you remember how that obsession started?

That obsession seems to have been with me for as a long as I can remember. Somewhere in my early teens, my 'little' brother got a copy of SMILEY SMILE which shook my world. America's Biggest Band had done this little, art-y record that sounded like and still sounds like nothing else out there! Then I remember buying a copy of Priore's "Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile" from a bargain-bookstore -- this bookstore had tons & tons of remainder copies, and it was surreal; here was this completely oddball-looking scrapbook, in stark contrast to glossy Stephen Kings or whatever, and I had to have it. Reading Priore's book was like reading about or scanning an archaic map to a long-lost civilization -- there was no reference point to all this "Barnyard" stuff but knowing it was somewhere 'out there' was enough to get me going. I bought many copies of that book over the years, and at times it was like a child's security blanket on my night-table. So, SMILEY SMILE and Domenic Priore both got the whole obsession rolling, for which I'm forever grateful. My obsession had slacked off when Brian released "Brian Wilson Presents SMILE" but has now mysteriously picked up speed again this week, haha!

What exactly is that reason that you're mentioned in the credits of the Smile box (which is amazing)?

I was mentioned in the Smile box credits because my friend Jon Hunt and I used to run a site titled 'The Smile Shop' for a number of years before it ran out of steam. From the mid-90's til about the time that Brian Wilson released his own version of Smile in 2004, something like that. It was a site for the Smile die-hards, and we met a lot of really nice folks through that experience. And fast-forward years later, and a kind soul involved with the Smile Sessions gave us a shout-out. There are also a lot of other wonderful people credited there whose years of experience & diligence pre-dated ours or surpassed ours, but it was a wonderful, thoughtful gesture.

EXPO on Bandcamp
EXPO on Facebook

The Very Most

2011-10-13T10:16:00.000+02:00

I've been a huge fan of The Very Most since their album "Congratulations Forever" which came out in 2008 (including the wonderful "Good Fight Fighting"). Jeremy Jensen from Boise, Idaho is the songwriter and front person of the group. There have been a whole bunch of releases from The Very Most since 2008 - some singles and EPs plus the amazing album "A Year with The Very Most" (which is basically the songs from four EPs on one fantastic full length album - I absolutely recommend getting this).

I'm very happy that Jeremy found the time to update me on current projects. I'm especially looking forward to the Christmas EP which you can fund here (please click for info) - just like I happily did. I think this is a wonderful and easy way to support your favourite artists. If you're still undecided, please watch this adorable video.

Read our interview to learn everything about current und upcoming projects, a collaboration with Duglas Stewart from the legendary Scottish group BMX Bandits and where to catch The Very Most and/or Jeremy Jensen in Europe.

Please tell me more about your current releases – there was an EP (“Patricia”) and a single on Eardrums Pop and also a collection of custom songs.

Yeah, we've been pretty busy in the last year or so. Patricia actually was supposed to be released in November 2010, but we had so many problems with the vinyl and with the packaging, I don't think people got their records until June or July of 2011. It's kind of embarrassing, actually. But I'm happy with the music itself. Patricia was my attempt at making something a little more intense and fast, maybe a little like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but since we're us and not The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, it ended up a little wimpier. But that's OK. I'm also pretty happy with our Pixies cover ("Here Comes Your Man"). My friend Xanthi from Greece said she never liked the Pixies except for our version of that song. That made me happy.

Our single on Eardrums Pop was part of a series of singles that included a lot of great poppy bands. We were honored to have been asked to participate. I didn't have a ton of spare songs for it, so we ended up re-recording two songs and doing a cover for it. "Alien Girl" is a song I wrote in 1996 or '97 for the band I was in at the time called The Yukon and You. I thought the song had a lot of potential, but back then, I didn't really know how to make records, so it wasn't as good as it could have been. The Very Most version is much better than The Yukon and You version. "Congrizzle 4evs" is a re-recording of the title track from our second full-length album Congratulations Forever. It's a lot closer to the way we play it live, and I think it's better produced than the version on Congratulations Forever. The last song on that single is a cover of "If Only Monday'd Never Come" by Brilliant at Breakfast, one of my favorite bands as of late. They're from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and they write these amazing pop songs that spring from a place of intelligence, cynicism, joy, and humor. They're so great. I can't say enough good things about them.

The collection of custom songs stem from a time in summer of 2008 where I offered to record a song for every person that bought our album. I was crazy to do so, but that's the result. Lots of super goofy songs in that one, but some of them went on to become full-fledged TVM songs, including "Sweater" and "Patricia." We only really give it away with the purchase of another album, or just for free at certain times. We don't sell it separately because, IMO, the songs aren't good enough for that to be someone's only experience with our music. I'd prefer to know that they have some of our more polished recordings before I let them listen to those songs.

Are you working on an album right now or do you prefer to stick with singles and EPs? I read something about a Christmas EP on your Facebook page.

Yes, we are working on a Christmas EP! It's going to be all covers, but only covers of songs that aren't often covered, with the possible exception of The Beach Boys "Little St. Nick." On that release, along with The Beach Boys, we're recording songs by Vashti Bunyan, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, and BBC kids show band The Wombles. We've also got some cool guest appearances on that release, with Duglas Stewart of BMX Bandits dueting with Mel Whittle of The Hermit Crabs, and a few other guests as well. Right now we're working on funding its release via Kickstarter. It's going to be on CD with pretty letter-pressed packaging.

We're also working on a full-length, but I'm not sure when that's going to be done. The music is about halfway done, but there's no lyrics yet. I'd really like to try and create a unified concept record that revolves around a single storyline, but I'm not sure if I'm capable of doing that. We'll see. We're also going to do a couple split singles next year, including one on vinyl hopefully with Adam and Darcie, one of the greatest bands on the planet right now.

You’re going to play live in Europe soon – where will you play and what can your fans expect?

We are playing one show in Europe: in Dublin. It's going to be very stripped down. Probably just me and our drummer Jake for the most part. Our friend Greg from the excellent electronic-folk band At Last an Atlas will fill in a little on keyboard if I ever send him the chords for the songs. We will be in Dublin because we also play in the band Baffin Island with members of Glasgow band The Hermit Crabs. That week in Glasgow, Baffin Island is playing the Glasgow Popfest, but Jake and I will be spending time in Dublin and flying to Glasgow to play the show with Baffin Island. So, yeah, nothing too exciting as far as Europe goes for The Very Most. One show only. We hope to come again someday and play more than one. And maybe play on the continent for once. It's hard to know when that will be feasible though. We recently lost a lot of members, and we're working on finding people to take their places. With people's work schedules and limited funds, it gets a little hard to even tour regionally, let alone in Europe. We really want too though. We also want to tour Indonesia. So many worthy goals, so little cash! I think that may be our band motto at this point.

Find The Very Most here on Facebook
Find The Very Most here on their bandpage
Find The Very Most here on Twitter

Mister Fusty

2011-08-27T17:18:00.000+02:00

I think it was through Arnd Zeigler's amazing radio show that I first heard of Rob Gibson aka Mister Fusty. Rob released his new album this month and though I shocked him with my confession that I'm a Beatles sceptic (he's a huge fan of their music) he still was so nice to answer my questions.

"The Waiting Room" by Mister Fusty is a beautiful, dreamy pop album resembling Gruff Rhys or The High Llamas.

You can listen to (and purchase) "The Waiting Room" here on bandcamp.

Here's our interview:

In which ways is “The Waiting Room” different from the albums you did before?

This is only the second album that I had vocals on (before that I just used to create instrumental tracks) and I think for this one I think I have got more confidence in my voice. Also I think the recording and arrangements are better on this album, perhaps because I was using different software and a better computer.

Lyrically I decided that none of the songs were going to be about me or from my experiences, they were going to be "story songs" or songs from the point of view of another character. That liberated me a little as I could use my imagination more, it's sometimes more interesting writing as someone else!

A couple of songs are based on real people/events. "Empty Chairs" was inspired by a book by John Lennon's half sister Julia. John's mother (also called Julia) was tragically killed in a road accident the day before she was due to visit one of John's aunts. The aunt was so upset she took a picture of the empty garden chairs they would've sat in and put it in a frame. This struck me as a sad and strange thing to do, so I thought it would be a good idea for a song. "Rainbow Valley" was inspired by an article I read about all the dead bodies of mountain climbers that are still on Mount Everest, many years after they died.

So I think I've definitely thought about the lyrics and tone a bit more on this album.

Have you always been a solo artist?

Yes, although I have collaborated with other musicians (The Simple Carnival and Expo) on a couple of things, it's just me and my computer. Although my wife sung some backing vocals on the last album!

I would be open to more collaborations though. Mister Fusty, doesn't have to be a person - it could be a band also. Who knows?

Which instruments do you play?

I play guitar and bass guitar mostly. I'm not brilliant but I can just about get a tune out of them! I can also play chords and one handed on piano/keyboards but I'd like to be able to play properly one day. I used to play drums many years ago but I wasn't too good.

How can I imagine the song writing process?

Usually I start off with a set of chords, usually on the guitar but sometimes on a keyboard. Then I build up the song from there, adding drums/drum loops, then bass and other instruments. The last thing usually is the melody and lyrics. For my next set of songs I might consider starting with the lyrics first and see how that works out, just for a change.

What inspires you?

Music, obviously, inspires me. I like all kinds of music, from pop, jazz and bossa-nova to electronica. It all inspires me in some way even though it might not seem like it. I'm eclectic in my music tastes and I try and be as eclectic as I can in the music I make, within my limitations. I like bands that don't stick to one particular sound and style.

I'm also inspired by travelling, I love seeing other countries, towns and cities and being there always filters into my ideas for songs. I often imagine I'm somewhere else when I'm writing a song!

You’re also involved in an artists collective called “Headphone Treats”. What is that about?

An American friend of mine called John Lane (who is in Expo) introduced me to his friend Jimmy Ether, who is a recording artist, record producer and owns the label Headphone Treats. Rather than a label, now it's more of a collection of like-minded artists who are not mainstream and are not part of any particular trend. They just love music and sharing it with other people. That's my impression of the ethos there anyway. Jimmy has big ideas for the Headphone Treats website, it's still in development but it'll be great when it's set up. There will be lots of great music in all kinds of styles. Jimmy is a very talented recording engineer who mastered the last two albums, they sound great because of him!

What was the nicest compliment you ever got for your music?

I'm just happy anyone likes it! I'm not well known, and can't afford to publicise my music properly, so not many people have heard of it, so I'm glad when anyone contacts me and tells me they like the songs!

You’re a huge Beatles fan. How would you convince a Beatles sceptic like me that The Beatles are essential?

I have been a big Beatles fan since I was 5 years old when I found my mum's box of 1960's singles. There were records from all the big 60s bands in there - The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Hollies etc. But it was The Beatles ones I liked the most and it has stuck with me ever since.

I really can't understand why anyone who loves pop music would not like the Beatles, it makes no sense to me. Just about any pop/rock band you can think of has been influenced by them in some way. They are the blueprint for great pop music. I can understand their music not being to everyone's personal taste but you have to admire them for all they have achieved.

The great thing about them is that they were so eclectic, so many different styles of music - there is something for everyone, rock, ballads, music hall, country, soul and R&B, psychedelia, chamber pop, avant garde pop. They went from the simple Merseybeat pop of "She Loves You" to the ground-breaking tape loop experimentation of "Tomorrow Never Knows" (which pretty much invented sampling) in just THREE years. Incredible. Listen to "Yes it is", "Helter Skelter" and "It's all Too Much", then remember it's the same band and all recorded only a few years apart.

Mostly though the reason I love The Beatles is that they wrote GREAT pop songs. Incredible melodies and arrangements. Just listen to "Penny Lane" and tell me that it's not a great pop song!

"All Seeing Eye" - Mister Fusty from Mister Fusty on Vimeo.

Mister Fusty on Twitter
Mister Fusty on Facebook

Fitness Forever video interview

2011-07-29T15:26:00.000+02:00

A video interview I did with Paster and Carlos from the amazing pop group Fitness Forever from Naples/ Italy. It was great fun!!

Fitness Forever live in Stuttgart (20.7. 2011)

2011-07-27T20:55:00.000+02:00

Find my Fitness Forever live review (German) and some incredible pics by Andreas Meinhardt here on gig-blog.net. It was an amazing night.

This is beautiful singer Paster who is also an amazing artist and designer - see some of her works here.

This is super genius Carlos who writes all their songs.

Fitness Forever on Facebook

Their fantastic label Elefant Records on Facebook

Amazing new album: Brent Cash "How Strange It Seems" (plus interview)

2011-05-23T11:05:00.000+02:00

I couldn't believe what I heard when I first listened to Brent Cash's brand new album "How Strange It Seems" (Marina). Heartbreakingly gorgeous strings and horns, the most amazing melodies, super tender lyrics - it felt like diving into the best possible world where music and peace and solitude are all that matters. The opening track "I Wish I Were A Song" is like (at least) three incredibly beautiful songs in one. And that's what Mister Cash does a lot. Whenever you think that you heard the best bit of the song, he adds another elegant twist, an unexpected element, some irresistible build-up, warbling little flutes or the occasional ba-ba-ba.

Foto: Promo

My personal favourites along with the opening track are the rather postive and happy "How Strange It Seems" as well as "The Heart Will Always Work Alone" which is bittersweet and a bit melancholy but also very uplifting. Also "Don't Turn Your Back On The Stars" with its stunning piano parts and - again - a reference to the importance of song.

In addition, Brent Cash was so kind to take the time and answer me some questions. Here's what he says.

What inspires you? Do you listen to music by other artists while you're writing and recording?

My extremes in feelings seem to inspire me. The first album was made from the seeds of a two to three year period that I'm pretty sure was depression and then the subsequent euphoria that followed. They were equally potent. I am also very inspired by dreams, one of the songs each on the two albums I actually dreamed, so when you hear those particular songs you are hearing the actual melodies and chord changes that I dreamed while deep in sleep. I woke up and there they were. Unfortunately,the words in the dreams (at least with me) don't seem to be masterpieces so, some editing is needed on those. I find that the best ideas I get are the ones that just pop into my head without me sitting at the piano trying to hammer something out. Those ideas that just "show up" are usually the most effective ones for songs. I try to use mostly those to finish. I do run into blockades sometimes where I need to finish little sections of them up on a piano if I get stuck, but generally - I like the ones that just show up unannounced. They seem to be almost fully-formed choruses or verses and I already hear the key signature and rhythm track feel in most cases. But, it seems there's always that nagging little bridge that requires a lot of work to finish. It would be nice if the *whole* song would just appear from start to finish for me, but they usually need a lot of love and care to grow into "mature adults" to use an analogy. I am always listening to music and always have. Except for a dry spell I had, I have always written down song ideas through the years, too. Some of the old ideas that I still think are good might turn into a song years later. "Love Is Burning Down Tonight" was like that. I had the basic idea maybe around 1994. That demo haunted me for a long time until I finally finished it. I always thought there was something about that one and I am pleased with how it came out on the record. So, I feel the writing (and listening to music) is kind of ongoing and rarely stops, thank goodness.

Foto: Promo

Your new album is equally amazing if not even more fantastic than your debut - I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the new songs. I think it's an incredible achievement to not just reach the level of your first
album but even exceed it. How do you feel about both albums?

Thank you very much - that makes it all worth it. I feel that "How Will I Know..." is a pretty cohesive album and "How Strange It Seems" feels more like a collection of songs. The new one is deliberately more elaborate. I find the first one is very easy to listen to, but the new one, I have to almost pscyhe myself up because it seems to be very "weighty". It's similar to the way I feel about some of The Beach Boys' long players, I can play "Friends" or "Sunflower" anytime and they make me feel great, but "Pet Sounds" might devestate you with its colossal emotional blitz if you're not ready for it. I feel that the songs on "How Strange It Seems" are the best group of songs I've ever had at one time. All of the lyrics are very "face value"/ easily understood and are economically stated.They are not oblique in any way and they rhyme and express my feelings as well, so I was very happy to have covered all those bases I wanted to cover with the lyrics this time around.

Foto: Promo

The new album is again lush and beautifully instrumented and arranged. Do all the musicians come over to your studio? What is it like to work with so many people? Does everything always sound like you imagined in
the end?

We did the recording at three different places I believe. The musicians all came to the studio except for Erik Mason. We had to go to his facilities as he played the tympani and the chimes which are things not every one has sitting by the cozy fireplace in their homes, but are also very large as well,so the engineer Joel Hatstat brought some remote equipment to Erik's place (at the school where he teaches) to record those very unwieldly instruments. Joel and I got so used to working by ourselves recording the drums, my vocals and mixing that when the musicians did come over, there was a different dynamic instantly. In many cases you don't know the person and have only e mailed or called them about participating on the record. So,when they arrive, you are getting to know them at the same time as they are starting to work on the project. They were all easy to work with and just played like angels. I am very grateful for their services. I love the last part of your question... Getting the end result to match what you hear in your head... wow, it is not always easy. I no longer have or desire a home recording unit to make demos on (I eventually wore out a 4 track recorder in the early 2000s). I am just doing it "old school" for these records. Like I said earlier, I hear the rhythm tracks in my head, and once those get recorded, I just play that to arrange the orchestra to. With a pencil and a piano. I don't like the idea of me using computer software. Maybe later, though? And part of getting the music to sound the way your imagination has illustrated it is through just the right amount of reverb here, the right amount of eq on the bass drum there, etc. So strangely, some of the music's emotional end result for me comes from the nuts and bolts science of engineering and mastering. If the flute can't be heard, the emotions might not be stirred. I am happy to say that on each album I got about 90-95% of how I wanted it to sound for the end result.

Foto: Promo

Is there a chance you ever come over to Europe for a tour?

Well, I would love to one day, but a lot of my time is spent at my day job and there's the problem of how large scale a show could we do and transport all (or even some) the players over seas and compensate them. Maybe one day the stars will align just right.

The album "How Strange It Seems" is available from May 27th (Germany)/ June 7th (rest of the world). You can get it from the always amazing Marina Records, your lovely local record store or Amazon.

Brent Cash on Facebook
Brent Cash Official Website (where you can listen to bits from the album)

Diana Diamond (Mobylettes) im Videointerview

2011-05-03T18:17:00.000+02:00

Talking to the amazing singer Diana Diamond from the band Mobylettes on the backseat of my car (in German).

Mobylettes live in Stuttgart

2011-04-25T10:21:00.000+02:00

...danach The Tights-DJ-Team!!

The Radio Dept., Schorndorf, Manufaktur, 20.3.2011

2011-03-22T22:56:00.000+01:00

Click here for my The Radio Dept. live review for gig-blog.net (in German).

(photo by Steffen Schmid for gig-blog.net)

Gruff Rhys, Manufaktur, Schorndorf, 9.3.2011

2011-03-11T15:36:00.000+01:00

Find my German Gruff Rhys live review and some lovely pics over here at gig-blog.net

(photo by Steffen Schmid/gig-blog.net)

Gigi "The Marquee"

2011-01-14T12:39:00.000+01:00

Amazing how everybody agrees that this song is fantastic (album is great as well).

Gigi on MySpace

The Lexingtons album review

2011-01-11T20:42:00.000+01:00

The latest release by THE LEXINGTONS is a double album; an ambitious format and quite unusual for an unsigned young group but ISN’T IT NICE TO BE LOVED?/CHOOSE CHOICE definitely pulls it off. The concept of releasing huge amounts of music at once, ranging from drafts and interludes to full length original songs and beautiful cover versions could be the antithesis to the widely proclaimed death of the album format. If the death of the album sounds like ISN’T IT NICE TO BE LOVED?/CHOOSE CHOICE, I’m in. Eric Warncke writes tunes that don’t seem to be composed with any potential listener in mind (which is a good thing). There is a touching sense of urgency in his song writing that might be compared to Rocketship, Sufjan Stevens or a pop version of Los Campesinos!, if a comparison is needed. In addition, Warncke possesses a profound knowledge of pop history and hides lots of little hints, references and tributes to his heroes in his compositions.

The first album, ISN’T IT NICE TO BE LOVED? is a gorgeous collection of original pop songs and beautiful cover versions (CHANGE IS HARD and THIRTEEN). The production is rather low-key, but it suits the music and the whole idea of the album beautifully. Favorites are I CAN BE LIKE THAT, NEVER SAY SOMETHING YOU’LL LATER REGRET and MAKING IT IS TOUGH. These sweet, sad and quirky pop songs make you want to have their titles tattooed across your wrist. Eric has a fantastic talent for writing irresistible hooks that you need to hear over and over again. This was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2010 and definitely one of my favorite albums of the past year.

CHOOSE CHOICE, album number two, consists of mid tempo instrumentals, dreamy little pop tunes and demos. The pieces resemble vintage movie scores, TV themes from the 60s and traditional folk melodies. The album has a strangely haunting feel to it - sounding familiar and completely unique at the same time. Influences include The Beach Boys (Eric also runs an acclaimed expert blog), Canadian pop group The Heavy Blinkers and Italian composer Ennio Morricone. John Lane of Expo and Daniel Hirst of The Man From Another Place also are (slightly more grown-up) brothers in spirit. CHOOSE CHOICE is a beautiful, other-worldly album that leaves the listener breathless, stirred with emotion and with the strong need to hear more.

The Lexingtons MySpace
The Lexingtons Soundcloud
The Lexingtons blogspot

I Can Be Like That by thelexingtons
Never Say Something You'll Later Regret by thelexingtons
Making It Is Tough by thelexingtons

My top songs 2010

2010-12-09T18:35:00.000+01:00

You can check out my favourite songs of 2010 over here.

(you can click on the song titles to listen to most of the songs)

New Lexingtons double album is the best thing

2010-11-16T18:23:00.000+01:00

You can download it here for free (it's a double album).

Here's their MySpace

Here's a video they did a while ago.

They're absolutely brillant.

Superpunk video interview

2010-09-25T15:53:00.001+02:00

A video interview we did recently with amazing German group Superpunk :)

Serious hair inspiration

2010-08-31T16:58:00.000+02:00

http://www.myspace.com/minazzini

A contribution from our correspondent in Stockholm

2010-08-12T18:52:00.000+02:00

My friend Jonas Carlsson from Sweden was so kind to send me a very comprehensive playlist of his 55 favourite Swedish Indie pop songs from recent years.

Jonas is a 23-year-old living in Stockholm who is studying to be a journalist. He runs the blog thedrummingcat and thecatgoespolitical. The former is dedicated to music, everything from recommendations to what happens in Stockholm and Sweden. The latter is about political life, for most part in Sweden.

This list includes lots of super amazing and interesting stuff, browse and enjoy! :)

(Also the longest post ever - but worth it)

This is head - 0003

Cocoanut groove - The end of the summer on Bookbinder road

Jonathan Johansson - Aldrig ensam

Love is all - Early warnings

Detektivbyrån - Om du möter varg

Suburban kids with biblical names - Funeral face

Anna von Hausswolf - Track of time

Hajen - Scapegoat

The Bell - I am history

The Honeydrips - I wouldn’t know what to do

Fever Ray - When I grow up (Dan Lissvik remix)

Taken by trees - Anna

Air France - No excuses

Boat Club - Always away

El perro del mar - Change of heart

Jenny Wilson - Like a fading rainbow

Ingenting - Dina händer är fulla av blommor

Peter Morén - Ett land som inte är

Parker Lewis - Bash the cynicals

Post - Trafikfara

Andreas Tilliander feat. New Moscow - Caught in a riot

VED - Sture external

Twig - Constance and her cousins

Miss Li - Gotta leave my troubles behind

DAYS - Never came to last

Hello Saferide - Anna

Håkan Hellström - För en lång lång tid

Frida Hyvönen - Dirty dancing

Joel Alme - You will only get it once

Jens Lekman - A postcard to Nina

Sambassadeur - Final say

Anna Ternheim -What have I done

Shout out louds - Tonight I have to leave it

Fatboy - Way down low

Parken - Jag har varit vilsen, Lisa

Markus Krunegård- Jag är en vampyr

Juvelen - Summer-spring

(This is the video for a different Juvelen song - "Don't mess")

The tough alliance - First class riot

Those dancing days - Hitten

First floor power - God damn your fingers

(This is the video for a different First Floor Power song - "Happy Endings")

Sally Shapiro - Dying in Africa

Oskar Linnros - Från och med nu

Veronica Maggio - 17 år

Kleerup feat. Titiyo - Longing for lullabyes

Lycke Li - Little bit

Pacific! - Number one

Studio - Self service

Loney, Dear - Airport surroundings

Dungen - Det tar tid

Anna Järvinen - Äppelöga

Nicolai dunger - Crazy train

Theresa Andersson - Hi, low

Radio dept - Heavens on fire

Jay-jay Johanson - Wonder wonders

The Sound of arrows - Into the clouds (Fear of tigers remix)

Hellsongs - Run to the hills (brilliant cover)

2010-08-08T23:14:00.000+02:00

Brian Cox: Why we need the explorers

2010-08-01T09:50:00.000+02:00

Gerhard Polt & Biermösl Blosn, 20.7.2010, Eppinger Heimattage

2010-07-25T12:24:00.000+02:00

You can read my German Gerhard Polt review over here at gig-blog.net if you're interested :)

Gerhard Polt Website

2010-07-11T16:41:00.000+02:00

La Casa Azul on MySpace

Trip to CERN

2010-06-20T15:21:00.000+02:00

For those who are interested, here's a small round-up of our trip to CERN in June.

If you ever have the chance to go, I absolutely recommend it. We had a guided tour booked for 2 pm and arrived early, so we had plenty of time for the CERN exhibition Microcosm which is really really good.

Our lovely guides for the tour were Klaus Bätzner (a retired CERN physicist) and Christoph Ilgner, who is currently working at CERN. We joined a group of about twenty people that was later divided in two groups. First thing was that we watched an introductory video together which is also on YouTube.

Here it is if you're interested:

We watched it in a lecture room and also had the chance to walk through some CERN office corridors. It seemed all really cramped and frugal. Someone from our group later joked that he had expected futuristic subterranean magnetic monorails, which is really pretty much the opposite of what it actually looks like.

When the video was over, Klaus Bätzner gave a little introductory presentation we could actually follow in parts (AMAZING). What we found really interesting is that any scientist who conducts experiments at CERN is obliged to make his results accessible to the public, so there is really nothing whatsoever secretive happening there.

We then were driven over to the Magnettesthalle (not sure what it's called in English) which was only 500 meters away. Herr Ilgner explained lots of stuff about superconducting cables that was a bit hard for us to follow (our fault). We were hugely impressed by a lovely young woman from our group who knew the answer to the following question (it is very likely that I remember this all wrong): When you have a tube of which three quarters are blocked then how big is the volume of what can still go through? Anyway, the solution was "radius to the power of four" which ever since has become our default answer to any kind of question that is way too complex for us.

My personal highlight then was a short visit to the ATLAS experiment (overground) where we actually had a chance to peep into the ATLAS control room which is where they hope to find proof for the Higgs boson. We also watched another video there (in 3D) that gave an impression of what it's like down at the actual LHC. Sadly, visitors can't go down anymore.

Still, I loved our afternoon at CERN and I'd love to go there again when I have the chance. Thank you everybody at CERN for the truly fascinating experience.

Info for visitors

Yes Giantess

2010-06-10T11:50:00.000+02:00

I just watched this very lovely interview with Yes Giantess. I think I like them a lot.

The Postmarks - "Go Jetsetter"

2010-06-05T11:42:00.000+02:00

The amazing The Postmarks on MySpace.

Love this so much

2010-06-04T15:27:00.000+02:00

Brandnew track/video from the guy who made Carl Sagan - A Glorious Dawn ft. Stephen Hawking.

Super beautiful summer song & video by The Golden Filter

2010-06-01T11:39:00.000+02:00

The Golden Filter on MySpace

Nagel & Linus Volkmann Videointerview (18.5.2010)

2010-05-21T14:27:00.000+02:00

We did a video interview again :)

2010-05-20T11:49:00.000+02:00

Linus Volkmann & Nagel 18. Mai 2010

2010-05-19T17:48:00.000+02:00

Check out my Linus Volkmann & Nagel Review for gig-blog.net here (in German)

LOVING the picture by Steffen Schmid btw!! Genius. More pictures to come.

(and we made a little video again - stay tuned!)

New Kylie single

2010-05-17T12:48:00.002+02:00

Oh yes.

Things my friends do

2010-05-07T14:53:00.003+02:00

Watch out for what happens at 3:50!! AMAZING!! I actually know that lovely woman!! And I love this song.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

2010-05-05T16:48:00.000+02:00

I want to point out again how incredibly gorgeous Sophie Ellis-Bextor is.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Twitter

Click here for tons of FANTASTIC pictures. She has the most amazing style ever. I love her unique mix of glamour, high street and vintage. I can't think of another woman whose dress sense I admire so so much.

Malpas "Under Her Sails"

2010-04-28T17:28:00.000+02:00

This song is really really gorgeous (via Eric from The Indie Handbook).

Malpas on MySpace

What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider

2010-04-11T11:33:00.000+02:00

Fair to say that Professor Cox might be the hottest physics teacher ever.

Lucky Soul - A Coming Of Age (live)

2010-04-08T18:33:00.000+02:00

Singer Ali is amazing and what a beautiful song.

Lucky Soul MySpace
Lucky Soul Twitter
Lucky Soul on Facebook

Mika live review

2010-04-03T14:46:00.002+02:00

If you're interested, you can read my Mika live review over here at gig-blog.net (in German).

(Picture taken from http://www.mikasounds.com/home)

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-03T13:07:00.000+02:00

If you want to come: We're djing tonight at Zwölfzehn in Stuttgart :)

Cathedral of Science

2010-04-01T12:57:00.001+02:00

I just read this (please click) amazing VANITY FAIR article about the L.H.C. (Large Hadron Collider) at CERN. It's really really really amazing and funny (and beautifully written). It's a bit long but I suggest you might print it out, I enjoyed reading this so much and will probably read it again and again.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"The L.H.C. is the largest machine and, after the Manhattan Project, the most elaborate scientific enterprise of all time, but it’s also, to my postmodern eyes, the largest art project ever built, as well as a quasi-religious undertaking. All sorts of people make pilgrimages to the L.H.C. simply in order to be awestruck, the way they visit Stonehenge or Machu Picchu or the pyramids. On one of the days I toured the L.H.C., I was joined by the art collector Francesca von Habsburg and her 12-year-old son, Archduke Ferdinand; the Icelandic pop musician Einar Örn Benediktsson, formerly of the Sugarcubes; and ex–Sex Pistol Glen Matlock."

(via http://twitter.com/cosmos4u)

BRILLIANT!!

A video interview we did with Orwell

2010-03-08T20:01:00.000+01:00

(Which was great fun obviously)

For more beautiful songs click here Orwell MySpace

Orwell live at FFUS Stuttgart 4.3.2010

The Badness of Death, Part III; Immortality, Part I

2010-02-22T22:04:00.000+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

Lecture Description

The discussion of the badness of death continues by asking whether it is bad that we do not exist before our birth. The views of a number of contemporary philosophers, such as Tom Nagle, Fred Feldman, and Derek Parfit, are introduced. Then Professor Kagan turns to the subject of immortality. Would it be desirable to live forever, and if so, under what circumstances one might enjoy such a prolonged existence? The lecture concludes with Bernard Williams' take on immortality which posits that no kind of human life can continue to be enjoyable and attractive for eternity.

Lecture Description taken from academicearth.org

(Lecture 18 of 26)

Gorillaz - Stylo (Labrinth Remix ft. Tinie Tempah)

2010-02-19T13:15:00.000+01:00

Brilliant.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

2010-02-17T16:57:00.001+01:00

Guille Milkyway of La Casa Azul wins the Spanish Goya Award for best original song "Yo también". This is so deserved as La Casa Azul is probably the best thing ever.

Also of course the song is stunningly beautiful as yours truly pointed out before.

2010-02-11T23:09:00.002+01:00

Fear the Boom and Bust (Lyrics)

2010-02-11T22:45:00.000+01:00

German readers might also be interested in this lovely article (Süddeutsche Zeitung). I think economics is too important to ignore and it's actually not as dull as I thought.

Now the lyrics:

We’ve been going back and forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No… it’s the animal spirits

[Keynes Sings:]

John Maynard Keynes, wrote the book on modern macro
The man you need when the economy’s off track, [whoa]
Depression, recession now your question’s in session
Have a seat and I’ll school you in one simple lesson

BOOM, 1929 the big crash
We didn’t bounce back—economy’s in the trash
Persistent unemployment, the result of sticky wages
Waiting for recovery? Seriously? That’s outrageous!

I had a real plan any fool can understand
The advice, real simple—boost aggregate demand!
C, I, G, all together gets to Y
Make sure the total’s growing, watch the economy fly

We’ve been going back and forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No… it’s the animal spirits

You see it’s all about spending, hear the register cha-ching
Circular flow, the dough is everything
So if that flow is getting low, doesn’t matter the reason
We need more government spending, now it’s stimulus season

So forget about saving, get it straight out of your head
Like I said, in the long run—we’re all dead
Savings is destruction, that’s the paradox of thrift
Don’t keep money in your pocket, or that growth will never lift…

because…

Business is driven by the animal spirits
The bull and the bear, and there’s reason to fear its
Effects on capital investment, income and growth
That’s why the state should fill the gap with stimulus both…

The monetary and the fiscal, they’re equally correct
Public works, digging ditches, war has the same effect
Even a broken window helps the glass man have some wealth
The multiplier driving higher the economy’s health

And if the Central Bank’s interest rate policy tanks
A liquidity trap, that new money’s stuck in the banks!
Deficits could be the cure, you been looking for
Let the spending soar, now that you know the score

My General Theory’s made quite an impression
[a revolution] I transformed the econ profession
You know me, modesty, still I’m taking a bow
Say it loud, say it proud, we’re all Keynesians now

We’ve been goin’ back n forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Keynes] I made my case, Freddie H
Listen up , Can you hear it?

Hayek sings:

I’ll begin in broad strokes, just like my friend Keynes
His theory conceals the mechanics of change,
That simple equation, too much aggregation
Ignores human action and motivation

And yet it continues as a justification
For bailouts and payoffs by pols with machinations
You provide them with cover to sell us a free lunch
Then all that we’re left with is debt, and a bunch

If you’re living high on that cheap credit hog
Don’t look for cure from the hair of the dog
Real savings come first if you want to invest
The market coordinates time with interest

Your focus on spending is pushing on thread
In the long run, my friend, it’s your theory that’s dead
So sorry there, buddy, if that sounds like invective
Prepared to get schooled in my Austrian perspective

We’ve been going back and forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No… it’s the animal spirits

The place you should study isn’t the bust
It’s the boom that should make you feel leery, that’s the thrust
Of my theory, the capital structure is key.
Malinvestments wreck the economy

The boom gets started with an expansion of credit
The Fed sets rates low, are you starting to get it?
That new money is confused for real loanable funds
But it’s just inflation that’s driving the ones

Who invest in new projects like housing construction
The boom plants the seeds for its future destruction
The savings aren’t real, consumption’s up too
And the grasping for resources reveals there’s too few

So the boom turns to bust as the interest rates rise
With the costs of production, price signals were lies
The boom was a binge that’s a matter of fact
Now its devalued capital that makes up the slack.

Whether it’s the late twenties or two thousand and five
Booming bad investments, seems like they’d thrive
You must save to invest, don’t use the printing press
Or a bust will surely follow, an economy depressed

Your so-called “stimulus” will make things even worse
It’s just more of the same, more incentives perversed
And that credit crunch ain’t a liquidity trap
Just a broke banking system, I’m done, that’s a wrap.

We’ve been goin’ back n forth for a century
[Keynes] I want to steer markets,
[Hayek] I want them set free
There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason to fear it
[Hayek] Blame low interest rates.
[Keynes] No it’s the animal spirits

The Known Universe

2010-02-11T09:36:00.000+01:00

This is cool (via Robyn's Twitter)

Fear the Boom and Bust

2010-02-10T19:02:00.003+01:00

Might need this for uni.

The Badness of Death, Part II: The Deprivation Account

2010-01-31T21:50:00.001+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

(Part 17 of 26)

Lecture Description

This lecture continues to explore the issue of why death may be bad. According to the deprivation account, what is bad about death is the fact that because one ceases to exist, one becomes deprived of the good things in life. Being dead is not intrinsically bad; it is comparatively bad and one is worse off only by virtue of not being able to enjoy the things one enjoyed while alive, such as watching the sunset, listening to music, and discussing philosophy.

Lecture Description taken from academicearth.org

Spondee - "Lovelorn Robot" video

2010-01-29T19:28:00.000+01:00

Spondee - Lovelorn Robot from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.

Super amazing song & video from Spondee. Fan.

Spondee MySpace

Marina & Gonzales "Hollywood" Video

2010-01-27T17:09:00.004+01:00

EDIT: ~~Her hair and dress~~ Hairy chests are absolutely fantastic.

Marina & Gonzales "Hollywood" FREE DOWNLOAD

2010-01-27T10:22:00.004+01:00

Brilliant video obviously (please click and watch - I can't embed it yet)
You can download the Gonzales version (free & legal) here (Neon Gold Records)

Marina and the Diamonds MySpace

Orwell EP FREE DOWNLOAD

2010-01-17T14:37:00.001+01:00

Click here to download (free & legal) "80s are 30" the amazing new EP by our favourite French band Orwell.

The EP includes five beautiful dreamy cover versions from the Eighties (my favourites would be "Heaven" (Psychedelic Furs) cover and "On Islands" (New Musik cover) - though basically they're all gorgeous, I listen non-stop.

(Buy Orwell on amazon or iTunes)

For those of you in the Stuttgart area, Orwell are playing one of two exclusive German shows at FFUS in March in Stuttgart (beware, FFUS website is pretty much the opposite of what the place actually is like). I think it's Thursday March 4th, I will check it again. Would be great to see you there.

Giorgio Tuma "And three parasol stars"

2010-01-14T12:04:00.000+01:00

I think "And three parasol stars" is my favourite song on "My Vocalese Fun Fair" by Giorgio Tuma. Also very, very lovely video again.

Giorgio Tuma MySpace
My Vocalese Fun Fair on iTunes

There's also a very well-written review on iTunes. I don't know where it comes from but it just made me smile. Whoever wrote this, if you don't want this posted here, please contact me. Here it is:

"Should you expect to hear some vocalese on Giorgio Tuma's 2008 release, My Vocalese Fun Fair? Probably not. Should you expect a "fun fair"? Well, that depends — if your idea of a good time involves juicy easy listening jams, fuzzy basslines, and groan-worthy Os Mutantes puns (Tuma is backed by (cough) Os Tumantes), then the answer is a big ol' yes. My Vocalese Fun Fair takes its cue from sunny psych pop, easy listening, and folk revival acts — bands like the Sunshine Company, the New Seekers, the Free Design, and (rightly enough) Os Mutantes. It's the kind of aesthetic that could come off as insincere or goofy — and while the album does get kind of zany at times (the German whistle on "Saltamontes" can't be taken any other way), My Vocalese Fun Fair's sound comes off less as a schtick and more as a delicious reconfiguration. On this album, lilting, meandering folk — kind of like Kings of Convenience, but with a breezy, Latin feel — is paired with round, sunny easy listening-style instrumentation. "Let's Make the Stevens Cake!!!" and "...And Three Parasol Stars" are standout tracks in this regard — Tuma's breathy vocals and downright weird lyrics ("A wizard voice through all night"? "I design a ship with a see-through sail"?) are balanced out by some smooth-as-a-chocolate-shake flute-and-piano flourishes. As a matter of fact, Os Tumantes' instrumental touches really are the, ahem, frosting on the proverbial Stevens Cake when it comes to this album — they've managed to capture everything that's delightfully kitschy about easy listening music. When they manage to pull off some veritable Mister Rogers-esque piano stylings on "Faye's Flying Shoes," it's just magic."

Fitness Forever & Giorgio Tuma

2010-01-13T12:10:00.001+01:00

This is completely adorable.

Fitness Forever MySpace
Giorgio Tuma MySpace

Amazing project

2010-01-12T09:05:00.000+01:00

This is absolutely fascinating and beautiful, especially for people like me who don't have the slightest idea how music actually works http://www.inbflat.net/ (click) (via http://twitter.com/HadoukenUK)

New Hurts song

2010-01-11T15:20:00.000+01:00

Breathtakingly beautiful. Literally couldn't think of anything else today.

Hurts MySpace

FREE DOWNLOAD

2010-01-06T18:44:00.000+01:00

FREE & legal NME RADAR mixtape 20 band tips for 2010

click here

(includes tracks by Delphic, Hurts, Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds and more)

Lucky Soul

2010-01-06T17:37:00.000+01:00

LUCKY SOUL - WHITE RUSSIAN DOLL from Ruffa Lane on Vimeo.

Brilliant video for latest Lucky Soul single "White Russian Doll". Shot in Berlin.

Lucky Soul MySpace

Alphabeat

2010-01-06T16:57:00.001+01:00

Amazing brandnew video for latest Alphabeat single "Hole in my heart".

Alphabeat MySpace

The Very Most

2010-01-02T20:48:00.000+01:00

The Very Most play "April Is The Kindest Month" live in Dublin. This is absolutely gorgeous. What a gem of a song. Brilliant.

Check out The Very Most My Space for more amazing songs.

Definitely one of my favourite bands 2009. Can't wait to hear what they do in 2010.

Kanonenschlag vorbereiten

2009-12-30T12:06:00.000+01:00

Dying Alone; The Badness of Death, Part I

2009-12-29T13:05:00.000+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

(Part 16 of 26)

Lecture Description

Professor Kagan puts forward the claim that Tolstoy's character Ivan Ilych is quite the typical man in terms of his views on mortality. All of his life he has known that death is imminent but has never really believed it. When he suddenly falls ill and is about to die, the fact of his mortality shocks him. In trying to further access how people think about death, Professor Kagan explores the claim that "we all die alone," presents a variety of arguments against it and ends by considering whether the primary badness of death could lie in the effects on those who are left behind.

Lecture Description taken from academicearth.org

The Nature of Death (cont.): Believing You Will Die

2009-12-27T19:01:00.000+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

(Part 15/26)

Lecture Description

The lecture explores the question of the state of being dead. Even though the most logical claim seems to be that when a person stops P-functioning he or she is dead, a more careful consideration must allow for exceptions, such as when one is asleep or in a coma. Professor Kagan then suggests that on some level nobody believes that he or she is going to die. As a case in point, he takes Tolstoy's famous character Ivan Ilych.

Lecture Description taken from academicearth.org

What Matters (cont.): The Nature of Death, Part I

2009-12-27T18:11:00.000+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

(Part 14 of 26)

Lecture Description

The suggestion is made that what matters in survival is the future existence of someone with a personality similar to one's own. Professor Kagan then turns to the question, "What is it to die?" In answering this question, attention is first drawn to the bodily and mental functions that are crucial in defining the moment of death.

Lecture Description taken from academicearth.org

The Heavy Blinkers - Silence Your Drum

2009-12-18T15:42:00.002+01:00

What a gorgeous song. Speechless.

Here's the lyrics:

Silence Your Drum (Jason Michael Macisaac)

This sweet new-born will be deaf by the morn
Silence your drum tonight
Bring the boy with the lute
Bring the girl with the flute
But please no pa rum pa pum tonight

The ox and the sheep are no longer asleep
Silence your drum tonight
If you truly do care
Youll turn off your snare
Please no pa rum pa pum tonight

We appreciate the distance youve come
It mustve been hard to walk with a drum
But weve just put the Son of God to bed
Could you not have brought a harp instead?

Its silence he needs
He has a people to lead
Dont play that drum tonight
A drum tuned that high
Will just make him cry
Please no pa rum pa pum tonight

We appreciate the distance youve come
It mustve been hard to walk with a drum
But weve just put the Son of God to bed
Could you not have brought a harp instead?

The Heavy Blinkers MySpace

You can download "Silence Your Drum" here (free & legal).

(Don't dare to ask for possible album release date but maybe soon?)

Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas

2009-12-17T22:13:00.000+01:00

Sally Shapiro MySpace

Adorable Christmas mp3s

2009-12-17T20:12:00.000+01:00

The School - click for free download (from Elefant Records)

(picture taken from http://www.myspace.com/theschoolband)

Lucky Soul - click for free download

(picture taken from http://www.myspace.com/luckysoulluckysoul)

Personal Identity (Part IV) - What matters?

2009-12-10T22:56:00.000+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

Lecture Description

The personality theory is revised to state that the key to personal identity is having the same personality provided that there is no branching, that is, provided there is no transfer or duplication of the same personality from one body to another. Similar "no branching" requirements are added to the other theories as well. At the end of class, Professor Kagan suggests a shift from thinking about the survival of the soul in terms of "what does it take to survive?" to "what is it that matters in survival?"
(Lecture description taken from academicearth.org)

(Lecture 13 of 26) Halfway through - yes!!

The Multiverse and Theories of Everything

2009-12-04T22:20:00.000+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

Lecture Description

Professor Bailyn begins the class with a discussion of a recent New York Times article about the discovery of a new, earth-like planet. He then discusses concepts such as epicycles, dark energy and dark matter; imaginary ideas invented to explain 96% of the universe. The Anthropic Principle is introduced and the possibility of the multiverse is addressed. Finally, biological arguments are put forth for how complexity occurs on a cosmological scale. The lecture and course conclude with a discussion on the fine differences between science and philosophy. (Lecture Description taken from academicearth.org)

I wanted to add

2009-12-01T09:44:00.000+01:00

Marina (she's from Wales) actually loves America. So this is meant as an honest yet critical homage, as far as I understand.

Read more here (her excellent blog).

Marina

2009-12-01T08:59:00.003+01:00

The greatest.

Introduction to Introduction to Astrophysics

2009-11-19T22:37:00.000+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

I just watched this. It's so brilliant I didn't dare to breathe.

Lecture Description

Professor Bailyn introduces the course and discusses the course material and requirements. The three major topics that the course will cover are (1) exoplanets--planets around stars other than the Sun, (2) black holes--stars whose gravitational pull is so strong that even their own light rays cannot escape, and (3) cosmology--the study of the Universe as a whole. Class proper begins with a discussion on planetary orbits. A brief history of astronomy is also given and its major contributors over the centuries are introduced: Ptolemy, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton.
(Lecture descriprion taken from http://academicearth.org/lectures/introduction-astrophysics)

Who comes and visits Kepler's birthplace with me? It's ridiculously close. I'm free the weekend after this weekend.

The Postmarks, Stuttgart, 15th November 2009 (supporting Bell X1)

2009-11-19T12:15:00.004+01:00

Right, Postmarks live review, clearly my job as official gig-blog.net sweet pop correspondent (in my dreams). Sunday night, we meet at Zwölfzehn at 8 PM, Lino is there already, photographer Schmoudi arrives on time as well because you never know when they start in Stuttgart and by no means do we want to miss the Postmarks from Pompano Beach, Florida who are opening for Bell X1 tonight. The venue is filled loosely with average folk like us. When the five Postmarks enter the stage we're very surprised. Lino and I are of course totally in love with singer Tim (yes, she's a girl) Yehezkely who we know from the Postmarks videos and promo pictures as super sweet indie princess with flowing hair and sixties dresses. The Tim we see on stage is dressed in black from head to toe, has uncombed hair, doesn't smile and barely talks. She sings great, plays the guitar amazingly and resembles (at least visually) Charlotte Hatherley or PJ Harvey, but she's not our Tim. We are strangely disappointed though we're here for the music of course and though we don't give a shit who looks how and I find myself generally silly and superficial because I can't stop thinking about why Tim Yehezkely looks just the way she looks and not the way I wish she'd look. The Postmarks play amazing film score/60s/indie pop that sounds sophisticated in a good way and clearly edgier than on the album. The hits are hidden in shoegaze disguise but they always shine through ("next James Bond theme tune", comments Lino on one track). Broadcast would be another reference. In between comes a very beautiful Ramones cover ("7 - 11") and over is the show after only half a dozen songs. The songs were brilliant but what remains is a sense of disappointed expectations and perplexity. Luckily, the evening takes a more fortunate turn when I stumble into Jeff Wagner of The Postmarks who is very friendly and explains that it was a conscious choice to sound a bit rougher live because it turned out that US audiences prefer edgier shows over too much sweetness. Interesting to know. Also the band played in Holland before and what can we say, they obviously brought along some semi-legal souvenirs which we find perfectly understandable. We're looking forward to seeing The Postmarks again next year when they come over for a proper tour with the new album.

The Postmarks MySpace
The Postmarks Official

(Here's the Ramones cover they played - this was in Paris, I think)

("My Lucky Charm", Paris again)

(Lovely videos courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/user/megaxtra)

Read my German review and see pictures at gig-blog.net

Hero

2009-11-19T11:05:00.003+01:00

2009-11-19T10:59:00.000+01:00

Personal Identity

2009-11-14T23:02:00.001+01:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

(Part 12)

Lecture Description

The lecture focuses on the problems directly related to the personality theory as key to personal identity. The theory states that a person retains his or her individuality so long as he or she has the same ongoing personality. The main objection raised to this claim is the problem of duplication. The lecture explores cases in which the same personality has been transferred or exported to multiple bodies.

(Lecture Description taken from academicearth.org)

The best way to spend a Saturday night.

More La Bien Querida

2009-11-13T11:45:00.001+01:00

I also adore this video & song. She's so beautiful, wow. Such a special and unique style.
Here is her MySpace http://www.myspace.com/labienquerida
I might need a maxi skirt any time soon.

2009-11-09T21:54:00.002+01:00

Marina & The Diamonds, "Mowgli's Road" from Neon Gold Records on Vimeo.

2009-10-31T21:07:00.003+01:00

We Are Star Stuff

2009-10-30T17:48:00.002+01:00

Celebrating Carl Sagan Day

with DJs Anja & Cathrin

November 7th

22 Uhr

Zwölfzehn

Paulinenstr. 45

Stuttgart

The Louis Philippe Story

2009-10-22T11:55:00.000+02:00

I just watched this - absolutely brilliant and amazing. I guess I need to watch it again and again, there's so much of value in it. Wow.

I recommend to watch this directly on YouTube (huge screen).

Louis Philippe MySpace
Louis Philippe Twitter

2009-10-11T18:57:00.003+02:00

Alex James from Blur got it all right

2009-10-10T11:38:00.001+02:00

Personal Identity, Part II: The Body Theory and the Personality Theory

2009-10-09T22:24:00.002+02:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

(Part 11)

Lecture Description

Two more views regarding the metaphysical key to personal identity are discussed: the body view and the personality view. According to the body view, an individual is identified in terms of his or her physical body. According to the personality view, an individual is identified by his or her unique set of beliefs, desires, memories, goals, and so on.
(Lecture Description taken from Academic Earth)

2009-10-06T12:36:00.001+02:00

Orwell "In your playground"

2009-10-05T12:24:00.002+02:00

Orwell live in Saarbrücken/Germany 2nd October 2009

2009-10-05T12:15:00.008+02:00

The craziest ideas are officially the best ones, especially if Lino is on board. "How far would you drive to Saarbrücken?“ I ask Lino per E-Mail because I usually measure distances emotionally. Two and half hours sounds perfectly feasible to me. I just saw on Twitter that the great Orwell from Nancy/Franceare playing at the official German Unification day celebrations in Saarbrücken. I recently discovered „Le Génie Humain“, the wonderful current Orwell album for myself, we’ve never been to Saarbrücken and we love the idea that Saarbrücken is amazing, but nobody knows. On the journey there we listen exclusively to Orwell. Lino finds it crazy that I want to listen to „Tout Entier“ seven times in a row, the last time he liked a song so much that he wanted to hear it two times in a row would have been „as a child“. For a very short moment we consider driving through to Paris (200 kilometres), but what would we do in Paris? We want to see Orwell.

In Saarbrücken at last, we marvel at picturesque pastry shop windows and crazy neon signs, I’m so excited that I don’t find the time to eat my provisions and forget more than once that we are in fact not in France. Thanks to Lino (licensed geographer) we find the Kulturbühne comparatively quick and arrive early enough to quickly wave to Jérôme Didelot from Orwell before the show. I’m hugely delighted when I find out that quasi opening act is the lovely German-French humorist Alfons, we must laugh a lot and congratulate each other repeatedly on what a marvellous idea it was to come. When Orwell appear at last we are fascinated and moved and enchanted from first to last song. The set opens with a semi-acoustic cover version of „Heroes“ by David Bowie (sung in German). „Tout Entier“ (now with the full band) follows, how beautiful. Orwell are scheduled to play an hour which is enough for some songs from „Le Génie Humain“, older songs and new stuff. Orwell sound live as great as on the album. Delicate, happy, sweet, effortless, brilliant. Parallels to the wonderful Heavy Blinkers from Halifax/Canada are obvious and make sense as both bands are connected through musical collaborations and friendship.

Our beautiful late afternoon ends in a very lovely evening. Our new friend Henriette, incredibly friendly and fluent in French like everybody in Saarbrücken, pilots us to her bar Kulturcafé and we’re talking to Jérôme (in English) and the rest of Orwell (my poor French is of course ridiculous but I tried) for a long time and promise to each other to set up a gig in Stuttgart very soon which we will. Promise.

(read my German review and see pictures at gig-blog.net)

Orwell
MySpace
Orwell
YouTube
Orwell Twitter
Orwell Facebook

Orwell

2009-10-03T15:11:00.000+02:00

Orwell were amazing in Saarbrücken, pretty much like in this very beautiful live video. My German concert review will soon be up on gig-blog.net, English review follows here. :)

BWO

2009-10-01T15:48:00.002+02:00

Huge thank you to Jessica of This Must Be ... Pop! for introducing me to Swedish pop group BWO. Absolutely brilliant. Read Jessica's beautiful live review here.

Amazing BWO official website
BWO MySpace

Upcoming disco nights with Anja & me

2009-09-30T22:52:00.002+02:00

Samstag, 3. Oktober @ Club Zwölfzehn/Stuttgart ab 23 Uhr
Samstag, 7. November @ Club Zwölfzehn/Stuttgart ab 22 Uhr
Samstag, November tba @ Beat Club/Stuttgart
Samstag, 26. Dezember @ Club Zwölfzehn/Stuttgart ab 22 Uhr (vs. The Aguileras - Christmas Special)

It's now and in the future usually the first Saturday every month (except in December).

Le Petit Nicolas - Le Film

2009-09-30T17:12:00.003+02:00

Another film to look forward to :)

2009-09-29T21:44:00.000+02:00

Yo, También!/Me Too movie soundtrack

2009-09-29T13:15:00.001+02:00

I just received the Elefant Records newsletter that among other info on "Yo, También!"/"Me Too" included the tracklist of the movie soundtrack. Wow. Sounds like the best soundtrack of all times.

I don´t believe in love (THE SCHOOL)
Dedicated to Timmy The Whale (GIORGIO TUMA)
En la playa 1 (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
Yo también (LA CASA AZUL)
Te amare (MANZANITA)
En el restaurante (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
G-Lombardi magic rollercoasters (GIORGIO TUMA)
En la playa 2 (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
En el puente (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
D&B (LOS MONKYS)
Tema de yo también (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
Yo también (LA CASA AZUL con SILVIA SANZ)
Huida (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
Que te quiero (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
Separación 1 (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
I can wait forever (BMX BANDITS)
Albertone (FITNESS FOREVER)
Tema de amor (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
ML DB (Mary Louise song) (GIORGIO TUMA)
If looks could kill (CAMERA OBSCURA)
Fin de año (BEEF)
La revolución sexual (LA CASA AZUL)
Ta-machine (SOUVENIR)
Plastic city (THE GENTLE PEOPLE)
Separación 2 (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
De man devla (RÓZSÁK)
On a wing and a prayer (NICK GARRIE)
En la azotea (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
Feliz navidad (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
Kiss you in the snow (THE SCHOOL)
Tema de amor final (GUILLE MILKYWAY)
Yo también (Instrumental) (LA CASA AZUL)

Personal Identity

2009-09-25T23:31:00.001+02:00

Watch it on Academic Earth

(Part 10)

Personal Identity, Part I: Identity Across Space and Time and the Soul Theory

Lecture Description

The lecture focuses on the question of the metaphysical key to personal identity. What does it mean for a person that presently exists to be the very same person in the future? The first approach to answering this question is the "soul theory," that is, the key to being the same person is having the same soul. Difficulties with that approach are then discussed, independent of the question whether souls exist or not.
(Lecture Description taken from Academic Earth)

I just watched this - so amazing again. I wonder what Shelly Kagan would say: are the Sugababes 2009 metaphysically speaking the same band as the Sugababes 1998?

No Superstar

2009-09-25T21:17:00.001+02:00

Brillant song! (via http://twitter.com/alphabeatmusic) The artist is called Remady.

2009-09-25T20:48:00.004+02:00

Explanatory note to "A Glorious Dawn" on YouTube:

"A musical tribute to two great men of science. Carl Sagan and his cosmologist companion Stephen Hawking present: A Glorious Dawn - Cosmos remixed. Almost all samples and footage taken from Carl Sagan's Cosmos and Stephen Hawking's Universe series.

RIP Dr. Sagan, you will be missed!!

Go here to download the track:
http://www.colorpulsemusic.com/youtube.html

And my website for more original music:
http://www.colorpulsemusic.com/

Enjoy!!

-John
boswelj3@gmail.com"

And now watch & enjoy!

A Glorious Dawn

2009-09-25T20:42:00.002+02:00

I like this so much, can't stop watching. It's like "Into The Clouds" only it's from the realm of proper science. :)
(via http://twitter.com/bbsuggest)

There's also lyrics:

[Sagan]
If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch
You must first invent the universe

Space is filled with a network of wormholes
You might emerge somewhere else in space
Some when-else in time

The sky calls to us
If we do not destroy ourselves
We will one day venture to the stars

A still more glorious dawn awaits
Not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise
A morning filled with 400 billion suns
The rising of the milky way

The Cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths
Of exquisite interrelationships
Of the awesome machinery of nature

I believe our future depends powerfully
On how well we understand this cosmos
In which we float like a mote of dust
In the morning sky

But the brain does much more than just recollect
It inter-compares, it synthesizes, it analyzes
it generates abstractions

The simplest thought like the concept of the number one
Has an elaborate logical underpinning
The brain has it's own language
For testing the structure and consistency of the world

[Hawking]
For thousands of years
People have wondered about the universe
Did it stretch out forever
Or was there a limit

From the big bang to black holes
From dark matter to a possible big crunch
Our image of the universe today
Is full of strange sounding ideas

[Sagan]
How lucky we are to live in this time
The first moment in human history
When we are in fact visiting other worlds

The surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean
Recently we've waded a little way out
And the water seems inviting

Yo, También

2009-09-23T11:47:00.001+02:00

I really hope "Yo, También" will also come out in Germany. Looks like an amazing film. Theme song by La Casa Azul (above) is a thing of grace and beauty.

Alphabeat

2009-09-18T11:38:00.000+02:00

So lovely!

Single "The Spell" comes out 19th October.

Brandnew Official Website
Alphabeat MySpace
Alphabeat Twitter

WE ARE GOLDEN

2009-09-17T10:18:00.015+02:00

Mitternachtsparty mit Anja und Cathrin.
Samstag, den 19. September Zwölfzehn Stuttgart
Beginn 22 Uhr.
Please come.

The Big Bang Briefly

2009-09-14T20:29:00.002+02:00

This is cool.

(More parts to come on YouTube)

(via Boing Boing)