Tokio Hotel were featured in The Star, a well-known Malaysian newspaper, dated 31st May 2008! It's under the Showbiz section, with the page title, 'Tokio Hotel Totally Rocks', and a picture of the guys to seal the deal. WOW. Malaysia, huh?!

Source

Review

These four young guys from Germany have taken two ridiculously successful German language albums and put together what is sure to be a hot-selling English debut. Right now Tokio Hotel is doing the rock/emo vibe better than anyone else, and they’ve become incredibly popular world-wide as a result, with legions of loyal fans attending every show or autograph signing. On Scream, Tokio Hotel shows how polished they are for being young musicians. They pump up the crowd with energetic, rhythm heavy songs like “Ready, Set, Go!”, get a little darker in Scream, and the rock ballads Monsoon and Rescue Me, and put the emo into emotion with “Sacred” and “Forgotten Children”. Cheers to the boys and especially Bill who worked very hard to pull off singing his strong vocals in English. Though they’ve received a lot of hype world-wide, the boys of Tokio Hotel proved that they rock, no matter what country you might live in.

• Scream contains English versions of songs from previous albums Schrei and Zimmer 483
• The US version of Scream has two bonus tracks, “Black” and “Raise Your Hands”, plus the world premiere of “1000 Oceans”.
• In Germany, Tokio Hotel have released four number one singles and two number one albums.
• “By Your Side” appears in the 2008 thriller Prom Night.

Rating:

source: kidzworld.com

Move over Jonas Brothers, the Kaulitz twins are moving in.

The 18-year-old Kaulitz brothers comprise half of Tokio Hotel, a German glam-pop quartet that is creating Beatles-like hysteria among the teen set in their native land. They've sold close to 3 million CDs and DVDs in their native country, and are hoping to replicate that rabid fan base in the United States.

"They're the stepping stone between the tween stuff and My Chemical Romance," says Andrew Gyger, senior product manager for Virgin Entertainment Group, a few days after the foursome appeared at Virgin's Times Square store in New York in May to promote its English-language album, "Scream."

"The in-store was massive in terms of sales and the amount of girls that showed up," Gyger says, relaying stories of at least one girl fainting and screaming teens lining up around the block for the event. "The band seems to have come out of nowhere."

Actually, Tokio Hotel came out of the Internet. A YouTube search shows 123,000 video listings compared to 88,100 for the Jonas Bros. or 21,000 for a grizzled veteran like Bruce Springsteen. To further sate their young fans' appetite, for the last six months the band has produced weekly episodes of Tokio Hotel TV for its U.S Web site.

For Tokio Hotel, the visual is as vital as the vocals and is propelled by lead singer Bill Kaulitz's anime look: straightened, teased black hair; heavy eye makeup that accentuates his delicate, androgynous, doll-like features; chain necklaces and vintage rock and roll T-shirts. He's so thin he appears almost one dimensional on stage, adding to the cartoon-like appeal. But to hear him tell it, his look comes by way of Transylvania, not Japan.

When he was 10, Bill Kaulitz dressed as a vampire for Halloween and adopted the styling year-round.

"After that, I started to color my hair and polish my nails. I started to wear makeup and stuff. I'd never heard of (anime)," Bill Kaulitz said in an interview at the Avalon Hollywood before to the group's sold-out show in Los Angeles. He, his brother, bassist Georg Listing, 20, and drummer Gustav Schafer, 19, are squashed together in a leather booth in the lounge one floor above the Avalon stage. Both he and Tom speak very good, albeit heavily accented, English, although an interpreter stands by in case any translation is needed.

Tom Kaulitz, the older brother by 10 minutes ("A lot of people think Bill is the boss, but I am the boss," he laughs), developed his hip-hop/dreads look when he was seven or eight, in part as a way to differentiate himself from his identical twin. "When we were six, we looked the same," Tom Kaulitz said. "We had sweat shirts with (the names) Bill and Tom so that teachers had a chance to know who's who."

The Kaulitz brothers began playing guitar when they were seven — the instruments were gifts from their musician stepfather. By the time they were in their mid-teens, they were playing in clubs, often to less than five people, and Listing and Schafer had joined the band.

Their mother's backing was not only desired, but vital: "We needed the support of our parents because we had no car, no money," Bill Kaulitz says.

Mom has long since stopped driving the band to gigs; they have people who do that for them now as they have accumulated a team during their meteoric rise. The group's first single, "Through the Monsoon," went to No. 1 in Germany in 2005, a pair of No. 1 albums and sold-out European tours followed.

The fan frenzy in Germany has reached epic proportions, such as when a group of teen girls delivered a fan letter that was more than seven miles long. After seeing a young fan repeatedly at shows in different cities, the band later learned that she was a runaway who had left home to follow the group. "It's still crazy to us," Bill Kaulitz says of the distaff attention.

After witnessing the spectacle at the band's February appearance at New York's Gramercy Theatre, Amy Doyle, MTV's senior VP of music and talent, became a convert. "I could not believe the line outside of screaming teen girls," she said. "It reminded me of the audience of the late '90s and 2000 for Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync."

Following that performance, MTV added the video for "Ready, Set, Go" into heavy rotation, as well as highlighted the band online, on mtv2 and on "TRL." Tokio Hotel writes a tour diary for MTV.com, which, Doyle says, had elicited more reader comments than any previous tour diary.

But the band has a long way to go before they reach Backstreet or 'N Sync like sales — since the group's CD was released in April, it has sold just over 23,000 copies. Tokio Hotel's U.S label, Cherrytree/Interscope, has yet to take the first single, "Monsoon," to radio, but Doyle says the whole package is the band's selling point.

"Radio always helps, but there's a connection that clearly is made when the audience sees them that you can't connect with just a song; fans are making an emotional connection."

Indeed, at the Avalon show that evening, teenage girls packed up against the stage so tightly that security guards started a regular procession of lifting them over the railing as several teen become overcome by the nearness of their heroes and the pressure of those pushing behind them.

"It's so cool that we have fans already here. But we are at the beginning," Bill Kaulitz. "We really want to be successful in America, we really want to try it. There are not so many German bands who get the chance to come to America to play."

Tokio Hotel already has Madison Square Garden in its sights, but also knows it had to put in the footwork. On this trip, they went to the vaunted venue; not to perform, but to see Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige.

"It's a dream to play there," Tom Kaulitz says, shaking his head up and down. "Maybe in two years. You need goals in your life."

link to article:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...e080919D57.DTL

They were the winner of the VIVA-Comet-evening; creamed off four of the much in demand music-awards.

It is clear, that the Tokio Hotel – boys really celebrated at the After-Show-Party.
Until six o’clock in the morning they celebrated their mega-triumph! “I’m so happy that I can talk finally with somebody in German,” Bill Kaulitz (18) said, “our English is so incredibly bad.”

Bill and his brother Tom (18) and the bandmembers Georg (21) and Gustav (19) have interrupted their celebrated tour in the US and Canada. Overseas they tried to talk with their school English , “but it wasn’t that fantastic.”
It was more fantastic, that even four bodyguards cleared the toilets for the Kaulitz-brothers from “foreign-pee-guys” and blocked the doors with their big shoulders.
Even “superstar” Mark Medlock (29) and singer Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht (16) had to wait well-behaved with peeing.
Bitter for Bill: He lost his diamond-ring at the party!
Translated by janasternenreise

TH with security at toilet

They were the winner of the VIVA-Comet-evening; creamed off four of the much in demand music-awards.

It is clear, that the Tokio Hotel – boys really celebrated at the After-Show-Party.
Until six o’clock in the morning they celebrated their mega-triumph! “I’m so happy that I can talk finally with somebody in German,” Bill Kaulitz (18) said, “our English is so incredibly bad.”

Bill and his brother Tom (18) and the bandmembers Georg (21) and Gustav (19) have interrupted their celebrated tour in the US and Canada. Overseas they tried to talk with their school English , “but it wasn’t that fantastic.”
It was more fantastic, that even four bodyguards cleared the toilets for the Kaulitz-brothers from “foreign-pee-guys” and blocked the doors with their big shoulders.
Even “superstar” Mark Medlock (29) and singer Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht (16) had to wait well-behaved with peeing.
Bitter for Bill: He lost his diamond-ring at the party!
Translated by janasternenreise

source: express.de

His serious vocal cord surgery isn’t even two months back, but it seems as if “Tokio Hotel’s” singer Bill Kaulitz [18] didn’t learn from that shock. Now he was caught with a cigarette back in his mouth! Is the singer smoking his voice away?

At the Comet Awards, the Magdeburgers won 4 prizes, and celebrated till the early hours of the morning. Drinking and smoking too…

BILD am SONNTAG asked Bill yesterday afternoon if he knows that smoking can endanger his music career.

Bill Kaulitz answers: “The healing of the wounds on the vocal cords is completely over, but I still smoke very little. I totally take care of my voice, but after the whole stressful weeks, I just really wanted to let myself go and relax on that awesome evening.”

An attitude that medics see as risky and irresponsible. Professor Ralph Mösges, doctor of the ENT at the Uni-Clinic Cologne tells BamS: “After an operation, the vocal cords still react sensitive to the smallest irritations. Especially when a vocal cord cyst was taken away like by Bill. Even the littlest amount of toxins like nicotine can do a lot of damage during the recovery phase.”

The guys of Tokio hotel had a reason to celebrate yesterday: Tom [18], his brother Bill [18], Gustav [19] and Georg [21] cleared up with 4 of the most desired “Comet” trophies! After the ceremony the band really let it blast.

Their quadruple victory was celebrated with alcohol and cigarettes – even Bill grabbed a smoke and a long drink. An unusual sight, since his twin brother Tom was always known as the “Bad Boy”, as he said so himself after a drug search in New York. Tom assumes that especially his dreadlocks hairstyle gives him that image.

Comet Awards 2008
Tokio Bill, where art thou spikes?

Ooh, did someone leave their hairspray in the USA?

They’ve only just been on their triumphal journey through the States, now in Oberhausen - to the big "Comet" awards; Tokio Bill arrived with an unusually straight hairstyle. The excitement of his fans had no stop.

The four boys practically had a "Comet" shower over them: They took four of the eight prizes home. The Viva viewers chose them amongst other categories for "Best band" and "Best live act". The ball for the "Best artist" went to scandal rapper Bushido. The nominated stars themselves awarded Herbert Grönemeyer as their "Star of stars".

La Fee, Udo Lindenberg and Bushido - The who-is-who of the music scene mingled their way through on the red carpet in front of the arena in Oberhausen.

The "Comet 2008" has been given out for the past 13 years.

"We received many letters in the past week to our record company in Berlin from fans that wished that we could be at the 'Comet' in Oberhausen. We’ll be there, promise." Bill gave away to BILD.de prior to the awards.

And look: They kept their word!
Translated by Lenny

source: bild.de

What inspired the songs on your record?

Bill: A lot of things: We found inspiration in situations or circumstances that happened in our lives over the past few years and also in the lives of our friends and family. We've also been moved by fans who have written us letters about their lives, and we've included some of that in our music and lyrics.

What's your favorite song on the record?

Tom: That's a tough one because it always changes and we also differentiate between "favorite song on the record" and "favorite live song". My favorite live song right now is 'Don't Jump.'

Gustav: For performing live, it's 'Raise Your Hands.'

Bill: For me, it's 'Break Away.'

Georg: Hey, same here. Right now, it's 'Break Away.'

Bill: But as Tom said, if you would ask us tomorrow we might name totally different songs -- it always changes.

What are the most-played songs on your iPod?

Tom: '99 Problems,' by Jay-Z.

Georg: 'Big Casino,' by Jimmy Eat World.

Gustav: 'Make It Whit Chu,' by Queens of the Stone Age.

Bill: 'It Means Nothing,' by Stereophonics.

Stern in Germany have picked up on Tokio Hotel and their "pitiful sales". Translations credit to Narin @ tokiohotel.org.uk:

Pitiful sales figures for Tokio Hotel

Tokio Hotel is on a US conquest tour. And the country of endless opportunities lies at the feet of the teen-band. At least, that is what can be read everywhere. Far from it; hardly anyone wants to buy the CDs of Kaulitz & Co.

What to do, when the German market is conquered? Well, it’s clear; on to America. Tokio Hotel is on a US tour. And with “unbelievable success,” as the PR strategists behind Kaulitz & Co. continually report to the homeland. New York, Los Angeles, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers must receive them warmly. Here comes Tokio Hotel!

Or maybe not? In reality, the facts look gloomier than Bill Kaulitz’s eyeliner: According to current Billboard figures which measure record sales in the USA, 16,000 Tokio Hotel CDs went across the counter straight at once. In spite of this, the band is under costly PR-attacks like similarly unknown artists such as Rick Ross and Michael Bubble. In any case, the aim of the Tokio Hotel management team for one million sold CDs lies far in the distance.

“America is so big”

Time for a reality check: Success in the USA certainly doesn’t come overnight. Stars like Miley Cyrus or Rihanna also know this. And somehow frontman Bill Kaulitz also seems to have suspicions that the American adventure is no walk in the park: “It is very difficult to win fans in other countries,” he says with a strong German accent in English interviews. “America is so big, so it’s really hard to get known.”

German staying power

Nevertheless, Tokio Hotel has brought a good German virtue across the Atlantic with them: staying power. A concert at a parking lot in New Jersey? Been done! Entrance into the (today rather unimportant) “Avalon” in Los Angeles? Certainly! 1,500 fans fit in there – over 900 people weren’t allowed in. This is still a long way away from the success of Miley Cyrus, who sold out a concert hall with 10,000 seats in less than 10 minutes.

In reality, German-speaking bands – and also actors – traditionally have a hard time in the USA. Nena and Rammstein are still the only German singing exports who are acknowledged by a fan base today. German stars like Til Schweiger or Franka Potente fail miserably in Hollywood, and at long last pull out grumbling from there.

Following this, the fact that Tokio Hotel – or rather; their management – has the goal to conquer the financially lucrative US market is stopping nothing. It is also a daring manoeuvre for Kaulitz & Co. to even travel there. America is the largest music market in the world. World-famous bands play good locations in LA every day. They come, and they go. Often almost unnoticed. A band like Tokio Hotel could quickly disappear into no man’s land before they’ve properly got going at all. And then “Scream” – the English title of the current album – would remain proverbially lodged in the throat for them…

UK:
Are you a UK fan without a copy of the international version of Scream? Now there is no excuse, it's less that £7 on Amazon! Snatch up your copies!

Who? Tokio Hotel is a successful German pop band formed in the year 2001 in Magdeburg, Germany. Identical twin brothers, Bill Kaulitz and Tom Kaulitz performed in small talent shows as children. They later met schoolmates, Gustav Schafer and Georg Listing and their similar tastes in music led them to create a band called Devilish. They played small shows for a while and in 2003, they were approached by a music executive, Peter Hoffman. They were signed to the Universal music label in Hamburg, Germany and changed their name to Tokio Hotel (Tokio for the city of Tokyo…& why the “io?” It’s a mystery. ” Hotel I guess because they toured and slept in hotels a lot. The band claimed to like the name even though they’ve never been to Tokyo. All members of the band have their own distinct style, but might I add that these styles range from poser-scene to dread locks. Not only that but could they go any heavier on the make-up?

What? “Scream” was released as a single in America on December 11, 2007 under the name “Scream America!” It’s a two track limited edition single with “Ready, Set, Go!” After appearing and performing live on MuchMusic, while touring in Canada, Ready, Set, Go! entered the Much On Demand Daily 10. It remained there for over a week. On March 25th, 2008, Scream was released in Canada. Though Tokio Hotel is growing up, it doesn’t seem like they’re grown up. This single is screaming alright; screaming for help.

Sound? It sounded repetitive and immature. The boy who does lyrics sounds like he’s still going through puberty and the lyrics themselves were even worse! Even if you’re open to all kinds of different music, Tokio Hotel makes you want to roll your eyes and slap yourself silly. Harsh, but true.

Worth the Riches? I’m gonna say no. The single only has 2 songs on it and I can pretty much guarantee you’d get tired of listening to them. I don’t think many Americans would appreciate Tokio Hotel as much as they are in the UK.

Similar Artists:

• Rammstein

• Nena

• Alphaville

(http://tokiohotel.blogg.se)