So, uhm, how have you been, and eh, what's new?

 pic: Steven

You know how it is when you haven't seen someone for a while, and then you finally see them again and it's kinda awkward? You're not really sure what to say at first, and even if you get past the awkwardness there's so much catching up to do you don't even know where to begin?

Well, we feel a bit like that right now.


Things have been rather quiet (rather an understatement) on the unarmed letters front lately. Reason for this is a rather extensive trip across Europe by both myself and Eliza. Said journey has taken us from Greece through Bulgaria to Romania, Hungary, Poland (where we attended the charming OFF Festival 2009), Czech Republic and Germany (with a night in Slovakia thrown in somewhere in between for good measure). We ended up in Belgium two weeks ago, for the Pukkelpop 2009 festival, while last week was spent in Amsterdam riding bikes and collecting vintage postcards and second-hand books.
 
So yeah, where to begin? Should I post about the two festivals first, or the trip? Should I mention all the new stuff we've been listening to upon our return? Maybe mention how much I love the new Bibio album, the sheer genius that is Atlas Sound's Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox)?
 

How about I just say hi to everyone and welcome you back, thanks for passing by and all that for now, and then we'll just see where we get in the coming days?


It's good to be back! We missed you.

 

Electrelane - To the East

Television Personalities - A Long Time Gone

Tegan & Sara - Back in your Head

Camera Obscura - Let's get out of this country

In Berlin

Letters have no Arms is in Berlin today, hence the theme and tracks included. Over the next 4 weeks our journey will take us down to Portugal and Spain, where we'll attend the Benicassim festival. We'll be posting along the way, so stay tuned!

*

"There is thunder in Berlin
We fell down under a moving sky
When you walked into the room tonight
Lighting took hold of my heart for a while..."

Electrelane - In Berlin

    

I first discovered Tocotronic on Alternative Nation, sometime in the 90s, and remember thinking that if they sang in English, they'd be huge (well, huge in indie terms). I've loved them ever since. Here's one of their few songs with some English lyrics.

  

Tocotronic - Hi Freaks

Another MTV introduction here, and a big European hit in the 90s.

Die Fantastischen Vier - Die da

   

In Berlin I saw two men fuck in the dark corner of a basketball court.
Just a slight jangle of pocket change pulsing. 

Why? - The Hollows