If pop music is in German, we are also unaccustomed to hearing this language relay romantic or soft melodies, love songs, or ones about hope or sadness. Major rock and pop bands have stemmed from Germany, think of the Scorpions, Kraftwerk, or the irreverent group Die Toten Hosen, but they were always closer to experimental or hard rock. Very few German pop musicians are known internationally, but there are a few notable exceptions.

German pop star Herbert Grönemeyer is probably the most important exception. With his melodic music and love songs, he has conquered not only Germanybut also Austriaand Switzerland. Two of his albums, “4630 Bochum” (1984) y “Mensch” (2002), have sold more copies than any other albums in Germanyso far. If you would like to personally discover the magic of this singer, do not hesitate to attend the concert he will give in Berlinon May 31. For more information: http://www.groenemeyer.de/

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Bruce Springsteen however, has enhanced his presence and keeps the respect of many fans, despite the ups and downs of his career. Many of his records have been number one on the Billboard, the affection which people have for The boss is almost divine. To understand this phenomenon, consider that Springsteen is a boy from New Jersey, one of the few musical gems that gave birth to the industrial estate just thirty minutes away from Manhattan. “The Boss”, as he was named in the eighties, is the lead singer of the quintessential American suburb, working middle class band, the “blue-collar worker,” type the voice of those who have everything but have many debts. Springsteen speaks of the “working class hero”, the teenager who lost his life in the suburban house with white picket fences, which he never left and where he will die at because he never knew how to leave it

The classic “Born in the Usa,” for example, is often misinterpreted as a nationalist theme, blue, red and white decorated with stars on the flag of the United States. When you hear “Born in the USA,” we do not sense that bad smell of patriotism and false promises. However, if we listen carefully, Springsteen talks about the Vietnam War, the chaos of violence and its victims, the story of a young man who gets into trouble with the police and ends enlisted in the Army, lost a good friend against the enemy, and then returns home to meet up with a country that rejects him and where his sacrifice and that of the other soldiers did not matter much, something like the plot of “Rambo 1″ but in music.

In times of crisis all former formulas are good, so Bruce Springsteen returns to his roots with his latest album “Wrecking Ball”. On May 30, “The Boss” will sing his popular hymns in the famous Olympiastadion in Berlin.

For more information, visit his official website: http://brucespringsteen.net/

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Discover the convenience of renting apartments in Berlin and let its intense nightlife, museums and concerts catch you this spring. Berlin remains an essential destination for all true lovers of good music.

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For Berliners this district, which after 2001 became part of Pankow, remains a place of worship for walking, especially the Kollwitzplatz.

The Kollwitzplatz is located in the center of the Prenzlauer Berg district, this area was once the epicenter of artists and is now one of the favorite spots of the upper class in Berlin. However, it remains attractive for visitors to the city, especially the Water Tower, Wasserturm, a landmark district because today it is a dwelling place and an exhibition hall.

A good point of arrival in Prenzlauer Berg is the U-Bahn Eberswalder Strasse, where also several tram stops run.

Much of the architecture of this district is from the beginnings of the twentieth century and has wide streets that make it very pleasant. At the end of the GDR this area was in very poor condition and has been recovering in recent years, being converted into a zone of high real estate appreciation.

One of its great attractions is the Kulturbrauerei, an old brewery that has become a cultural center and has activities for everyone: theater, restaurants, clubs and concert halls. This place is located near the U-Bahn Eberswalder Strasse, between Schönhauser Allee and Danziger Strasse Sredzkistrasse.

For a night out and to remember the ancient tradition of the district you have Mittwoch, an underground club with a very interesting style. On the ground floor you will find a classic Berlin bar with yellow paper on the walls and old furniture. From 23:00 it is entered through the side door that is hidden behind some planks, be careful to arrive after that time because you must know the password to enter and pay your entry. It is a place with the charm of the underground of the old East Germany which is very much alive and offers a very entertaining atmosphere. Get your entry at  http://www.mittwochsclub.com/ where they send you the password weekly.

In the district there are all kinds of shops to buy at. Kastanienallee is known for shops specializing in designer clothes and fun cafes and restaurants for tourists, and Prenzlauer Allee is Oderbergerstr that has small shops of fashion and fun objects. If you want a place to find everything in one place, at the S-Bahn station is the classic Schönnhauser Allee mall that has everything and everyone knows.

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This holiday you can liven up and forget about everything by renting apartments in Berlin and visiting the great neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg.

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One of the best places to practice athletics is in the Grosser Tiergarten. In one corner of the park we can find the famous Reichstag Platz der Republik  one of the most famous places in Berlin. The park has everything from round paths to a circuit of about 5km in length without slopes or hills, making it an ideal place for all athletes, whether experienced or novice. In addition, a section of the circuit is on the banks of the Spree river so the views are breathtaking.

But if we want an awesome place to run, we have to go to the Schloss Charlottenburg. There, beside the royal palace, the largest one in Germany with its impressive gardens, we have the Schlosspark, which opens from 6am to 20pm. It is free to enter and its tracks are very well preserved and without hills so it’s perfect for all kinds of racers. The circuit has a total distance of about 4km but with the view of the palace, park ponds and trees the jog will seem like a run through wonderland

If you like running in a forest and surrounded by trees, the Volkspark Schöneberg offers exactly that, roads surrounded by trees where we can practice a continuous run including some hills. In addition to the roads, here too there are several places to play other sports so it’s pretty crowded on weekends. The circuit around the park is about 4km in total and, as already mentioned, contains some easy not to steep hills

If we imagine running in an open park, with no trees, greenery and wide paved roads with some hills, there are three parks that meet our needs: Volkspark Rehberge, Volkspark Humboldthain Volkspark Friedrichshain. Three parks circuits between 2 and 3km away that are not only are similar to the above features but also have a beautiful landscape, with lakes, ponds, gardens and monuments to check out in our jog.

And finally, if we are experienced athletes and we want a challenge when running, go to Viktoriapark in Kreuzberg. This route is only for advanced athletes since its slopes are a major challenge where we reach the mountain top of Kreuzberg. The circuit is not very long, only about 1.2 km long, but their paths, do not leave much room for variation and adaptation to the race.

For more information: http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/umwelt/berlin_move/en/laufstrecken/

aleixgwilliam

When we rent apartments in Berlin we will have no trouble finding routes and tracks to race in city parks, where in addition of working out, we can enjoy the great views the city offers.

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What can I tell you about Wave Gotik Treffen that I haven’t told you before. Many things! Rather than tell you the history of the festival, on this occasion I will tell you about my first experience there and, based on that, the things that you mustn’t miss if you decide to go. Firstly, don’t take a heavy suitcase because one of the characteristics of the festival is that huge clothes and accessories stand that’s located in Agra Messepark. It’s a warehouse that during the year holds machinery and cattle food but in the month of May it transforms into a huge shopping centre of gothic clothing, where you can find from hair extensions to decoration for your house, as well as shoes, corsets, jewellery, literature, various accessories, underwear, summer clothes, winter clothes and music in all formats. To summarise: everything! That’s why I recommend that you take as little as possible because also, around the whole city, there are plenty of offers and things to buy.

The centre of the festival is Agra Messepark. From there you can access the most important stage of the festival as well as the medieval area, where you can eat great food at reasonable prices. Also, in this very same place, there’s a medieval music stage and you can sample the best Met, sweet wine, and the best beer with a varied lanscape, because everyone is dressed with their best clothes, so I also recommend bringing a good camera that can record videos.

Walking towards the centre we can find the Werk stages and various breweries and fast food stalls. Once in the centre, the unmissable places are Moritzbastei, a peculiar club, Sixtina, an absynthe bar with live music and all the types of absynthe and Darkflowers, a small nightclub. From all the clothes shops, I would recommend the Xtrax outlet, which is next to Sixtina.

This year, the selection of bands is pretty underground, so for many it will be a chance to get to know new bands as well as the excellent programme of opera, classical concerts, theatre, film, the famous Victorian picnic and the enormous amount of people with the most exquisite imagination when it comes to dressing up. All of this and more make Wave Gotik Treffen a unique festival.

For more information visit: 

http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de/english/info.php

Luz Obscura

A unique event around the world that you must enjoy at least once in your lifetime. Rent apartments in Berlin and check out Germany in the month of May. Oh, and don’t forget to bring a good camera.

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On May 14, some will be lucky enough to attend the much-awaited concert by The Magnetic Fields. And the venue, the Passionkirche – a church – could not be more magical. Are you surprised?

Does that mean The Magnetic Fields is a group that performs spiritual songs? No, this church is known for hosting concerts of all kinds. It’s a treat for the senses, both visually and acoustically.

You may not yet know the group The Magnetic Fields. They are still fairly new. Their first album was released in 1991, and the style is considered in broad terms as U.S. indie pop, although some songs are more refined and could be defined by something like 80s synth pop. Perhaps the music of The Smiths could be seen as a similarly laidback sound that creates an ambience with lots of personality which lets listeners digest the lyrics.

Stephin Merrit and Claudia Gonson are the seeds of the band that was started as a personal project of Merrit and gradually evolved from their beginnings inBoston. The momentum of change came in 1999 with the song “69 Love Songs”, which was the sixth studio album the group made. Today, “69 Love Songs” remains the group’s most popular and acclaimed album. Much of the blame for this is due to the creativity that was put into it, such as the use of various unusual instruments (ukulele, mandolin, accordion, xylophone, banjo, etc.) or the collaboration of several guest artists who sang not only in the chorus but also as lead vocals. All of these details together united with a very original composition have succeeded in making “60 Love Songs” the great album that it is.

The concert in Berlin is part of their spring European tour, after which they will have one more concert inGermanybefore leaving forAmsterdam. Many know the last album the group made in 2012. It is called “Love at the Bottom of the Sea” and among other things, it recaptures the ease of that famous “69 Love Songs”. Merrit and Gonson take turns giving the vocals to the album which includes music inspired by electronica, folk and country.

If you wish to visit the church called Passionskirche in Berlin (Passionskirche Kreuzberg, Marheinekeplatz 1-2) to hear these musical geniuses, don’t put off purchasing your tickets and arranging your trip any longer.

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This city is famous for hosting a large community of young people who promote experimental music and new ways of making music; experimentation is one of the virtues of this city, either in aesthetics, artistic or musical terms. If you go to Berlin, leave your bored attitude at home. In Berlin you will want to be risky and experimental, as a way of life. Many students, adventurers, rockers and junkies come to Berlin in search of new and intense experiences. The city has changed a lot, it is not the same as on the time of Bowie in the seventies, but still, it maintains its good taste, beauty and deep history.

The indie rock is surely one of the most preferred musical genres by Berliners. You can see many hipsters walking down the renovated Kreuzberg, in an attempt to make Berlin a piece of Brooklyn boys and girls come out of a commercial for American Apparel roam the streets of this popular district during the spring and summer. Indeed, Brooklyn travels the world and takes over its streets.

But Berlin is resistant and it retains its own style, from its streets, buildings, shops and restaurants, the quality of life in Berlin is completely different from the one in Brooklyn. Music festivals are also very different and special, and Meltklub Weekender is a clear proof of it. With a poster completely indie, yet novel, this festival takes place within the premises of Astra in Kulturhaus. The advantages of an indoor festival are many compared to an outdoor one. During the outdoor festivals, the sound quality is often lost and it is not really possible to distinguish the sound of the instruments, voices and effects of music. A festival in a close space, allows a smaller number of attendees, which always makes the experience more intimate.

During the three intense days of Meltklub Weekender, you will be able to listen to bands like Mike Snow, Austra, The Hundred in the Hands, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Crookers, Slagsmalsklubben, DJ Neoteric, The Ting Tings, Marina and the Diamonds and Karin Park performing the best of their repertoire. The festival will take place from the 25^th  to 27^th of  May at the Astra Kulturhaus Berlin. For more information, tickets and the daily program of this exciting festival, visit this website: http://www.meltfestival.de/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy the best alternative and experimental music of the moment. In this city, you can always enjoy contemporary music and reasonable prices during the spring and summer, the best seasons to visit the German capital.

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With the rise of grunge to the throne of commercial music and the death of Kurt Cobain, all alternative rock artists realized they had lost the war against rock. kobain became exactly what he most despised: a shirt, a poster, a reference for a generation. All small bands from around the world, began to play in their garages and small bars, they had their fifteen minutes of fame, the opportunity to sign important contracts, international touring, being part of the huge boom in the alternative rock world. Cobain’s death, achieved massive sales for Nirvana, and the other independent bands  for better or for worse increased sales tenfold on the entire planet.

On May 11, you have the opportunity to re-live the grunge era at the Fritzclub at Postbahnhof in Berlin. The Lemonheads were one of the bands that emerged from all this commercial tumult and yet kept enough distance to avoid being corrupted by big business of commercial rock. Formed in 1986 by frontman Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, Lemonheads released their first album in 1987, the classic “Hate your Friends”. In essence totally punk, with delicate melodies and a soulful voice, the sound of The Lemonheads was a fresh review of California hardcore but with a far more romantic output and less speed. Their next album, 1988, “Creator”, is worth mentioning for its  ¡great songwriting ability and new musical style: A mix of melancholy and aggressiveness. However, no one would have heard of The Lemonheads it not was for the cover they did of the classic Simon & Garfunkel, “Mrs. Robinson, “published in 1992. To date, this single remains their most  recognized and heard song .

While The Lemonheads, like many others, they failed to achieve the commercial success that they deserved, they continue to tour both the U.S. and Europe, playing their best songs and proving that sometimes, maintaining creative integrity requires significant sacrifices.

For more information on the venue and tickets: http://www.fritzclub.com/

Alexa Ray

Nothing better to rent apartments in Berlin and enjoy the city the spring and summer. If you love alternative rock and underground music, Berlin is definitely for you.

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The explosion of social networking as a means of activism and political positioning over the past two years has had likewise a great importance. The Internet has eased access to information about human rights abuses, protests, the global economic crisis and continuing wars errors. Thanks to the Internet and new technologies, we have the opportunity to speak out against what we believe, to which we’re not satisfied or feel is unfair, and to share this feeling and are spread by various news channels that are posted on sites like Facebook and Twitter. This phenomenon, has made millions of people, who were previously indifferent to social change or termination of inhumane acts, getting involved and being helpful in the discovery of truth, and the pursuit of a reality more democratic and fair to all citizens of the world. The Internet has made it inevitable that we get involved in the problems suffered in other places and communities, all windows have been opened and finally we can see outside by ourselves, the world has become bigger, as a result of globalization.

Berlin Web Week, is a week of events, conferences and seminars related to the latest advances in computer and Internet. From the 2nd to the 9^th of May, professionals and experts in the field of communication, social networks, and technology, will gather in one place. Topics such as online security, finance, hacking, human relations on the web, health, politics and development of digital communication platforms, will be discussed and shared by all attendees. No doubt this is a great opportunity to get updated on everything related to new uses of the Internet and how they are changing and benefiting our lives. For more information on Berlin Web Week, and a complete listing of events and activities to be carried out in this intense week, visit their official website: http://berlinwebweek.de/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and discover the fascinating world of technology and information in this important event. Berlin remains at the forefront in all that relates to technology and social networks.

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NKOTB on the other hand, are just the product of a casting made back in 1984 by the ambitious producer Maurice Starr, five guys from Boston trained to entertain and love the teenage audience. With some talent for singing and dancing, NKOTB released their first album in 1986 without achieving much recognition. It was not until 1988 with the album “Hangin ‘Tough” and singles like “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”, “Cover Girl” and “Please Do not Go Girl”, that they got the international recognition. Their next albums, “Merry, Merry Christmas” (1989) and “Step by Step” (1990) they consolidated their success. Fortunately, during the early nineties, the wave of alternative rock crushed New Kids on the Block and their terrible pop. In 1994 they edited their latest production, “Face the Music” and then finally separated a year later. After much speculation and contracts, NKOTB decided to meet to perform some concerts and gather some money for some years. This 2012, New Kids on the Block returned to international tour fame with another “boy band”, the emblematic boys of the nineties: the Backstreet Boys.

As in the eighties, today’s new music market is monopolized by pop stars of very poor quality, to which only businessmen and producers looking to find the best commercial hook, getting an album contract with a juicy crime and fill their wallets. Once again, we live badly rock n roll times for the final. If NKOTB have some merit, they come to production standards high enough to be a group of teenagers that finally, with great intelligence, they could take control over their own music production; one of the most important merit for artists of their kind with great quality labels. And, what about the Backstreet Boys? Well, that’s another long and painful history. For more nostalgia, pop hormones, and NKOTB, visit their official website: http://nkotb.com/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy this unforgettable event. If you are a fan of New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys, this concert will bring you the two groups on a single concert: a dream that will come true.

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