[Mikitivity]

In the old IDU forums we had a running thread where we'd simply talk a bit about what we were listening to ... I'd like to bring that back.

Today 5 CDs I ordered (three from amazon.com here in the US and two from France) arrived. It is funny, because I ordered the CDs from France *after* making my US order.

I bought:
Moon Far Away :: Belovodie
Collection D'Arnell Andrea :: Villers-aux-Vents
Qntal :: Ozymandias (Qntal IV)
Corvus Corax :: the Best of
Mediaeval Baebes :: Mirabilis

The first group is from Russia and is a "heavenly voices" genre. In the US heavenly voices is called ethereal, which while descriptive, I prefer the German English given name for the genre better ... it seems to be more descriptive to folks whom might not know what ethereal means. It was a nice find that I was turned onto via a compliation disk a French musician gave me in Germany in 2005.

The second group is French, and has been around for a long time. When I saw them live in Germany in May, it was their guitarist who gave me the French Compliation disk where I was introduced to the first band. They are something of a heavenly voices gothic rock hybrid (though the musicians tend to dress in early 20th century working class clothing ... meaning they aren't what you think of as goth ... they are super cool).

Qntal is a German electronic / heavenly voices band of some renowned (sp?) with many ambient music lovers. Like Collection D'Arnell Andrea, they put on amazing live shows.

Corvus Corax (which means Raven) is aptly named ... it is a male band that incoprates vox, bagpipes, and drums into mediaeval music. In the US they recently debuted at the Pennsylvania Ren. Faire. I suspect that as more Americans discover this band that they'll become even more popular. They are loud and fun ... and naturally brilliant.

The Mediaeval Baebes are 8 British women that sing mediaeval tunes ... they are lovely.

Anyways, it is always so fun buying new music. Though I've not reviewed any of these bands for amazon.com, if I do, I'll post the listing here.

[Lawtonia]

Being a fan of early music - I always liked Medieval Babe performing "Gaudete"

[Mikitivity]

LawtoniaJan 18 2006, 04:46 PM Being a fan of early music - I always liked Medieval Babe performing "Gaudete" [/quote]
What album is that on? Niewe Munchinland has always been trying to get me to listen to the Baebes and Corvus Corax (too bad she doesn't have time to hang out here much).

In any event, if you like early music Corvus Corax is worth getting ... you'll want to throw on a kilt, paint your face, drink plenty of mead (sp?), and stomp around! B)

[Groot Gouda]

[Mikitivity]

Who / What is ONB?

[Antrium]

A lot of indie rock, because it's hard to find good popular music right now


Good idea, Mikitivity!

[Baranxtu]

Would all y'all laugh at me when I admit that right now, this very instant, I'm listening to "Dancing Queen"? Because, y'know, ABBA rules'n'stuff?

Apart from that, the last CDs I ordered were three CDs with funeral/grieving music which I actually gave to my mother for Christmas but which we both are listening to regularly ever since.
I think we owe that to our Austrian heritage, fascination with the morbid and the like.
The Lacrimosa part from Mozart's Requiem, however, is slit-your-wrists-music, and "Stabat Mater" is a jumping-off-tall-buildings-tune. But really, really cool nevertheless.


And of course, various German bands are always on my playlist - Wir Sind Helden, Madsen, Revolverheld, Silbermond and Rammstein. I wish I had more ears.

[Mikitivity]

baranxtuJan 19 2006, 02:37 PM Would all y'all laugh at me when I admit that right now, this very instant, I'm listening to "Dancing Queen"? Because, y'know, ABBA rules'n'stuff?

Apart from that, the last CDs I ordered were three CDs with funeral/grieving music which I actually gave to my mother for Christmas but which we both are listening to regularly ever since.
I think we owe that to our Austrian heritage, fascination with the morbid and the like.
The Lacrimosa part from Mozart's Requiem, however, is slit-your-wrists-music, and "Stabat Mater" is a jumping-off-tall-buildings-tune. But really, really cool nevertheless.


And of course, various German bands are always on my playlist - Wir Sind Helden, Madsen, Revolverheld, Silbermond and Rammstein. I wish I had more ears. [/quote]
I recognize Rammstein!

Have you tried Blutengel or the Retrosic yet? Me, I like the Retrosic, because at times they cross between what some call neo-classical and electro, though Blutengel often has a dark romantic feel and a rather large following.

On the subject of Mozart, I was reading that many credit him as the creator of Austria's national anthem. I bring this up as Mikitivity will soon have "Silvara's Return to the Mountains" as its national anthem... I've just been hunting around for what I want it to sound like. (Not related to this thread though.)

[Groot Gouda]

MikitivityJan 19 2006, 08:05 PM Who / What is ONB? [/quote]
Berber (Maroccan) music. Got it from colleagues from the local radio station, because it's so damn happy!

Oh, and ABBA is ok. It's so wrong it's right again

[Baranxtu]

Quote: Have you tried Blutengel or the Retrosic yet? Me, I like the Retrosic, because at times they cross between what some call neo-classical and electro, though Blutengel often has a dark romantic feel and a rather large following.[/quote]
I will just ignore the fact that an American knows some German or German-influenced bands better than I do. *insert innocent look of blissful ignorance here*
Translate as: I'm usually to lazy to go browse through what's available and rather settle on indie-mainstream, as boring as that may sound.

Wir Sind Helden ("We Are Heroes") became big in 2003 with their album "Die Reklamation" ("(costumer) complaint"). They are credited for what some have dubbed the New New German Wave (die Neue Neue Deutsche Welle), that is, the comeback of Germany produced music by German bands with German lyrics (of the non-nationalist variety, which is of itself an on-and-off topic off the German media).
They belong to the few bands I listen to rather for their lyrics than for their music; the texts are full of puns and therefore relatively hard to access for anglophones. Some of their lyrics are also a little surrealistic or so pun-laden that it's hard for me to fully understand it.
Regarding the music itself, they could be more or less placed in the category of rock/pop, the latter of the good kind, however.
In short, me loves myself some heroes! If I were asked the notorious island question, I'd definitely take "Die Reklamation" and "Von Hier an Blind" ("henceforward blind") with me. Provided the island has electricity.

Silbermond ("Silver moon") rose to fame after WSH and they are relatively similar in topics, although Silbermond are a little more accessible. Their current album is a mix of criticism of consumer society, saaaaad music and also happy-go-lucky songs. I myself prefer the Depri-Mucke (slang for "depressive music", because in my opinion, that's what they're best at).

Revolverheld ("revolver hero", what a surprise!) are a little less serious and I'm still not sure whether I should call them actual German rock or pseudo-rock, as sometimes, their lyrics seem a little forced and contrived.
Nevertheless, I like them as background music; additionally, some members are quite the eye candy. Color me shallow.

Madsen are more or less a garage rock group, largely focusing on social criticism. Me likes.

Rammstein... well, it's good you recognize them, because, well, they're... Rammstein! And I even like 'em apart from the eye candy factor that some of them possess.


As for Mozart and the Austrian anthem... as far as I know, it's still disputed whether he or someone else wrote it. Alas, I am one of those who doesn't even know the lyrics to "my" anthem, so I must admit that I can offer no input on that one.


Quote: Oh, and ABBA is ok. It's so wrong it's right again [/quote]
Thanks . Of course, I also have the excuse that deep down I'm just a big old fa... Aussie. Yeah, right, I'm an Australian trapped inside an Austrian *insert loooud cough*.

[Mikitivity]

baranxtuJan 19 2006, 04:00 PM
I will just ignore the fact that an American knows some German or German-influenced bands better than I do. *insert innocent look of blissful ignorance here*
Translate as: I'm usually to lazy to go browse through what's available and rather settle on indie-mainstream, as boring as that may sound.
[/quote]
It just happens that German speaking countries and the Low Countries tend to have a ton of musicians I happen to like.

I know almost nothing about many North American bands! :unsure:

[Baranxtu]

Quote: I know almost nothing about many North American bands![/quote]
Hmm, I probably shouldn't admit this, but mostly know those that produce happy-go-dancing music. Well, American still make the best music to shake your booty to .

[Baranxtu]

Double post! Er, I mean, update de grande importance!

Currently listening to: "Je ne regrette rien"
Madame Piaf vivera toujours dans mon coeur!

Of course I'd also take her songs with me on said island

[Lawtonia]

At the moment I'm listening to a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 that likes to fly particularly low over my house at 9.45am in the morning. O_O might have to actually put some music on.

[Sober Thought]

Ooh, Michel's got XTC on his list! I always found it funny that they appeared on their own tribute album as "Terry & Lovemen" and thanked their other alter egos, "The Dukes of Stratospheare," for the loan of the instruments. Priceless.

At this very moment, I am listening to "Rise" by Public Image Limited on Launchcast blasting through the earphones. Nothing like a Sex Pistol to get the blood moving and the eardrums bleeding. God save her.

Earlier today, I was listening to my CD of the New Vaudeville Band's Westminster Cathedral. The title track is nice, but I prefer "Lord Kitchener's Valet." It's a peculiar band from the late 1960s which was trying to revive the musical styles of the 1920s, and of course I found them in the 1990s when I was in my 20s.

I special ordered The Chameleons (known in North America as the Chameleons UK) solely for the tinny (i.e., too much trebble) but disturbingly moving "Up the Down Escalator" track. "Eden, there's no Eden."

[Mikitivity]

I should correct myself ... I know a great deal about a few North American bands. This week I created an amazon.com review for C/A/T, an industrial band (they are my friends -- one used to DJ here in Sacramento).

Naturally I've been listening to C/A/T (pronounced cat) a great deal this week while hacking out a review.

[The Dominion of BigRedCat]

MikitivityJan 18 2006, 06:59 AM
Qntal [/quote]

[Keeslandia]

The voices in my head :o

Sorry, just couldn't resist.

[The Dominion of BigRedCat]

KeeslandiaJan 30 2006, 07:21 PM The voices in my head :o

Sorry, just couldn't resist. [/quote]
What do they sound like?

[Mikitivity]

The Dominion of BigRedCatJan 30 2006, 12:20 PM MikitivityJan 18 2006, 06:59 AM
Qntal [/quote]

[The Dominion of BigRedCat]

MikitivityJan 30 2006, 08:15 PM The Dominion of BigRedCatJan 30 2006, 12:20 PM MikitivityJan 18 2006, 06:59 AM
Qntal [/quote]

[Mikitivity]

The Dominion of BigRedCatJan 30 2006, 02:03 PM

Are you familiar with Hocico? [/quote]
Naturally. I've seen them in concert in San Francisco years ago, and though I missed them while in Germany, the next day they were at the same concert as me and just standing around talking to all the music lovers in the crowd. Erik and R. are probably two of the nicer people around! They support other musicians and actually love to hang out with people. They are so *not* rock stars, but just ordinary guys.

[The Dominion of BigRedCat]

MikitivityJan 30 2006, 10:02 PM Erik and R. are probably two of the nicer people around! They support other musicians and actually love to hang out with people. They are so *not* rock stars, but just ordinary guys. [/quote]
It's nice to hear. I read an interview with them a few months ago and they seemed very accessible, not at all full of themselves.

I got totally hooked on them with the Wrack and Ruin album, especially the tracks "Bizarre Words" and "Ecos".

Thanks to the internet, so much more music is available now. . . especially from non-RIAA labels.

[Mikitivity]

The Dominion of BigRedCatJan 30 2006, 03:14 PM MikitivityJan 30 2006, 10:02 PM Erik and R. are probably two of the nicer people around!    They support other musicians and actually love to hang out with people.  They are so *not* rock stars, but just ordinary guys. [/quote]
It's nice to hear. I read an interview with them a few months ago and they seemed very accessible, not at all full of themselves.

I got totally hooked on them with the Wrack and Ruin album, especially the tracks "Bizarre Words" and "Ecos".

Thanks to the internet, so much more music is available now. . . especially from non-RIAA labels. [/quote]
The internet is great for small artists. Not only can they give away samples of music, but as a fan your ability to *write* to them and talk to them increases as well.

I don't know if they have the time to write back, but it is obvious that if you lived in the same town as these two guys (cousins), that they are exactly the type of people you'd want to hang out with. Friendly, easy going, etc.

I got into Hocico back in 1999 or 2000 with ... dang the name is escaping me, but it is their album with the black cat on the cover. While at a club in SF, there was a woman who would sell CDs. A friend (he is part of Psyclon Nine) came up and yelled, "MICHAEL! Listen to them. You'll like them. They are angry like Wumpscut, but with a Spanish twist. You'll like them."

Yeah, this guy Eric always yells real loud like, but he actually is a really great guy too. Anyways, I bought the album after listening to it at the club (the woman would bring a CD player we could use to listen to stuff first).

Eventually I would work her booth at clubs for her, spending hours just sitting there talking to other people about music. And there was a time that *DJs* and musicians were coming to me asking for advice (afterall, I had access to Georgia's collection, and as a distributor she had tons of great stuff).

[The Dominion of BigRedCat]

MikitivityJan 31 2006, 12:20 AM


....The internet is great for small artists. Not only can they give away samples of music, but as a fan your ability to *write* to them and talk to them increases as well.....

....(afterall, I had access to Georgia's collection, and as a distributor she had tons of great stuff).... [/quote]
The only band I ever e-mailed was Hungry Lucy. I just popped one off to let them know how much I enjoyed their "Apparitions" album. I especially love Christa Belle's voice. They never wrote back, but I was okay with that.



It's good to knwo somebody who is REALLY into new and strange music and can point out good stuff that you might have otherwise missed.