Clearest Blue (#390)

Hi,
the days get colder... and I'm busy fighting a small cold. :/
But this did not stop me from looking into music...

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy: (even without pictures)

• The Presets : I don't know, but some of their songs from "Pacifica" remind me of Autumn - "It's Cool" for instance.
• The Weeknd : I guess at this point I don't need to repeat that I've become a big fan of this artist.
• Bring Me The Horizon : New album alert! I just briefly listened to bits from "That's The Spirit", but already the opening track "Doomed" did amaze me a little.
• CHVRCHES : New album alert! I can't wait to listen to all of it. And that is because their song "Clearest Blue" grew on me last week.

Most played artists:

• Jack Savoretti : Once more I've listened to his latest album "Written In Scars"... and I can recommend it to any fans of singer/songwriter alternative folk pop. One of my favorite tracks is "The Other Side Of Love".
• Metric : New album alert. I've listened to "Pagans In Vegas"... and I'd say it turned out just okay. About three songs are nice, though. :P
• New Order : New album alert. "Music Complete" surprised me with guest vocals by La Roux and Brandon Flowers... but apart from that I did not like the music that much after a first session.

Most played tracks:

• Chris Brown - Zero : New single alert. Damn, why did he have to come up with something catchy again? 
• P!nk - Today's The Day : Yes, my personal hype about this track has not stopped yet. I could listen to it every day these days. And it feels uplifting to me. (Mission accomplished.)
• Tame Impala - 'Cause I'm A Man (HAIM Remix) : This is like a magical combination. This song plus female vocals. I was quite amazed when I first listened to it.

News?
█ The title of One Direction's fifth album was revealed. It's called "Made In The A.M." and will be out on November 13.
█ Gladys Knight is back with a new single called "Just A Little". It's also part of her upcoming 12th studio album "Parallel", which will presumably consist of many duets with contemporary artists. There's also something about her leading the G70 movement, but I don't understand it completely.
█ So Forbes Magazine had this ranking of successful hip-hop artists. And guess who's making the most cash in 2015? P. Diddy (60M)! Does it really make a difference to have his own vodka brand? Btw. there was only one woman among the top twenty - and her name is Nicki Minaj. :)

New in the German charts:
[04] Ed Sheeran - Photograph (Felix Jaehn Remix) : Ooh, somehow I missed this remix. But now I can understand very well, why this is a potential chart topper track.

Fallinlove2nite (#389)

Hi,
these are busy times for me again... so I might as well jump right in...

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy: (even without pictures)

• RHODES : New album alert. "Wishes". I still have parts left to listen to. But I am hopeful that this is my jam. :P
• Leyya : I came across a new single from "Spanish Disco", and then I found the video for "Superego", which is a lovely track. I guess I will give this kind of synth pop a try.
• Madonna : Tour alert. Choosing "Iconic" as opening song was a good strategy. And it's another reason for me to get to know her Rebel Heart era a bit better.
• 5 Seconds Of Summer : Soon they will release a new album. But so far I'm still enjoying their EP "She's Kinda Hot".

Most played artists:

• Gabrielle Aplin : New album alert. I went through "Light Up The Dark", but just like with her last album it's only a few track that I find interesting.
• Die Orsons : Concert alert. Even though I had to struggle with my health a bit on Friday, I was very lucky to see this German hip-hop act live. The concert was really awesome. And of course, they performed the highlight songs of their latest album "What's Goes".
• Prince : New album alert. After I've read a good review of "HITNRUN: Phase One" I was curious about the new music. And yes, I liked a it.
• Lana Del Rey : New album alert. The overall impression of "Honeymoon" is quite coherent. But it's slower than I expected. Well, her strength might shine more in ballads, but one or two songs like "West Coast" would have been nice for a change.

Most played tracks:

• P!nk - Today's The Day : Oh, what a tune. It's so haunting. I can listen to this every day. :P
• Prince - Fallinlove2nite : This track is definitely different from all the other songs on the new album. So catchy, and radio-friendly, with a little 70s disco vibe. I love it. :D
• Nick Jonas - Levels : I'm quite surprised about the fact that this song has grown on me. It must be those edgy EDM sounds.

News?
█ Ed Sheeran will release a concert film - but I didn't get why it is called "Jumpers For Goalposts".

New in the German charts:
[01] Sido - Astronaut (feat. Andreas Bourani) : Oh, they did it once again. I'm wondering, if a special event was involved in this.
[06] R. City - Locked Away (feat. Adam Levine) : It might sound cynical, but I find this song very generic. Sure, you can easily hum to the chorus after listening to it once. But what else is there? :/
[11] Lena - Wild & Free : Yuck, someone channeled her inner Ellie Goulding there. Sorry, but this track sounds too polished. I'm sure that without a blockbuster film context, this would not be that successful.

Today's The Day (#388)

Hi,
I can't wait for Last.fm to finally have all the cover images to albums. But I could also see it as a compliment. Many of my scrobbled tracks don't even have their album cover referenced on Last.fm :P Anyway...

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy: (even without pictures)

• The Weeknd : Yup, yup, it's still about "Beauty Behind The Madness". I'm happy about all the catchy stuff on that album.
• Stanfour : Once more I went through a few songs from their latest album "IIII". And I still miss those melancholic power ballads.
• David Gilmore : Pre-single alert! I find the new tracks from "Rattle That Lock" quite progressive. I'm not sure, if I feel the need to listen to the rest of the album.
• RHODES : Pre-single alert! I can't wait for the album. Hopefully it will contain songs as good as "Close Your Eyes". :)
• Marina & The Diamonds : I guess I can already say that "Forget" is one of my personal highlight tracks of 2015. You can find it on the album "Froot".

Most played artists:

• Miley Cyrus : All the buzz about the new album "Miley Cyrus and her dead petz" made me curious. But so far I even haven't listen to all the tracks, because I find it 
• Spector : So I finally checked out their latest album "Moth Boys", which comes off more pop-like as one would expect - especially when you think of songs like "Chevy Thunder". But still indie pop, if you ask me.
• Troye Sivan : New EP alert. But tbh I tend to listen to only two songs from it. :P

Most played tracks:

• Bryan Adams - You Belong To Me : Pre-single alert. Wow, I didn't expect a new Bryan Adams song to be so good. At first I even thought it may be a cover version. But oh, was I wrong...
• Troye Sivan - Wild : I have mixed feelings about that song, mostly because of the beginning and the background vocals. But apart from that it's nearly perfect dream pop.

News?
█ So it is not Ellie Goulding, but Sam Smith singing the new Bond song "Writing's On The Wall". The new film "Spectre" will be released in early November. I predict a commercial success - for both.
█ Britney Spears will be performing her Las Vegas show for at least two more years. Maybe one reason was her last single flopping.
█ Jessica Simpson is almost ready to make a comeback in music. But who is waiting for new JS songs?
█ Madonna kicked off her Rebel Heart Tour in Montreal (Canada). Early reports say that it's as good as one should expect from an artist like her. I already expect me liking a few Rebel Hearts tracks more, because of live footage you can find on the Internet.
█ Ellen DeGeneres started her 13th season recently featuring a brand new theme song. And this one comes from P!nk. "Today's The Day" has a mega catchy guitar hook, but do not expect it to be on her next album. Or... maybe, if it's a hit song?
█ Waving The Guns just released a new video - "Pflaster". I haven't made up my mind about it yet, though.

New in the German charts:
[01] Die Ärzte - Schrei nach Liebe : So it happened. Reflecting the current situation this 22-year-old track made it to the top. The profit will be donated. So that would be another benefit.
[04] Böhse Onkelz - Wir bleiben : Hm, judging by the live version I found online, this song has nothing special. Even the lyrics seem generic.

What's Goes (#387)

Hi,

although I had two days off last week, I wasn't really able to enjoy more freetime. But still, there were a few bits of new music involved...

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy (also partly without a picture):

• Daft Punk : Revisiting the extraordinary "TRON Legacy" soundtrack/score was part of my research for a cinema rubric of a radio programme about culture. Could be worse. :P
• Andrea Corr : If you ask me, there are only two or three good songs on her 2011 solo album "Lifelines". And those were the ones, I listened to.
• Madonna : I don't know what exactly makes me cling to her "Re-Invention Tour" tracks these days. I wish all live songs from the tour were available.

Most played artists:

• Lady Gaga : Do you know those times, when you just want to listen to something else? Or maybe just try a record once more. I did that with "ARTPOP". And I still think this album was underrated. (Although the promotion was big enough.)
• Stanfour : New album alert. "IIII" is okay, but it is missing more ballads. :/
• Fettes Brot : New album alert. But seriously, "Teenager vom Mars" is kind of hard to listen to, because of many odd sounding falsetto part. Sorry to say, but this record seems to be for fans only.

Most played tracks:

• Beyoncé - Irreplaceable : She had her birthday last week, so I was looking for a song that I could play on the radio. I chose this one, even though it sounds very mainstream. :P
• LMFAO - Champagne Showers (feat. Natalia Kills) : Can you believe RedFoo is 40 already? I don't any of his solo work good enough, to recall a track title. But I know LMFAO's part rock anthems. And "Champagne Showers" is one of them. So "Sorry For Party Rocking", but not sorry for playing it. :D

News?

█ Actually, the only new video I've watched last week was Troye Sivan's "Wild" - with an odd subtitle "Blue Neighbourhood Part 1/3". (So it's part of a trilogy, obviously.) This track couldn't possibly be more dreamy, and so the video comes with fitting visuals.

█ RHODES has released a second diary video from his European tour as the support of George Ezra. I can't wait for his album to be released.

█ One Direction's new video "Drag Me Down" kind of makes no sense with the NASA context. And the low camera angles making each member stoop all the time... bah, clichés of a boyband.

█ I shouldn't forget about the controversy of Taylor Swift's new video "Wildest Dreams" - but then again, it's just a pop video with classic Hollywood references.

█ With a video like "What's Goes" Die Orsons make me wonder, if the song is about something serious or just another fun track. What would you say?

New in the German charts:

[01] Namika - Lieblingsmensch : A new number one. Judging by the lyrics, this song could also come from Helene Fischer. And judging by the sound, this song could come from Xavier Naidoo's team. Anyway, a very German production - and also very suitable for large audiences.

[04] Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean? : What? Seems like the hype about a new JB single was even big enough for German fans to notice. And tbh the song ain't that bad, either. :P

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.