(Not-So-New) Song On Sunday

 

At the end of last year Nick & June released their last album New Year's Fear which I only became aware of last week. Released after Nick Wolf and Suzie-Lou Kraft had ended their long-term relationship but still working as a band. Both are from Nuremberg, Germany, and currently live in Berlin. It’s worth noting that her songs aren’t solely about the pain of heartbreak. Despite this, her sound has a melancholic, contemplative undertone that is most reminiscent of Bon Iver and Mazzy Star. You could describe it as indie folk that captivates with reverb-soaked guitars, gently pulsating beats, and harmonized vocals. It’s an album I’ll be listening to a lot more.

New Song On Sunday

 

Last week, I came across Pina Palau in an article about new Swiss music. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter lives in Zurich, works full-time as a resident physician in a psychiatric ward, rides a road bike, and has just released her third album, You Better Get Used To It.

Musically, there’s nothing that reminds me of Switzerland; it’s more like indie-folk. Somewhere between Waxahatchee, Courtney Barnett, and the dreamy sound of Bon Iver. Even though her voice sounds a bit thin, her song, backed by delicate guitar and steel guitar, has the potential to stick in your head.

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Like the weeks before another eclectic mix of hits, failures and simply songs that should be heard again.

Enjoy

1964: The Zombies

1973: Elton John

1982: Culture Club

1966: The Byrds

1994: Weezer

2011: Bon Iver

1194: R.E.M.

1986: Paul Simon

1966: The Supremes

1986: The Bangles

1983: The Romantics

1973: Garland Jeffreys

1968: Jimi Hendrix

Weird Goodbyes

The dogdays and summer are almost over and we turn slowly into autumn and the time when melancholic songs will return. I don't know why but during the last years sentimental songs were released mostly in the last months of the year. And so I wasn't surprised when I first listened to the new song by The National. A beat, a gentle chord sequence: Weird Goodbyes is at first simple and minimalist, nothing groundbreaking, until then Matt Berninger's vocals appear: „Memorize the bathwater, memorize the air / There’ll come a time I’ll wanna know when I was here“. Less singer can sing about separation and pain like him. Together with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon they made the an anthem for people who want to leave their past behind and looking forward to something new.

 

33 God

Today I woke up in an unusually manner early after a long and healthy sleep. So I got up, made me a good cup of coffee and went out on my balcony to watch the morning sunrise knowing that this is probably the last sunny day before autumn will come changing the leaves into beautiful colours. While I was sitting there the radio played the newest song by Bon Iver and I  thought it is the right one to post it on Sunday. If you don't know Bon Iver is the band project by American folk-singer/songwriter Justin Vernon. When he started back in 2007 he released a very intimate record recorded in a cabin in the forest. In the following steps of his career he added soul and R'n'B to his sound to get well known for a lot of people. For the newest evolution of his sound he used some electronic elements in his sound. For me a very good mix of electronic, pop, country and gospel but all this ingredients are just to assist the modulation of his voice.

Dead End Street

No - it's not the classic track by The Kinks. This song is from Tobias Siebert and his project And The Golden Choir. He was working for six years on his first record and it is an entertaining one. There are influences of early Talk Talk and Radiohead and some borrowings from Bon Iver. Altogether not too bad for an unknown German musician.

40 Records In 40 Years (38/40 - 2011)

This year has started the way the last has ended. After we had buried my father we received the news that my father-in-law has fallen ill with cancer. Then after a short suffering time he has passed away at the beginning of the year. This and the whole annoyance and the difficulties in the job were for Christiane probably too much. Everything what she has moved over quite too long before herself and has not solved leaded to a heavy nervous breakdown. The result was a clinic stay for many months in them again strength could scoop around again in the life is based to touch. It was hard for me to see my wife suffer and not being able to help her. Looking back I must say that I have no more recollections to the year, because have turned most of my thoughts on her recovery. For these reasons no vacation this year. In a way at all I have got over the year. If I was able I would become this year and the things they happens are by my memory extinguish. Anyway life goes on - more next time.

When I look back which records was released this year I just remember this two ones:

• PJ Harvey - Let England Shake: Great songs and a great independent records
• Bon Iver - same: Beautiful songs and a great voice

The same was with the singles released this year.

But I remember some movies we've seen this year:

• Hangover II: As good as the first one, filmed on many locations I've seen
• Unknown: Another great movie with Liam Neeson
• White Irish Drinkers: Very good drama
• The Tree of Life: Another great drama with Sean Penn
• Contagion: Perfect medical thriller by Steven Sonderbergh
• The Iron Lady: Meryl Streep plays well again in this Biopic

The rest of the world was still turning round:

Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak resigns after widespread protests // 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hits the east coast of Japan and killing more than 15.000 people // Arab spring and Syrian  Lybian civil wars starts // Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton // Osama Bin Laden was killed by American Special Forces

Although it was a hard year I remember that I played this record a many times this year. I was into this music for a long time but this record came close to my heart this days. Not only that it made fun listening to. It's more: it gave me back the power to stand the check of life. Nothing more and nothing less.

Dropkick Murphys: - Hang Em High
Dropkick Murphys: - Going Out In Style
Dropkick Murphys: - The Hardest Mile
Dropkick Murphys: - Cruel
Dropkick Murphys: - Peg O My Heart

One Night in Bangkok

... yes we moved a couple of days ago to Bangkok to spend the new years eve in a big city and return to Sri Lanka again early 2013. Its the same thing like on any big airport. To get a transport to the city to a approbriate price. If you pass the passport control a lot of people offer you the service to transport you to the city - and most people choose one of them - not knowing, that they charge you three times. Go down to the second level and get on of the public taxi to carry you downtown.

After arriving at our hotel we're not amused to recognize that next door a hotel is completly renovated. After serveral diskussions with the manager we could change the room the other day. And after changing the room we are much more satisfied now.

The first afternoon/evening we drifted to local areas around. We found a nice spot to see the sun getting down behind the impressive skyline of upper Bangkok. After a couple of sundowners we are getting hungry and decided to go to the japanese restaurant close to our place. It was very traditional as we know from our visit in Japan four years ago. There are four pillows arround a very low table seperated from each other with some wooden walls. We ordered some small food and drunk the famous sake. It's a liqour made out of rice and it is really tasty (no headache the other day). So finally we had a good start in Bangkok.

The next day we took some sightseeing to show our friend the best places around. Although that he's a buddhist we as very impressed about What Poo. In the evening time we decided to go to Cowboy Soi. This is a very small road with all the bars where young girls dance on the tables. Watching them dance is horrible. No one of them is able to move her hips. It seems to me as they were all stoned. It is nice to see but not to stay for longer times. But we could bear it, watching the premier league live on telly.

So now the year is nearly over and I wish you all a very good start into 2013. May be the best what happened to you this year may be the worst in 2013.

This is one of my favourite tunes from Talk Talk. For me it is a very emotional version from Bon Iver (I think it is live in Glasgow)

Bon Iver - I believe in you (Talk Talk Cover)

The other one is also a favourite of mine. Back in the very early 80s to a sound that's called Pub Rock. Classical handmade music.

Mickey Jupp - Another Guy