Bandcontest 'Sachsen rockt!'

Due to some log-in problems I couldn't update my blog the last few months. I always had the right password and email address, but my Blogger-page didn't show up. I don't know what was going on there... Anyways, it's working now and so I'm gonna tell you something about a project of our college: the bandcontest called 'Sachsen rockt!'

Like most of those projects this one is also completely organized by the students. We are working in different teams, each of them with special tasks. I am in a team, that's working on all the graphics, logos and layouts e.g. for flyers. Others are working on the sound or lights during the live performances.

This contest wants to support especially local bands from saxony. So, if you have a band here in saxony with more than 2 and less than 6 members all between 16 and 27 years old and you're playing your own songs: Apply!!

It's gonna be a big event with great live concerts on june 3rd 2010 in Mittweida/Saxony. We also got a headliner. It's a German band starting to be successful here at the moment: Luxuslärm. To give you an idea of how they sound, this is their current single: Sag es wie es ist

Last but not least, here's where you can find all the info you need: Sachsen rockt! on Myspace, official bandcontest Website, Luxuslärm on Myspace, Website of 99.3 Radio Mittweida.

Advent-Playlist

Tomorrow, it's the first sunday in advent and for that reason I tried to put together another playlist with music that matters to me. It's 24 songs, for every day until christmas one song; my virtual advent-calendar so to speak. So actually, you should start listening on tuesday, december 1st. Well, don't expect romantic christmas songs; except of 'Wonderful Dream', which is the only real christmas song i chose. I hope, you enjoy it anyways and maybe I could show you some new stuff you didn't know before. Enjoy!

1. Silversun Pickups - Catch & Release
2. Linkin Park - Across The Line (Unreleased Demo 2007)
3. Apocalyptica feat. Adam Gontier (Three Days Grace) - I Don't Care
4. Deftones - Minerva
5. Pearl Jam - Just Breathe
6. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
7. The Temper Trap - Drum Song
8. Linkin Park - Fear (Leave Out All The Rest Demo 2006)
9. System Of A Down - Toxicity (Live at Big Day Out 2002)
10. The Subways - Rock and Roll Queen (Live at Rock am Ring 2009) [This is one bad-ass performance!!!]
11. Dead By Sunrise - In The Darkness
12. Marching Band - Make Up Artist
13. P.O.D. - Thinking About Forever
14. Metric - Gold Guns Girls
15. Circa Survive - Travel Hymn [This song reminds me of Israel. I listened to it, when we drove along the dead sea. Good times.]
16. Breaking Benjamin - Breath
17. Linkin Park - In The End (Live at Ferropolis/GER 2009) [I've been there!]
18. Habanot Nechama - So Far
19. Nine Inch Nails - Every Day Is Exactly The Same
20. Jan Josef Liefers and 'Oblivion' feat. Ina Müller - Wo bist du? (Silly Cover)
21. 10 Years - Wasteland
22. Peter Fox - Alles Neu
23. Linkin Park - Crawling (Live at Rock am Ring 2007)
24. Melanie Thornton - Wonderful Dream

Have a wonderful advent time, everyone!

Introducing David Christopher

I felt like it's time again to feature another great artist here on my blog: David Christopher.

I was checking the 'Reader Art' on juxtapoz.com (see sidebar for link) the other day and was immediately impressed by this piece of art:

azrael's addiction

David Christopher is from Londonderry, New Hampshire, and currently in his senior year at the Institute of Art in Manchester/NH. In addition to that he's also working for a few non-profit organizations and several local bands, helping them with promotional stuff and album art.
So, what is his style like? He says: "I draw what's on my mind, which is most often relationships, friends, family and my faith." His work mostly features some kind of unreal persons and abstract things. He's using different techniques, such as mechanical pencils, photography, digital art, oil and acrylic paint.

i'll pass on the torch

burning the birdhouse

little kites in high grass

only some days ago he announced the release of a book featuring 100 pieces of art from 2007 to 2009. It's called '...a waste...' and available here. Be sure to check this page out, there's a preview of the book!

This is what it looks like:

If you want to see more either go to his website: vilorphiamatrix.daportfolio.com or visit him on deviantART: Vilorphia-Matrix

ENJOY!!

[thx, David, for the info and everything... :)]

Giant Microbes

This time I thought I should post something funny. It's about giantmicrobes.com. yes. Sounds weird, right? It's an online-shop, where they sell stuffed animals that look like microbes. For example bad breath, a brain cell, a fat cell or herpes...

that's a brain cell

Maybe, there's someone in your family, who's interested in biology. Christmas is near... ;)

Starsuckers movie

I was reading the newspaper the other day and found a small article about a project called 'starsuckers'. Since I have a different view on media, now, I found it very interesting. They played tricks on the tabloids by sending them super special news about several celebrities, which actually were not true. For example: they spread the rumor, that Amy Winehouse's hair catched fire because of a short-circuit at a party. To the team's surprise, this rumor was printed in the next day's issue. It shows, that those kind of 'papers' are only interested in scandals and stories about the private life of the celebrities without even questioning it.
The movie will be in cinemas from october 30. Unfortunately only in London. Hopefully we'll get to see something via internet.
Check out what's said about that project on their website.


Also dealing with this topic, Mike Shinoda posted a short documentary on his website in addition to his latest art show 'Glorious Excess'. For me the most remarkable about that one is, that he is part of this celebrity culture himself. Sure, he knows best what it's like to be a celeb, but I don't know any other famous person dealing with this topic in such a critical way. The film can be watched here. To give you a short overview on the story behind the art show, here's what Mike Shinoda wrote on his blog:

"I don't want to tell the story of the show before you see any art, but here's an idea of what to expect: in the first show, our star character exploded onto the scene. He was violent, filthy rich, and world-famous. I hoped to start conversations with the work--not just critique our obsession with fame, money, and stardom. I hope you guys also saw a sense of humor there, in my effort to figure out what I thought about celebrity, spending time on both the inside and out. In this new show, our "star" completely implodes. He begins the show as an overblown superstar, and works his way to a psychadelic, fame-induced nirvana. The end will be up to you to interpret."

A gallery with the paintings of the art show can be found here.

I personally was forced by both projects to think about this kind of topic and I really would like to see this being discussed more.

My 'Say-Hi-To-The-Winter-Playlist'

yesterday's view out of my window (yes, this white stuff there is snow)

Due to the weather outside my taste of music turns a bit 'emo'. No, I don't start listening to those kinda bands, but I do listen to more quiet and calm songs. Yesterday, we had snow all day long. In october. That's pretty early if you ask me. I really hate those grey, windy and rainy days. To make a long story short, I wanted to share some songs I like at the moment and created the 'Say-Hi-To-The-Winter-Playlist'.

1. Hybrid Theory (aka. Linkin Park) - She Couldn't
2. Ich+Ich - Stark
3. Dead By Sunrise - Walking In Circles
4. Metric - Gimme Sympathy
5. Fort Minor - Move On
6. Deftones - Beware
7. Rammstein - Ohne Dich
8. Coldplay - The Scientist (live)
9. Velvet Revolver - Loving The Alien
10. Linkin Park - My December

FYI: Rammstein and Dead By Sunrise just released their latest albums. 'Liebe ist für alle da' and 'Out of Ashes' are available NOW!! and in my opinion 'Fantasies' by Metric is one of the top-ten-must-haves of the year! so much for my recommendations... :)

Enjoy!

My first two weeks at college...

I just wanted to share some impressions and thoughts about my new life in the big city of Mittweida... LOL. Well, to underline the irony of that: there's no McDonald's. I guess, some people didn't even know there's still a place without the big yellow 'M'. Seriously, I like it there and it's not a problem for me, that this town is pretty small, cause my hometown isn't so much bigger. During our first week at college we heard a lot of administrative stuff and to make the start for us as easy as possible there was also this tutor-thing, where a group of 3 freshmen got one 'daddy' or 'mommy'. They helped us finding all the rooms and houses we need to go to and gave us lots of helpful advice. I really apprecciate that, cause it made me feel kinda secure. Now, that the second week is over I think I got settled in the new environment. We already had lots of lectures, for example about the media's development in Germany since the Weimar Constitution, about basics in video- and audio-production or about journalistic styles and methods. I really like it. It's interesting and it totally changes the way you watch TV or listen to the radio. Sounds weird, but it's true. I personally am looking forward to our practical courses, where we're going to work on video-/audio-projects on ourselves in small groups. Let's see what the next week is like... (the second pic shows me on the left-hand side with some college mates at the freshmen-party last wednesday)