Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and music

looking for expressive composers

leibniz — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:46:11 -0800

Does anyone know of any Europe based composers who are concerned with the relation between music and emotions, and who would also be good conference speakers? This is a work related question. I am trying to get together speakers for a conference, but asking around it seems that nowadays composers are not especially interested in the expressive qualities of their music, preferring to focus on more formal innovations. Please give suggestions! I don't care how famous the person is, but given that this is a highbrow academic conference, they should hopefully be either based at a European university, or otherwise academically inclined. Composers in any (serious) music style would be acceptable.

Searching for a Cold War Soundtrack

DOUBLE A SIDE — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:46:11 -0800

I am looking to make a music playlist that recaptures that '89 cold war, fall of communism feel. Think Scorpions - Wind of Change. I'm living in Eastern Europe for the first time, a whole bunch of friends and family are coming over for a special occasion and I really want to create a playlist for a night of drinking in an old communist apartment. I'm not so interested in traditional folk music or patriotic songs...but popular music with subject matter relating to the cold war or the fall of communism (or Russia and Eastern Europe in general). I don't mind how cheesy they are and the song doesn't necessarily have to be western.

To Begin:
Scorpions - Wind of Change
Elton John - Nikita
David Hasselhoff - I'm Looking for Freedom
Leonard Cohen - First We Take Manhatten [for the Berlin mention]
Nena - 99 Luftballons

Not Interested in:
The Beatles - Back in the U.S.S.R
Novelty songs - e.g anything by Weird Al

There were these nuclear songs previously, but maybe a bit too nucleary for me.

Trans Europe Express

mdonley — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:46:43 -0800

What amazing, unmissable, not-yet-sold out rock/indie/global/generally awesome concerts anywhere in Europe must I see in the next few months - but *only* on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays? I'm based in Riga, Latvia, and the acts I like don't make it out here, usually.

The time restriction is because my schedule is not your standard M-F, 9-5:
Off: Thursday 9pm-Saturday 10am
Work: Saturday 10am-2pm work (I'm an English teacher, and it's really hard to cover classes since some teachers can't teach the more advanced levels I do on Saturday mornings)
Off: Saturday 2pm-Monday 3pm

Overnight, I'd prefer to do a hostel-type thing, or perhaps I might enjoy just staying out all night on the town, then heading back to whatever airport for a morning flight back and sleeping it off on the plane. Ideally, a show later on a Saturday night or during the day on Sunday, in a major city served by a late afternoon/early evening AirBaltic flight on the way there would be amazing, as that would mean not having to connect, not having to take time off, and the time difference (Latvia is two hours ahead of Britain and one hour ahead of most of western Europe) would work in my favor.

Arcade Fire, my top choice, are sold out pretty much everywhere, though I could do tickets on eBay.

As for what music I'm into...a random selection of my playlist right now features Vieux Farka Toure, Editors, Celia Cruz, Asha Bhosle, Interpol, !!!, Feist, Justice, Shakira. Pretty diverse stuff.

Here are some ideas I've got so far:

*Editors, New Young Pony Club and The Go! Team, Lille, France, 9 Nov
*MIA, Brighton, UK, 14 Dec

What are your ideas? What am I missing? Any festivals? If you don't have a specific idea, where can I look?

Yo se que te gusto

bluejayk — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:33:44 -0800

Where can I find lists of the most popular Spanish top 40 music from summer, 2002? I danced the summer away in 2002, and to a lesser extent, the fall of 2000 in Salamanca and Madrid, Spain. Now I'd love to get a hold of some of those songs somehow. Problem is, I don't know what they're called, who sang them, or what the words were. I speak decent Spanish, but I can't make out lyrics in any language, especially not at three in the morning. So, I just have a few songs in mind, like the one that went "da-da-da, waaahh!!!" and other incomprehensible, unhelpful tidbits, but only a couple actual names.

So, where can I find a list of what was popular on the radio or in clubs for a specific time for Spain? General dance clubs, like Capital in Madrid. I'm not looking for the best songs of the year, some of these songs were really horrible. But they make me happy, so I want them. Ideally, a sight that would stream, or let me listen to 10 second samples would be perfect.

Here are a couple of the songs that I did manage to remember: 'Asereje' by Las Ketchup, 'Torero', 'Brinca, Salta, Bailalo' by El Simbolo and 'Baila Morena' by Zucherro. Stuff like that is what I'm looking for. And I could never admit to it in person.

Thanks, you'll be helping me relive a really great time in my life!

ViolinFilter: Name that violin-maker!

DecemberRaine — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:32:31 -0800

Can you help me find more information on the mystery-maker of my Grandfather's violin? The only thing I know about the instrument for sure is that my Grandfather brought it back from somewhere in Europe when he came home during WW2. The interior "tag" has a glob of paint or something hiding the full text, but looks something like this:

"Carl Gott......ster. jun,
Mar......hen 1904"

The parts with the dots are where the text has been covered. Any idea where I might find nformation about who made this violin?

Songs about Europe

catburger — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:34:18 -0800

What are some songs about countries or cities in Europe?

I have some questions about listening to the radio in Europe.

jordanian2 — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:13:05 -0800

I have some questions about listening to the radio in Europe. I'm studying abroad in Pau, France, next semester, and I think it'd be a good learning experience if I brought a walkman with me and listened to French radio. And then after the semester is over, I plan to travel to other countries (Germany, Italy, Greece, etc.) and listen to the radio there, too.

The following questions are really dumb...but I hope you don't judge me :) First, does European radio use FM and AM bands? Will my American walkman work ok? And does Radio France transmit to Pau, France (some of the Radio France stations look really great).

Thanks for your help!

Eurovision - nul point?

badrolemodel — Sat, 20 May 2006 13:23:33 -0800

It is Eurovision Song Contest time tonight - is it just the UK or is it a joke to the rest of Europe as well? A widely held belief here in the UK seems to be that only the Brits treat Eurovision as a joke (to be enjoyed ironically in a very camp way), while to the rest of Europe it is a major source of national pride to be won at any cost. Eurovision has been discussed in the blue before, but I haven't heard the view from the mainland. Can any euro-mefites from outside the UK shed some light?

Why does so much good music come from Sweden and Belgium, and relatively little from Holland?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:00:37 -0800

Why does so much good music come from Sweden and Belgium, and so little from Holland?