Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The Swiss selection moves ahead. The 18 songs and artists have been chosen in various ways. The next step is the live audition infront of a jury on December 7, 2014 where the 18 become six this way: 3 of the German speaking SRF entries will make it, 2 from the French speaking RTS and one of the Italian speaking RSI. These six will battle it out in the national final on January 31, 2015 in Kreuzlingen. Who are your favorites? SRF selected acts (listen HERE ) Arbresha   –   Same stars Bubble Beatz feat. Sandra Wild   –   Run Thierry Condor   –   Open heart surgery Dahï   –   Destiny Simon Hafner   –   There was a yesterday Andy McSean   –   Hey now San Dii   –   iMagination Timebelle   –   Singing about love Tiziana   –   Only human RTS selected candidates (listen HERE ) Alenko  –  Vu d’en haut Anach Cuan   –   Hurdy gurdy girls Celia   – ...

Swiss RTS or the French speaking broadcaster has chosen its six - mostly non-French - songs for the audition round next month that will join the three Italian songs by RSI and the nine German SRF ones that will be revealed later this week.  You can listen to these six here .  I will comment the songs once the full line up is ready..... Alenko – Vu d’en haut Anach Cuan – Hurdy gurdy girls Celia – Letter to myself Licia Chery – Fly Mélanie René – Time to shine Shana P. – Kevlar heart

Switzerland is a complicated country with four languages, all cantons and cows in the alps. So their Eurovision selection is also one of the most complicated ones as usual.  Three different language tv-stations having their own selections (where's the fourth btw? Isn't it time for another one like this ?) Anyways, the German language SRF has its about 200 songs here . The voting there starts next Monday. The French speaking RTS has shortlisted 26 songs from submitted entries (something I would suggest to SRF as well before putting them online as about 90% of them are pure crap!). Now a special jury will first cut them to 12 and then to six.  These six will go battle against the nine entries chosen by SRF and the three chosen by the Italian speaking RSI, that have not been revealed yet. December 7, 2014 there will be live audition with all these selected songs (9+6+3) and a jury will choose six of them for the national final on January 31, 2015. Complicated? M...

Let's try again he said after giving us this / this and this . And even this . This blogger loves though this one and he has even recorded Antti Kleemola's Euroviisut entry Sun puolella to his worthcoming album. But before all that it's all about Rebecca . She sings Let's try again and it's a beautiful song with fantastic arrangements and her voice fits it perfectly. This could be off Celine Dion album, isn't it? Will he be third time lucky with her after Auryn (7th in Spain 2011) and Melissa (4th in Switzerland 2013)...

More songs has been submitten to the Swiss selection when the deadline comes closer. Today we start with a group of three The Voice of Switzerland finalist; Iris Moné, Argentinian Gisel de Marco and Ricardo Sanz aka 3 For All . Their song is Together forever . Let's see if they together at least until Copenhagen! The song has a good feeling, nice arrangements and incredients. Yasmina Hunzinger from the German Voice performs a standard ballad I still believe . It has a bit of a country flavor and she has a lovely voice and can hold her note. Paula Marengo comes from Spain and sings in French her J'ai envie de toi , that is rather charming, catchy and different. What would be an Eurovision selection be without fans writing a song? That is the case of It's not impossible by Michael James . Written and produced by Michael James Down, Primoz Poglajen, Jonas Gladnikoff, Johnny Sanchez & Dimitri Stassos - all familiar names to Eurovision freaks. In good or in bad it'...

Yesterday I already blogged about four songs and here are four more that got me interested and listening the songs in full.  When soul meet opera the result is Hopera . And that's what K'ream and LaLa (Ackermann) are offering us. The combination is rather captivating and haunting. Onca again the question is how this will work out live, in case of.... Patric Scott is no stranger to the national selection and here he is again with Alive . A strong catchy pop song. "I'm so over you, I don't need you anymore" he sings. (I hope he doesn't mean his previous duet partner Fabienne Louves. Wasn't it Real love after all?) Vanessa Krasniqi sing My man . It's a power ballad in American style heard about a million times but somehow it still sounds good and sincere. I hope her journey here won't end up like the song's editing on this preview... Autsch!  Two Swiss sisters, what else could they call themselves but Swissters ? Celebration is ...

The SRF's internet submission in Switzerland ends in less than a week and it's as good a time as any to have a look what's in store there.  First I picked Jerome Mevis and All we can do . It's a sweet guitar ballad with nice vocals and just gets better with each listening. Sometimes less is more and this is another prove of just that. If this acoustic guitar duo can be as convincing live, who knows where they could end up? Next Sand Lato , and funky girl with Italian roots singing in French C'est fini , what would be more suiting for Switzerland? Fun song with great performer and sound. Could this do the trick in Copenhagen? Nothing like real German schlager, is there? Well, yes....but... Anyways, Leonard and his man of the world, Ein Mann von Welt brings us back in time in sound and melody, and he looks the part, too. Maybe the circle has turned as it sounds quite cool again! This is like Nino de Angelo of the 2010's. MBHL of My Body Has Legs i...

Switzerland or rather SRF uses again the very questionable way of letting anyone upload their entries in the hope to be selected. So far it's been rather quiet, less than 50 songs are up but as usual, the best and most serious ones will be added the last minute. Listen them here . This year already three Finns are at it, too. ARTO * who has tried his luck in UMK and other talent shows without luck in Finland, and has become a sort of a cult figure in the fan circuit has sent in Pysähtyneet . Then we have a band called Pöytä osaa puhua (Table can talk) and Meren keskellä on kukka . You better listen that one yourself! And then there's Max and the Ducks , already a regular in the Swiss selection - this time with Anna-Kaisa and Misery .And it's not bad at all.... Not only Finns and Swiss have been busy as the songs in various languages come also from Russia, France, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Turkey, USA, UK.... * Update: Actually this song was sent to UMK 2014 and r...