Categories
Cinema DVD

Seven Pounds

Is possible to find redemption for your mistakes in the past? Will Smith certainly is giving the best of him to try to get it.

Seven Pounds

Seven Poundsis that kind of movie that you enjoy, but you end up thinking that with a “little bit more”, it could have been one of the best of the years. The performance by Will Smith is great, and for once we see that he is also able to do great roles while keeping a serious face most of the time. Rosario Dawson is delightful, and the end ties all the questions from the spectators back together… in case you had questions, because honestly, although the movie is planned to have that final “twist” that will answer all the doubts, the point is that if you are not very slow minded, you can catch more of what is going to happen in the end by the different tips offered to the spectator before.

In any case, the plot is solid enough to make it an enjoyable product, the acting is good and the moral lesson is there for the ones who want to catch it and try to offer the best of themselves after having screwed it big time in their lives. Worthy to watch!

Rating 3/5

The best: To see that Will Smith can be a great actor also in drama movies.

The worst: you can see the ending twist coming.

The detail: Will Smith and Rosario Dawson worked together too a few years ago in Men Black II.

Seven Pounds Trailer

Categories
Cinema DVD

Soul Men

Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac are the left components of The Real Deal, back on the road to bring a few laughs to the audience.

Soul Men

There is nothing much fresh in this CoolMen (I don´t know why the title was changed in the Finnish release, when everywhere else is known as Soul Men); you can find stereotypical topics that appear in many other movies like, for example, in the clear reference one, Blues Brothers. Here there is the gathering of veteran members of a music band, a road trip, and chases by the police, different funny experiences and gigs before the big one, etc. But it is certainly an enjoyable movie, and Jackson and Mac have good chemistry all over the movie.

It is also funny to see the winks when they are in the car with a gun to the “accidental shoot” in Pulp Fiction (remember that Jackson was driving that car while Travolta blew the brains out of a guy in the back seat.

Good music and a good fun during a bit more than one hour and a half. And Sharon Leal is totally delightful as the young Cleo!

Rating 3/5

The best: Bernie Mac putting faces while wild women literally”rape” him in the bed.

The worst: Maybe it is not much original.

The detail: Bernie Mac passed away in August 2008; almost the same date that other co-star of the film, Isaac Hayes.

Soul Men Trailer

Categories
Cinema DVD

Balls Out: Gary the tennis coach

Sean William Scott is back doing the roles that he does as his best: showing no brains in another delirious teenage comedy!

Balls Out

I was expecting a bit more from this movie, when I saw the cover. Obviously, I knew it had nothing to do with any philosophical content, but I have had a good laughs with Sean William Scott in some of his other movies, like in the American Pie saga. I was quite disappointed at the end of this one, the world of tennis has not been milked good enough in the comedy genre (it has been otherwise in other genres like the romantic one in Wimbledon).

The humor is sometimes too gross without sense, the jokes are sometimes funny, but usually nothing much of the hook, the erotic voltage is poor and the final is quite predictable. I must say this is probably one of the worst comedies I have seen during 2009.

My respect for Sean William Scott, because I think he is a good actor, and could probably do well in other genres apart from teenage comedy, but this one will not be remembered as one of the best in his filmography. Pretty forgettable.

Rating 2/5

The best: The scene at the beginning with a donkey in a cantina in Mexico.

The worst: Sometimes it has a gross humor that makes no sense, like Scott puking or shitting in the middle of the tennis court.

The detail: The conversations about tennis skills and the game of the players are actually quite close to the realistic tennis world.

Balls Out Trailer

Categories
Cinema DVD

Revolutionary Road

Director Sam Mendes reunites his wife Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio once more in a wonderful drama!

Having two of the best actors in the world as Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio is a luxury, but if they are directed by Mendes, is a double pleasure. After the hyper success of Titanic, that made millions of people cry on the cinema theaters around the world, here comes their gathering playing this time what could have been of their lives if the boat had not shrunk: a twisted married couple trying to find the meaning of life.

Revolutionary Road

Based on the acclaimed book by Richard Yates, the movie is hard to watch at some moments, and makes you reflect. Although it turned to be a bit long in the end, I can praise that although being located in the America of the postwar, the main topics treated here can be perfectly extrapolated to our nowadays lives. Winslet and DiCaprio are a couple trapped in a time where they do not belong. The conventions around them destroy all the beauty inside their hearts, and only Michael Shannon in a stunning role as the mentally unbalanced John Givings is able to see the truth through the hypocrisy around.

A very nice physiological essay, and a joy to see Winslet and DiCaprio giving another great performance (and this time without dozens of teenagers wasting Kleenex while sobbing watching as the Titanic ends up at the bottom of the vast ocean).

Rating 4/5

The best: The scenes shared by Winslet, DiCaprio and Shannon.

The worst: Maybe it turns to be a bit long.

The detail: When Winslet is cheating DiCaprio with his friend in the car, she touches the mirror in a very similar way she did in the love scene of Titanic (just coincidence?).

Revolutionary Road Trailer

Categories
Cinema DVD

The Duchess

Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes are a luxury couple of starring actors in this drama set in the 18th Century around the figure of the duchess of Devonshire, Georgina.

The Duchess

I found the film quite enjoyable. The environment, the dinners, the casino nights, the affairs of the royalty, the popular change in the politics and in the streets… everything is very well pictured by director Saul Dibb. Knightley  does her part more than decently, although the sweetness of her face and figure seem to shape them always on roles where she has to wear a corseted dress,  but for me the best of the movie is Ralph Fiennes, an actor that seems to give always his best when playing roles of “bad guy”, same than years ago in The Schindler List. Here, once again you have no choice but hating him due to his calculative coldness and royal manners, apart from his lack of scruples and notorious infidelity. All in all, a perfect portray of what a nobleman should have been in England at that time.

There are also some sensual moments like the wedding night between both main characters (more than one will repeat the scene again and again to see Keira partially naked) or with the “bed games” between her and Hayley Hatwell. But at the end of the movie, the tension decreases. It is like if after the climax when she rejects to come back home, the script writers lacked of ideas and aborted what could have been a great movie. Not bad anyhow, and worthy to watch if you want to enjoy exquisite acting and good sets.

Rating 3/5

The best: Ralph Fiennes as the Duke.

The worst: The end of the movie seems to happen in haste. The detail: Keira is a little bit less shy than in Pirates of Caribbean, appearing partially naked during her wedding night scene with Fiennes.

The Duchess Trailer

Categories
Misc News

George R. R. Martin visiting Finland and Estonia!

Categories
Antonio's blog Blogs

My first Rabarock in Estonia

I was last week end at the biggest rock festival of Estonia, Rabarock, for the very first time. After having experienced many festivals in Finland, I was curious and refreshed to visit one here in Estonia. Maybe the band list was not so impressive as usually can be in the biggest Finnish bands, but there were interesting artists visiting, like the English The Wildhearts or the American Anthrax.

Rabarock

There were better and worse things than in Finnish festivals. Opposite to for example Provinssirock, people cannot enter with any alcoholic drink, and even for me, being a journalist, I still had to wait for the queue like anybody else. The freedom of movement was quite limited, although we had access to the VIP bar at the backstage (meaning cleaner toilets and… more expensive coffee than outside…). But the food and drinks had quite a decent price in the different kiosks spattered around the festival area, and I also liked that it was not so crowded and people could more quite freely around or reach the first rows in the concerts without having to kill anybody. Same than in Finland, the audience was maybe a little bit cold and shy, but although of course people spent all the night talking and screaming in the camping area, I did not see such a general abuse of alcohol by most of the audience like usually happens in Finland (of course with exceptions of people totally wasted and singing at 10:00 on Saturday morning).

I had the chance to meet interesting people at the backstage and also research for a future article I am writing as freelancer about Estonian music scene. I talked to “Uncle Bella”, a legendary musician and DJ, one of the first punk rockers in Estonia, and also could chat and take some pictures together with the beautiful Piret and Lenna of Vanilla Ninja (I totally had to improvise the questions for them) or have fun trying to understand the mix of Estonian and English language during the interview with Estonian depressive rock band Kosmikud.

Rabarock

The best thing was to interview  Ginger, the singer of The Wildhearts. He turned to be a super friendly and cool guy, and if it would have not been for the rigid organization that did not let me stay longer, we could have been talking and drinking beer for hours after the interview. A great musician and very cool talkative guy!

The rain hit the festival strongly during the second day, Saturday, and I was lacking energy, hours of sleep and a better raincoat to stay until the end. So we decided to leave the festival before Anthax concert. A pity, it would have been nice to see them and maybe interview them, but still, the feeling was quite positive in general. With a couple more of big international bands, and little improvements in the organization, this festival could be one of the nicest ones to enjoy in North Europe. Let’s see if I can come back next year to experience it again!

Categories
Interviews Music

On the way to Popgasm – Interview with Samu Haber of Sunrise Avenue

In less than half a decade, Sunrise Avenue has achieved what most of the new Finnish pop-rock bands just dream about: an astonishing international success with a second studio album just recently released into the market: Popgasm. Samu Haber, their charismatic lead singer, had time while travelling around Germany to kindly answer our questions and give opinions about the superfast growth of the band, the expectations for the future or the internal painful changes that they experienced when Janne did not continue with them.

Sunrise Avenue

Hello Samu and thanks a lot for answering our questions. What can you tell us about the new second album of the band Popgasm? Any favorite tracks?

Well… sure you have your favorite tracks but since we made all the songs on PopGasm with the guys, all the songs are like our babies and therefore it’s impossible to rank them that clear. Maybe Welcome to My Life is the track if I have to pick one. It’s such an honest description of my life.

Was it easier now to work again together with producer Jukka Backlund?

Working with Jukka is never easy, but that is the catch ;) He is a personality that flies around the room and you just gotta wait for the results to come out from him. Sure we knew us better now but getting too close to the producer is not always only a good thing. It’s a great thing that he left the band and is now focusing on production.

You got an amazing success with your debut album. Do you feel now like being “on the way to wonderland” in real life? Were you expecting so many good sales and audience’s response when you started with the band?

No, honestly I didn’t. I was hoping that music could become as my career and it did. But it got far bigger than I ever let myself dream. Sure I believed that if all the winds blow our way, we could go very far, just like now with the second album. But it’s always up to 50% luck anyway, so the best you can do is do your best and see what comes.

Samu Haber

Every month dozens of new Finnish rock bands release their debut albums. The market is overcrowded. What is the formula and advices you can give to connect so quickly and successfully with the public as Sunrise Avenue did from the beginning?

There is no recipe. You just gotta try hard and try to make your own thing. The copy-cats who copy bands that are already famous, are pathetic.

Getting such doses of fame and recognition in such a relatively short period of time… Do you notice that has affected you in any way as human being? I mean, do you have the case that friends or relatives could tell you things like “now you are an asshole and you have changed a lot”, or do you think you keep your feet on the earth as a good Finn?

No. Not really. Some of the people you used to know want to have a little piece of your success and the story by hanging next to you at the clubs but I personally hate those wannabe’s. They wanna introduce you to all their friends and they think it’s cool. Sad. The REAL friends haven’t changed their behavior at all and that is something that makes me really happy. And if I’d ever start behaving like a “super star” I know my real friends would kick my ass BIG time! That is their job in all this and I know they’d do it for my own best.

You released a live DVD Live in Wonderland shot in Germany during your first tour. Was not risky to launch such a product with only one studio album released? Why you did not want to wait longer to do it?

Risk… This business is only full of risky moves. I think the experience was extremely great for all of us and actually I guess the DVD made it pretty ok in the stores too.

In the DVD “Live in Wonderland” I remember there was a comment that alcohol was not allowed during the tour for the members. Is that true? Do you have “dry” law when touring, or was more a joke? Who drinks the most at the band?

That was just a joke. We don’t actually party on tour because that would make the next day’s show pretty painful. But at the end of the tour there’s usually the “GRANDE FINALE” party. And that is something we need to have. Between show days I usually have a glass of wine and go to bed.

I just read in your tour blog that you smashed your head in the Provinssirock gig. How is your forehead looking now?

It looks amazingly good. I just removed the stitches last night and you can barely notice the scratch because I have my hair on it. I will have a memory from Provinssi Rock 2009 forever on my face. That’s cool.

You seem to enjoy writing and sharing thoughts through Internet with the audience. Do you find all the free time you need to write? What other hobbies do you have when you are not on the road?

I usually write the blogs on the plane. You have nothing but time there and I write stuff in the air and then go through it quickly at home. It had become this kind of as therapy thing for me. I sleep better if I let out everything that has happened the last few days. I love sports. I try to go to gym 5 times a week. Also team sports. Ice Hockey is the best. Unfortunately there’s not that much time for that now.

I know the band is pretty big in Germany, and I suppose you are thankful to the fans there, but what other venues do you especially like to visit when playing? And in what places would you like to tour but still have not had the chance?

Yes, the Germans have been very nice to as at least so far. We love to play anywhere where they want to hear us. We have had super great experiences all over and we have learned that the good and loud audience can be waiting for you anywhere.

We had an interview with the ex-member of Sunrise Avenue Janne Kärkkäinen. Maybe it is a topic you do not want to talk much about, but with the perspective of time, is there anything you want to comment about his leave from the band? Have you had the chance to listen to his new project Phoenix Effect?

It was the hardest decision I have ever made and it hurt me like hell before and especially after. I was really broken for more than a year and I am very thankful for the people who stood by me and us. Everything is much better as a team and also musically in the band now. I just wish the guy could grow up and accept what happened. It’s been 2 years. I have only heard “Broken Promises” but sure it’s pretty hard for me to evaluate his stuff without feelings being mixed. I honestly wish Janne and Phoenix Effect all the best from the bottom of my heart.

Janne out of the band was the hardest decision I have ever made…

Sunrise Avenue

I heard that the tattoo you have that says “Forever Yours” was due to a relation with a girl that did not work out. Is that true? How was the story? Do you think that you would do something like that again for another girl?

Yep. The tattoo was a replacement for an engagement ring. I don’t like rings and it doesn’t feel natural to wear one when I play the guitar. Yep, we were supposed to get married and all, but it went bad. We are luckily good friends now with her. I am just happy I didn’t tattoo her name on me. I hope I find someone someday who is worth another tattoo ;)

What are your future plans?

Now we are just promoting the new stuff and playing all the shows through the summer. Then in October we will start our European tour again and I guess that will go on until early next year with a break around the New Year, I hope.

Anything you want to add for the readers or that you would like me to have asked you?

Just the fact that I am writing the answers on a German highway and the speed is 230Km/hour.

Samu Haber

Q&A with Samu Haber

Favorite gig played ever that you remember?

There has been so many so special. Maybe the first 5 shows with the new album now in Helsinki, Berlin, Zurich, Athens and Helsinki again. It made me believe that maybe not everybody has forgotten Sunrise avenue.

If you would not play with Sunrise Avenue, is there any other band you would like to have been a member of?

I can’t imagine anything else. This is the group I started when I was 16, so I will stick with it.

Craziest thing that has happened to you on and off stage?

I must say the craziest thing on stage is a few weeks ago when I smashed my own face with my own guitar. I seem to have a few more steps to become a pro ;) Off stage this 40+ drunken “lady” squeezed my balls very hard and it hurt like hell. I told her to bring her boyfriend to me because I don’t hit women… The boyfriend never came. I was very embarrassed afterwards but there’s a limit with everything. Even with me.

Do you think that is possible to reach an orgasm due to pop music?

I do. I have had it many times ;) Just relax and it’ll come.

Nicest thing that a fan has told you or done for you?

The guy who sold his house in the early days so we could pay for the studios. I will always owe one for Mr. Mikko Virtala.

Favorite place to chill out in Finland?

Our summerhouse. No internet, no phones. Just the nature and the family. You can be 110% yourself and nobody wants anything from you. I also love my home / house very much.

What sentence in Finnish language would you choose first to teach a foreigner?

“Ei se oo niin justiinsa” it means everything doesn’t have to be perfect. I love the phrase.

How many languages can you speak?

I speak Finnish & English pretty well; I can survive in Spanish and Swedish and a little German.

For more information about Sunrise Avenue, visit their official site:
www.sunriseave.com

Categories
Albums Music

Greenday – 21st Century Breakdown

It seems that it was yesterday when these American punk rockers set a little revolution with their agile music… and now we can enjoy already their 8th studio album!

Greenday

Greenday was quite important in my teenage years. Together with Offspring, they opened me the doors to punk music and many other classic bands during the nineties. But while Offspring are lost in combat, Greenday resist in an excellent shape (even appearing in The Simpsons movie last year).

The album is conceived in a kind of rock-opera mode, divided into 3 different parts, but not, this is not exactly an Ayreon album, so do not expect very long symphonic tracks, most of the songs remain fast and powerful, although I miss a bit of the fierce spirit of their first albums. Greenday, with the past of years, have gained in composing better lyrics and sounding more compact and clean, but have lost in spontaneity.  Nowadays is just another good rock band that appears often on MTV, but although still acid, not a reference for younger audiences anymore.

Do not misunderstand me, the album has a great quality, with excellent tracks like Last Night on Earth or Know your Enemy, but you would expect Greenday moving in a bit different league than Nickelback… and that is not the case…

Rating 3/5

Categories
Albums Music

The Oh La Las – Songs from the third floor

The Finnish band led by Oskar Nyman and Joel Isaksson features their promising debut album. See the life green like a pear!

Oh la las in Tallinn

The band is composed by Oskar Nyman on the vocals, Joel Isaksson  on the guitar, piano, banjo and vocals, Egon Veevo on the bass and Anders Salim on the drums. As they explain at their official MySpace site, most of the work for their first studio album was done while enjoying some nice time in a summer cottage. We don’t know if that cottage had a third floor, or if the Finnish guys had stairs available to reach a third degree of inspiration, but what is certain is that their debut album is a more than notable work.

With folky pop-rock style, they have quite a nice and interesting American sound, which can remind you to bands like The Jayhawks or even The Rolling Stones themselves in some parts of the record. As some highlighted tracks, I would recommend All is Well, I ´ll be Fine or the relaxing acoustic parts of Home as well as the romantic ballad Hold Me.

As you can see, the Finns have quite a positive vibe in their songs (and their titles), quite refreshing in a scene that usually reaches from the most depressing side of the music.

A great work, pretty enjoyable. If I can put a “but”, I would complain that there are only 8 tracks to listen to!

Rating 4/5

Categories
Albums Music

Yölintu – Nyt ja Aina

After a couple of years of awaiting, here you have the new album from the Kings of Finnish Iskelmä.

Simo Silmu and his fellows from Yölintu are some of the biggest representatives of Iskelmä sound nowadays in Finland.

Yölintu

For those of you who have lived in Finland, probably Iskelmä is not unfamiliar (even if you do not want to, you will listen to it in some radio station while taking a ride in a public bus). For those of you who do not know it, we could resume it as a kind of melancholic pop, but also very danceable.

Although Iskelmä is not my favorite genre, and it is probably more aimed at an audience of over 30 years old, the songs are actually quite catchy. Tracks like the first single Anteeksi, Pimeästä Valoon or Ihana Sinä can be part of the perfect soundtrack for the next Juhannus, while enjoying the company of friends in a cottage having beer, sausages and sauna.

Quite a good work, if you think about it inside the Iskelmä genre. For those of you who want to come closer to the Finnish spirit, and discover an important side of its musical scene, this is worthy a try!

Rating 3/5

Categories
Albums Music

Deep Insight – Sucker for Love

The young band from Helsinki offers an excellent album full of great rock and Amazing lyrics!

Although being young, the Finnish band has already a wide experience. They have played more than 300 live gigs and released a few albums before this current Sucker for Love, apart from touring with names like The Rasmus. Actually, if you like The Rasmus, probably you will enjoy them too, although Deep Insight goes a bit less “darker” and more oriented into an American rock sound. And I like it.

Deep Insight

The vocals of Jukka are awesome, very well backed up by the rest of the band that offers a great orchestration in every track. Songs like Let me Go! , Rock with my Band, Dangerous or Sucker for Love would perfectly be number 1 hits with a bit more of promotion.

The record is all in all a very nice surprise indeed and a great rock album. They will be touring intensively all over Finland this summer, so I advice you not to meet them on stage!

Rating 4/5

Categories
Interviews Music

Estonian fairytale in USA – Interview with Kerli

Born in the small population of Elva (Estonia) in 1987, Kerli is a singer not afraid of big challenges. Young, talented, intelligent and beautiful, she decided to pursue her musical dream at a very tender age moving out of her native country to USA. Many put in doubt that she would ever achieve anything important, but the time and the effort seems to be paying off after the good success of her album Love is Dead. Although very busy, Kerli had some free time to answer the questions of FREE! Magazine about her past, present and future:

When you moved to USA, you were just 18. Was it difficult for you to leave friends, family, etc behind?

I actually moved to Sweden first, when I was 17 and to Los Angeles on my 20th birthday. I was sitting in my hotel room with two suitcases. One of them had a blanket in them and the other one had candleholders and some clothes. I sat there like this for a month and cried every day. It was really difficult at first but I never doubted that it was the right thing to do. I guess I sort of always knew that many sacrifices had to be made for me to become the best that I could be. I always felt like I was on some kind of a mission to make beautiful things and inspire people.

kerli

What were the most shocking things to discover in those first years abroad?

I never thought it was going to be easy but I never expected it to be this difficult, either. It was shocking to discover that a lot of people in high positions actually have no clue what they’re doing, so an artist has to do it all on their own. Los Angeles in itself is kind of shocking. I guess it’s the most weird that you will ever find. It can almost be scary how many broken dreams this city contains. And then there’s of course the fact that everything is BIG in America. It used to freak me out but now every time I travel to Europe, I get pissed about the small coffee cups. Hahaha. I got into many bad habits and was around many sad people but I wrote some good music.

Can you say that the feeling of loneliness shocked you?

I felt lonely but I’ve always felt so misunderstood that loneliness wasn’t much of a new thing.

How did you overcome it?

I didn’t. I escaped… meaning I got into many bad habits and was around many sad people until I realized my time on earth is too short to waste it on anything that doesn’t make me the best that I can be.

What else did you discover about yourself?

This isn’t even so much about me as it is about human nature I guess. I was standing outside a restaurant and had just broken up with my boyfriend. I didn’t know anyone and I had nowhere to go. I was so scared that it felt almost beautiful. Being scared of things and then overcoming them is one of the best things that can happen. It makes u push the limits and do things that you didn’t even know u were capable of.

Do you visit Estonia often?

About once or twice a year.

I happen to know your town Elva. Do you ever miss the contact with nature there? What is the best and the worst feature of the place, from your point of view?

kerli2

I do miss the nature. The older I get the more I start appreciating the green forests. It's funny you start seeing things so different when you grow up. I think I'm a fairy, so I'm supposed to live in a forest.

And actually it seems that Elva is a great source for successful Estonian female singers in the recent years. Is there something in the water there that make girls be more interested in music?

Repression and pain is what makes u seek beauty I guess. And there's nothing more beautiful than art, in whatever form. I walked by a painter on the street today and he was surrounded with such great energy it instantly made my day.

Can you imagine yourself to live in a forest all the time?

Not all the time. I love the internet too much :). But if I could disappear for a couple of months with my recording gear, I’m pretty sure something beautiful could happen. I’m thinking of going to Siberia sometimes soon. Or Amazon..

What do you do to fulfill your wish to live in a forest? Or is it just an idea?

I want to make some great records that would touch many more people than just the ones I would meet in the forest, so I’ll stick around the big cities for awhile and make that happen. One day when I’m old, I will build a little hut inside a hill and decorate it with sparkling things and old charming furniture. I will write books and make tea to pilgrims who will travel to my house to get some insight and learn a few secrets about life.

You have commented in past interviews that in Estonia you were feeling a bit “in a box”, not free to show creativity. Do you still keep that feeling when you visit back, or do you notice changes in the mentality of the people?

Nothing ever changes there, that's why I can't live there. I really believe in constant change and growth. If I'm not better today than I was yesterday than my day is wasted. But I have started to realize how great my friends and family are here. They’re just such solid people.

Could you please explain in what sense do you mean ‘great’ and ‘solid’?

Solid as of real. They do what they say and when they say they love you it will stay that way. When I go home it’s just about the simple things. At the end of the day the only thing that is going to matter is how much you love and were loved.

Are you aware of what happens in Estonian music scene nowadays? If you would have to recommend any Estonian band or musician to a foreign listener, would you have some to choose?

We have so many talented musicians. Their shows and styling is getting better all the time. The world is so easy to access now; therefore u can't really ignore what's being done by the best artists in the world. So there's like a constant push to grow, which is really cool.I really like our rapper Chalice. He's the shizz. And our classical musicians of course.

“I really don´t know how to chill out at all”

In the artwork of your CDs and promotional pictures, you have a bit that image of “blonde femme fatale”. How is the real Kerli, when not working? Would people find you easier in a trendy club at night, or having a coffee with friends in the bar around the corner?

They would find me in my room writing music or working on something else. I really don't know how to chill out at all.

In your MySpace page I can see that you say that “it is not important the place where I am from”, but at the same time you have there pictures of your hometown. So… how is your real feeling when you think back of your home? Are you proud of being Estonian (or having been raised in Estonia influenced the way you are nowadays?), or do you prefer more to be considered more like a “citizen of the world”?

I think Estonians have some qualities I really admire. Like when they love you, they REALLY love you. They are good people. And I think that coming from nowhere and hopefully becoming a true citizen of the world is so much more challenging than growing up with all the great things. And I'm always up for a good challenge.

What could be your next challenge?

I want my next record to be bigger than the last one.

XIHA

If somebody asks you when being abroad to teach them a word or a sentence in Estonian, which one do you choose?

Whichever one they ask about. They usually want to know the dirty ones.

Being still quite young, you have a lot of experience behind your back. Do you see yourself in the future living still in USA, or have you ever thought you would like to come back to your native country at some point of your life?

Not Estonia. Maybe I'm going to change my mind some day but right now it's just too small for me. I love  living in the US and being from some weird fantasy place next to Russia and just doing my thing in a place where everyone wants to become larger than life. It forces u to grow so much, so fast.

Do you think that for new young Estonian artists, are there chances to get their dreams staying in Estonia, or the music industry is so small there that there is no other way than emigrating?

I don't know. So much is online now. I don't think territory has anything to do with anything very soon. love wins. good music wins.

I heard that you were supposed to tour with the Finnish band The Rasmus this year, but it was finally cancelled. Can you explain a bit more about it?

Yeah, I would also like to apologize to all my fans who wanted to make it to the show. I was just about to leave to the airport when my label called and said they need me in the studio as soon as possible to work on my second album. I had all the outfits made and all… boooo!

What are your plans for the rest of 2009?

I'm working on the new album and hopefully can release it soon.

Anything else you want to add for the readers?

When love is your intention, nothing else matters.


XIHA

“Q&A with Kerli

Favourite song ever?

Bjork, Joga

Alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks?

Non.

If a man wants to make you a nice present, what is better, flowers or candles?

Both, please! But flowers always work.

What is your most pleasant memory of your musical career so far?

Listening to my first album being mastered.

And any embarrassing moment?

My dress almost slipped down during a show. I had to hold it up the whole time to make sure my boobs weren’t showing.

How many languages can you speak?

2 and music.

For more information about Kerli, you can visit her official site:

www.kerlimusic.com

Categories
Misc News

Website for Madonna´s concert

Categories
Albums Music

Marko Haavisto & Poutahaukat – Tuhannen Kaipuun Maa

A greatest hits album that gathers all the best of the famous Finnish artists during the last years.

Marko Haavisto

After 12 years of career and being part of the soundtrack of several Aki Kaurismäki´s movies, it was about time for Marko and company to release a greatest hits. In this Land of 1000 Longings you will find a good collection of no less than 20 tracks with a great rock & roll touch, but also adding the unavoidable Finnish folky experience there.

Melancholic songs to be listened with a mix of happiness and sadness, looking backwards and forwards to what life brings. Marko is accompanied by Samuli Halonen on the drums and Jouni Saario and  Kai Järvinen on the guitars.

If you want to understand a bit more of Finnish music and its particular spirit, this album is a must have; very touchy, even if you do not understand Finnish language.

Rating 4/5