Not a travel post...Music in Germany

I've been thinking about blogging about music for a while, but have decided instead of a massively long post, I will only share a few things.  Believe it or not, the radio stations here play most of the same pop tunes/rap/rock/alt rock you here in the US.  But they also have European music mixed in with the American stuff.  There are several stations that play older music (Pet Shop Boys, anyone?) mixed with the new stuff.  There are also a few funky stations that play music from all over the world, similar to listening to NPR's world music show - but all the time.  

Something to note and learned the hard way here:  most of the stations do not play the "clean" version of songs.  So when we first moved here, we really needed to hear some fun songs from the US.  Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" was popular last summer, and we were all nostalgic for that fun time in the car with the Fowler kids when I made them all sing, with the windows down, at the top of their lungs to keep the car moving!  (Okay - well, maybe I was just nostalgic for that!)  It comes on the radio, and suddenly, right at the chorus, the words were the original version...loud..."F*** you, and f*** her, too."  Nice.  Let's just say, lesson learned.  It is not that I strongly object to language in music.  But I do strongly object to my then 5 year old repeating it, or saying it to someone.  ;-)  

Here is a sampling of what I heard in the course of one day on the radio (the day in question was May 4th, 2012.)

• I'm an Englishman in New York
• Release Me
• I'm Your Antihero
• There She Goes (Taio Cruz)
• Easy Lover (they enjoy Phil Collins and Genesis here)
• Today I don't feel like doing anything
• Levels - Avici
• Under Pressure
• Pictures of You
• We Don't Need No Education
• Forget You
• Someone Like You (Adele)
• Everybody Wants to Rule the World
• I Will Wait (Mumford and Sons)
• Chiddy Bang (Ray Charles)
• Tage Wie Diese (HUGELY popular German song - seriously, sung at bars, dance clubs, is it their theme song??)
• Maybe (Sick Puppies)
• Please Don't Go Girl
• Rock Me, Amadeus
• Gewinner (Clueso)
• M & F (Die Artze)

Pretty eclectic mix, eh?

I didn't include my new favorite that I discovered, however, because I hope you will go to the link just above:  Katzenjammer - seriously great girl band.  Love them!  Katzenjammer is a German word for that crying, wailing sound that cats do.  But these girls can do it all.  They all play multiple instruments, they all sing.  They do a cover of "Land of Confusion," but my favorite is "I Will Dance."  A Norwegian girls' band - I would never have discovered them were it not for German radio.  Really, though - check them out!!  Their acoustic unplugged stuff is amazing.  They are actually in London when we are going.  Tickets please?  :)  Keep listening after "I Will Dance."  "Cherry Pie," "A Bar in Amsterdam," really, anything they do.   I hope you enjoy them.

Click on the video above.  You too, Mom!  :-)

(This post was edited to be more clear - sorry for the confusion.)