Pink Up

Almost 25 years ago two young Austin based guys formed a band and named them after a song by Krautrock legends Can. Spoon released with Hot Thoughts their newest album. They were always an experimental band because they never stood still when they reached a level. It is the same with this record. They still have their brittle guitar sound Nowadays they integrate more electronic sounds in their music. Sometimes I hear a bit of jazz in their sound. All in all a band that can't make a bad record and claim to open our ears. Probably the best record this year.



If you are ready for an aural experience than listen to this song where they built their sound around a soulful saxophone playing:

The Gist

It's spring and these are the days of decision in football. Leicester City made the miracle came true and won the Premier League - congrats to that this team. Bayern Munich will be number one in the Bundesliga again, in Spain it is very tight between the common teams of Barcelona and Madrid. Liverpool swept into the final. But for those who doesn't support the major teams there are very hard days to stand. So it happened to my team in Stuttgart. After losing their last games they stand on a relegation place. Finally it is the result of maladministration, permanent changing of the manager, and signing players which are not able to play on a higher level. Anyway, there is a small chance to stay in the Bundesliga if the reduce their playing on the gist. And it means that you have to fight if you are with the inadequate means of playing football. So I will go to my local pub this afternoon and watching out what happens.

The Gist is also a band I didn't listen often the last years. It was a project by Stewart Moxham after Young Marble Giants split. Love at first sight became well known but it wasn't typically for their sound. The record contains a lot of songs with YMG's deep and dominant bass and mostly in a reduced rhythm. A good record and worth to be played again.

The Gist - Love At First Sight
The Gist - Fretting Away

Lost again

It is hard to a support your local team these days. You might know that I support VfB Stuttgart because I share their ups and downs for a long time. Last weekend we played against BVB Dortmund and from beginning it was as David would line up against Goliath. Of course Dortmund has much more abilities in playing football like Stuttgart has. So what can do Stuttgart more, than to bring out the old virtues of the classical football: fighting and running for every ball.

And they did well, although they got a goal close to the end of the first half. Coming back to the second half they did their very best to equal the result and they got success - they made it. But all hope was gone when they got the second goal close to the end.

I am not disappointed about the defeat - I have got used to it in the course of the season. But what annoys me is the way as trainers and players have weighted behind about supposedly brutal playing of Stuttgart. Sure, Dortmund defender has to be replaced because he broke his nose - Stuttgart defender had to leave the ground by a yellow/red card (by both cards it was no foul if you watch the scenes in slow motion). But nowadays every team should play like Barcelona with their short passing, fast and disembodied game.

What we will lose will be the classical virtues of the game: To win duels, tackle and the absolute will to win the game. What also bothers me is that so many players in the Bundesliga are trained in faking fouls. I look back to the days gone by when a defender like Vinnie Jones could be a hero - knowing that these days are gone forever.

Red Guitars - Steeltown