Headphone Hearts

Hi there! This is Headphone Hearts, a music blog focussing on all things indie and alternative. Headphone Hearts is run by 22-year-old Laura Isabel, a self-proclaimed music nerd from the South of Germany. If you'd like to find out more about her, just click here. Thanks for stopping by! -------------------------------------------- Keine Lust, diesen Blog auf Englisch zu lesen? Nur Geduld: Eine deutsche Version dieses Blogs ist gerade in Arbeit. -------------------------------------------- Legal Disclosure/Impressum

[headphonehearts]

The Times They Are A-Changin’  - A Life Update

Oh boy, how things have changed since the last time I published a post on this blog! I spent the better part of 2017 writing a behemoth of a bachelor’s thesis, graduating, leaving the city, moving to Paderborn and enrolling in a master’s degree in popular music and media studies. In a nutshell: I was busy getting my life together and simply didn’t have the time to come up with new blogposts - sorry!

However, I hope that this is going to change in the upcoming weeks. Being surrounded by dozens of people who are just as (or even more) enthusiastic about music as I am is rather inspiring and I am already creating a list of topics I’d like to cover, releases I’d like to review and artists I’d like to tell you guys about. I hope you’re looking to this new chapter as much as I am.

[headphonehearts]

(Spotlight on) NAPAEA - Rough & soothing folk-pop from Austria

Do you know who comes up if you google „famous Austrian musicians“? Among a few others, there’s Joseph Haydn (a composer who died in 1809), Falco (a pop and rock singer who had a few international hits in the 1980s - you may be familiar with these two - and died in 1998) and, of course, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (who died in 1791). You might have noticed that these three people have two things in common:

All of them are male and, more importantly,…

…all of them have been dead for quite some time.

It seems like contemporary Austrian music isn’t particularly well-known internationally. That’s an absolute shame because the Austrian (indie) music scene is full of incredibly talented people who deserve wider recognition. That brings me to the subject of today’s blog post: Today I would like to introduce you to NAPAEA, one of the many amazing artists I was lucky enough to discover while completing an internship with a music magazine located in Graz, Austria.

NAPAEA is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Katharina Milchrahm. Having started to perform her own music at the age of 16 it wasn’t until 2015, when bassist Christian, violinist Katja, harpist Manfred and drummer Tom joined her on stage, that her then-solo project turned into a full-grown band.

In true DIY-fashion, the songs on NAPAEA’s first release, conveniently titled “the first ep”, were recorded in “the weirdest places with none of us having a clue about what was actually going on” and released on the band’s own label, Singing Sailorman Records. Citing both Frank Turner and The Gaslight Anthem as her influences, Katharina masterfully combines her rough-yet-soothing vocals with folksy instrumentals and just a hint of a punk rock attitude. Her songs tell tales of hope, wanderlust and life in the Austrian countryside with Katharina stating that she takes inspiration from observations of the everyday life as well as from her extensive travels.

One of her trips led her to England, which is also where her first music video was filmed: The video for “Art Thou Lost At Sea” tells the story of Katharina’s vain search for something or someone, eventually leading her to the edge of a cliff. (But don’t worry, it’s not as depressing as it may sound - promise!)

By the way: The name “Napaea” is taken from Greek mythology and refers to a type of nymphs living in wooded valleys.

the first ep by NAPAEA

Find NAPAEA on the internet:

Website – Bandcamp – Spotify – YouTube – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram – iTunes – Amazon Music

[headphonehearts]

Concert Etiquette - Or: How Not To Make An Entire Audience Hate You

Concert venues. To some they are nothing but stinky, sweaty and stressful pits of evil while to others they are realms of pure joy – and borderline-religious admiration of whoever is performing on stage at that given moment. But no matter whether you like to dance your little heart out so some kind of live music every weekend or whether only your very favourite artists can make you overcome your dislike for large crowds of sweaty people for a night – I think it’s safe to say that there are a few tips (because no one likes the word "rules") that, if followed, can make attending a live show a more enjoyable experience for both you and everyone around you.

Don’t bring a large bag or backpack. Some people show up at concerts carrying large bags or backpacks. Please don’t be one of those people. I understand that especially if you’re travelling from afar the idea of carrying a lot of stuff with you might be tempting:  That way you’ll be prepared for everything that could possibly happen, whether it’s a sudden rain shower, the police trying to arrest you or a zombie outbreak. However, chances are that you won’t need 90 percent of the stuff you’re bringing with you. In fact, the stuff that you’ll actually end up needing can probably fit into a small handbag or even into the pockets of your pants. All your giant bag will do is take up a lot of space and therefore annoy the people around you.

Don’t complain about people dancing. If there is live music chances are that there will be people dancing. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to dance or if you’re not okay with people accidentally bumping into you while shaking their limbs ferociously. Thankfully, there’s a simple solution to that issue: Just stay away from moshpits and try to find a quieter spot in the crowd. Just please don’t be that kind of person who complains about other people in the audience dancing – you should have known that this was going to happen.

Taking a picture on your phone every now and then is fine – but please don’t spend the entire show with your hands – and phone – raised to the sky (or venue ceiling). It will prevent the people standing behind you from being able to see what happens on stage. …And you probably won’t look at any of the photos you took that night ever again anyway so there’s absolutely no point to filming the entire performance in the first place.

Please don’t smoke while standing in the crowd. It tends to be rather hot and stuffy in concert venues as is and people lighting cigarettes and having a smoke certainly doesn’t help. So if you really feel like you can’t go without smoking a cigarette for a couple of hours then please, please be considerate and do it outside.

Don’t grope people. This last one should be pretty obvious. But sometimes I’ll find myself somewhere in the middle of a large crowd of people… and suddenly I’ll feel some random stranger’s hand on my butt. Don’t do that, it’s not cool. Seriously, just don’t.

There you have it, folks: five simple ways to make concerts more enjoyable for you, me and everyone else.

By the way: This post was inspired by a conversation I had with a couple of friends, one of which was disagreeing with me on pretty much everything I mentioned above (except for the groping thing). While I respect his opinion I can’t help but wonder whether my views really are that controversial? What do you think? Do any of these things bother you just as much as they do me? What other kinds of rude public behaviour upset you? Feel free to send me a message or let me know in the comments!

[headphonehearts]

Monthly Playlist: May 2017

For whatever reason, my playlist for the month of May is considerably longer than my previous monthly playlists, featuring 41 rather than the usual approximately 30 songs.

As per usual you’ll find a bunch of pop anthems (Halsey, Electric Light Orchestra) and a few all time faves (the Libertines, the Wombats, Mando Diao...). One of my favourite discoveries of the past month: Austrian folk singer-songwriter Napaea. In true Laura fashion my playlist for the month of May is topped of with a few sprinkles of kitschy mainstream pop classics - Tal Bachman and Train, anyone?

You can listen to my May 2017 playlist on Spotify.

What have you been listening to this past month? Feel free to let me know in the comments down below! :)

[headphonehearts]

[Spotlight on] Felix Hagan & the Family – Eccentric, glamorous and wonderfully weird

Did you ever randomly come across an artist or a band that blew your mind? Someone who made you go “Why haven’t I heard of this person before” or “Why isn’t anyone talking about these guys”? I experienced one of these moments when I first came across Felix Hagan & the Family.

I’m not gonna lie, at first I was a bit overwhelmed by what I heard: The somewhat kitschy, roaring guitars, infectious melodies and tongue in cheek, theatric vocals are quite different from the stripped back and at times downright stark indie, folk and punk rock that I usually listen to. I was both put off and fascinated and had a hard time deciding whether I loved or hated what I was hearing. …About three months later I can now safely say that I have made up my mind: I am officially obsessed with this flamboyant troupe of maniacs. Their music is theatric pop on acid – eccentric, glamorous and wonderfully weird, making them one of my most exciting musical discoveries in at least a year. By the way: If I couldn’t convince you to give Felix Hagan & the Family a listen, then maybe Frank Turner can. The folk rocker is a self-professed fan and invited the band to tour with him several times in the past three years.

String Up The Entertainer by Felix Hagan & The Family

Find Felix Hagan & the Family on the internet:

Website – Bandcamp – Spotify – YouTube – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram – iTunes  – Soundcloud

[headphonehearts]

Monthly Playlist: September 2016

It is that time of the month. ... No, not that time of the month. It is time for me to post my playlist for the month of September. I like to create a new playlist at the beginning of each month, adding new songs every now and then. That way I can keep track of old favourites, new discoveries and the way my taste in music changes over time.

If you are interested in listening to my September playlist, you can find it on Spotify. Keep reading if you’d like to now why some of this tracks made it onto last month’s playlist.

Schickt mir die Post - Wanda: Schickt mir die Post (ins Spital) (= roughly translated “Forward my mail to the hospital”) by Austria pop band Wanda is a wonderfully dark, sarcastic tune written from the perspective of someone reflecting on the fact that they’re going to die any time soon. With its gritty lyrics and upbeat melody Schickt mir die Post is both depressing and uplifting at the same time -- a combination which makes it a characteristic Wanda song. As the lyrics to this song are witten in German it might me hard to understand for some of you but luckily i managed to find a rough translation on the internet. I highly recommend reading along while giving this track a listen!

Fame and Fortune - The Libertines: I have to admit that I was a bit skeptic when I heard that the new Libertines album was going to be “a little bit different” back in July of 2014. However, when Anthems for Doomed Youth was released about a year later I was actually quite pleasently surprised and Fame and Fortune quickly became one of my favourite tracks off of their comeback album. It’s  sarcastic. It’s self-reflective. It’s catchy. It’s a brilliant song that has been featured on my monthly playlists pretty much every time since its release.

Tenement Song - The Pixies: Indie rockers The Pixies released a new album - and to be honest I am not that impressed with it. I never thought I'd ever feel "meh" about a Pixies album. ...Guess there's a first for everything. However, I actually quite like Tenement Song. It's a bit poppier than most Pixies songs which might put off fans of their earlier work, but with it's energetic guitar riff and anthemic chorus Tenement Song is one of the catchiest new discoveries I have made in the past month.

Do you create monthly playlists? If so, which songs were featured on your September playlist? Feel free to let me know in the comment section!

[headphonehearts]

John Hassall & The April Rainers:  “Given Time” – Easy-Breezy Boringness | Track Review

With his new band The April Rainers John Hassall of The Libertines releases his new single “Given Time”, a somewhat generic piece of britpop.

John Hassall is no newbie to the music scene: The 35-year-old has been playing bass for London-based cult indie-rockers The Libertines for about 15 years - a position in which he has always been in the shadow of the band’s frontmen Carl Barât and Peter Doherty.

With his new Project John Hassall & The April Rainers Hassall tries to establish himself as the singer and frontman of his own band, releasing a single called “Given Time” off their upcoming debut album “Wheels To Idyll”,  to be released on November 25th. However, it is questionable whether this song will actually help Hassall step into the spotlight as it is a somewhat generic, trying-to-appeal-to-the-masses piece of britpop (sorry, John!)

A song, as easy and short-lived as a summer breeze

Have you ever wondered what the Beatles might have sounded like if they hadn’t been a group of musical geniuses? Well, look no further: With its vocal harmonies,  pop-y acoustic guitar riffs and subtle folk borrowings “Given Time” is somewhat reminiscent of a song the Liverpool four-piece might have recorded in their “Rubber Soul“-days -- if they had been significantly less creative and a whole lot less talented, that is.

However, that is not to say that “Given Time” is truly a bad tune. The problem with the April Rainers’ new single is that there is nothing bold, new or unexpected about it. It’s an unoffensive, mass-friendly piece of acoustic guitar-driven britpop -- as easy as a summer breeze and (probably) just as short-lived.

Speaking of “a summer breeze”: Perhaps this song‘s biggest flaw is its time of release. With its easy-breezy melody and lyrics about a man confidently pursuing his love interest, “Given Time” might have made a suitable addition to any pop-rock-fan’s summer playlist - had it only been released a couple of months earlier. However, with autumn approaching (and the demand for easy-breezy songs slowly decreasing) one can’t help but notice how trivial and uninspired the lyrics to this tune truly are.

Only time will tell

At this point in time it is probably too early to tell whether “Given Time” is just the bad (read: boring) seed in a row of otherwise great songs or whether it is a perfect example for John Hassall & The April Rainer’s musical abilities. Time -- or rather their upcoming debut-album “Wheels To Idyll” -- will tell whether Hassall should keep pursuing his aspirations as the frontman of his own band -- or whether he should stick to being the rather talented, though somewhat underrated bassist of The Libertines.