Good weekend

Ah, the weekend. One of the few things I'm actually looking forward to in 'the adult life'. I've been trying hard to push it forward, sticking into college for another two years after graduating last summer. But having the weekend off, every weekend, is definitely something I could get used to.


Picture by Milo Vermeulen.

On Friday I saw Slagsmålsklubben, a crazy-sweet bunch of goofy Swedes and on Saturday: Yeasayer. Plenty of reasons to say 'Yea' there. And tonight I am going to see Owen Pallett perform in a church! I-am-excited!

I know it must sound incredibly corny, but the past few days were so... inspiring. I've had a little free time on my hands so I had the time to indulge myself in books and music and movies and tv and magazines and people and cities... Basically I'm a big spunge, absorbing all of it. Or maybe it's just springtime lurking, and the desperate need for change after the long, cold winter.

Last Thursday it had been exactly one year since I posted my first entry here. So happy birthday to... my blog? Speaking of blogs, I started another one, as an assignment for a course in uni. It's mainly about social media for now, but I'm exploring the topic of IT and organizations, which is what it needs to be about. In fact, we're obliged to use Twitter and Google Analytics as well. This blog can be found here: http://nikkie-media.blogspot.com/ and I'm acutally partly graded on the number of visitors I get, so please don't hesitate to pay a visit!

Romance is never boring

Romance is Boring is the title of the third album of Los Campesinos!, which will be released on February 1. A title that would normally appeal to any spinster like myself, however, in the case of this band, the romance is all around. They stole my heart back in 2006, when I received a couple of mp3's and gradually continued to impress me with their passion for making music (and playing it live in such a devoted manner) and their clever, witty lyrics.

I cannot emphasise enough that my body is a / Badly designed, poorly put together vessel / Harbouring these diminishing, so-called vital organs / I hope my heart goes first
(We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed)

Yesterday they played a sold out show in Rotown, Rotterdam. This also was the mainland-Europe introduction to Kim Campesinos, who replaced the former bandmember Aleks who left the band to return to her studies. She did quite well (although the sound was a bit off at times) and was received most enthousiastically by the men in the audience... Anyway. The crowd only went mental during the second song, which left me unprepared and caused me to spill my drink all over myself BUT, most importantly, Los Campesinos! played a great show, mixing older tunes like Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks and You! Me! Dancing! with songs off their second album and a couple of no-so-sneaky previews from Romance is Boring, according to the singing along (ty, internet leaks). One thing that I so love about this band, is how approachable they are. Singer Gareth and guitarist Neil entered the crowd several times, and despite selling out the venue, the band packed their gear by themselves and hung around long after most of the concert visitors left.



They'll be back around soon:
13 March: Gebäude 9, Cologne (D)
14 March: Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)
18 March: Botanique, Brussels (BE)

They're also playing a free instore at Rough Trade East, Brick Lane, London on the 31st of January and doing a full UK tour in February. OR, for the quick Dutchies, they're playing in Groningen tonight at 21:50 at the Eurosonic Festival in Simplon.

Put the radiator on

Picture by William Hawkins.

It's cold. I know it, you know it, everyone in Europe knows it. In my humble 23 years on this planet, I don't think I've experienced more than three consecutive-ish weeks of snow, like now. In order to cuddle up next to the radiator to, I made a wintery mixtape last year, enjoy!

Tracklisting:
1. Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla
2. Belle and Sebastian - Winter Wooskie
3. The Smiths - Hand in Glove
4. Explosions in the Sky - Snow and Lights
5. Special Needs - Winter Gardens
6. Joy Division - Atmosphere
7. Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter
8. Regina Spektor - 20 Years of Snow
9. The Long Winters - It'll Be a Breeze
10. Radiohead - Reckoner
11. Iron & Wine - Faded from the Winter
12. The National - Squalor Victoria
13. St. Vincent - We Put a Pearl in the Ground
14. Jens Lekman - The Cold Swedish Winter
15. Arcade Fire - Winter for a Year
16. Stars - Your Ex-Lover is Dead (Final Fantasy)
17. Matt Pond PA - Snow Day
18. Bright Eyes - If Winter Ends
19. Wolf Parade - This Heart's on Fire

Download HERE.