carmina charm #12

Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony? 

- Leonardo DaVinci

It's harmony that your soul and mind embraces again when listening to music. As sound surrounds you, only some melodies firmly resonate with you, get an immediate emotional response - whilst their approach is a smooth and soft one, whilst they slowly, carefully but steadily cling to you, these melodies eventually grab you with an intensity and force that overwhelms, that fully absorbs and stirs. It's these very melodies that are in chime with your mind and soul, it's music that leaves an imprint on your being and mesmerizes ... music that charms. 

carpe carmina selection

© Kiera Cass

'Every selection is governed by general principles concerning truth, force, beauty ...' - Thornton Wilder 

carpe carmina decided to showcase the best (this estimation is subjectively coloured) song of an EP, album or artist simply, in order to give its readers an impression of what to expect when getting more acquainted with the musician/band in general. The songs featured vary in style, genre, intensity and vibrancy, they are, however, all of distinctive compositional and lyrical finery, of instrumental and vocal beauty. 

Gig review & interview: Robert Jon & The Wreck (Blue Notez Club, Dortmund, 10th April 2015)

One night. One band. Rousing, passionate and melodic rock'n'roll glory at once. 

'So, you wanna be a rollin' stone, you think it's easy being on your own. So, you wanna be a travelling man, pack up, let's leave, so get in the van ...' - SoCal rockers Robert Jon &The Wreck are a five-time striking, vehemently roaring rock might, doing just that. In march the band left sunny california, got in the van and started their first european tour. Friday night the powerful rock gang stopped off at Blue Notez Club in Dortmund and their feisty, fiery and hard-hitting sound took the audience by storm. Opening with infectious, forcefully stomping belter 'Rhythm of the Road', fierce, concentrated instrumental and vocal vim imbued the venue from the outset, a thrilling energy arose to be continued in what was yet to follow: powerful, energetic compositions, brimful of atmosphere, brisk melodic vitality and rock'n'roll spirit.

Interview: Alistair Sheerin - 'You can do so much more on stage to have a good time and involve the audience [...] People want you to be great and show what you can do, so why waste the opportunity?'

Let's not mistaken Alistair Sheerin for a distant relative of a certain ginger-haired singer/songwriter, he's clearly not, but his acoustic preference and soulful vocal vibrancy might make you think so, rather than the tonal surname resemblence between A. Sheerin and E. Sheeran. Lyrically more vigorous, grittier, carpe carmina is lucky to have caught up with the first-mentioned one - an outspoken and determined young man with a firm affinity for rock'n'roll and a refreshing tendency for painting realistic, sometimes bleak and angry, sometimes uplifting and enthusiastic, lyrical pictures - to talk about what the middlesbrough-based songwriter strives passionately after as well as what he once hated with a passion, what he considers an 'opportunity' any musician should embrace as well as what his forthcoming trip to New York is all about.