40 Records in 40 Years (34/40 - 2007)

All in all, this was an unspectacular year with one highlight. Nevertheless, the future already throws her shades ahead. At the middle of the year it was officially announced what many of my colleagues have already supposed. We will merge with another bank and put our arithmetic system completely on another base, in addition, still next year. This means for me that I must invest a lot of time in the preparatory works for a free from problems crossing on the new arithmetic system. Namely after my regular work. With this background we have decided, to visit my sister-in-law who lived at this time in Japan. Presumably we would never have visited Japan if not a part of the family lived there. And we have not regretted it. We have seen a fantastic country with so many places of interest. Thanks Kerstin that you could show us so much from this country. There are some things I will never forget: One of them was the onsen, a Japanese term for hot springs. It's located in the countryside and describes the bathing facilities around hot springs. If you ever get the chance to see it check it out and take a bath in the hot springs. The other are the Pachinko halls. Widespread all over the country you can find them halls filled with a lot of slot machines. From far away you hear the noise from inside the halls and you thousands of flashing lamps which are supposed to animate one to play and spent your money. Another thing you don't have to miss when you visit Japan is to go to a local pub for eating and drinking. I've never seen so small bars filled with so many people drinking their beer and sake and eating yakitori.

Some remarkable records were released in 2007:

Tocotronic - Kapitulation: I follow this band since their first record
Feist - The Reminder: Softly breathed songs of a wonderful singer
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible: Indie-rock at it's best
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver: Simply fantastic
Pantha du Prince - The Bliss: Electric music on a high level shows us the future of this kind of music
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank:
Richard Hawley - Lady's Bridge: I simply love to hear him sing
Kings of Leon - Because of the Times: Their third record - great as before

With these songs I connect this year:

• 300: Another great move based on a comic
• No Country for Old Men: The Coen brothers made a fantastic movie again
• Hot Fuzz: This kind of movie can only made in Britain
• The Bucket List: Nice story about two old men

Some headlines from 2007:

European heat wave: approximately 200 wild fires broke out in Greece // The Nepalese government announces that the 240 year old monarchy will be abolished in 2009 and a new republic will be declared // Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated by a bomb blast at an election rally // Mine disaster in eastern Ukraine kills more than 100 people

Another great record from Modest Mouse. Already their last publication Good news for people who loves bad news was splendidly they reach with this record their next level. Johnny Marr joined the band and you could hear his guitar on some spectacular riffs. The new album of Modest Mouse differs only some from his younger predecessors. However, it is present not in the least boringly. Since another quality the volume was always to be sounded them, thus richly, variably and essential as usual only a few. Also by often obsessed, broken voice of Isaac Brock which fits usually well to the music of his tapes. It is just no catchy pop music which Modest Mouse characterises. It is the miraculous wide world of the tricky rock music whose borders the tape as usual no other has plumbed. A world whose discovery needs time. Modest Mouse are and remain the Hobos from the province of the American northwest, and Johnny Marr has been incorporated only without further ado. He has become the Hobo and has completed the unbelievable talent this Trucker-Lookalikes.

Modest Mouse - Dashboard
Modest Mouse - Fire It Up
Modest Mouse - Missed The Boat
Modest Mouse - People As Places As People
Modest Mouse - Invisible