Thursday, December 15, 2011

A movie to recommend!

Last weeks highlight was a Scandinavian-film-evening!! Four movies in four different languages (with subtitles, thank God). There was an episode of the tv series "Riget" (The Kingdom, Danish), the off-road movie "Nord" (North, Norwegian), the documentary "Draumalandið" (Dreamland, Icelandic) and one more film, in Swedish, I can warmly recommend: I rymden finns inga känslor!

There are no feelings in space - as the title would be literally translated. But the English version is simply called "Simple Simon". Roughly, this movie could be categorized into romantic comedy with a touch of drama and seriousness. So what I'm recommending here is not a movie like all those romantic comedies starring Hugh Grant. It's more of the smart kind. So you get this feeling of "awwwwwwwwwww!!" and "sigh!!!" but it gets you also thinking and leaves this warm, tingly feeling in your body.


Now what's this movie about? It's about Simon. Simon is a 18-year old boy having this affection with space, he is smart, he is playing drums, he doesn't want to be touched and he doesn't like changes.... - he is having Asperger's syndrome! Although this disorder makes it difficult for others to live with him he's moving to his older brother, Sam, and his brother's girlfriend. Harmony doesn't last too long and the girlfriend leaves! But who's doing the dishes now?! So a new girlfriend for Sam must be found and Simon is doing his best to understand what a relationship needs, what his brother's girlfriend should be like. Should she be just like his brother or the complete opposite?! Looking for aspirants, Simon gets to meet Jennifer who seems to be chaos itself.... and so on - I don't wanna spoil the fun and tell everything!!



I'm not sure if there will be an Enlish-dubbed version of the movie (it was dubbed to German, btw) but even if you have to watch it with subtitles - it's worth it!! One of the best movies I've seen in long time and definitely one of the best Swedish movies I know. Just extremly funny and sweet. And you get to hear, among others, a Lykke Li song, which is being part of the soundtrack - nice!!

BTW: Funny actually to watch a Swedish movie after knowing/learning Norwegian for a bit more than a year. I couldn't understand everything through but quite a lot! Proud!! :)

PS: Dear Swedish-lecturer of the Scandinavian institute, TUSEN TACK for choosing this movie!! Best choice ever!! :)

Saturday, December 10, 2011

A band to recommend!

Once more I must recommend a band coming from cold, cold Norway. I actually haven't been knowing this band for long and I don't recall how I came to listen to their music. Have I heard people talking about them? Did I read reviews or recommendations? And how come I had some of their music on my computer?
Probably just mystic cricumstances that made me check out and listen to Team Me!!

Without thinking much, it seems I've put their song "Weathervanes And Chemicals" in my autumn playlist. So repetitively sounding from my loudspeakers it was growing on me! This very catchy and energetic tune!

I should feel ashamed not knowing much about them, but the fact that the band is consisting of six young, clever, talented (and good-looking) Norwegians who got together to make music. Simple as that. Their music could be described as pop-orchestral tunes with influences of post-rock. So when you listen to a song you'll most likely hear lots of drums, keys, bells - energetic, powerfull sequences and noisy but tender parts. It's a fantastic combination!!


Photo by Team Me // Bjarne, Marius, Uno, Simen S., Synne, Simen Sch.


When I heard they would play a gig in Vienna I was playing with the thought of going. Actually I've been thinking: It's not happening too often that a Norwegian band or musician is playing in Vienna (or Austria, in general), so I should be going. I owe it to the Norwegian music industry!
They played in a tiny, tiny location in Vienna, with a even tinier stage. While I was waiting for them to arrive, maybe four or five other people were waiting. So I wasn't sure how this gig would end up being like because the success of a concert often depends on the quanitiy and mood of the audience, right?!


Team Me @ rhiz in Vienna, 28th of November 2011


But the band came, arranged themselves on that tiny stage and suddenly the room was full of people. The gig started. People were singing along, tried to move (which was difficult because of the lack of space), to jump to clap or at least to shake their heads to the music. Seeing Team Me live is like a hurricane of joy that lifts your body and a far nicer experience than just listening to their music with headphones.


"With My Hands Covering Both Of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have A Look At You Now" by Tem Me


What I wanna say is, that you should see them live, you have to buy their EP and their album and at least you should check their music!!

Here's all you need to know:
Here you find the website of Team Me as well as their Facebook, Twitter and Urørt page.
The EP which can be found on iTunes, Spotify and CDON.eu !!
And the album "To The Treetops" that can be bought from CDON.eu !!