SECHSUNDZWANZIG

Today I get to do a short article on EFFI - first, it's a Haldern feature, second, it's Austrian and third it's perfect to pass the time waiting for summer and the desperately needed holidays. And to top it all off, the name EFFI is a reference to Theodor Fontane's Effi Briest, which for me as a German teacher is quite intriguing. ;)

There's not much to say about 1, except that I'm starting to look forward to this year's Haldern.

About 2: Thomas Petritsch is a singer/songwriter from Graz using electronic and acoustic instruments, and a large variety of those. Fortunately, he sings in English, and even better, he does so without a detectable accent (at least to me, this is something that always annoys me with German-speaking bands...).

About 3: Just check out Summer Sun to get a taste of happy tunes and refreshing simple, clear music.
For an even greater treat, check out Bye Baby and its video. I think the visuals are just ....cute.

Same is true for my favourite song of the day, Mars. Artsy stuff, but very childlike. I think his music has a childish, playful touch - and that's meant in a positive way. So, in case the sun and therefore summer have not yet arrived where you live, get a glimpse of the sun and listen to EFFI for a bit.

Which brings me to EFFI as a name again - as some fervent readers might know, Effi is not really what you'd call a light read. A stark contrast to the band!

His debut album is called Astronaut.

VINGT-CINQ

Just a short post from my side, which is not directed to some precific band or so, but which could fit to the Haldern mood though.

I am just working on a handbook for photoshop to leave in my office, and I thought that a bit of music in my left ear would be nice (my right one is fairly upset right now!).

Jumping from one video to another on YouTube I stumbled over a channel from KEXPradio. Lots of great live performance from "indie" musicians. Some where at Haldern, some may find their way there sometime.

Have a look at this endless library and enjoy maybe with both ears!

VIERUNDZWANZIG

...thanks Geri for keeping up the work, and especially for the last band!

Before we can get started on quality reviews of the upcoming Haldern artists,there's something I need to do: I used to be the biggest Smashing Pumpkins fan alive, and there was a time I would have torn anyone who didn't like them to pieces - and now I finally have no choice but to do this the other way around:

Billy Corgan (I refuse to call them the 'Smashing Pumpkins' since today they consist of guitarist Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne and bassist/vocalist Nicole Fiorentino) sucks.

For those of you who are interested: The soon to be released new album Oceania can be pre-listened to at tape.tv. I've listened to it twice and nothing stuck. I never liked whatever happened after Machina, and that itself was borderline. I mean, I do like artists changing their sound and trying new stuff, but whatever Billy Corgan has been working on sounds like porridgy noise, bad drums, vocals that stick to the same pattern over and over again and guitar overload.

Listening to the opener of Oceania, Quasar, led me to believe for a second that something had changed, but that was a second only. The worst part are probably the lyrics, I haven't double-checked and admittedly, I wasn't too focused istening to catch every word, but it seems to be about love. Using all kinds of clichees. There are two songs that one could listen to, and these are the ballads of the album. The celestials is a beautiful ballad with female backup vocals like a celestial choir (har!), not too overburdened with sound,Violet rays another love song and quite intense, and er...actually a song called Panopticon, which is of course an epic title - at least. ;)

DREIAZWANZG

Admiral Fallow is a Scottish musical group formed in 2007 by singer/song-writer Louis Abbott and based in Glasgow. They write and perform folk/pop. Their first album “Boots Met My Face” was released in the UK and worldwide in 2011.

Old Balloons

Their song "Squealing Pigs" was used on NBC's Chuck, featured in a commercial and was performed live on BBC television's Hogmanay Live 2011. In July 2009 the band headlined the T Break Stage at T in the Park festival. They have also played at the Wee Chill, Rockness, Loopallu Festival and Insider festivals.

Squealing Pigs

The band has supported many artists - including Guillemots, King Creosote, the Futureheads, Paolo Nutini, Frightened Rabbit , Belle and Sebastian, The Low Anthem. In 2011 the band played a UK headline tour and also attended Austin, Texas for SxSW 2011. Shows followed in New York. UK summer 2011 festivals included Glastonbury, Latitude, Cambridge Folk Festival, Green Man, and End of The Road.

Beetle In The Box

They co-headlined the HMV Next Big Thing Festival 2012 and are touring for their next album release 21 May 2012 of Tree Bursts In Snow. The band members are: Louis Abbott, Kevin Brolly, Philip Hauge, Sarah Hayes, Joe Rattray.

What a sound…what an album…what a band...

Listen, listen, listen!!!!!!!!

The Paper Trench

ZWOAAZWANZG

First feature of this years Haldern Pop bands:

Today: Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires

Its late in the evening, the sun is going down, we all enter the Spiegeltent and we have some cool music to listen to.

Enter:

Charles Bradley (born 1948, Gainesville, Florida), commonly referred to as "The Screaming Eagle of Soul",
is a funk/soul/R&B singer signed to the Daptone Records label under the Dunham Records division.
His performances and recording style are consistent with Daptone's revivalist approach,
celebrating the feel of funk and soul music from the 1960s and 1970s.
One review stated that Bradley "echoes the evocative delivery of Otis Redding".

The World (Is Going Up In Flames)

Charles released his debut album “No Time For Dreaming” in 2011 at the age of 62.
Can you believe that?

Before his musical career he had hard times: no jobs, no money, no home.
This is reflected in his lyrics.

“This world
is going up in flames
and nobody
wanna take the blame
don't tell me
how to live my life
when you
never felt the pain”

Why Is It So Hard?

And never forget: The golden rule is LOVE!

Golden Rule

See you all in the Spiegeltent!!!

OANAZWANZG

Aloha hey Welt da draussen,

Heute nur ein kurzer Beitrag da in einem Internetcafe verfasst.

Am Montag hatten wir die Freude "Band Of Skulls" live im Gleis 22 in Münster zu erleben.

Sweet Sour

Tja und was soll ich sagen: It blew me away.

Die Intensität mit der die drei ans Werk gingen, der harmonische und elektrisierende Gesang von Russell Marsden und Emma Richardson und der Sog ihrer genialen Songs erzeugten eine intime, intensive Atmpshäre.

The Devil Takes Care Of His Own

Wenn ihr die Chance haben solltet sie live zu sehen: hingehen, hingehen, hingehen.

Fires

Ah yes and for everyone with english mother tongue: Go and see the "Band Of Skull"!!!

Why? See:

Zhe Devil Takes Care Of His Own (Live)

ZWANZG

I feel the drums of my tribe
beating away in me

they are a hard long scream
a ghoul gangrene

i nibble stones for bread
yell no amen for me

they are this night
all just breaking glass

drums, i write you from afar
hear my pounding heart

“Wopko Jensma”

"And So I Watch You From Afar" are a three-piece instrumental post-rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The band consists of Rory Friers on guitar, Johnny Adger on bass and Chris Wee on drums. They write largely instrumental music with group vocals in parts; Rory writes a lot of the music, but they arrange and contribute to these songs in the rehearsal room as a three-piece to make them into finished ASIWYFA songs; it is an ever-changing process.

At the end of August 2011 one of the four founding members, Tony Wright, left ASIWYFA and now plays music in his solo project VerseChorusVerse.

They released two albums:

The one from 2009 was self-titled and contained great songs such as

Set Guitars To Kill

or

S is for Salamander

In 2011 they launched their album “Gangs”, which could enter the Irish charts, including songs like

BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION

or

Search:Party:Animal

They continue to play gigs all over the planet and their fan base is growing fast. You could join them. Enjoy and let us know.

And don’t forget:

If it ain't broke... break it