check them out: SLEEPY DOG

I just found out about this band and I like them: Sleepy Dog (nice name!). the singers voice sometimes reminds me of Royal Headache. The sound is between math-rock, emo, poppunk whatever. 

"Sleepy Dog preserves the classic tenants of math rock: alternate turnings, angular melodies, glittery riffs and dreamy sounds. He is by no means reinventing the genre, but at the same time it would be completely wrong to say that he isn’t bringing something new to the genre. His riffs/playing style tends to be a little more messy, or perhaps loose is a better word, than your usual math rock band." (source: https://medium.com/@icarusanalysis/you-should-check-out-sleepy-dog-2359f2c37272)

https://sleepydog1.bandcamp.com/

follow: H3 PODCAST/YOUTUBE CHANNEL (Papa Bless)

Today I'd like to recommend my favorite podcast, well actually it's more like a Youtube channel because I think you have to WATCH these guys doing what they do. I am talking about Ethan and Hila Klein, husband and wife, creators of H3 and owners of the fashion label Teddy Fresh.

What is H3 about?

Basically Ethan and Hila started by posting funny, geeky and goofy videos on their original youtube channel, which you find here. It is mostly about internet memes, other funny videos, stupid trends or reactions videos of popculture related things. some years ago they became more professional with their podcast and they are now producing in a studio in L.A., where they also invite (famous) guests like musicians, actors, comedians, politicians or other youtube stars. Each episode is about 2 hours long and they basically talk about important stuff which happened during the week (for example they discuss new movies, Elons cybertruck, politics, general internet gossip or just things they like (Ethan is really into food).

Why I like them?

I started to watch their videos some months ago and I became totally addicted to them in a short time. There are so many videos online, so you can basically watch them non-stop. What I like the most about Ethan and Hila is, that they are very openminded with their fans when it comes to personal stuff. They had several videos where they talked about how they've met (in Israel btw) or also another video where they talk about the birth of their son Theodore. Hila for me is just one of the most beautiful and smartest women I have ever seen and Ethan is just a cute, funny dude who knows how to make people laugh. I also agree on almost everything they say, they are not narrow-minded and they have different point of views on certain subjects. Besides all of this, I just love them as a couple. you can see how much they love each other and I think that's just beautiful.

What else you need to know?

Hila is a fashion designer and she has founded the label Teddy Fresh which has lots of cool, colorful clothing (I also have some, you can buy it in any bluetomato shop in europe or order online). I'm happy to see how famous the label became. They really deserve the success. Another fact that makes the show funny and interesting are the three guys in the back who are helping producing H3: Dan, Ian and Zac. They've also become important inventory of the show and have a big fan crowd too. Btw fans: H3 really knows how to entertain and stay in contact with their fans: they have several youtube channels, a reddit community and different social media channels - they are really active on twitter too. They have two cute dogs named shredder and alfredo. fun side fact: they are really close friends with the popstar Post Malone.

and I mean, come on, just look at this photo:

View this post on Instagram

Happy holidays from the Kleins

A post shared by Ethan Klein (@h3h3productions) on Dec 2, 2019 at 11:44am PST

I can't really recommend any specific episodes because I think they are all really good, but here some examples - maybe you also get into it like me :)

Link: H3 main channel youtube
Link: Teddy Fresh

CULT OF LUNA, BRUTUS, A.A. WILLIAMS @ Konzertfabrik Pratteln

It is funny how sometimes I find out about concerts that I didn't know about. I just checked the website of BRUTUS (one of my fav bands this year, actually I wanted to check the merch) and then I saw that they will play tomorrow in switzerland again. what a surprise! okay, they are "only" the support band for CULT OF LUNA but I don't mind seeing them too. because of that lineup the ticket price was kind of high: 43 francs. But I know that COL are pretty famous in the scene and have alot of fans.

And I have also never been to Pratteln (funny name by the way, even for a german) and the location called Konzertfabrik Z7 - they usually do alot of metal, gothic, hardrock and also cover band shows (not really my thing tbh). And the show starts pretty early which I think is good for a sunday.

some videos here:

TENACIOUS D in zurich (20.2.20)

I remember seeing "Kings of Rock" many years ago in the cinema with some friends. All of them could sing along with the music in the movie and I was thinking: what the fuck? :p At this time I didnt know much about Tenacious D or Jack Black. Okay, this is already 13 years ago. wow.

Anyway, after seeing the movie I got into the soundtrack and I LOVED the songs by TD. I think Jack Black is just one of the funniest people in the world. So i am beyond happy to see them live in zurich! I got the tickets pretty fast when they started to sell them online. Gonna be awesome!



oh, and you need to follow Jack on instagram:

View this post on Instagram

You may call me, Master Naruto 📹 @mrtaylorstephens

A post shared by Jack Black (@jackblack) on Sep 22, 2019 at 4:13pm PDT

MATTY MATHESON, the coolest chef alive

today I wanna tell you about the coolest cooking chef I know. he is fuckin funny, he looks like a hardcore punk and he makes great food: Matty Matheson.



He has this new youtube series out called "Just a dash" where he shows how to cook his favorite food. when I saw the new video (above) I was laughing so hard because I just love this guy. I don't remember how I found out about him (probably Munchies by Viceland) but I've seen so many videos now with him and it's ALWAYS funny. seriously. sometimes he sings, sometimes he screams, sometimes he is like a little child. in short: he is just really authentic and real.

Matty, who is canadian, has had a difficult past. he was into drugs and alcohol, he was basically wasted all the time. 2012 he suffered a heart attack and started to change his life. since some years he is experiencing a massive success and he has published a bestselling cookbook. also he seems to be super happy with his wife and son. I just think Matty deserves all the success he gets. besides that I love how he dresses and how confident he is about his body and size.

also, following him on insta is pretty entertaining:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MATTY MATHESON (@mattymatheson) on Oct 22, 2019 at 8:52am PDT

PUP show in berlin (11.11.2019)

If you'd asked me which band I've seen the most in the last years, I have to say: PUP. I just checked it, and the first time I've seen them was 5 years ago in berlin (badeschiff) playing support for CLOUD NOTHINGS. In 2014 i made a blog post about the concert (I also took some pics and wrote an article for my former newspaper). Since then I wanna say I've seen PUP like 3 or 4 times (one time playing with MODERN BASEBALL). I was always really lucky to see the canadian guys in nice venues and with nice bands in europe, even though I have to admit I have not been folloing them so much in the last 1-2 years.

anyway, I'm going to berlin soon and I was randomly checking if there will be any good concerts during my visit - and for my surprise I found out that PUP will play on the 11th november at a location I really like (Bi Nuu). hooray! their new album is called "Morbid Stuff" and tbh I really need to listen to it more (so I won't judge it now or tell you more about it). I always loved their stage energy, their catchy songs and their well-thought music videos.

update after the show: it was really amazing. I was in front of the stage (first row!) and people got crazy since the first minute, I got pushed in my back quite hard, but I enjoyed the show. They played alot of new material. I was really surprised bc the show was sold out and it was packed with people. It was this typical moment when you realise: oh, PUP are fucking famous now. good for them!

GURR show in zurich (5.11.2019)

I've already mentioned GURR three years ago on this blog after seeing them live as support for SHEER MAG in a diy punk place in berlin. since that the duo played alot of shows and festivals, they also did a US tour. in april they released their new ep "she says" with 7 tracks. their first album "in my head" got really good reviews in the music press and the band was kind of surprised by the success.



I am very happy to see them in zurich soon. they will play in a venue called Bogen F, which books alot of really nice bands. the first song of the new ep is really dreamy and chilled out. I really love that they sing in english, but they also have songs in german like "zu spät" which is track 5. on their website they talk about why they didn't do a second album yet and what the ep title means to them:

It's about building up the courage to say what you think. It's about female leadership. It's about tears instead of raising your voice or fist. It's about doing what feels right. It's about wanting to be heard. It's about wanting to be believed. It's about wanting to be listened to. It's about what she says, really.

check out GURR on:
the website: http://www.gurrband.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gurrband/

PUZZLE BOY from rennes/france

heyyaaa a new band! from france! i love these guys. its really chilled electronic indie music from the nice city rennes. they just released their ep "lush distortions" (which was crowdfunded on KissKissBankBank) and i actually like all of the songs. its really dreamy music, kind of romantic and emotional (but still something you could move to).

I like the quality of the production and the song writing. i really hope these guys will play some live shows soon! i think they could make a really good album too. well please just support them! (I did support them and Im looking forward to my PB merch.)

check them out on:
soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/puzzle-boy

LEONIDEN from kiel/germany

because I mentioned this band in my last post and I really enjoyed seeing them live, Im gonna tell you about them. first thing: i have to admit, when i first listened to them, i found them abit too "poppy". second: yes they are, but they have really nice songs, and since last weekend Im kind of addicted to some of their songs. I guess their fans are pretty young, but who cares right.

they started as a "school band" but since some years they are touring alot (alot!) and they are a pretty good live band, i have to say. they have alot of musical influences (from michael jackson to mars volta etc) and after seeing some youtube videos about them, I can say, they are really serious about their music. they are pretty diy and they care alot about their live performance. I find them to be a really charismatic band and their upcoming shows are almost sold out. I guess that means something, right? btw my favorite song is called 1990.



anyway, check out LEONIDEN on:
the website: https://leonidenmusik.de/musik/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leonidenleoniden/

PABST from berlin

so one of the first bands Id like to tell you about is PABST from berlin. Ive seen them some years ago in a place called urban spree in berlin performing as support for BEACH SLANG. I really love their sound and their energy on stage. I guess what I like about them is that they sound pretty oldschool, some might say grungy/postpunky (even some stoner rock) but I dont really care about these labels so much. besides these are really nice guys and they really (really!) deserve to be popular! the singer Erik has a really unique voice and - for what he told me - he has a hardcore/diy/screamo background which I totally get. we like some similar bands and he is very easy to talk to.

last weekend they performed in luzern/switzerland as support for LEONIDEN, a german indiepop/danceband from Kiel which are also really good, specially their live show. anyway PABST first album is called Chlorine and I just love it. in the next weeks they play some shows with KADAVAR, a rock band from berlin I didnt actually know.



check out PABST on
bandcamp: https://pabstband.bandcamp.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pabstband/

music scene in switzerland

hey, ich lebe noch. das is gut oder? ich lebe seit 2017 in zürich und arbeite hier bei einer (grösseren) zeitung. und, ohgott, ich bin schon 34 jahre alt. fuck. naja, man sagt ja immer, das alter spielt keine rolle, aber ich geh hart auf die 40 zu und das is irgendwie seltsam.

ich geh immer noch gerne auf konzerte, auch wenn die konzertszene in zürich bzw. der schweiz recht übersichtlich is... im vergleich zu deutschland of course. trotzdem findet sich immer mal wieder ne gute band oder ne gute show, zu der ich gehe.

ich habe diesen blog sehr vernachlässigt, aber möchte gerne weiter über bands schreiben, die ich mag, die eventuell noch nich sehr gross sind, aber zumindest aufmerksamkeit verdient haben - meiner meinung nach.

ich bevorzuge eigentlich, auf diesem blog in englisch zu schreiben, darum werde ich das ab jetzt auch wieder tun (einfach, weil ich mir erhoffe, dass auch der eine oder andere englischsprachige musikfan seinen weg hier her findet). oh, und ich werde wahrscheinlich auch mal über andere dinge abseits von musik schreiben, die ich gut finde.

short english version:

i am living in zurich (switzerland) since 2017 and i work for a newspaper. im 34 now but i still like to see bands, shows and try to discover the swiss music scene. i want to try to write more about music for this blog now, even though i know not many people gonna read it probably... its just what i like to do. and i will do it in english because i hope for some english speaking people here to read this bs. id also like to write about other things than just music here.

so, lets get this on!
(btw: this on the picture is me going fishing in denmark with my brother - we didnt catch any fish)

Great Show You Need To See: PLEASE LIKE ME

Today I want to recommend an awesome series from australia that I binge-watched like a crazy addict in maybe 3 days. The series is called PLEASE LIKE ME and it's all about the life of Josh Thomas.

I don't want to annoy you with a long analysis about the show, so here are the 5 TOP REASONS to watch PLEASE LIKE ME:

1. the writing is just amazing: actor Josh Thomas who also did most episodes has a great, funny, realistic and cool way to deal with subjects such as love, relationships, millenials, family, death, sickness, sexuality and so on. the dialogues are sometimes weird but in a nice weird way which is surprising and also very cute and loveable
2. the characters are the best: Josh plays himself and his friends in the series are also his best friends in real life (check out the instagram accounts of those people!). so you can imagine the vibe between them is pretty good! for me it was nice to see how the characters "grow up" during the episodes
3. PLM deals with queer issues: it all starts with the fact, that Josh is realising he is gay (well, or let's say his ex-girlfriend realised that) and he starts meeting boys and having first homosexual experience. in the following episodes he meets alot boys, falls in love, falls out love etc. yes, there is a big sexual aspect in the series but I think it's important to bring these things up and show viewers other aspects of sexuality - even though nowadays homosexuality should be seen as something normal, I guess it is still an issue for some people to deal with
4. PLM deals with serious issues such as suicide: Josh's mum in the series tries to kill herself by taking to much pills. Rose suffers from bipolar disorder which is also an issue that should be normal to talk about. she has to live in a clinic/rehab for some time where she meets other people like her and she also finds friends. and yes, spoiler alert, it is going to be very sad too...
5. the theme song will make you dance everytime you hear it - the song is called "I'll be fine" and it plays a very important role for the series because in the entrance of each episode people are singing it or dancing to it. it just gives the whole series this special feeling

well, that's it. I could bring up many more reasons to see PLEASE LIKE ME but you better find out for yourself. You can watch 4 seasons on netflix. Like Josh announced some weeks ago, there will be no 5. season - it is sad, yes, but all the best things have to come to an end eventually :)

New music from Berlin: GURR - Riot Girls from the german capital

Really cool female punk band based in Berlin that I saw live some months ago. Current album is called "In My Head" and it's super catchy, full of good vibes and powerful. I love the opening song "Breathless" - listen to it! Their album is available on Spotify:
 


 more info: https://gurrband.bandcamp.com/

Great Show You Need To See: THE CHRIS GETHARD SHOW

Today i wanna introduce an american TV-show that I'm loving alot right now. I found out about it on Youtube because I was checking some BROAD CITY stuff (also a great show!!!) and I randomly saw this great TV-show: THE CHRIS GETHARD SHOW.

Here some reasons why I think it's a must-see:

1. It's a really anti-mainstream show with a quite nerdy, freaky audience
2. at the end of every episode there is a live music band, most of them are pretty good (just to name some examples: Downtown Boys, The Front Bottoms, Screaming Females)
3. the host of the show is Chris Gethard who is a real funny, normal guy
4. the show band is called The LLC and I like them alot (the singer is Chris' wife)
5. the guests of the show who are invited are mostly pretty good comedians, actors etc.
6. TCGS is produced by Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell
7. the whole show is really open-minded, tolerant, punk and DIYish
8. the subjects in the show are really "taken out of life" (depression, family, weird body stuff), also people can call in via skype and talk about their stuff/problems/feelings
9. the characters of the show are awesome (The Human Fish, Murf, Chris' brother etc)

Okay, enough said, now you should really watch it. here are some episodes I recommend. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:


+++ +++ +++

Riot Grrrl Movement Is Back - And This Are Some Bands!

Yes, the 90's were great - thanks to awesome bands like Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Sleater-Kinney and many more who kicked the asses of the male dominated punkrock music scene.

But we also have to face the great present bands who definitely represent the modern Riot-Girl-Movement of the 21st century. I am always more than happy to find out about a "new" female fronted band that I never heard before. I wanna present you some of the bands I like alot:

Downtown Boys

the band from Providence was titled "America's Most Exciting Punk Band" by the Rolling Stone

To my surprise they play in Berlin soon: 25.05.2016 Berlin, DE - Bei Ruth 

Sheer Mag

the band from Philadelphia plays 70's stylish rock and punk music which has alot rhythm!

Sheer Mag played a show in Berlin some months ago in a self-governing punk location.

Tacocat

a feminist pop punk band from Seattle who got great catchy songs!

Tacocat played some months ago in Berlin at Schokoladen and it was super fun.

Jawbreaker Reunion
three-piece-band from New York plays wonderful poppunk music. I really love their song "Tearing Down Posters"

So I know these bands are not really "new" and I did not discover them (of course not!) but I just had the feeling to put them kinda together to show what a great new wave of female bands we have nowadays! If you miss a good band that I should know, feel free to post a comment below! Thanks :)

PUP - new songs and concert in berlin

Yes, PUP will come again and this makes me really happy because this time I can go with my beloved Jordi. Last time he could not join so I let the band sign the debut record for him. And yes, he was happy about that! :)

Anyway, the great great punk band will be here in exactly one month! (19.4.2016)

The show will be at Cassiopeia and the support band is also a big highlight for us: MODERN BASEBALL!!! It's gonna be soo great!

Album-Stream: The Thermals - "We Disappear" & Interview-Reminder

One of my all-time-favorite bands THE THERMALS got a new record - it will be out 25th march.

You can stream the whole album "We Disappear" here: http://www.visions.de/news/24660/VISIONS-Premiere-The-Thermals-streamen-neues-Album-We-Disappear

and also some songs here: https://soundcloud.com/saddlecreek

Until may 2016 the band will tour in the US, but probably they'll come to europe and germany soon to present their new record. I've already seen them once in Berlin @ Bi Nuu and it was really amazing. Great band!

In addition to that I remind you of my interview with Kathy of The Thermals that I did via mail in 2013 before their berlin show: 

INTERVIEW WITH KATHY/THE THERMALS

Finally! ROYAL HEADACHE COMING TO GERMANY/BERLIN

Best news of today: One of my fav bands is coming to Berlin this summer. Im talking about ROYAL HEADACHE from Sydney.
As the band posted today on Facebook they start their first european tour in may 2016. HERE is the official poster:

Im glad Berlin is on the list too because RH is on my "concert-wishlist" for a long time.

ROYAL HEADACHE LIVE
JUNE 09
BERLIN
TIEFGRUND
(not really a big place, you better get tickets before it's sold out)

Need to listen: JAWBREAKER REUNION

Need To Listen: BULLY

More Info: www.bullythemusic.com