According to wikipedia "Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. (..) There are many reasons why people might choose to emigrate. Some are for reasons of religious, political or economic freedom or escape. Others have personal reasons such as marriage. Some people living in rich nations with cold climates choose to move to warmer climates when they retire."
Well, neither of these reasons apply to me, but nevertheless I decided to move from Germany to England where it always rains and the men are not really classified as the most attractive ones in the whole wide world. When you have lived in a foreign country before, you might know how different, awkward, funny and difficult your daily life can become.
Here are some highlights of my life in London Town.

April 22, 2012

Happy Record Store Day!

I was celebrating Record Store Day yesterday right off Brick Lane at Rough Trade East. Some of you might know the other stores in Notting Hill and Covent Garden or some of you might know the Rough Trade Label that represents artists like Arcade Fire, The Libertines, The Smiths, and Belle & Sebastian.

If you go to the Record Store Day website http://www.recordstoreday.com, you can read lots of quotes by lots of great artists, such as Jack White, Tom Waits, Norah Jones, and Paul McCartney, regarding Record Store Day. Here are two quotes that express what I was experiencing yesterday:

“My local independent record shop (Honest Jons) is a library, where you can go to listen to music, learn about it, exchange ideas about it and be inspired by it. I think independent record shops will outlive the music industry as we know it because long term their value to people is far greater, because even in our era of file-sharing and blogs, you cant replace the actual look on someone’s face when they are playing something they really rate and think you should listen to it too. It’s special.”
- Damon Albarn (Blur, The Gorillaz, etc.)

“Record stores have a magic about them that’s totally unique. They are a place where you can come across music and culture that you’re not open to in any other way, often by accident. I love that hands-on experience of browsing and buying music, and so I wish the Record Store Day every success “
- James Morrison

I have to admit I don't own a record player and I mostly get introduced to new artists and songs by friends and my favourite radio station: http://www.fritz.de/ that also promotes a lot of unsigned artists. But I very much liked the atmosphere at Rough Trade East. They have a Café and a "snug area" with sofas and desks. So, it's a great place to spend a rainy afternoon and just listen to amazing songs and discover new artists. I think Record Stores are all about discovery, diversity and passion. As Store Director Stephen Godfroy says: "You've got to create an environment where people want to spend time. It's got to be complementary to modern lifestyles, distinctive and competitive on pricing and have confidence in recommending exciting new products and not rely on chart product." If you are interested in exploring, check their website: http://www.roughtrade.com/

But the best thing about Record Store Day was of course that we saw Little Boots and Keane playing live on a small stage a couple of metres away from us. Amazing!!
If you don't live in the UK, you might not have heard of Little Boots yet, but you should definitely check out her website: http://www.littlebootsmusic.co.uk
I really liked her new song "Every Night I say a  Prayer".


Well, and what can I say about Keane? Spectacular! If you have a chance to see them live, do it! That's their website: http://www.keanemusic.com/

I love, love, love "Silenced by the night":


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