Germany May Give the USA a Rock Star
Posted March 31, 2008 — in Music News
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=fiIntDMjK2g[/youtube]
Well if the USA can’t breed a rock star, we may as well import one from Germany. Tokio Hotel’s Album “Scream” will be released on April 29th in the United States. Stylistically, the band comes across like HIM but falls towards the emo gang rather than goth metal. We recently discussed in the post titled ‘Where Are the Superstars?‘ that bands forgot how to dress themselves suggesting they stop shopping at the GAP or Wal-Mart, but this doesn’t apply to this fashion forward frontman from Tokio Hotel. He comes out of the box like a total rock star and we suggest other new acts take some lessons. The band is no strangers to Germany but new to the United States and we believe artists with great content will rise above the sea of mediocrity. The bets are on……..
I’m from the Netherlands (for those who don’t know; we are the Germans’ neighbours) and in my humble opinion, Tokio Hotel really is the WORST band on the whole planet at the moment… Their music sucks and only attracts 10 to 14 year old girls, their hair really looks bad.
Comment by Bart Nijssen — March 31, 2008 @ 10:15 am
And to go on; Tokio Hotel isn’t about musicianship, Tokio Hotel is about how to market a band consisting of 18 year olds (15 when they had their first hit single over here in the Netherlands). I still can’t believe that they succeeded in writing hits (firstly in the German language, after that in English) and selling out rather big venues.
Comment by Bart Nijssen — March 31, 2008 @ 10:19 am
Do. Not. Want.
I became aware of this “band” via ONTD and hoped to never see them on US TV. FUSE hasn’t played their video yet and hopefully it’ll stay that way.
Comment by × — March 31, 2008 @ 10:48 am
Tokio Hotel isnt about musicianship? you sound like a 10 year old telling bands to stop writing songs, instead worrying about soul-less riffing..
Comment by liz — March 31, 2008 @ 10:49 am
Also, good bands are either loved or hated. Never want to be in the middle!
Comment by liz — March 31, 2008 @ 10:50 am
its about time this band is getting some press! I have been a huge fan of this band for 3 years and they are amazing live. This band will break!
Comment by germanfan — March 31, 2008 @ 10:53 am
They may have plenty in the image department but if you’ve listened to that album, you can’t deny that it’s derivative, saccharine, and predictable. “Stars”, like David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Mick Jagger, they all had the music to back them up, if this is what passes for a rock star these days, I’ll take those days.
Comment by Jay — March 31, 2008 @ 11:08 am
I never thought I’d be saying this, but Tokio Hotel is Poison without the personality or musicianship.
I’ve been hearing about this band everywhere. Empty hype. And you really think they dress themselves? lol
Comment by Jon Cole — March 31, 2008 @ 11:44 am
That Tokio Hotel singer is pretty. I’d nail her.
Comment by Stu Gots — March 31, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
This pretty much sums up music taste. To suggest that this band can teach US bands a lesson or two is just plain insulting. In fact I thought the lead singer was a guy made to look like a girl. Their music is generic as anything. They don’t have a prayer or maybe thats all they have.
Comment by Leslie Bennett — March 31, 2008 @ 1:15 pm
People are sick of this shit. People are ready for music. 8 million people have bought the Eagles record… 7 million have bought Nickelback…4 million have bought Daughtry…2.6 million bought The Fray and the list goes on and on and none of those guys have a skunk wig on. Because poeple want music, not that thing i just saw in the video. I mean even THE BEST of the BEST at dressing like a rockstar Davey Havoc barely sells a million in the US.And that band i just saw has no Davey Havoc.
Comment by Cris — March 31, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
The song itself is like a really boring Over It b-side.. it’s nowhere near the league of It Feels Like Affection or Sirens On the 101.
I’m waiting for the return of the rock star, too, but the substance has to be there to justify it. Anyone can dress like a rock star.
Comment by Jon Cole — March 31, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
this band sucks so bad that there are relatively big in Germany and getting press 5,000 miles away from their hometown. This normally happens to bands with no songs (SARCASM)
Comment by germanfan — March 31, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
MTV has added the video as part of their Discover & Download feature (with All Time Low & Leona Lewis this month), & I’ve seen it on there a few times now.
I find their image laughable, and their music simply ok.
Comment by Dallas — March 31, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
Dean’s right. They have the image thing down. Their songs are okay. Pretty boy frontman is good for 100,000 in sales off the top from teenage girls with raging hormones.
Comment by Brett — March 31, 2008 @ 3:23 pm
5,000 miles or 5 doesn’t really matter these days remember world wide web…
Comment by Leslie Bennett — March 31, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
brett, your right, they have the image down!
Comment by rich — March 31, 2008 @ 3:29 pm
of course 5,000 miles matter, no one breaks from the web alone! its a 4th world economy. MTV just added the band on its DISCOVER and DOWNLOAD segment. Its not like MTV found them on myspace - the band has been around since 2001!
Comment by rich — March 31, 2008 @ 3:50 pm
they’re fashion forward if 80s hair metal is your idea of fashion forward. where’s the guitar solo?
Comment by Chad — March 31, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
solo? c’mon, you are asking to much. Guitarists don’t know how to solo in this day and age. Maybe Avenged Sevenfold, but they are more shredders. Heck, bands can’t even get their own guitar tones. Thats why everybody sounds the same, even TOKIO ROSE!
Comment by koar — March 31, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Like them or not, Tokio Hotel knows how to sell out venues. There U.S. album getting released stateside is a compilation of all their European hits translated into English. I will have to see them live before making a decision on if they are true rock stars, or just another short lived boy band.
Comment by Aaron — March 31, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
Bands who do solos are there. I’ve said this before. Back in the day there were bands with great guitar players. Clapton, Page, Jeff Beck, Malsteem, Hendrix, Have you ever heard of Vinnie Moore. Can’t forget the Maiden Boys. How is a young kid going to learn. What, from like a Fallout Boy? Thank God there still is few good guitar players out there. You just got to find them.
Comment by Alex Rios — March 31, 2008 @ 9:48 pm
I don’t know if they sound like HIM that much…but more along the lines of Smashing Pumpkins meets AFI. At least with this song. THEY will be a smash if they go more of a Smashing Pumpkins Emo act.
Comment by Doug — April 1, 2008 @ 12:21 am
The Jonas Brothers, Hanna Montana, and now Tokio Hotel.
if Tokio Hotel catch on in the U.S then we are going to see a LOT more of this.”People are sick of this shit. People are ready for music.”Cris, maybe some people, just not the MTV or radio that will push this band.
Comment by larry anderson — April 1, 2008 @ 5:50 am
@ Stu Gots:
All 4 members of Tokio Hotel (yes, even the singer) are males.
You’d nail “her”? I’ve got some news for you, that’s a guy.
As for Tokio Hotel’s music, it is NOT even worth talking about. If you want to hear some GOOD music from Germany that is actually worth listening to, head on over to my German music blog http://www.germaniac.com/blog/
Thanks,
-Greg
Comment by Greg — April 1, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
I still say the city of http://www.seattlesounds.com has more musical diversity than the entire country of Germany.
Comment by Brett — April 1, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
Brett, you’d be surprised what kind of music comes out of Germany. I certainly don’t cover everything on my blog because I don’t listen to everything, but you can hear German country, German jazz, certainly rock, metal, plenty of electronic and industrial subgenres, blues, ambient, grunge, folk, indie… Pretty much any type of music you can find in the USA, you can find in some form in Germany.
Having said that, yes of course Seattle is famous for their music as well. But you shouldn’t disregard an entire country so hastily, especially one that has done so much for music in general.
Comment by Greg — April 1, 2008 @ 6:51 pm
I’d certainly agree that Tokio Hotel is a poor musical representation of Germany, but to say German music is not diverse? That is just proving that the speaker hasn’t bothered to listen to even a tiny portion of what is being offered.
Comment by Nadja — April 1, 2008 @ 10:35 pm
Ok i just watched them on youtube… this is a flash in the pan. This is everything wrong with music and everything that people who actually buy music are against wrapped up in one band of 9 year olds.Give them a friggin disney special already!!:) Not even worth talking about. I LOVE new music and I was excited when i read the post on them but they dont have the ass to back up the hype. Cool hair and Shitty songs = the music industry today and the situation they have put themselves in. BLAH… cmon kings… do better than this. How about a post about a real musician with real songs doing something… like Matt Nathanson?
Comment by Cris — April 2, 2008 @ 2:33 pm
Im sorry Greg but the only music I’ve heard of from Germany is Rammstein and Nenas 99 Luft balloons at my high school dance back in 83′. It’s up to you to come to me. It doesn’t help matters that the only German word I knowis Danka.
Comment by Brett — April 2, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
Brett, I’m not saying you have to listen to music from Germany or even like, just please don’t judge an entire country’s music by 2 bands. That’s no different than if a foreigner judged all American music by Michael Jackson and Nirvana. It’s just not right.
Comment by Greg — April 2, 2008 @ 4:50 pm