Artist Spotlight: Tokio Hotel

Whether or not you've managed to catch Tokio Hotel's track "Monsoon" on the airwaves or rocked out to it via plastic guitar in the new release of Guitar Hero World Tour, you may be in for a surprise. Tokio Hotel is a German band found in 2001 by 12 year old identical twins, singer Bill Kaulitz and guitarist Tom Kaulitz. The band also features drummer Gustav Shafer and bassist Georg Listing and is Europe's answer to the Jonas Brothers. Bill's prepubescent vocals and wild "hair band" looks, along with the band's catchy tunes and suprisingly mature musicality has made them into a teen sensation in Germany, where they have sold nearly 5 million CDs and DVDs. Their first album, Schrei, was released in 2005 on Island Records and sold a half a million copies worldwide, while earning four top five singles in Germany and Austria. Two years later, the band released a second German album, Zimmer 483, along with an English album Scream. Together, the albums have sold over a million copies worldwide, charting in the top slots in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Canada before reaching the United States. Since then, the band has won best InterAct at the MTV Europe Music Awards and Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards, beating out such greats as Metallica and Linkin Park.

The first hit single known in the U.S. as "Monsoon" is titled "Durch den Monsun" on the band's first album "Schrei." The original version of the track can be found on the U.S. album release of "Scream" along with the contemporary English version of the song. Notably, the original track is several keys higher, suiting Kaulitz' then pre-pubescent vocals. Kaulitz' voice has since deepened, though the members of Tokio Hotel have maintained the boyishness which has given them icon status among teens worldwide. Singer Kaulitz has even been immortalized in wax at the Madame Tussauds Berlin. At 19 years old, he is the youngest person featured in this museum.

Tokio Hotel has since returned to their studio in Hamburg, Germany, where they are working on a new album set to be released in both German and English in March or April of next year. Eager fans, however, can anticipate a behind-the-scenes DVD release "Tokio Hotel TV - Caught On Camera" to be released before the holidays.

For more, visit the bands official website.

Music video of the original: Durch Den Monsum ("Monsoon") by Tokio Hotel