Annett Bonkowski

Time itself is a peculiar construct. There is a first time for most things in life and, therefore, it is often these moments that hold a uniqueness and most likely a special sentiment that you then carry with you for the months and years to come, if you are lucky. Discovering an artist and fully embracing their work for the first time has always been, to this date, an exceptionally thrilling experience for me. In 2010, Villagers' magnificent debut album 'Becoming A Jackal' ended up leaving a lasting impression on me.

The world would be a much duller place without rock’n’roll music in it. In fact, without Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in it. A powerful, raw guitar sound that shakes you thoroughly and resonates a feeling of uproar and , if needed, a certain will to strive against the stream will always remain valid. The boldness and drive that come along with rock music in its purest form have never disappeared, despite the genre being declared dead multiple times over the past decades.

The past few years have not exactly been easy for Caribou’s Dan Snaith. Despite piling up hundreds of song ideas and working tirelessly on his new album 'Suddenly', personal challenges and unexpected turns shaped the musical outcome to a large degree. An album that has been inspired by a very personal view on life more than anything forcing Snaith to step out of his own fears and taking on new roles. NBHAP editor Annett Bonkowski caught up with the acclaimed artist.

Pulling off a whole album circling around the theme of motherhood coming from a male artist is - quite frankly speaking - exactly what we need in 2019. Devendra Banhart may be one of the few contemporary male artists who are able do that with a great deal of sensitivity, warmth and openness. His latest work 'Ma' combines all of these characteristics beautifully while approaching the topic in its full spectrum.

Putting on a festival in 2019 comes along with a great deal of responsibilities. Lollapalooza Berlin, which celebrated its fifth edition this year, was back for a second consecutive round of music, art, fun and more at the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Park and approximately 85,000 visitors each day. Quite a large number of guests that were ready to be entertained in all possible ways.

In recent years, it would have been easy for Kindness to push themselves to the fore. With as many talents in their pockets as Adam Bainbridge and a long list of musical activities, high profile collaborations and various spectra covered such as writing, producing, djing or having their own radio programme, the limelight was right there. However, Kindness chose to let their work speak for itself mostly from a position in the half-shade . And it did. Rather soft-spoken in general, but always determined, profound and open-minded.

Before the summer is slowly fading away, we are blessed with "Forever Turned Around" - Whitney’s gorgeous follow up to 2016’s magnificent debut "Light Upon The Lake" that saw Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek become indie folk’s newest darlings with a very busy schedule of touring the world together afterwards. Working hard and following your passion is always best when you can share the experience with someone else which is very much the case here for the two longterm friends Max and Julien who have been making music together since the tender age of 18.

Releasing a double album in 2019? Bold move. Writing a song about synthesizer brands? Even bolder. Or in other words: The Divine Comedy are back. On their eleventh studio album, the band from Northern Ireland returns with unstoppable curiosity, wit and love for imagination while the storytelling circles around one theme in particular: Office Politics. A title enough to stretch the band's already existing creative dimensions even further and leaving a lot of room for brilliantly witty observations.

Even if you don't speak French, there is a good chance that the word "Dépaysé" echoes back a certain sensation of melancholy and longing. By choosing it as the album title for his latest musical output, Ahmed Gallab alias Sinkane picked a word that perfectly summed up his feelings while working on new music trying to figure out his place in this world and connecting with himself even more. Dépaysé meaning 'to be removed from one’s habitual surroundings'. 

When two of the most gifted and genuine songwriters of their generations team up, expectations are naturally high. With Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, also known as Better Oblivion Community Center, there was almost no time to ponder over the possible outcome or spirit of their collaborative work with the the duo surprising their fans and media alike with their newest project over night last month - announcing the birth of Better Oblivion Community Center as well as sharing their full debut album simultaneously. It turned out to be a very satisfying surprise to say the least.