Johannes Schult

Last Saturday I saw Jonathan Coulton live at the Highline Ballroom. The concert was awesome! There were a lot of unknowns for me before the show, but pretty much all my expectations were easily surpassed. The setlist speaks for itself, I guess. The first three songs paved the way for many more cool pop songs. I think the audience was as attentive as it was enthusiastic. The folks on stage (JoCo and at times Paul and Storm, Kristen Shirts and her Ukulele Army) apparently had fun and all was good. A more detailed report in German is online at Vampster.com. Thanks to Mitch for taking the picture below!

1. The Future Soon
2. Ikea
3. Shop Vac
4. Flickr
5. Tom Cruise Crazy
6. Soft Rocked by Me
7. Birdhouse in Your Soul
8. Code Monkey
9. My Monkey
10. Creepy Doll
11. I Feel Fantastic
12. Mr. Fancy Pants
13. I Crush Everything
14. Skullcrusher Mountain
15. Still Alive
16. You Ruined Everything
17. Re: Your Brains
18. First of May
19. Sweet Caroline
20. Mandelbrot Set
21. Welcome to the Machine
22. Curl
23. A Talk with George

This song was originally written for my “Beck Strikes the Empire” demo tape back in 2000. From Thy Ashes had released “Harbinger” earlier that year. My friend Neil created the layout of that cd. For the initial draft versions he made up a bunch of bogus song titles. “Hugging Frogs” was one of them. I loved it immediately. Both, the lyrics and the music were created in almost no time. I forced everything into a 5/4 measure to make up for the lack of originality. I decided to re-record the entire song last year in a more focused fashion. So on the 26th September 2007 I locked myself in the rehearsal room commenced recording the drums (using a different microphone than usual, hence the different sound). Everything went smoothly until I realized that I had skipped an entire verse. By then a whole lot of guitars (including electric ones) had been recorded, so I decided to shorten the lyrics instead. Eventually, I added some keyboards and a bunch of layered vocals. I’m aware that one of my fans prefers the original version, but I think that the new recording fits the “Heteroscedasticity” record better. (Edit September 2008: I’m no longer sure if I’m going to include it on the album.)

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

Hugging frogs don’t care
Hugging frogs are there
Hugging frogs won’t stare at your face, but they
Want to change the weather
Want to wear black leather
Want a velvet feather
Want to live forever

Hugging frogs don’t fly
Hugging frogs don’t cry
Hugging frogs will die under your tire, but they
Want to change the weather
Want to wear black leather
Want a velvet feather
Want to live forever

Hugging frogs play fair
Hugging frogs breath air
Hugging frogs won’t stare at your face, but they
Want to change the weather
Want to wear black leather
Want a velvet feather
Want to live forever
Want to change the weather
Want to wear black leather
Want a velvet feather
Want to live forever

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

Not only is Richard Shindell a fantastic songwriter and a great singer. He also made a nice move recently, when he decided to finance his new record with a little help (i.e., money) from his fans. I like the wit with which he approached the issue and wait with anticipation for the album to be made. After all, the first four new songs I’ve heard so far sound very promising.

This song was created in anticipation of Natalie Portman’s 24th birthday. There is no use denying that, although the lyrics remained vague enough to work without that context. I wanted the music to sound like the Shins, a band that was prominently featured in the movie Garden State. Unfortunately, I lacked the proper means and ended up with the present recording. I consider it flawed (just listen to the backing vocals in the brackets), but I don’t think I could have recorded it any better. The chord structure of the verse and of the chorus are somewhat similar to those of the Manticess songs “Child of the Sea” and “Wings of Fire”, respectively; yet another reason not to make this one an album track. But yeah, I actually listen to it quite often, possibly because I’m still amazed by my (rather hidden) falsetto voice during the intro melody which I thought would never survive the mix. Keyboards and acoustic guitars were recorded on 8th June 2005. Vocals and some tasteful glockenspiel were added one day later – on Natalie Portman’s 24th birthday!

Download the song: mp3 ogg (more music)

Someone said today is your 24th birthday
I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do
Until now it has been just an ordinary Thursday
But now every thought keeps leading back to you
I feel you in my mind
I’m still not over you
Can’t leave it all behind
I’m still not over you

In the city everything reminds of your smile
(How it all began)
I only hope tomorrow I’ll be futurebound
(Happy once again)
You were like a seagull in the cloudless sky
(Heading for the sun)
I, on the hand, was turtle on the ground
You were one of a kind
I’m still not over you
Can’t leave it all behind
I’m still not over you

Still not over you
Can’t leave it all behind
I’m still not over you
Can’t get you off my mind
I’m still not over you
Can’t leave it all behind
I’m still not over you

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

Hier ist eine relativ spontane Top5-Liste meiner Lieblingsalbumcover:

1. Blind Guardian: Somewhere Far Beyond
2. Änglagård: Epilog
3. The Tannahill Weavers: Are Ye Sleeping Maggie
4. Iron Maiden: Somewhere in Time
5. Deep Purple: In Rock

Mike Oldfield hat mit seinem neuen Album “Music of the Spheres” ein Meisterwerk abgeliefert! Die elektronikfreie Instrumentierung hindert ihn nicht daran, mittels Orchester und Akustikgitarre üppige Klanglandschaften zu erschaffen, die voller Harmonien und Melodien sind. Wie das erste Wort des Albumtitels verspricht, gibt es reinste Musik; verträumt, verspielt, verzückend. Ich bin begeistert!

Hier ist eine völlig subjektive Top5-Liste. Dass die meisten Stücke darin schwer bzw. gar nicht (mehr) im regulären (deutschen) Handel erhältlich sind, ist in meinen Augen ein Indiz für die latente Unfähigkeit der Musikindustrie.

1. Dar Williams: When Sal’s Burned Down
2. Richard Shindell: Reunion Hill
3. Reminder: Talk It Out
4. Majesty: Vital Star
5. The Brandos: Walking On The Water

Und hier ist eine ebenso subjektive Top5-Liste der Stücke, die es nicht in die obige Liste geschafft haben.

1. Blind Guardian: And Then There Was Silence
2. Anglagard: New Song #1
3. Richard Shindell: Wisteria
4. The Tannahill Weavers: Are Ye Sleeping Maggie
5. Mike Oldfield: To France

Die Hooters haben ein Video zu ihrer aktuellen Single “I’m Alive” gebastelt. Und wie das Leben so spielt, hüpfe ich darin zweimal durchs Bild (nach 0:23 bzw. 2:05 Minuten). Klar, es gibt bessere Lieder und bessere Videos, aber als Hooters-Fan freut es mich. Nun bleibt zu hoffen, dass die Band im Sommer wieder in Europa tourt und ordentlich rockt.

Back in the early 90s I bought “Theatre of Fate” when it was first released in Europe (I was only 13!),  and I followed Angra’s career rather attentively, but I never got around to see Andre Matos live. Last Friday, I finally got the opportunity to change this. Andre Matos and his guitarist Andre Hernandez played an acoustic show at a record store in Hannover. There were no more than 30 people and the musicians decided to play literally unplugged, transforming the melodic metal songs off the records into fragile ballads. I was surprised how great the songs sounded. The vocals were full of passion and covered an impressive dynamic range. The melodica was the spice in the songs, especially the middle part of “Carry On”. All through the event Matos made entertaining remarks in German and appeared to enjoy the intimate setting. (Einen längeren deutschen Bericht gibt es bei Vampster.com!)

1. Rio
2. Looking Back
3. Holy Land
4. Letting Go
5. Carry On
6. How Long (Unleashed Away)

Last minute line-up changes, lack of setlist changes (let alone surprises), and a rather reserved (but very attentive) audience impeeded the concert at the Café Hahn from becoming an outstanding concert experience. Still, the Brandos are still an outstanding band even under these circumstences. There were the amazing harmony vocals on songs like “The Keeper” and “Walking Home”. There was the inevitable Irish part of the show that gained a lot applause. There was dense atmosphere of old (“Nothing To Fear”) and new (“The Triangle Fire”) masterpieces. And, of course, there was Dave Kincaid’s performance which was up there among the Springsteens and Fogertys.

1. Fight for Love
2. Let it go
3. The Keeper
4. Turn Away
5. The Only Love I Can Get
6. Anna Lee
7. The Light of Day
8. The Other Side
9. She’s the One
10. The Triangle Fire
11. Dino’s Song
12. Tell Her that I Love Her
13. Merrily Kissed The Quaker / The New York Volunteer
14. The Solution
15. Walking Home
16. Over the Border
17. Gettysburg
18. Gunfire at Midnight
19. The Siege
20. The Warrior’s Son
21. Nothing to Fear
22. The Last Tambourine
23. Can’t Go Home