What American music is popular in Germany? Do US CDs work in Germany?

Question

If you happen to have read or answered my last question, I am looking for great gifts for my host family. I have received enough amazing answers on the last question, though I still have a few things that I am curious about.

First, if I were to give a 19 year old, an 18 year old and a 14 year old [both girls] CDs, what American groups or bands would be appropriate or popular? I know that DVDs from the US are not compatiple with German DVD players [and vice versa], but what about CDs?

What kind of American magazines are popular in Germany? On my last question, it was suggested fashion magazines and such, any other suggestions?

Thanks so much to everyone for the suggestions!

Answer 1

You!  Again!  : )

CDs will work anywhere.  The DVD thing is mostly because of p****y issues and extreme variances in international release dates.  If you burn TV episodes off of your home TV, most DVD players will play them, no matter where you're at.  Without subtitles, the average German's not going to be able to understand them, though.  

The same bands that are on the radio here are on the radio in Germany.  However, the indie music scene in Germany is nothing like the indie music scene in America - unless you're in Berlin, there's not really much of one.  Bring them CDs from local/indie bands that you like, that they'd never hear of otherwise.  A huge part of the fun in getting presents from America, no matter what the age, is that none of their friends are going to have anything like it.  Some musicians that are semi-popular in America but that my students hadn't heard of were Ben Lee, Hot Hot Heat, Carbon Leaf, Jeff Buckley, Treephort, and Jump, Little Children.  Don't worry too much about having swear words on the CD; nothing's censored out on German radio.

Germans have their own versions of fashion and celebrity gossip magazines, as well as pretty much any other type of magazine that you can get in America.  I've always been an Economist/National Geographic/New Yorker kind of girl, but my sister would send me mindless sorts of mags like People, Elle, Cosmo, and other stuff targeted towards teenage girls/young women - you would probably know the titles better.  My students loved them because 1) they knew the stories/themes from the German mags already so they didn't have to get too hung up on words they didn't know, 2) there are lots of pictures, so even if they weren't so great at English, there was still something for them to look at and enjoy, and 3) ads are fun to look at in any language.  Magazines with actual substance are most likely going to be waaaayyyy too hard for the vast majority of German teenage girls, though.

Late edit - just saw what you are getting for your host mom.  Make sure you get her some measuring cups and spoons.  Germans measure dry ingredients by weight and not by volume, so they've got kitchen scales but no measuring cups or spoons.  She won't be able to cook anything from the cookbook without them.

Answer 2

US CDs work on German CD players. Same thing. Also the music is more ore less the same. Take a look @ the current German charts (http://www.mtv.de/charts/germany). Not so sure if a US CD is _that_ special...

You can buy US magazines here too, usually in well sorted bookstores or the airport or main stations. But it is more special, IMO.

It really depends on the kids, maybe, just to see something gossip some of the yellow-press magazines..? There should be something for teenagers. Or cartoons.