What Do You Mean? (#386)

Hi,
if you ask me, last week was a big release week. And I'm lucky to say that I've heard quite a lot of new music.

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• Radkey : New album alert. It's solid rock music, but so far I haven't found a personal highlight yet.
• B.o.B : Apart from "Back And Forth" there is another track from his new album "Psycadelik Thoughtz" that I really like - it's "Plain Jane", a very catchy tune.
• Gloria : New album alert. It's quite mellow music mostly. One or two songs are nice.

Stats!

Most played artists:

• The Weeknd : New album alert. "Beauty Behind The Madness" is finally out. And as you can see, I did not hesitate to get to know the new music.
• Halsey : New album alert. "Badlands" with good electro pop. What a coincidence, that she will go on tour with The Weeknd.
• Two Sheds : Kind of new album alert. "Assembling" might have been released a few weeks back, but now I finally had some time to listen to it.

Most played tracks:

• The Weeknd - Angel : What a song! Now that's a way to close an album! If you ask me, it is just perfect.
• Halsey - Ghost : This track kept growing on me quickly. After listening to all of Halsey's new album I think this could be the strongest song.

News?
█ Good news for Adele fans. Her third album will come out in November.
█ In case you like metalcore, try the new Parkway Drive video "Crushed". In a month this band will release a new album.
█ Justin Bieber released his new single "What Do You Mean?" and it also comes with a new video. The clip was directed by Brad Furman and stars John Leguizamo. However, the content is pretty generic and almost repetitive for Justin Bieber. But putting the visual aspects aside, the song marks a change, because of it's soft electro EDM vibes.
█ Last Saturday the 11th (German) Bundesvision Song Contest took place in Bremen. The winner is Mark Forster. So once again a major label artist has won.
█ Also this weekend: the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards... well, what can I say. There has been quite a lot shock value. My personal highlight was the perfomance by The Weeknd. Simple and effective. And as I stated before, I really don't care about winners anymore, because for years it's always the same group of artists. And how strange is the fact that Kanye gets high before he gets political. And Miley... was a good host.
█ Speaking of Miley Cyrus. She also took the chance to coincidentally release new "art". There's a whole new album called "Miley Cyrus And Her Dead Petz" - free for streaming on Soundcloud. And on YouTube you can find the new video for "Dooo It!", which is... different compared to earlier clips.

New in the German charts:
[11] Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias - El Perdón : No, it's not that new, actually. But I might be a hit now... Generic latin pop, hm. :/

Rubber Band Stacks (#385)

Hi,
welcome to my first music journal entry after the changes at Last.FM...
And yes, once again I've been busy.

Last week in covers:
Due to the new Last.FM interface I can’t provide you with a new generated image.
But if there was such a thing, the following entries would be noteworthy:
> Keane : I’ve listened to parts of “Strangeland”
> Parade Of Lights : The title track of their current album “Feeling Electric” is amazing indie pop.

Stats!

Most played artists:

• The Weeknd : New album alert. Just a few more days until “Beauty Behind The Madness”. I was listening to new songs and the old ones from “Trilogy”.
• B.o.B : New album alert. “Psycadelik Thoughtz” came like a surprise. And it is quite enjoyable. Not only because of a catchy track like “Back And Forth”.
• Madonna : Fan times. Currently it is about another playlist for a special broadcast. :D

Most played tracks:

• Jess Glynne - Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself : New album alert! After a first listening session I'd say that this is the best track from "I Cry When I Laugh".
• Brooke Candy - Rubber Band Stacks : A cheeky party anthem. A colorful video. If it went my way, that could be the start of a big career.

News?
█ There has been some buzz about the new Wanda video "Bussi Baby", but as I haven't seen it yet, I can't say anything to that.
█ Next Sunday the 2015 MTV VMAs will take place. I don't really care for the winners anymore, but I hope to see good performances.
█ One Direction will have some time off after initial promotion for the upcoming album will be finished next year.

New in the German charts:
[10] WALK THE MOON - Shut Up And Dance : I guess this must be one of the biggest achievements of that catchy pop song - being among the top ten. Yay :)

[Music Monday] somehow it had to happen...

So yesterday Last.FM decided to launch its completely new design (look and feel) - which had to happen at some point after all those weeks with beta inclusion.

As I saw the signals correctly, I chose to copy all of my music journal over here... to have a backup.

Also I decided to continue my weekly posting activity over here. So say hello to the very first Music Monday that was published yesterday. (There are still some font bugs... but whatever)

Those seven years have been a fun time... let's see how this change will work out.

Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself (#384)

Hi,

there has been a huge tragedy in my life in music last week. Last Friday my latest addition in my flash drive collection went bananas - and now it’s dead. :( But on the other side I discovered some truly remarkable new songs.

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• Miley Cyrus : I’ve listened to a bunch of songs from her “Bangerz” album, and I did not like most of it at all.

• Dillon Francis : New EP alert. “Bruk Bruk” is the best track. And the collaboration with Chromeo shouldn’t have been released because of all the destroyed high hopes.

• Madonna : Occasion context! Yesterday was her birthday. She is about to go on tour soon. And I am still struggeling to like the “Rebel Heart” era. But guess what - my love for “MDNA” keeps growing. And I managed to like “Bitch I’m Madonna” when I’m en route. :P

• Vanessa Carlton : New EP alert. What happened to her voice? Did it change that much. At least, when you put a song like “A Thousand Miles” in perspective? Anyway, nice mellow tunes on her new “Blue Pool EP”.

• Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique : The new EP "Love Is Free" keeps growing on me.

Stats!

Most played artists:

• Dr. Dre : New album alert. There was quite some hype about “Compton” and the list of feature guests. But if you ask me - an EP with the few highlight tracks would have been enough. 

• Ed Shearmur : Flashback times. You know, when it gets stressy, I love to find my peace of mind in a few tracks from the K-PAX score. I almost always works.

• Worriers : New album alert. I’ve listened to the short new record “Imaginary Life” - and I found some good songs on it.

• B.o.B - Back And Forth : Yes, that song comes with a strong “Get Lucky” vibe, but on the other side it is hard to deny the catchy quality.

• Brooke Candy - Rubber Band Stacks : Wow, I am impressed. I hope that there is more Brooke Candy music this good on the way.

• Jess Glynne - Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself : Oh, seems like I missed out on this one for some weeks. Instantly I thought of this song as a pop gem of 2015.

Most played tracks:

News?
█ Stanfour are back - and “Power Games” featuring Natasha Bedingfield has a video now. Unfortunately the two singers don’t seem to harmonize that much - as if both acts did not decide themselves to collaborate.
█ Iron Maiden’s new video “Speed Of Light” seems like a small history tour on computer games. The new album “Book Of Souls” is just a few weeks away.

█ Shaggy has released a new single with Pitbull as a feature guest. “Only Love” should not be worth your money, though.

█ The next Justin Bieber album has no title yet, but it will come out in November.

█ Willow Smith wants the audience to see lots of colors. Idk whether I could call “Wit A Indigo” artsy or just odd.

█ I can’t remember if I ever heard anything by Youth Lagoon. Anyway, they have a new video called “Highway Patrol Stun Gun” and it makes me want to get to know their music. Their album “Savage Hills Ballroom” will be released at the end of September.

█ I was looking forward to new Lana Del Rey music, but when I first heard “High By The Beach”, I was disappointed. Now with a video for that song, my opinion has not changed. I think it is a bit boring.

█ Another award show took place recently - and winners included music acts like Fifth Harmony, One Direction, Wiz Khalifa, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Ariana Grande… and Britney Spears. What kind of awards could that be? Well, the 2015 Teen Choice Awards, obviously.

New in the German charts:

[01] Sido - Astronaut (feat. Andreas Bourani) : Oh, someone is rising high. You can call it a successful comeback. I haven’t found a music video - so it will probably be released soon. Although it may not be necessary anymore. Anyway, the song seems pretty mainstream. But maybe there are some good lyrics in it, too.  

[10] Calvin Harris & Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love : I may be wrong but to me that’s just a typical modern EDM track. Nothing special.

Nightlight (#383)

Hi,
I’m about to get back on track being a voluntary music editor these days. I even did quite a lot research about new releases last week. But what else?

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:
> MNEK : New EP alert. Tbh I was expecting more.
> Will Young : I’m still getting to know his new songs. And I will probable need more time to do so.
> Kylie Minogue : Flashback times. Did you ever hear “Put Yourself In My Place”? Or “Confide In Me”? Those were little pop gems.
> Madonna : Fan times. Of course, there hardly is a week when I’m not listening to M. And it’s so crazy that for 52 Songs blog project I think of her music first.

Stats!

Most played artists:
> Maximilian Hecker : Not so new album alert. But anyway, it was new for me. And I can say, that it’s very helpful to get to sleep. ;)
> The Maccabees : New album alert. But I just got a glimpse of it.
> DMA’s : Ooh, what a discovery. “Laced” seems to become one of my favorite tracks of 2015. Very catchy.

Most played tracks:
> Bag It Up : Research context. It was Geri Halliwell’s birthday last week, so I took some time to look at her discography. And this one must be my favorite - even though or maybe because it sounds similar to “Who Do You Think You Are” by the Spice Girls.
> Back Together (feat. Nicki Minaj) : New single alert. Wow, how naughty can Robin Thicke’S music become next? Anyway, I can not deny that there is a little catchy factor. And a Nicki Minaj feature also counts as a plus for me.

News?
> Macklemore has released a new song - and you can get it for free on his official homepage. “Growing Up (Sloane’s Song)” features Ed Sheeran and it’s about his baby girl. His new album is about to come out within the next week. But no title was announced yet.
> The Weeknd showed us the tracklist of his upcoming album “Beauty Behind The Madness”. Among those 14 tracks you can expect collaborations with Labrinth, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. Yay, what? :)
> The Austrian hype band Wanda released the first single of their new album “Bussi”. And “Bussi Baby” is quite catchy.
> German artist Romano released another hip-hop tune from his upcoming album “Jenseits von Köpenick” - called “Klaps auf den Po”. And it comes with a funny video.
> Stanfour finally announced the relaese date of their 4th album “IIII” - it will be out at the end of August. :)
> Speaking of the end of August, Justin Bieber will drop a new single by then called “What Do You Mean?”. In other news he said that he has worked with Skrillex. Say what? oO
> The Silversun Pickups released their first single of an upcoming new album. “Better Nature” will be out in late September, and the new video “Nightlight” appears quite glossy - with a few creepy visuals, of course.

New in the German charts:
[01] Sugar (feat. Francesco Yates) : Well, what can I say. At least that new number one means some change. And the song is not that bad.
[06] Lieblingsmensch : Uhm, okay, this song seems nice and humble. I’d tag it with easy-listening.
[10] Drag Me Down : The first single as four member boy group - and it turned out to be quite catchy. But still… I’m a bit surprised about this amount of success over here.

Perfect Couples (#382)

Hi,
due to a small business trip to Berlin I wasn’t able to scrobble that much. But anyway...

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:
> The Script : Flashback times. Fun fact: There was a time when I thought only the self-titled debut album would be enjoyable. Well, these days I’m more into their second record “Science & Faith”.
> My Chemical Romance : Playlist research context. For a special broadcast programme I was looking for a MyChem song. I chose “Vampire Money”.
> Years & Years : (Still relatively) new album alert. A few songs are growing on me, but there hardly is a song as catchy as “King”.

Stats!

Most played artists:
> Will Young : New album alert. Hm, this is a tough one. I can’t decide whether I’m convinced by his new music or not. So far only “Promise Me” is my highlight from “85% Proof”.
> Stanfour : Flashback times. I created an intro based on one of the tracks from their very great album “Rise and Fall”.
> Belle and Sebastian : Hm, I revisited “Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance”. But I’m not sure, if 

Most played tracks:
> The Heart Shaped Sea : Playlist research context. I was looking for a quite melodramatic ballad to end a radio show. This is what I had in mind. Unfortunately the song got a bit stuck in my head.
> My Love : I was rushing through my library and came across this wonderful Sia song, that she provided for a Twilight soundtrack.
> Growing Old Is Getting Old : Flashback times. I remember walking through my home town with this song on my ears. It must have been winter I guess. Great track.

News?
> Does anyone remember the band Crazy Town? Well, guess what, they will release a new album called “The Brimstone Sluggers” later this month (after a 10 year gap).
> The new Belle and Sebastian video “Perfect Couples” could not possibly be more perfect. Go watch that epic retro scenery. :P 
> There is also a new Florence + The Machine video highlighting two songs from the new album - “Queen Of Peace" und "Long & Lost". But I haven’t seen it yet.

New in the German charts:
[05] So wie du bist (feat. Lary) : Hm, German rap with a cheesy pop chorus. I think in this case it works. Could be worse. :D

Dirty Work (#381)

Hi,
last week made me reconnect with familiar songs as well as get to know brand new tracks. But see for yourself.

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:
> Tame Impala : New album alert. “Currents” features some very good songs. And even though fans might find the newer work weaker compared to previous releases, I recommend getting to know this artist.
> Shania Twain : Flashback times. Don’t you think that it’s amazing to have such a success basically based on only two albums?
> Seal : Flashback times. Have I ever told you about the three strong opening songs of the 2010 Seal album “Commitment”? It really surprises me from time to time.

Stats!

Most played artists:
> Madonna : Fan times. I made another attempt to get my mind around her new “Rebel Heart” stuff. And I can’t believe that “Bitch I’m Madonna” has grown on me. But it did - during a shopping trip. :D Other songs are still very disappointing.
> The Chemical Brothers : New album alert! “Born In The Echoes” also entered the German album top ten. But tbh my first impression of their new music could have been better. Maybe I’ll give it a new try in the future. (Anyway, “Go” is great)
> Roxette : New single alert. (see below)

Most played tracks:
> Cool for the Summer : It’s funny how I first did not want to check out a new Demi Lovato song, but then got totally surprised by it. Well, yeah… I think I will blame to drop parts. :P
> The Look (2015 Remake) : Credits go to the producers, who really made a good job reinventing the catchiness of an oldie like this one. If Roxette play their cards right, this could be a hit.
> Close Your Eyes : This song will definitely go down as one of my personal gems of 2015. I can’t wait for upcoming releases by Rhodes.

News?
> Within a day Demi Lovato’s newest video “Cool For The Summer” reached over 2 million views on YouTube. And apart from that it’s a very good piece of pop culture featuring lots of sensual visuals and colors.
> Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, has passed away at the age of 22.
> Austin Mahone’s new video “Dirty Work” went a little over the top considering the slow intro and the geeky office setting. I can’t say that it helps the song.
> After Budapest George Ezra’s new hymn goes out to Barcelona. The new video features a lot of tropical plants, city visuals however not so much.
> Disclosure and Sam Smith teamed-up for a song called “Omen”, which has a very slow-mo driven video now. 
> The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards now have announced the nominations. The big winners of the night could be Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. At least they are friends.

New in the German charts:
[03] Sugar (feat. Francesco Yates) : The intro alone makes me want to skip that song. German music buyers think otherwise apparently. Even the vocals by Francesco Yates (who will release his debut album featuring Pharrell-produced songs in a few weeks) can’t convince me.