I was wondering….if you listen to this track while driving through the city, are you going to actually drive like a maniac ? Because it can only inspire you to do so…. :)

On the other hand, a really nice track to listen in the car, with the roof down, while going to VV in the summer, should be this one – EMIL – Dub Shot. Looking forward to trying that soon.

There is a certain place I would like to visit and I really hope one day I will do so. There is a special attraction to this which makes me want to be prepared to go there, not just like you would with any other place, but with the right feelings in you heart and the right thoughts in your mind. This certain place is Cuba.

The fact is that Cuba is a country so particular in its way, so full of history and of cultural meanings, that I feel like you really have to go there with the proper state of mind in order to benefit of all the learnings. Therefore, I am waiting for the perfect time to do so.

Meanwhile, I am wondering how it would be like:

• is it still possible to sit in a small cafe in Havana and drink some rum and listen to this kind of music, played really low ?
• can you do the same on a beach ?
• can you walk around in the city through a real maze of narrow streets with tall buildings colored in bright colors ?
• are they still driving this kind of cars ?
• how is it like in the Sierra Maestre mountains ? how about in Santa Clara ?
• where can I buy the best cigars from :)?
• can I play chess with a Cubanese old man?

…and so on.

Hopefuly, we will find out soon enough. There is only one way to it ;).

As you may noticed, there hasn’t been much activity going on around here, mostly because I have been quite busy and tired in this period.

Still, some fresh stuff I was inspired into a few days ago by S. is worthwhile to be mentioned and probably deserves the title for the “most impossible to hum” song of the year :) It is Mika with Grace Kelly (youtube link). A fresh song with some strange voice from the guy which it is almost impossible to follow up.

To understand what he actually says, the lyrics are here.

Un pic neobisnuit, insa postul asta e in Romana … pentru ca asa mi-a fost pasata leapsa de la Vali. Asa deci, ar trebui sa spun vreo cateva lucruri care nu se stiu despre mine – Vali stie destul de multe, cred ca prea multe, asa ca o sa fie putin greu, dar sa vedem…

1. Imi place sa gatesc – desi nu fac asta des, pentru ca nu imi place sa gatesc doar pentru mine si pentru ca stau si cam putin pe acasa. In plus, nici nu cred ca ma pricep foarte bine, insa important e ca imi place. Poate gasesc si un instructor in acest sens :).

2. Ascult si imi place foarte mult rock-ul, metal in speta – imi place foarte mult Sepultura, Slayer, Soulfly, Pantera, Machine Head si multi altii de acest gen. In aceiasi directie, prin liceu / facultate am avut si parul lung, desi probabil ca acum nu par genul.
3. Acum ceva ani detestam sa ma imbrac in costum, insa acum mi se pare foarte comod, este foarte usor sa te hotarasti cu ce te imbraci in fiecare zi :))

4. Primul job a fost cel de muncitor necalificat in constructii – cu toate astea nu am invatat sa fac prea multe prin casa, prefer sa apelez la cei care se pricep intr-adevar.

5. Nu imi plac oamenii care fac lucrurile incet, care mint, care promit ceva si nu fac. Sunt destul de critic si putin tolerant in privinta asta, putin arogant.

6. Desi am facut recrutari si interviuri cativa ani buni, nu ma pricep sa dau interviuri. Deloc. Las o prima impresie destul de slaba, cred. Asta din cauza ca, dintr-un motiv greu explicabil, nu imi dau silinta la interviuri.

7. Nu sunt superstitios, nu cred in horoscop, destin si multe altele de acest gen. Cred ca asta nu e ceva chiar deosebit, after all….

Cam asta a fost. Greu de spus mai multe. Cat despre leapsa, luati de aici: Christina, Andrei si Mihai.

Yes, the mood has now changed significantly. After the snowy slopes in Zell Am See followed the sunny streets of Nice and Monte Carlo – a superb weekend which led to the discovery of an amazing part of Europe, some amazing landscapes and – most important – a very positive change of mood and spirit.

To keep it short – before the music starts – Nice is one of those romantic places which combines the beauty of the see and promenade with the small, crowded and full of life streets of the old part of town. An unique combination of colors and senses, it can lift your spirit easily.

Monte Carlo on the other way has the splendor of a high class location, where seeing a Ferrari on the street or dozens of yachts in the harbour its something common, as well as walking down a sunny street with orange trees.

It all combined in a weekend of relaxation, some – I hope – beautiful pictures. Also, a song which goes perfectlly with all of this – Joe Dassin – Le petit pain au chocolat.

As some of you might know, I had the pleasure of starting 2007 in a ski resort, in Zell Am See – Austria.

The trip was excellent and Zell Am See is a fantastic resort for the ski lovers. The slopes are excelent, very decent prices and the resort itself is very nice. The only low mark can be given to the Apres-Skis, which are not that popular. But you can always go for the ones in Kaprun or Kitzbuhel, which are very close to Zell Am See.

Another good point can go to the excelent conditions for snowboarding in Zell Am See – the snow was excelent, quite a lot of powder and a lot of oportunities to go off-piste.

And since this blog is mostly about music, the track of this trip is one I heard in Kaprun, in an Apres-Ski – Michael Jackson – They Don’t Care About Us. Quite an old song, but very popular in its time and still very nice for some after-skiing entertainment. It was a fantastic image to hear all the people in the bar singing this in the same time – really a great atmosphere !

Pictures from this trip are to be found here.

I was looking at some of the best sold – platinum – R&B female artists of all time and I would not help remarking a simple things. Even if R&B would be a style of music where the sex theme would fit most easily, the best sold tracks or albums are not about this matter.

Even more, the platinum artists are usually out of the range where they just put up a video with as many girls wearing as little clothes as possible and just wait for it to become a hit. Maybe this will get you into some good sales, but you won’t make it to the top this way.

Therefore, the question. Is the sex that sells in music, like in (some of the) advertising ? Or is it just selling ’till a certain line and then it’s all about something else ?

Link: Angie Stone – Wish I Didn’t Miss You.

As I was not able to attend, Diana offered to share her experience on the Samael concert. Therefore, here it is, the Samael concert in Romania reviewed. Thanks a lot, Diana !

The day of the Samael concert finally arrived on the 2nd of December – a day awaited by many – and so many to be disheartened. Judge me with indulgence if you please, but this is not the same band you sordid metalheads used to listen years ago.

With Dies Irae as an opening act, things didn’t quite indicate future excellence, for they encountered as many technical problems as a band could in only one 30 minute show. As for Avatar, things worked out remarkably good, their show being sustained by Costin Chioreanu’s outstanding projections. Inauspicious, the audience got uninterested just a bit before the usual, but this is comprehensible if we keep in mind the forthcoming band.

When Samael eventually came into action, many people left the concert hall, unaware of the fact that this band changed style a while ago. Nevertheless, the ones who chose to remain were uttermost enraptured, for the guys offered an incredible hour and a half of pure musical spells.

One by one, they played songs such as Jupiterian Vibe, Reign of Light, On Earth, On Earth, but their genuine moment of grace was probably symbolized by Baphomet’s Throne, for that’s when the band manifested their real endowment and received the well deserved feedback.

Moreover, it is probably widely agreed that the half an hour encore added a tint of awesomeness to the show. The band waved goodbye and promised to come back next year (don’t they all?). Overall this has been indeed a good concert, backed by a remarkable sound system and an exceptional set list.

Jupiterian Vibe
Inch Allah
Reign of Light
The Cross
Telepath
Oriental Dawn
Baphomet’s Throne
Rain
Nautilus & Zeppelin
On Earth
Moongate
Choosen Race
Infra Galaxia
The Ones Who Came Before
________________________
Intro/Shining Kingdom
Black Trip
High Above
Year Zero
My Saviour

Apparently the band also had a very good time wandering a bit the next morning and I’ve heard rumors…Nevertheless, I’m glad things started to prompt to musical action in Romania and since we’re having Laibach in the offing you should prepare for a plump year. At this pace I sometimes wonder if we’ll ever get to see Deine Lakaien. Loading…

Thanks to the I am fuel, You are friends blog, I had the chance to experience one of the greatest moments in music recently – Pearl Jam playing a native Hawaii-an song, composed by Israel “The Gentle Giant” Kamakawiwo’ole.

The song is extremely powerful, covering the ancient theme of the land of the native Americans and the industrial revolution destroying their beauty.

The original version is sang by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, one of the most appreciated Hawaiian artists. He started singing at the age of 11 and dies at the age of 38, suffering from a breathing illness caused by obesity – he was about 340 kg.

The Pearl Jam interpretation of the song preserves the power and emotion behind the original version, adding the power of Eddie Vedder’s voice. The performance was during a Pearl Jam show in Hawaii and is covered in Surfline magazine.

Courtesy of the I Am Fuel, You Are Friends blog, you can find both versions to listen to below:

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Hawai I ’78 – original version

Pearl Jam – Hawai I’78 – cover.

Well, the nominees list has been published. You can find it here. The ceremony is to take place on February 11th, 2007.
Here are my 2 cents on who I’d vote for in each category:

• Record of the Year – even though I don’t think it is the best record of this year, I’d go for Mary J Blige – Without you. Actually, I really like this track and I definetely think it is the best out of the other nominated songs.
• Album of the Year – Definetely the Stadium Arcadium should take this one. There is no debate about it, it just rocks and all the others are quite crap.
• Song of the Year – This award goes to the songwriter and in my view the writer of Not Ready to Make Nice should take it.
• Best New Artist – Even if I don’t really like that over-romanced music, I’d go for James Blunt on this one.
• Best Female Pop Performance – Wow, I can’t believe KT Tunstall is nominated. Yes, she should take home the award.
• Best Male Pop Performance – Daniel Powter, with Bad Day…maybe.
• Best Pop Group – Even though most of the indie blogosphere would probably go for Death Cab for Cutie, I would stick to Black Eyed Peas on this one, even if “My Humps” was lower than expected.
• Best Pop Collaboration – I’d go for Mary J Blige & U2.
• Best Solo Rock Performance – I have a special attaraction for Tom Petty with Saving Grace
• Best Rock Group Performance – Again, R.H.C.P. with Dani California.
• Best Hard Rock Performance – I’d go for System of a Down.
• Best Metal Performance – Slayer, no doubt about it !
• Best Rock Instrumental Performance – again, a pretty straight one should go to David Gilmour.
• Best Rock Album – Again, I would go for Tom Petty.

And for the other categories I’m going to write something soon – to be continued…