Check out this interview with members of the indie rock band Madsen, who were about to go on stage at the Hessentag Festival with German bands Juli and Wir sind Helden. Brothers Johannes and Sascha Madsen discuss their music plans and how it’s best not to think about it when you are on the stage in front of 50,000 people. A short clip from their song “Mein Herz bleibt hier” [“My Heart Stays Here”] is included. Viel Spaß!

Kitsch or cult? Since the major role of a garden gnome in the (ironically French) film Amélie, and the trial of artist Ottmar Hörl for his garden gnome giving a Nazi salute, gnomes have been a constant presence in the media. Protest gnomes giving the middle finger or baring their behind have led to court trials, and judging from a few of these dirty little gnomes in the video, you can see why! Viel Spaß!

Barbara leads the students through further examples of relative pronouns, with a nice detour through film history, discussing the merits of Hitchcock crime films versus horror films. Jacob tries to say "Film Noir" in German, but nobody gets it when he says "ein schwarzer Film". A brief foray into the passive verb tense has everyone on their toes: To be continued... Viel Spaß beim Lernen!

The third single from their third record, the song “Krieger des Lichts” (“Warrior of Light”) was a top-ten German hit for Silbermond, a pop band from Bautzen in Saxony. Kopfhörer aufsetzen, Musik aufdrehen!

In many cities around the world there are groups of tourists running around on these strange, silent two-wheeled things that look more like pogo sticks than a means of transportation. Welcome to the Segway, a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle. This video report from the Darmstadt-South-Hesse Magazine gives us a Segway driving lesson and takes us on a Segway tour of some of the beautiful tourist attractions in Darmstadt. Gute Reise!

Film expert Ronny Thorau isn’t pulling any punches in his “Cinema Tips” review of the German-overdubbed version of the American film Battleship, which was loosely based on the eponymous board game. He is much kinder, however, in his appraisal of the Liam Neeson German-overdubbed version of The Grey and of the German-overdubbed version of the French film War of the Buttons. Viel Spaß beim Zuschauen!
Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

The 99 Fire Film Awards offer a 9,999 euro prize to the best 99 second short film. This short film entry from 2012 entitled “Fabien” appears to be a trailer for a film that has not yet been made, but it looks like it could be a great one. Watch it yourself and decide!

Want to go a museum, but either time is tight or the museum is on the other side of the world? No problem! With the Google Art Project you can take a virtual walk through many world-renowned museums from the comfort of your own smart phone. Check this video out and take in the “sites,” from “The Dream” by Henri Rousseau at the MoMA in New York to the marbled skin of a wounded Amazon at the Old National Gallery in Berlin. Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

Another great power ballad from from Austrian singer Christina Stürmer featuring the band rocking out and some nice shots of a hawk attacking a mouse… does it get away? The poetic metaphors abound, but don’t let that distract you from the music! Kopfhörer aufsetzen, Musik aufdrehen!

Did you miss your German class last week? Well you can be glad you didn’t live in the Middle Ages, as the concept of punishment in those days was… torturous. The director of the Middle Ages Torture Museum of Rüdesheim/Rhein shows us the instruments of torture used on people who misbehaved, and points out that some Middle Age methods such as waterboarding are still used by some dubious governments today. Viel Spaß beim Lernen!

For “Muppet Show” and “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” fans alike, this funny video from the Augsburger Puppenkiste features some hilarious puppetry and a good song to boot. Don’t be put off by a couple of words in Southern German dialect — Yabla makes it easy to learn! Viel Spaß!

Barbara is still running through relative pronouns in the genitive case, but this time in relative clauses. We get to learn a lot about Jacob's appearance, and Elke has long hair, but who is Janno and why is his mouth so nice? This one ends in laughter, so see for yourself how you can have viel Spaß beim Lernen!

Who needs Hollywood? Well, everyone in the film industry, really, but there is enough glamour at the annual Berlinale Film Festival to keep the paparazzi shouting. Hear actor Jürgen Vogel and actress Birgit Minichmayr discuss their exciting new film entitled Mercy. Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

Wannsee is a subdistrict of the Berlin district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, which is in the far southwestern part of the city. There are many possible places to go swimming there, and a favorite is the Strandbad Wannsee, the ideal place to recover from the stress of the city!

World No Smoking Day: Everybody knows that smoking isn’t healthy. Some enjoy it and do it with conviction, others want to quit. But it’s not at all that easy! Today could possibly be a good day to stop! „Copyright DPA”

Using metaphors of war and espionage for a love relationship, the singer Maxim delivers a powerful hit song with “Meine Soldaten” [“My Soldiers”]. Not only is the mix of electronic beats and orchestra great, but film and TV actor Frederick Lau gives a fine performance that feels like outtakes from a feature film — if only somebody would make it! Kopfhörer aufsetzen, Musik aufdrehen!

It’s Christoper Street Day in Frankfurt! Join Rhein-Main TV reporter Thomas Raudnitzky as he takes to the wild and crazy streets and discusses gay rights with the parade spokesman, the Green Party mayor and a surprisingly open and accepting member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union.

This is the title track from the latest Tim Bendzko album entitled “Am seidenen Faden” (“Upon Silken Thread”). Incredibly filmed, with images ranging from an enticing woman angel floating through the air to a gray-bearded man crawling in the desert, this video is a must-see for fans of fantasy and beautiful music alike. Kopfhörer aufsetzen, Musik aufdrehen!

This video is for fans of the classic Western shootout as seen in such films as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Wild Bunch, and the more recent Ned Kelly. And last, but not least, for fans of the best German punk rock band in the world, DIE TOTEN HOSEN! Kopfhörer aufsetzen, Musik aufdrehen!

Join the Mile High Club of beauty pageants, performed live on a flying passenger jet miles above the earth! The chief flight attendant tells us that in nine years of Miss Condor Pageants, not a single winner went on to win the national title. (SPOILER ALERT) The world is saved: Miss Condor 2013 became this year’s Miss Germany!

Barbara runs the students through relative pronouns in the genitive case, and though she finds the form to be beautiful, not all of her students are convinced! Still, Alex has finally cleaned up, Sara is keeping a diary, and Barbara explains the genitive case in straightforward terms so you can ace them on your next test. Viel Spaß beim Lernen!

Do you consider yourself big-hearted? Well, the Westphalian Museum of Natural History in Münster has a working replica of a sperm whale heart that is the size of a compact car! For more about the fascinating whale exhibition at the museum, watch this news report. Copyright: Deutsche Presse Agentur [The German Press Agency]

The Düsseldorf band "Die Toten Hosen" has been cranking out ye olde punk rock since 1982, and great power ballads like this one can serve to teach the kids a thing or two about sounding powerful and emotional without a trace of sappy sentimentality. Keeping it real! Kopfhörer aufsetzen, Musik aufdrehen!

Metallica? Ozzy? Who needs the Monsters of Rock when we have the Monsters of Liedermaching! This band’s songs are both smart and funny, so sit back and enjoy this lively interview from the SUBSTAGE club in Karlsruhe. Viel Spaß!