To start with, as always, our “making of” from the print product advertised here:
TO LIVE FOREVER
Who doesn’t think of the band Queen first of all… the “Radio Ga Ga” Eurotrash version by DJ Bobo on the album QUEEN DANCE TRAXX VOLUME ONE? Well, hopefully nobody! In retrospect, this disturbing tribute compilation initiated by VIVA in 1996 and featuring Masterboy, Captain Jack and Culture Beat, among others, may serve for more than just eye-rolling.
She’s a piece of the puzzle of just how extensively Queen has infiltrated every nook and cranny of pop culture. They accompanied the Musikexpress very early on: the first title dates from May 1975, and several more follow. But already with the January 1981 issue, our Queen covers are tearing off. The former editors were not even triggered by the death of Freddie Mercury ten years later.
The issue in question instead graces REM’s Michael Stipe (it was the time of “Losing My Religion”). It’s a shame for Queen, because the importance of the band seems to have only increased over the years. The 50th anniversary of the self-titled debut album is therefore an urgent reason for us to take a comprehensive look at this band of the century in its pop-cultural scope – and finally to do it “up front” again. A kind of magic!
The Music Express 03/2023 – the topics at a glance:
50 years – The Queen is not dead
50 years ago, Queen were considered just another rigged show in the glam rock circus of the moment. No one paid much attention to her debut. Along with the David Bowie soundtrack records, it was a turning point, breaking down barriers between genders and genres. On these ruins, it also laid the foundation for a work that still haunts us to this day, we encounter it everywhere and it still generates record sales. A fitting tribute to rock ‘n’ roll’s most influential queen.
Kelela – No more time for bullshit
It’s been ten years since Kelela captivated and enchanted R’n’B fans, indie heads and disco noses with her mixtape “Cut 4 Me”. A whole new chapter begins with RAVEN.
Deichkind: “Now that’s the end of it!”
Musically, NEWS VOM DAUERSTATE is definitely not a new invention. Nevertheless, many things are different at Deichkind. The three core children emerge from the pandemic not with a riot, but as observers of the present. With the hope of a new underground. It used to be called maturity, today it sounds like a podcast.
Shame: “We wouldn’t get drunk at the sound check today”
Anyone can sing about sex. The post-punk band Shame now prefers to tackle the big issues: friendship, death and rebirth.
Helge Schneider: “Send me the trunk to Mülheim”
There are no big gaps in Helge Schneider’s work. And yet his current output is impressive: MAMA was released in 2020, the double album sequel to his 1987 jazz record THE LAST JAZZ under the name DIE REAKTION in 2021, the recording LIVE IN LUXEMBOURG in 2022 and now it’s time to clear the ring for TORERO! We meet the free spirit at his home – but not in legendary Mülheim an der Ruhr, his birthplace, which he never really left. Instead, Schneider invites you to a rented apartment in Berlin-Schoeneberg.
Neo-pagans – The new pagans are coming
Drums smeared with blood and bones as instruments: a parallel society that wants to connect with our ancestors through music fills concert halls – worldwide. Warriors and shamans like those from Middle-earth ritually celebrate the world music of vanished worlds. Soul cleansing or gearing up for the final battle? Insider report from a scene that makes heads bang and shake.
ME Heroes: Death Cab For Cutie – The Anti-Hipsters
Your favorite old band: Death Cab For Cutie are considered the most innocent of all indie rock groups – and one of the most successful of the noughties. 20 years ago, their mainstream collaboration TRANSATLANTICISM, a modern classic about long-distance relationships in the pre-social-media era, was released, as well as, a few months before that, singer Ben Gibbard’s indietronica project The Postal Service’s still only and cult-revered album GIVE UP. What a luxury to be able to leave it at that even for the anniversary.
Also in the issue:
- Self-timer: Samia
- Topic interview: Charlotte Brandi on an album without men
- 9 facts about secret messages on vinyl
- Blind date with Saskia Lavaux
- Radar: Wesley Joseph, Power Plush, Symba, Sophia Lindinger & Monaco
- CD insert for subscribers with Monaco, Schrott border, Anna B Savage, Avey Tare, Herr DK & Charlotte Brandi
- Digital Playlist Featuring Monaco, Scrap Frontier, Anna B Savage, Avey Tare, Herr DK, Charlotte Brandi, Nina Chuba, Deichkind, Kelela, Kate NV, Helge Schneider, Power Plush, Shame, Caroline Polachek, Wesley Joseph & Miss Grit
>>> to the music express playlist for everyone!
Read more? You can subscribe to the Musikexpress here.
The new music express – available from February 9, 2023 at kiosks and from home as an e-paper
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