Eurovision 2009

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Eurovision is an annual song contest where each European country (as well as Azerbaijan and Israel, which clearly aren't in Europe) that is a part of the European Broadcasting Unit has an act and song that they send to the song contest. The competition has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in Switzerland in 1956.

However, the countries cannot vote for themselves.
But rather, each country has to give points to countries they believe are the best. 12 points to the best, 10 points, 9 points, and so on. Though, rather than choosing which musical act they believe is the best, it's been proven that various countries will give the biggest points to their neighbours hoping that they'd receive high points in return.
This year, however, the process has been slightly changed. The winner will be chosen by the results of both the voting done by other European nations and also by judges (who will account for half of the total amount of points).

The contest will be held in Moscow, Russia this year because Russia won last year (they are held in the country that has won the previous year).
The four countries that automatically reach the final are Germany, Spain, France, and The United Kingdom. Spain has, historically, done the best out of the four, which isn't saying a lot since it doesn't do well compared to the rest. The semifinals are split off into two groups, and the big four vote in each of the semis.

This year, the predictors have Norway, Greece, Turkey, and Azerbaijan as early favourites. However, the only song that I think is good out of those four is Turkey's entry. My two favourites this year are Romania's entry, "Balkan girls," which will be performed by Elena Gheorghe, and Spain's entry, "La Noche Es Para Mi (the night is for me)," performed in a mix of English and Spanish by Soraya Arnelas. Both are fun, uptempo songs. And given Eurovision's history for having trashy, tacky music, "Balkan girls" will fit right in.

Eurovision Youtube channel: Click here
My predictions this year...winner:
Head: Turkey(It'll be interesting to see how the live performance on Eurovision will be like since, clearly, the one in this clip is being lip-synced, and lip-syncing is not allowed in the semis or finals) click here for music
Heart: Spain (I'm a huge fan of Soraya's, and I'd love it if Spain were to win. Plus, it's a fun song. Though, I fear they won't win because they don't have many neighbours like those in Eastern Europe do) click here for music video

Bandaids on Bullet Holes

After the demise of The Epoxies, one of the greatest New Wave bands, Roxy Epoxy decided to embark on a solo record that would go in a slightly different direction than what she did with The Epoxies. She started finishing several songs she had at different stages of completion. But upon doing so, she began working with various musicians on the record and, instead, decided to put together a new band. The new band's name is, aptly titled, Roxy Epoxy & The Rebound. And the album, Bandaids on Bullet Holes, which was released on March 10, is the result of this new endeavor.

Right off the bat, the album shows that it's much darker than anything Roxy Epoxy did with the Epoxies.
The album starts off a bit shaky,though, with "Walls." Although it starts off with amusing lyrics, it takes a drastic turn at 1:39 which changes the mood entirely. And, in my opinion, ruins the song by trying to be too Goth. Other less than stellar songs are "Dependence leads your fortune," "Fun," and "This Twist." The first is a combination of confusing lyrics and music that meanders about without any direction. The second and third songs have elementary-style lyrics and seem to just be filler on the album. Though, "Fun"'s lyrics are the stronger of the two. It gives us a look into the rigours of being in the music business, and she seems to question why she does it in the first place.

There are highlights on this album, though, and they're fairly strong songs. "The Spider and the leach" is a gritty song about a strange family. The Goth/New Wave-inspired track has one of the catchiest choruses on the album.
Another bright spot on the album which is in the same vein as "The Spider and the leach" is "Svengali," which is a tune about exactly what the title suggests, and it, too, has one of the catchiest choruses on the album. The spiraling sound on the guitar, the synthesizer, and the lyrics are what make the song one of the best on the album.
Another highlight, "Lola's Vision," is a track about being love-struck so badly that it seems that the world disappears and all that exists is the loved one. Like most of the album, it'll get you dancing from the start.

The strongest track on the album for my money, though, is "I Know I know." It's the best written song on the album, and it's the most radio friendly of any of the tracks on the album.
It's a New Wave/Indie-inspired track about love and if Roxy Epoxy & the Rebound were signed to a major label, I'm sure they'd get a top 10 hit off of the song.
It's that good.
The album closes with two punk tracks, "Unnamed," and "Watch me," both will get you dancing on the floor, particularly the former.

All in all, Roxy & The Rebound prove that the best music these days is not necessarily found on the biggest labels, or is shoved in your face 24/7.
But rather, you have to look for it.
Bandaids on Bullet Holes is a step forward and a natural progression in the genre that The Epoxies renewed interest in.
And although the music Roxy Epoxy performs on this record has slightly changed, it's still similar to what she did with the Epoxies.
It's safe to say that good New Wave music lives on with Roxy Epoxy & The Rebound. 4/5 stars

Allein, Allein

Earlier this morning, a friend and I were browsing random European charts and talking about German gangster rap (laughing, mostly), and being generally shocked at the amount of a certain rapper's curse words and such from Germany, when he came across this catchy Dance/Electronica/Synth-pop tune (that isn't rap) called "Allein Allein," which translates to "alone, alone," from the German band Polarkreis 18. The song was no. 1 in Germany, but Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold" beat it to gain the top spot, so it's currently no. 2. in Germany.

The song is mostly in English, and the only words sung in German are the lines "Wir sind allein," which translates, if I'm not mistaken, to "we are alone."
The only other line in German is when the singer sings "allein allein."

It's catchy as hell, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since he showed me the music video. I especially love the beginning, where the chant of "Allein Allein" and the music build up until the singer starts singing.
here is the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0yyHY56FpU

Winter song

aah winter, such a beautiful time.
Sipping hot cocoa while sitting cozily by the fireplace, snow, and Christmas carols. I don't think there's another time of year that I love more. But at the same time, winter can be an incredibly depressing time for some people. The lack of warmth and light from the sun can make one feel sullen and sad, and the general mood of winter is darker than the rest of the year.

After listening to a few Christmas songs, though, I finally listened to this lovely song from Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. I was excited to learn earlier this month that they had collaborated on "Winter Song." After I had finally gotten a hold of a copy of the single, I anxiously waited to listen, hoping that it'd sound as good as I had hoped. Not only was it as good as I thought it was going to be, it was better.

Their voices, surprisingly, blend effortlessly together. The song, a tune that is featured on The Hotel Café presents winter songs album, starts off about the dark and morose mood of winter, progresses moods to that of an inspirational one and asks, rhetorically, "Is love alive?"
The music video, as well, is lovely. It's a cute animated video about friendship. (Sara Bareilles is the Brunette, and Ingrid Michaelson is the redhead)
check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUO0gd7cr9o

Roxy Epoxy (and the rebound)

Once upon a time, there was this band.
They were known as The Epoxies.
They played music that could only be explained as punked up New Wave goodness. They were highly underrated. They released two of New Wave's best albums and several EP's on various indie labels.
Sadly, they broke up earlier this year. I, along with many, many of their fans, was incredibly sad that they wouldn't release more music or have their music get the proper attention it deserved.

On the bright side, though, the lead singer, Roxy Epoxy, is releasing a solo record!
And judging from the demos and the songs from the album that she's been rotating on her myspace, it's gonna be fucking rad!

This is what she said in a blog on her myspace about the full length album:
"The artwork and masters are complete and sent. It looks like it will be released in March. We are currently planning a tour for March as well. More info as I get it. K?"
So I, along with a couple of friends and many of her fans, will be looking forward to listening to what she has to offer on her solo album come March. Judging from the label that she has listed in her myspace, and a blog I read about her sending the music there, it seems that she'll be releasing the album through Metropolis records, which is the label that released The Epoxies' ep "My New World." Upon the release of her album, Roxy Epoxy (And the rebound) will start touring California, with added tour dates as it gets closer to the start of the tour.

You can listen to some of the demos and a song from the album (she tends to rotate them, so it won't be the same one all the time) on her myspace here.
You can also check out her blog where she writes about her solo album, life, and everything in between here.

2009 Grammy Nominations, say wha?!

The nominees for the 2009 Grammys were released earlier this month, and it's left more than a few people scratching their heads, saying, "say wha?!"

Lil' Wayne leads the pack with an impressive 8 nominations. Wayne, let's face it, isn't known for having much, if any, great earth shattering music or for having any thought provoking lyrics. He's no Kanye West.
In case you had any doubt, here is a sample of his lyrics: "I'm a young money millionaire...I'm a venereal disease like a menstrual bleed...sister, brother, son, daughter, father, mutha **** a copper...A million here a million there, Sicilian b**** with long hair with coke in her derriere..."
Lyrical genius, no?
I think I'm going to vomit.
It's a sad day in the music industry when you have to resort to nominating Lil' Wayne for a grammy.

You'd think that the music industry was on the precipice of totally collapsing, but that isn't the case. There are still artists and bands out there who are far more talented than the likes of Lil' Wayne and his ilk.

I guess it proves once again that the grammys have turned into nothing more than a popularity contest.
The grammys totally snubbed a couple of artists as well: Taylor Swift and Santogold, to name a few.

On the positive side, though, M.I.A, Coldplay, Adele, OneRepublic, Leona Lewis, Daft Punk, Rufus Wainwright, Kanye West, Death Cab For Cutie, and My Morning Jacket are all nominated in their respective categories.

The full list of nominees can be found here

Does it offend you, yeah?

Already lauded by the British press, Does it offend you, yeah? is an Electro rock/New Wave/Punk band from Reading, England. Unlike other U.K bands, Does it offend you, yeah don't take themselves too seriously. On their myspace, they describe their sound as "an arcade machine thrown into a lake, A ZX Spectrum in a prison shower block (That soap on the floor…? it’s a trap)." If you haven't heard of them, their music can be described as a day-glo explosion of synthesisers and guitars that sounds like a bunch of horny robots and hedonistic humans trying to seduce each other.
The band is made up of four members: Morgan Quaintance (guitar, synthesizers), James Rushnet (lead vocals, bass), Dan Coop (Synthesizers), and Rob Bloomfield (drums). Their Justice/Rage against the machine/Devo-inspired songs on their album, You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, will be sure to hook you the moment you listen to them.

Take a listen to their latest single, Epic last song
or my favourite off the album, the Breakfast club inspired, Being bad feels pretty good.