Saturday, April 13, 2013

Stop honking your horn!

Here's another post being fuelled by an immediate sense of rage.

Someone outside is honking their horn. I get honking your horn in traffic - but I become extremely frustrated by people who honk their horns as a signal that they are there instead of going and ringing the doorbell. I find it extremely rude and would be immediately turned off by anyone that did that with me. It is also extremely disrespectful of all the other people who are interrupted by your horn.

When you are in a residential area sounds happen to bounce and echo a little bit more - especially the way the the buildings and streets are constructed in Germany. The streets are lined with multi-family dwellings often two three or four stories high. And on a quiet street it seems to be even louder and abrasive to hear these horns.

Holding your horn for 5 seconds is extremely unneeded and unnecessary. If the person hasn't heard it after the first honk - they probably have heard it. Especially if they are expecting you.

We live in the 21st century where I know almost no one that doesn't own a cell phone. Simply call the person and say you are there. It will save everybody the aggrevation. Literally no person wants to hear this horn, so just stop!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Avicii folk album - judgy electro people receiving my judgement.

I completely forgot a while back ago that Avicii had done a set at Ultra Music festival which got a lot of people all up in a huff. I am not someone that generally would select electronic music to play myself. I will go out and dance all night to it - but I find it is often a bit to monotonous. I do however prefer folk music. I have finally been able to listen to the avicii set from Ultra in which he plays his folk crossover music. Electro-folk...? I can't give it a name.

I have been reading some of the comments that are on the stream I am listening to - most used word is "Dafuq". First off that is not a word. A lot of people are commenting that he has sold out. Since when is turning to folk music selling out?

People are so pissed because he's done something different. Oh my gosh heaven forbid your favourite artist tries something new, and tries to evolve. He is allowed to do these things.

I must admit that people who are into electro annoy me somewhat. A short list to describe why. Please don't take offence. I don't dislike you as a person - but as a group I sometimes have to drop my gaze and shake my head.

some reasons:

1. the terminology for all the different genres is astoundingly complex and there are apparently definitive and people are way to clear about what they like and don't like.

2. You make electro seem so exclusive. Like if I don't know any of the names of people I must not enjoy it. Oh man - Steve Aoki is so mainstream. Who cares!! I don't spend time hating on people for liking Britney Spears. And then anybody who only likes "mainstream"

3. You seem to think that you are the freest of people because of your pill popping and that you are raging until 6 am...no worries, Yolo -

4. Girls wearing nerd glasses

5. Neon clothes - why??

6. more likely to use hashtags to try boost popularity

I can live with you people but it is not a world that I can submerse myself into.

Friday, April 5, 2013

coming down from the high

Last time I blogged I talked about excitement and anticipation for Mumford and Sons. Well the event has come and gone. My dad asked if I was going to blog about it and I didn't think I would. But I want to try and remember this moment so it would be best to write now.

I think that it seemed strange to me from the beginning that this band would play in Esch sur Alzette. I also often like to think that bands "belong" to me and this was an instance of realizing that in fact Mumford does not "belong" to me. The venue that they were playing was much larger than I was expection (can't blame me - look how small luxembourg is!) I think that there were a lot of people that came from Belgium, Germany, France and the likes. It was great because we ended up meeting some people who sold my friend a ticket. Coolest people - and we all just hungout the whole night.
new friend!

As far as the concert goes...wow! I am generally a very grounded person and it is very rare that I let hype take over. Even if I believe in something, I usually don't like to get myself get wrapped up in a situation because I think that this groupthink makes people actually loose sight of an end goal (Kony 2012 anyone). I also don't like people that just bow down and worship celebrities. I can have a lot of respect for someone but it terrifies me to see people crying and screaming when they see one direction. I let the hype take over and was not at all interested in trying to process in the moment. I just yelled and enjoyed the music.

So much yelling in fact the some French guy turned around me and told me to ' shut my f-ing face'. Luckily cat was there to defend me. And no, I was not going to shut my f-ing face. Don't care. I don't think I have ever had that little respect for anyone around me. I was going to dance like no one was watching and like no one was in the same room as me.

As far as the music goes - I would say that it sounds extremely similar to the albums. I was reading an interview and they said that were very much inspired by the sounds of live music and I did feel closer to the music. That being said, it was nothing new to me. I was a little sad that there was no new song being played or something I had never heard. There were a couple of the older songs that I would have enjoyed hearing, or a few of the slower songs from the album. It was also amazing to be able to see them just keep revolving through the instruments and just picking up what was needed for each song. So much talent here!

They also did not do much talking. It's sad that their songs are not very long, because it did not make for a very long concert. Could not have been longer than an hour fifteen.

I think my dream concert would be seeing them in a much smaller venue. Personally I love live music but I think that it's the intimacy of being able to see someones faces when they play that makes things better because I like to see someone loving what they are doing. I didn't necessarily get that. There is a difference between playing to get all the correct notes and playing because you love it. Obviously every Band has their own performance style and Mumford and Sons just happens to have a very quiet style. I guess it suits the heaviness or sombreness of some of their lyrics. That's just speculation. I'm doing a later edit. I have been just mumford and sons-ing it up on youtube and watching some of their banter at other concerts. I regret that I may have sounded a little selfish in this blog. It's not my concert. Who I am to tell them how to run their concerts. I want to see them how they are and not just performing for me. It's about us and them hanging out and them playing some sweet music. 

Also - I have been watching some interviews and they really inspire to me read and be intelligent. I really appreciate their commitment to not being public spectacles either.

It is a little bewildering that they are not much older than me either and have only been a band maybe 5 years...??
Also interesting because we initially followed them across northern europe as we were in antwerp and amsterdam the same nights as them. And our friend in Amsterdam's roommate had been at the concert in Paris.

Stalk much?
I'd like to see them again soon - but next time, personal concert/intimate hangout??