Playlist: HITS magazine

To celebrate the release of our first print issues, here's a playlist featuring all artists involved.

HITS x Berlin

We hosted our very first live gig in Berlin - and this is what it looked like.

Cover The HITS

Our latest video series - covers performed by our favourite acts, exclusively for us.

Video Interview: Scenic Route To Alaska

Melting away in front of Stuttgart's castle, we had a chat about touring, band names, Toy Story and a lot more.

Find us on YouTube!

Visit us on the 'tubes for interviews, exclusive performances and outtakes.

Monthly round up: November



Hey guys,
and with that November is pretty much over. Crazy!
You really start to realize how quick months pass when you do these monthly round ups.

Just looking at my little list of articles which went online this month makes me happy.
The big things were all produced in October but sharing them this month was the big fun.

And again things went very well and I had a pretty great November with you.  

EP Review: 'fünfkommafünf Lieder' by byebye


 Band: byebye
Title: fünfkommafünf Lieder
Genre: Acoustic Pop
Label: unsigned
Release: 2012
hits rating: 9/10
_____________________________________

Hey guys,
don't worry - you are not drunk - the title of today's review is German. ;-)

The band byebye contacted me and ask for a review on Albumcheck. (You probably know that I'm a contributer for this amazing webzine.)
Of course I agreed and got two CDs - the album I reviewed for Albumcheck and another EP which I decided to take for house in the sand.

Spotlight On: Permanent Ability


Hey guys,
today I'd love to introduce a very special band to you.

Permanent Ability, a funk-rock/alternative band from the sunny side of the globe, Los Angeles.

Photo Sunday: Social Print Studio (+Giveaway!)



Hey guys,
I love printed pictures.
I really do.
It's just so much cooler to hold them in your hands instead of only have them saved on your computer. 

It just seems a bit more 'real' to me.

And that's why I love finding new services that print your pictures in cool ways.
Last Photo Sunday I introduced 'PhotoLove' to you, a service which prints your pictures as polaroids. 


This week the wonderful Social Print Studio team offered me 48 of their mini prints from Prinstagr.am

Playlist: editor's choice



Hey guys,
it's been a while since I last did something on a more personal level.
Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you about my problems or anything, I'm just going to share what's on my playlist. :)


I hope you enjoy!

Interview: Kiirstin Marilyn


Hey guys,
the absolutely lovely (and beautiful!) Kiirstin Marilyn took some time to answer my questions and I can't wait to share the interview with you.

But first of all - who is Kiirstin Marilyn? 

Kiirstin is an independent artist from New York City and she's always been involved in music things.
So far Kiirstin released an EP called 'Something To Die For' in March 2012. 


With her newest single "The Struggle" she's ready to catch your attention with her expressive voice, different influences and a lot of genres blended together.
Watch out - you are going to love her!


Get ready to learn more about her musical background and find out what she says about giggles on stage, mosh pits and a lot more!

Get To Know: Cold Summer



Hey guys,
it's been a while since the last Get To Know post. But today the lads from Cold Summer are here to introduce themselves.

I am pretty sure the rock music lovers here are going to love them. So read ahead and enjoy.

Who are you?
We're Cold Summer based in Leeds / Wakefield area of England. Dan (Feast) sings, we have two Chris's! Chris (Harrison) plays guitar and Chris (Hepworth) plays bass, I'm Justin (Eastwood) and I play drums.

HITS exclusive: "My Dog Don't Like The Rain" by Martin and James

 
Hey guys,
I am really excited about what I can present you today.

You probably remember Martin and James going on tour being all over the news. (Nice song reference!)
Well at least I tweeted and facebooked and blogged about it.

Maybe you even remember the interview I've done with Martin, James and their support act Jim Kroft. 

If not ... you should watch it! Here.

And before we've done that interview the good guys gave me a look on what soundcheck looks like. It's a lot of fun!

And then they kind of surprised me with an exclusive performance for house in the sand.

But have a look yourself. : )

Interview: Hey Bulldog


Hey guys,
 I recently chatted with Rob from Hey Bulldog, a three piece band from Manchester, England.
Inspired by one of the biggest bands, The Beatles, the guys play a mix of psych and rock'n'roll.


Hey Bulldog are:
Rob Manton (guitar, vocals)

Matt Parry (bass, vocals)
Ben Howarth-Lees (drums

Get to know the guys a bit better and find out their dogs, their EP, recording and a lot more. 

Album Review: 'Glacia' by Western Jaguar


Artist: Western Jaguar
Title: Glacia
Genre:
Indie-Rock, Alternative
Label: unsigned
Release:
19th September 2013
hits rating: 7/10
_____________________________________
 
Hey guys,
Western Jaguar is Jeffrey Trainor's music project.
The musician from Mission, British Columbia (Canada) released his debut album 'Glacia' just a few months ago.

And I got the pleasure to review it for you. So here we go!

EP Review: 'Topanga' by Decoded


 Band: Decoded
Title: Topanga
Genre: Rock, Soul
Label: unsigned
Release: 12th November 2013
hits rating: 7/10
_________________________________

Hey guys,
get your air guitars out - we need to rock!

Yes, today I have a very rock based EP review for you.
By the band Decoded from Los Angeles. Called 'Topanga'. It's pure rock.


Decoded are:
Derek Jordan (vocals, guitar)
Heather Miller (drums)
Tarah Carpenter (bass, backing vocals)

And their EP is out today! 

Photo Sunday: PhotoLove



Hey guys,
I think you all know how much I love getting to know YOU, my beautiful audience, better. 

Thanks to Twitter and Facebook things are a lot easier and I was lucky enough to chat with tons of you so far.
Besides that passion for music we all share, a big amount of you also loves photography. And so do I. 

 
And that is the reason why I now present you 'Photo Sunday' - a new segment where I try to entertain you with photography based information.


Album review: 'Avril Lavigne' by Avril Lavigne


Artist: Avril Lavigne
Title: Avril Lavigne
Genre: Pop-Rock
Label: Sony Music
Release: 1st November 2013
hits rating: 6/10
____________________________________

Hey guys,
as I told you I'm working quite hard right now to get house in the sand a bit bigger so I now also accept bigger artists to review.
I hope you accept that decision and are looking forward to see where this is going. :)

So today I got Avril Lavigne's new record, which is her fifth but first selftitled album.

Recorded and produced in Hollywood's Henson Studios with the help of husband Chad Kroeger, Martin Johnson (worked with Taylor Swift) and David Hodges (Kelly Clarkson, Christina Perri). 

The HITS Playlist: part 5



Hey guys,
yup - it's that time of the month where you get 13 great songs at once.

The songs are by artists that have been featured on house in the sand and are now playlisted.
I hope you enjoy!

Interview: Tyler Ward



Hey guys,
I'm pretty sure that most of you already know the name Tyler Ward and also know what he's known for.
Tyler Ward is a singer/songwriter from Denver, US who started to upload videos of cover songs and originals on YouTube in 2008 and soon became a sensation.


With his talent, passion and the support of his fans he's achieved a lot so far:

He toured America and Europe, got signed and released his debut album.


To find out what Tyler told me about his album, editing videos and more, read the interview.  He even shared his tour bus essentials. You should not miss this!

(click the soundcloud audios to hear Tyler answer the a few questions)

EP Review: 'Heavy Eyelids' by Shoot The Rabbit

 
Band: Shoot The Rabbit
Title: Heavy Eyelids
Genre: indie, rock
Label: unsigned
Release:
25th November 2013
hits rating: 9/10
__________________________________ 

Hey guys,
the good guys of Shoot The Rabbit have released teir new EP called 'Heavy Eyelids'.
Compared with huge names like Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys and The Cure, the indie band from North Wales, UK still has a very own sound.

Shoot The Rabbit are:
David Bullough (lead guitar, vocals)
Rhodri Davies (drums)
Matt Norton (bass)
Adam Taylor (rhythm guitar)

Video interview: Jim Kroft & Martin and James ...a very Scottish decision.


Hey guys,
last week I met up with Martin, James and Jim for an interview.
And I think it's safe to say that none of us exactly knew what was going to happen.

They didn't know what kind of questions I'd ask and I didn't know they would turn this into some serious kind of debating round.


But have a look yourself!