Tuesday, December 28, 2010

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Given the countless songs inspired by Christmas events both secular and religious, you'd think New Year's Eve would have its share. Let's see: there's Frank Loesser's romantic classic, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" (covered admirably by Rufus Wainwright, BTW), Robert Burn's traditional Scottish poem set to a folk song over 200 years ago, "Auld Lang Syne" and...what else? Even the Dan Fogelberg song people tend to associate with New Year's Eve, "Same Old Lang Syne," is about a real-life encounter Fogelberg had with an old high school girlfriend - on Christmas Eve. One of my favorite bands, U2, has a song for January 1, "New Year's Day."

I imagine there have been novelty songs about NYE that have quickly slipped from fashion, but I'll be darned if I can name them for you. New Year's Eve is often a time to go out partying and dancing, so that is perhaps the kind of music we associate most with this holiday, whether our tastes run to Cee-Lo or AC/DC or Vampire Weekend. (Or Guy Lombardo.) Do you have any favorites that help you ring out the old, ring in the new? Will you be going out this NYE or laying low? (Perhaps conserving your energy for da Bears/Packers game on Sunday?) Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve and a prosperous, healthy 2011. Oh and P.S. since our funding came in late 2010, you can expect lots of new music on our shelves in the next few weeks - awesome!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

O Holy Night!


You might think that some of the holiday music in our collection is not top-notch but I can guarantee that nothing we own is as disastrous as the recording of "O Holy Night" you can hear in the above video. Long lay the world, debating over whether this was a professional singer having a joke at our expense or a legitimate attempt at recording the song by a singer whose gifts are lacking. I even wondered if it was a Homer Simpson impersonator. Librarians love a good research mystery and it has taken some time for the offending vocalist to be found, but ladies and gentlemen, he is Steve Mauldin (wow, is that close to maudlin...), and in the video below you can hear his explanation and proof of his identity, as well as his attempt to recreate his shining moment of glory. Yow.



Whatever music you enjoy this holiday season, I hope it sounds absolutely NOTHING like this. :) Peace and cheer to you this Christmas and New Year.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Bring 'Em Home For The Holidays!

And I mean our holiday CDs! I know what you're thinking: Karen, all the good stuff is checked out, right? Depends on how you define good stuff, my friend. Due to our year-end budget crisis, we were not able to purchase the newest holiday titles. Here's hoping next December will bring us Susan Boyle's "The Gift," easily the hottest holiday album out right now (take THAT, ditzy young talentless singers!), along with well-reviewed new offerings from Mariah Carey and Annie Lennox, amongst many others.

To inspire you to think outside the gift box this season, I just took a stroll up to the third floor music area and flipped through the stacks to see what's in right now that will put some ho-ho-hoedown in your holiday. Or, something like that. I think I ate too many cookies today.

1) James Brown's Funky Christmas - HUH! WAAAAAAH! He might not be the first singer that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but come on, make a place for the Godfather of Soul. You can get a taste of this one here on YouTube: "Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto." I love him hearing exclaim, "Tell him James Brown sent you!" It is funky but surprisingly heartfelt.

2)  Sing Christmas And The Turn Of The Year - On Christmas Day, 1957, "Alan Lomax assembled and narrated a holiday celebration on the BBC, featuring music (much of it live) from all walks of British folk styles: skiffle, Welsh choral music, children's choral music, folk ballads, a flute band, a brass band, and more." With all that going on, there's bound to be something you like! I clicked on a sound sample and heard an original tune about Christmas in London done in a Trinidad calypso style - really! It's all just a little bit weird but if you wanted normal you could just put on LITE-FM, no?

3) Bummed Out Christmas - I occasionally suffer from seasonal depression and perhaps you do, too, so give a listen to "Bummed Out Christmas." Released in 1989, Amazon still has it available on audio cassette, should you feel like truly reliving the 1980s. This is a compilation much like a violent mood swing, so it's the Everly Brothers advising that "Christmas Can Kill You," the Sonics' stray cut strutting through "Don't Believe In Christmas," on through George Jones making a "Lonely Christmas Call." Samples here.

4) Music Box Melodies, volume 1 - Yes, it's just what it sounds like. 33 tracks of Christmassy tunes, performed by music boxes. From the familiar, like "Silent Night," O Come All Ye Faithful," ("Adeste Fideles" is also listed - same song, but in Latin. Does the music box translate???) and "Hark The Herald Angels Sing," to music not at all associated with Christmas, like "Jesus, Lover Of My Soul" and "The Skater's Waltz." One reviewer on Amazon calls this "the best Christmas CD." I think it would drive me stark raving mad. You make the call.

5) Merry Xmas From The Space Age Bachelor Pad (I am not making that up)  by Esquivel! - Esquivel! was Juan Garcia Esquivel, considered by many the king of 1950s-1960s era "Lounge" music. His groovy chorus of vocalists often sang only nonsense syllables, like, "zooma-zooma-zoo...POW!" His instrumentation was overloaded and quirky - kettle drums, mariachi bands and Chinese bells all thrown into his Mixmaster. And that's exactly what happens here, transforming your favorite Christmas songs and even "Auld Lang Syne" into an otherworldly experience. Esquivel occasionally speaks on the recording, like a heavenly Ricky Ricardo, awash in echo and Theremin. Charming and eerie all at the same time.

Yep, there's more: A Very, Very Yellow Christmas with reggae artist Yellow; Tiny Tim's Christmas album; and for you traditionalists, three Christmas recordings by Roger Whittaker.

Monday, November 22, 2010

New Music For Which You Can Give Thanks

Here's a quick look at some new CD titles at DPPL. Speaking of new, we're also going to have a cool, new catalog in a few weeks, where you will not only be able to look up CD titles but rate, review, tag and create lists of favorite music as well. Stay tuned for the details on "BiblioCommons."

New in November:
"False Priest" by of Montreal - you hear their music in TV commercials all the time, now you can say you heard it first...

"Selfish Machines" by Pierce The Veil - how can you dislike an album with a song called, "I Don't Care If You're Contagious?"


"As The Rez Turns" by Pipestone - described as having an "edgy sense of humor," these popular Ojibwe singers give you a look at life on the "Rez."

"Shakara" and "London Scene", rereleases from Fela and the Africa 70 - classic albums from the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, composer and afrobeat legend.

"Out" by Gaba Kulka - Polish songstress heavily influenced by Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel, but also by ABBA and Iron Maiden: how cool is that?

Just a few new and unusual titles to keep you coming back. What are you listening to lately that has you excited about music?

Friday, November 12, 2010

Wrap your arms around me, cover me!

So, whaddya think about cover songs? You know, when the work of one artist - often a well-known piece of music - gets covered by someone else. My brother and I debate the merits of covers. Some bands are so good at it that their covers meet or beat the originals, while others leave you yawning or scratching your head.

I am thinking about covers today because, while sitting at my desk, I am enjoying Cheap Trick's live recording that recreates The Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." I have to confess, the liner notes are confusing me: it states that the band performed two sold-out show in LA as the guests of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, yet the recording features the New York Philharmonic Orchestra - so is the recording from those LA shows or...? Anyway, hardly matters, it's cool stuff. I thought maybe I'd make it through the rest of 2010 without mentioning ROBIN ZANDER again, but, hey, you know, it's my blog. (Sometimes) I don't know any other singer that could have pulled off this performance. He somehow manages to sound like all the Beatles - no mean feat. And LIVE! Crazy good. He looks right in the Pepper uniform, too. There are other featured singers as well: Ian Ball from Gomez, Rob Laufer who acquits himself admirably on sitar-tinged "Within You Without You" - confession time, when I was very little, this was my favorite song on "Sergeant Pepper." I have no explanation for that. Ian Ball brings a sort of Rufus Wainwrighty quality to "When I'm Sixty-Four." Joan Osborne, a singer comfortable in my styles, appears on "Lovely Rita" - it's good but I don't get having a female lead on this one.

Cheap Trick is so good at covers I have longed for them to make an all-covers album and I guess this fits the bill. Another band that grabbed that concept and ran with it all the way for a touchdown is Def Leppard. DL's 2006 covers album "Yeah!" is, with all due respect, the coolest thing they've done since "Hysteria." I know some fans didn't like it - boo to you. They covered a variety of rock tunes from the 1970s, the bands that clearly influenced the English lads that would grow up to be the Leps. I loved this album because I grew up on the same music: Bowie, Roxy Music, ELO and The Kinks. "Yeah!" also gave Joe Elliott a chance to really sing and his heartfelt interpretations of these songs clue you in to how much the music means, even to wealthy, famous rock stars who are supposed to be too jaded to care.

Yet another all-covers jamboree was Duran Duran's "Thank You" album. Being quite the Duranie in the day, I was iffy about this one when it was released in 1995 - rap songs by some well-bred white Brits? Now I'm tempted to give it another listen: Duran Duran taking on Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and Sly & The Family Stone? It has potential!

All three of the bands I've mentioned here have done outstanding covers as one-off projects: Cheap Trick with "Day Tripper," "Magical Mystery Tour," "Speak Now And Forever Hold Your Peace," "California Man," and countless others; Def Leppard with "Action" and, believe it or not, Englebert Humperdinck's "Please Release Me" (okay, that one was kind of a joke); and Duran Duran with "Instant Karma," "Femme Fatale" and a few others. Do you like when a band covers someone else's songs? Who has a particular knack for it? Use the links below to check out "Sergeant Pepper Live" and "Yeah!" - we don't own Duran Duran's "Thank You" but we can try ordering it for you from another library, if you're interested. Just ask at the third floor Readers' Services desk - it's not just for readers. :)

Sergeant Pepper Live by Cheap Trick
Yeah! by Def Leppard

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Sitar Hero - by guest blogger Bob Blanchard!

Ravi Shankar – virtuoso sitarist, composer and conductor – turned 90 this April. He’s been celebrating this milestone with – what else? – a string of concerts, including a date at Symphony Center in Chicago the night before Halloween.

Although he became a household name to English and American youth in 1966 via his association with Beatle George Harrison, his career as a performer -- first as an accomplished Indian dancer and then as a master instrumentalist -- spans more than 80 years. Without a doubt, Shankar’s greatest wish will come true – that, above all, he will be remembered for his musical creations.

To help you remember, or discover, the musical world of Ravi Shankar, your library has a number of his recorded works.

My favorite is The Concert for Bangladesh, a collaboration featuring one album side of Shankar’s music (which opened the 1971 benefit concert), and performances by Harrison and some of his friends, including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr. The audiences apparently were not used to Indian music, for after Shankar and his group finished warming up on stage, the crowd applauded. The musician’s understated acknowledgement is this classic rock quote: “If you appreciate the tuning so much, I hope you’ll enjoy the playing more!”

At that, the quartet begins the astonishing “Bangla Dhun.” When I first heard it, my 12-year-old ears could not – or maybe did not want to -- appreciate the piece. Almost 40 years later, I heard it again for the first time and was amazed (more like blown away) by the intricacies and intensity Shankar built around a simple Bengali folk song.

Shankar’s life also is chronicled in his autobiography, and his legacy is carried on by his two musically talented daughters: Anoushka Shankar, an accomplished sitarist in her own right; and Norah Jones, whose albums, including the breakout Come Away with Me, appeal to some listeners’ jazz sensibilities.

Consider giving a listen to the work of the person some consider the “father of ethnic music.” If you’re interested in music from other parts of the globe, check out our extensive lineup of cultural music, too. There’s an entire world of sound out there, so why not give your ears an unexpected treat this month?

Thanks to Bob Blanchard, Adult Services Librarian, for this insightful post on Ravi Shankar - Karen

Monday, October 11, 2010

"I will take a white wall and fill it with all your beautiful colors..."

Ask for a verbal description of a carnival, amusement park, fairground and inevitably someone will offer "colorful," a mundane failure of an adjective for the riot of stripes, tent tops, fluttering flags and twinkling lights that fill up such places. The latest musical (and personal) project in the life of Chrissie Hynde, longtime leader of The Pretenders, has that carnival air: JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys (Named, according to media reports, for Hynde and Jones' mutual love for fun parks). Got a chance to see this ensemble at Chicago's Park West last night and came away far more impressed than I expected.

First off, the back story, if you've missed it. Hynde was "propping up the bar" at a party in England, when up saunters a scruffy fellow with a "boy band" look - this would be JP Jones. A romance kindled, both parties feel as if they've found their lifelong soul mate - except that he is half her age. Apparently the romance idea was scrapped in favor of rock and roll. You can find the rest of the sultry details all over the Internet, I'll focus on the music here. If you, like me, grew up a Pretenders fan, there is a lot to love on Fidelity!, this collection of new tunes from JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys, especially if you enjoyed the Pretenders more melodic side - think "Brass In Pocket," "Show Me," "Talk Of The Town," even harder rocking tracks like "Middle Of The Road." There is not another "Precious" here - and that's okay, would you want to hear an artist remake the same thing over and over again?

I thought the "Fairground" band was terrific, particularly the textures and colors conjured up by as many as three guitars blazing at once, plus a very solid rhythm section. No keys at this live performance. Hynde looks astonishingly youthful and energetic for a woman just weeks past her 60th birthday - no "I (heart) My Grandchildren" sweatshirts here, she's still a petite bundle of fireworks with a powerful singing voice - and she makes no small gestures. Jones was an unknown quantity to me but he's very likeable, genuine and his talents hold up well against his seasoned partner. (Okay, and maybe I also liked him for complimenting the shirt I was wearing.) Their voices blend well together and Hynde coaxes the confidence out of her companion.

I attended the show with a small group of friends and we all couldn't wait to purchase a copy of Fidelity! after the show, so that should also clue you in. The bad news? DPPL does not own a copy of Fidelity! (named, by the way, for Fidel Castro) and given our dire budget situation, we won't be ordering one this year. The good news - interlibrary van delivery is BACK and some of our neighboring libraries are lucky enough to have Fidelity! in their collections. Search for it in the Catalog but make sure you click "ALL" for "Library." Helpful hint: the CD comes up as being by "J.P Jones (singer)," the result of some weird cataloger logic, I am sure. In the meantime, you can explore the long, varied and successful career of Chrissie Hynde in many other items in DPPL's collection - click here to browse Chrissie Hynde or The Pretenders. Or, heck, buy this new CD - maybe even buy it and donate it to us! :)

Friday, September 10, 2010

Hear It Live!

I was only eight years old when Frampton Comes Alive was released. But I still remember hearing "Baby, I Love Your Way" and the other singles from that album on the radio. And I remember the chill that went through me hearing the crowd roar in the backround.

There is something about live recordings. I was a Rush fan in high school. It was their live albums All the World's a Stage and Exit... Stage Left that cemented my fandom. Even today, if I am considering buying a CD by a new band, I usually go to Youtube to see them perform live first.

At the library we have a lot more live music than people realize. We have both CDs and DVD performances, and the styles range from Manilow to The Clash. Check out the Hear It Live display on the 3rd floor. Or check our catalog to see what Live CDs we carry.

What live CDs and DVDs do you love?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

New On The Shelf + Coming Attractions

My colleagues in Readers' Services publish a monthly blog post of "Coming Attractions," and I thought that might be a good idea for music as well. So here are a few CDs new on our shelves or soon to arrive. Place a hold with your library card if you see something interesting!

Scream - Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy's back and the reviews are surprisingly, overwhelmingly positive! (Unlike the subject matter of most of the songs)

Live From Orensanz - Taking Back Sunday
Live, acoustic shows recorded at the Angel Orensanz Synagogue on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Coming soon.

Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: The Songs of John Prine - various artists
Hear the great American songwriting of Maywood, IL native John Prine reinterpreted by a crowd of today's hipster alternative types (Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket, and Drive-By Truckers, to name a few). Coming soon.

The Trouble With Angels - Filter
Mixed reviews thus far for the latest from Richard Patrick's heavy industrial outfit. Check it out for yourself when it arrives on our shelves.

Iconos - Marc Anthony

A few months old, this Spanish language release finds covering eight of his all-time favorite balladeers with two original tracks along for the ride. Say what you will: the guy can sing.

Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook - Bettye LaVette
Here's an odder choice of covers, as R & B queen LaVette wraps her pipes around Elton John, The Who, The Beatles, and yes, Pink Floyd. Coming soon and I'm curious!

Recovery - Eminem
Does he still have what it takes? Eminem mixes it up with guest stars Rihanna, P!nk, Lil Wayne and Kobe. We own three copies but they are constantly checked out, so place a hold for this one.


While I was writing this post, a brand new CD suddenly appeared in our catalog, so I will end with this one:
The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night - The Besnard Lakes
Third release from the Canadian indie band with the funny album titles (funny to me, at least). Released in March, 2010, and already shortlisted for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize.

What are you listening to that is new?

Friday, August 6, 2010

Shut Up And Dance

Last April, Joanna Douglas wrote an article for Shine claiming that women go for dangerously impractical shoes during tough economic times. Douglas quotes author Elizabeth Semmelhack, "Heel heights noticeably grew during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the oil crisis in the 1970s, and when the dotcom bubble burst in the 2000s." Both Douglas and Semmelhack believe we've reached a new high of impracticality during this, the "Great Recession," with Alexander McQueen's 12 inch heels cited as an example. Both believe a dour economic outlook brings out a need for escapism and that "towering platforms, extreme wedges, and treacherous stilettos" fit the bill nicely. (Is there any connection between the need for escapism and fantasy exemplified by McQueen's towering heels and his suicide earlier this year?)

What does this have to do with our CD collection? Well, I am wondering if the same holds true for music - when the going gets tough, do the tough crave shiny, saccharine disco beats and glossy escapist lyrics? I thought of this while checking out a 2009 disk in our collection by a performer whose stage name reflects her own choice in footwear: "Little Boots." Little Boots is, if we trust Wikipedia, an English electropop singer-songwriter and musician. Full name: Victoria Christina Hesketh. Little Boots found fame in a truly 21st century way, by posting her cover versions of other artist's pop songs on her MySpace page.

The CD we have is technically Little Boots' big-time debut, and it is titled "Hands." The Wikipedia entry quoted above also states that the album's artwork has been compared to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of the Moon." I suppose I see that, but putting a triangle and some stars on your album jacket does not classic artwork make. I realize I am older than the average Little Boots listener, but what I did notice about the CD jacket is that the white, all caps font inside makes the lyrics almost impossible to read.

On the other hand, an artist who claims to be influenced by Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and The Human League is probably not a lyricist on a level with Leonard Cohen (sample: "You're the night to my day / and the left to my right / the blood to my veins / and the dark to my light." Can we call a moratorium on "blood in my veins" lyrics for awhile?) , so let's get right to the sound of things.

Opener "New In Town" is good stuff - ABBA meets Lady Gaga, a sexy groove but a sweet lyric. If this isn't a Las Vegas commercial already, it will be soon. Follower "Earthquake" is alright, catchy if not memorable. Unfortunately, it's how I end up feeling about the entire CD. It reminds me of those Saturday night DANCE PARTY radio shows, great grooves with faceless singers posing over the beats. Little Boots has a Little Voice, too, and it makes the whole effort sound cold and detached, but the edgier grooves seem to call for more. I guess "Meddle" was used as a Victoria's Secret commercial and it has a bit more muscle and bone than the rest. Reminds me a bit of 80s group Missing Persons, if that helps you at all.

So, two standouts, "New In Town" and "Meddle." The rest didn't change my life and wasn't as irresistibly hooky as Gaga and some of Little Boots' other competition. What about you? Have you listened to Little Boots? Have I missed the mark? 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Free music - and you don't even have to leave the house

This blog is primarily intended to entice you to check out CDs here at the Des Plaines Public Library. However, as I write this, I am also enjoying the free Internet radio service called Pandora. Have you tried it? It's the kind of thing that's so cool, so utterly simple, I keep wondering, "What's the catch?"

Sign up for a free account. You can opt out of "music suggestions," which sounded like "annoying emails" to me. Now you're in. Type in the name of an artist, a song or a composer. It sets up a "radio station" based on that input. Then it's like you're listening to a radio station, playing that song and others similar in quality, or that band and bands that might have been around at the same time or perform a similar style. Here's an example:

I typed in "Cheap Trick." A station titled Cheap Trick Radio now resides on my Pandora page. Here's a selection of what it offers me for listening:
  • "I Want You To Want Me" from Live at Budokan;
  • "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey - not sure that's a good fit...;
  • "Let's Go" by the Cars - that's okay;
  • "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" by Judas Priest. Cool...
  • "Don't Bring Me Down" by ELO. Kinda...
Now, how does Pandora guess at what you might want to listen to next? It's based on the Music Genome Project. You can read about it. For a music geek like me, sounds like a dream job! Spend day after day listening to songs and analyzing them. Sign me up.

Back to my stations: I can listen to each song or choose to move on - however, they limit the number of songs you can skip at a given time. They keep trying to convince me I want to listen to the Talking Heads tonight and, well...I assume that is part of how they make their money - they do make money, don't they? You can also give a thumbs up or down to each song and supposedly that will help to improve your "station." I have yet to see any advertising but I literally just started using Pandora 10 minutes before I started typing here. Oops, never mind - an ad for AT&T just popped up. Easily ignored, however.

While each song is playing, you get cover art and a write-up of the band/artist, usually from AllMusic Guide. Ah, here's another money-making possibility - click "Menu" by the artist/band name and you get some options: Bookmark this song, Bookmark this artist, Buy this song from iTunes, Find this artist in iTunes. So Pandora is clearly forging partnerships with other commercial entities. I knew someone had to be making some money from this! :)

Here's the thing: you don't own these songs. You can't make a mix CD for your girlfriend or put them on your wedding video. You can just listen and enjoy from pretty much anywhere. I am listening on my iPad but it works on a computer, phone, etc. If you, like me, stopped listening to commercial radio a long time ago because of the endless commercials and the lack of interesting music, you might really enjoy Pandora. I think of all the times I wanted to hear an old song or a faddish new hit and went ahead and bought it, sometimes the entire CD, and then discovered it quickly grew tiring. With Pandora, I can give it a good listen and then make a purchase decision.

You may be aware that we recently lost our interlibrary van delivery service. We're hoping it will come back but we have no idea when or how. That makes it more difficult (but not impossible) for you, our patrons, to borrow items from other libraries. Pandora might help ease your music cravings until we sort out a new delivery service. Try it out: www.pandora.com
Already using it? What do you think of it? Would you recommend another service instead?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Hissing of Summer Lawns


A Joni Mitchell reference in a post not about Joni Mitchell. It's outdoor summer music season - have you seen any great outdoor shows this year? My brother won free tickets for Steve Winwood and Santana at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre last Friday night, July 9, 2010. I also paid an insane amount of money for tickets to the following evening's Ravinia performance by Squeeze and Cheap Trick.

If both concerts held any common ground, it's that well-preserved and genuine talent can rise above any generation's trendy novelty tunes. The major players at these two concerts were all over 50, some into their 60s. They played and sang with the energy of 20-somethings and their gifts have lost none of their sparkle.

My weekend began with Steve Winwood's set in Tinley Park. You can find a selection of Winwood's recordings here, but that's just what we own at the library under his name. Depending on your age, Winwood's name conjures up different songs. I remember his solo pop stardom with albums like "Back In the High Life," "Arc of a Diver," and "Talking Back To the Night." For my brother, in his early 50s, Winwood is the defining member of supergroups from the 60s and 70s like Blind Faith and Traffic. A friend of mine in his late 50s couldn't place Winwood's name until I said, "Well, he started out in the Spencer Davis Group." That's quite a career: he joined up with Spencer Davis at the age of 14 and is still enthralling audiences at the age of 62. Winwood wisely touched on every era in his career during his live show and his mastery of keyboards, vocals and blistering electric guitar left me wondering how on earth Eric Clapton continues to garner all the attention.

Then Carlos Santana took the stage and the accompanying montage of photographs chronicled his journey from long-haired hippie days on the stage at Woodstock to today's crossover pop/rock/Latin success. We have CDs featuring Santana the band and Carlos Santana the solo artist. Of the four acts I saw this weekend, I was the least familiar with Santana - I know the hits and that's it. But you didn't need to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the songs to enjoy this show. The large band had amazing positive energy and chemistry and the tight musicianship propelled these tunes into the stratosphere. I do like to dance and this music got everyone on their feet, smiling, moving, grooving. Perfect for a summer night, even in Midwestern humidity. You may have read the news stories that Santana proposed to his new girlfriend on the stage at Tinley Park - he did, but I have no insights to provide as I (rather foolishly) headed to the ladies' room right before it happened!

Next night, we were in literally a different part of the world, the tony environs of Ravinia in Highland Park, IL. I haven't ventured back to Ravinia since struggling to enjoy a Chieftains concert there many years ago. Too many mosquitos, too many chatty packs of friends who didn't pay attention to the music, and a very difficult parking lot to maneuver. When I heard that two of my favorite bands of all time - Squeeze and Cheap Trick - were playing there, together, I figured it was time to give Ravinia one more shot. Tickets from StubHub were ridiculously priced but I wasn't going to chance another night on the lawn. We were in the covered pavilion, the only place to be if you actually care about seeing and hearing the performers.

Even as a die-hard fan, I found this pairing a bit odd. The performances were so outstanding I didn't care. Squeeze opened with "Black Coffee In Bed," and ended with "Tempted" plus an encore of "Pulling Mussels From A Shell." The songs in between were probably known only to real fans but that's just fine with me. I could not believe how great Glenn Tilbrook sounds after all this time and it was nice to see him back together with Chris Difford. Tilbrook's guitar playing may have been the biggest surprise of the weekend. I saw Squeeze in the 80s and don't remember him being such an accomplished player! Then again, all the songs were synthesized back in those days. I left regretting only one thing: that I don't have tickets to see them in Milwaukee later on this month.

Finally, our hometown heroes (well, I'm from Algonquin, that's close enough to Rockford), Cheap Trick. Time for a confession - I have seen Cheap Trick in concert 10 times, beginning in 1978! So they really can't put anything past me. :) The Ravinia show was a killer - probably the best I've ever seen  from Cheap Trick. Who can say that about a band that's been playing for 36 years? I suspect many of the Ravinia attendees were less than thrilled as the band played only 3 of its very recognizable hits - I was ecstatic. (I never EVER need to hear "The Flame" again.) Robin Zander is 57 years old but looks/sounds decades younger. As I said up above, the weekend proved beyond a doubt that people with authentic, distinctive talent can stay fresh and relevant as the trends burn out and hit the ground all around them. If you haven't heard what your favorite singers and bands are doing lately, maybe you can check 'em out this summer at a concert venue near you. If not, bring in your library card and grab a pile of our CDs. You'll be glad you did.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Summertime is finally here...

Summer arrives today (or tomorrow, depending on who you ask). A Facebook friend of mine posted this morning and asked, "What are the best summer songs?" beginning his list with a few by the Beach Boys and "Summer In the City" by the Lovin' Spoonful. It's been interesting to watch the list develop, everything from Connie Francis to Def Leppard (my contribution...) to Nickelback. That's a span of 47 years! So, I'll pop the question here, too: do you have some favorite summertime tunes? Perfect for late-nite drives with the windows down or a lazy day at the beach? Dancing in a club or celebrating high school graduation? I'll start with a few of my favorites - then I expect to hear from you!

"Boys of Summer" by Don Henley. I recently saw a "Deadhead sticker" on a fancy sports car and this song immediately sprang to mind. Henley can be sort of an uptight pain in the you-know-what, but I don't think you can deny the evocative beauty of this song.

"Photograph" by Def Leppard. Brings me back to high school! Crunchy, slickly produced rock at its best.

"Always The Last To Know" by Del Amitri. Del Amitri was probably more popular in Chicago than any other city in the US. The former sound man for my band used to blast this through our PA while we were setting up for gigs. Also gorgeously produced with great harmonies and more riffyness than you can shake a stick at.

"Summertime" by Kenny Chesney. Yep, I like country music and this is a prime example. He gets every detail right - two bare feet on the dashboard, young love, an old Ford, cheap shades and a bottle of Yoohoo rolling on the floorboard. The soaring harmonies on the refrain send this one out of the park.

Alright, I started - you keep it going. What are your sounds of summertime?

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

"...chasing dreams and placing bets..."

Okay, okay, so this is not a rock and roll post. We have lots of other kinds of music at DPPL, too, so let's take a little detour into the land of love with none other than Barbra Streisand. I don't care what anyone says, I think Streisand possesses a divine musical instrument and I'm always interested in hearing what she does next. When I heard she was working on this album, "Love Is The Answer," with jazz pianist/singer Diana Krall, I was intrigued. I like Diana Krall but I find her stuff a little sleepy after awhile. What would her effect be on the always over-the-top vocal fireworks of Barbra Streisand?

Streisand also turned 68 this year. As a professional singer in only the smallest way, I can tell you the years are not kind to a soprano. So I was curious to see how her pipes are holding up. Granted, she does very little live performance and certainly none of the arduous touring that has destroyed many a vocal fold. Listening to this album, it's difficult to tell if she's deliberately holding back to match the intimate quality of the arrangements or if that's just how she chooses to sing these days. While Streisand and Krall labored away on this production, I even read a quote from Streisand suggesting she had a case of nerves and wasn't sure if she felt confident about singing anymore! Wow. Krall's contributions include sensitive piano accompaniment, the assembly of top-notch players (the musical arrangements are truly sublime and transformative, like there's a live combo in your living room) and production chores. I suspect she'll be getting a lot of phone calls to rework the magic she's created here.

So, how is the end result? A sweet box of musical candy with surprisingly bittersweet moments. Her reading of the classic, "In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning," is gentle and effortless and it's nice to get a woman's interpretation of what is often a male statement. Streisand's depth as an actress certainly plays a role in her interpretation of Jacques Brel's "If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)." She moves between English and French, recalling her 1966 album "Je M'Appelle Barbra." She allows her voice to go a bit rough and ragged on the high notes on this one and it actually makes the song more moving and perhaps more genuine. She brings warmth and playfulness to the great standard, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" - the liner notes indicate she first sang this gem at the age of 15, which adds another layer of meaning to this version. "Old man winter was a gracious host..." If you only know "Make Someone Happy" from old TV commercials for Betty Crocker, listen to the sublime reading of it here, which gives the album its title: "Love is the answer, someone to love is the answer."

It does take some getting used to to hear Barbra Streisand with a smoky rasp in her voice! It is not an utterly startling change, a la Joni Mitchell, whose voice in later recordings might as well spring from a completely different human being than the high soprano most listeners would recognize. Streisand is still Streisand, the warmth and intimacy in the lower notes, the soaring up and down and up again without the breath a lesser singer would need. But if you're looking for that gem-like clarity that carried famous tunes like "Evergreen" and "A Woman In Love," it's been replaced by the wisdom of years and a tender, time-worn sound. The strongest taste of the Streisand sound comes on "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," with some very powerful, dramatic singing that breathes fresh life into this beloved tune. In a youth-obsessed society, I think it's great that Streisand would press on, avoiding studio gimmicks that would hide the cracks, giving us a graceful image of aging as just another stage in a long, fabulous journey through life. Love might be the answer for you, too. Check it out.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Won't you save me, San Francisco?

Even if I wasn't already a fan of the band Train, a line like that in a rock song's chorus would be bound to grab my attention. But I am a fan of Train and a fan of the Bay Area in California and that line provides the title to Train's latest album. In a dorky, librarian-ish sort of way, I tend to enjoy songs about places I have visited and "Save Me, San Francisco" is loaded with references to beautiful, sunny spots in that city. So Train has definitely hooked me, but can they reel me in with their fifth album?

One problem, right off the bat: I thought Train's last album, "For Me, It's You," was by far their most appealing, most enduring and consistent. The critics loved it, too - but the fans seemed to stay away. So when "Save Me, San Francisco" was heralded as a "return to form," it made me nervous. Don't get me wrong, I love earlier Train songs like "Drops of Jupiter," "Something More," "Calling All Angels," "When I Look to the Sky" - they can write a catchy, memorable pop hook like nobody's business. But if I think you've reached a real musical pinnacle and you feel like you need to move away from that direction, well, I just might have to break up with you. :) Kidding, but you know what I mean.

Now, if there's one thing that is consistent about Train over the years, it is the powerhouse magnificence of Pat Monahan's voice. (No, it doesn't hurt that he also looks like a Hollywood idol!) I wrote an earlier post in which I could not hide my enthusiasm for Robin Zander and to me, Monahan is very much a Zander for the 21st century. He can sing anything and make it his own, his range is startling and crystal clear and, like Mr. Zander before him, he can do all of it live, too, and that is a rarity.

So, we've got a minus and a plus so far - how does the new album hold up? On first listen, I wasn't sure. Train could really use some harsh editing in the lyric writing process, as things tend to fall into a formula: gushing romanticism aimed at a certain girl, tempered with self-deprecating humor and set in context with lots of cultural references. In the first 3 songs, we visit: San Fran's Tenderloin district, the Fillmore concert hall, Alcatraz, 80s hair band Winger, 80s pop band Mr. Mister, 70s radio hit "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers, Sonny and Cher and their trademark song, "I Got You Babe" - it's all quite clever and culture-savvy but I tend to like a little more meat in my lyrics. Strip away the allusions and you're left with "You know I'll be there for you" and "I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight," sentiments we've heard plenty of times before.

Nevertheless - this album just keeps growing on me. Some of the hookiest, catchiest pop music you'll ever hear. A lot of singers are doing that pop-rapping style now (Jason Mraz comes to mind) but I don't think anyone does it as effortlessly as Monahan.I go to bed every night with one of these songs on endless rotation and wake up with a different one in mind! The title track is cool, a stomping boogie that would not sound out of place on a Black Crowes album and in this case, those cultural references make it a really genuine love note to a great city. The chart hit here is, "Hey, Soul Sister," and it's no wonder the song is springing up in movies and commercials, you canNOT get it out of your head and it is sweet as pie. "Parachute" is just the kind of adrenalized, uplifting song we've come to expect from Train and "Words" has a nice gospel groove.

My three favorite tracks come late in the album (one is available only as a "bonus track" with the downloaded version). First is "You Already Know," a rare Train song with a dark and snarly attitude. Monahan sings it with everything he's got and with a searing pain that seems awfully authentic. Yet it also has a punchy, guitar-and-synth-driven 80s sensibility - don't know if I'll get to see them live soon but it would be a standout live track.

On the opposite side of things is "Breakfast in Bed," which also has an 80s feel - Duran Duran, anyone? - along with a dreamy, multi-octave vocal and sexy, creative lyrics. Finally, there's that bonus track, "Half Moon Bay." Again, maybe it's just because I've been to Half Moon Bay in California, but Train should have included this on the main album, it would have been the summer hit of 2010. "This ain't a threat but I think I better warn ya - gonna fall in love if you go to California..."

Same with this album - give it a few listens and I think you'll get hooked and fished in. DPPL has a copy of "Save Me, San Francisco," but without the bonus track.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Talk Is Cheap!

Especially when it comes to spoken word CDs here at DPPL, which you can check out for FREE. I focus on spoken word recordings today in honor of National Poetry Month, which we are featuring at the Library and on our Web site. If you want to hear just reg'lar folks read poetry, check out our short videos in the online "Poetry Theatre." Myself and many of my coworkers tackle the poetic works of writers that vary from Shel Silverstein to William Carlos Williams.

If you enjoy hearing poetry spoken aloud, we have quite a few CDs to pique your interest. FYI - you'll find them in the Audiobooks department, near the north-facing windows on the 3rd floor. Here are a few titles I stumbled upon while browsing (click titles to find them in our Catalog):
  • Talk Is Cheap: Volume 2 - a live performance by Henry Rollins from The Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia. When I was a freshman in college, my friend Sean introduced me to the work of Rollins and the band Black Flag - intense, funny, intelligent and raw. Rollins now primarily performs in the spoken word genre, and just appeared in Chicago at The Vic a few nights ago.
  • By Someone's Good Grace - Chicago Slam Sounds. Featuring well-known Chicago "slam" poets Marc Smith, Dean Hacker and others.
  • Our Souls Have Grown Deep Like the Rivers - subtitled "Black Poets Read Their Works." Names you know, like Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes. Names you should know, like Nikki Giovanni, Rita Dove, Gil Scott-Heron and even Public Enemy.
  • Looking for more classic and familiar poetry? Try titles like The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Shakespeare, Yeats, Dickinson, Cummings, Frost) and The Poets' Corner, compiled by actor John Lithgow and recommended "for the whole family," with poets like Blake, Poe, and Dylan Thomas.
One of the reasons I've been videotaping my coworkers reading poetry is that many people think a poem begs to be shared aloud, rather than read off a page. If you agree, watch some of our videos and browse the spoken word collection on the third floor (in the audiobooks, by the north-facing windows). There are many titles besides the ones listed here and you're bound to find something that makes poetry come alive for you. Happy National Poetry Month.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Lighter Than...Air?

One need only see the covers of CDs by French electronica duo Air to know one is dealing with some majorly hipster stuff. Why, just look at the cover of Air's 2007 release "Pocket Symphony," on which our heroes Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel have been transformed into little back-lit clear glass figurines. They pose and peer out from their coffee table perch, taking in (perhaps?) the utterly mundane urban apartment around them. It's a cool enough cover, don't get me wrong, but it's also more than a bit cutesy. The hipness gets magnified when one considers their occasional musical partners, artists such as Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Air is often written up in the music press and hailed as "Mood music for now people" (that comes courtesy of Spin magazine) and that is a fair enough description - if it actually means anything. "Pocket Symphony" (also a cutesy title, it sounds like an iPod app) has 12 tracks and they glided together seamlessly and pleasantly as I gave the CD a spin on my desktop computer. I'll say this - you won't get a headache from Air, in fact, there will be long stretches of time during which you will forget you are listening to the album. It isn't terrible, offensive or poorly executed - it's just...there. Like the coolest commercial jingle you've ever heard? Maybe what dentist office music sounds like in heaven?

The band sings in a variety of languages, primarily English on this album, but a smattering of French as well. My favorite track on this CD is "Mer du Japon," a song about the "sea of Japan" with a lyric consisting of one sentence - in French. It's got a driving, dance-floor groove that actually grabs your attention. If I had to describe Air's overall effect, it is that of expert curators who bring together a lot of icy-cool influences in a very smooth, subdued mix. Think: Bowie, Roxy, Eno, Moby - a few acoustic tracks even remind me of an ultra-serious Flight of the Conchords...But, if you want to be known for the relaxed, Euro vibe at your next cocktail party, I would definitely put Air on the playlist. Good for a romantic evening at home, too. John Hood, writing for Spin, called their live shows "a dreamy pastiche of swoon and sway," so if that sounds appealing, take the Air.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

"He was a fiddler, and consequently a rogue." Jonathan Swift

And what better time to celebrate both the fiddler and his roguishness than mid-March, with Springtime in the air and St. Patrick's Day on the calendar?

Irish music is a divisive force in world culture. My overall sense is that you either "get it" or you don't. I can listen to all the variations of Irish music for hours, it just seems to be in my blood, but I know others who gripe that it's "all the same," the "heenely-heenely" of the fiddles, pipes and bodhráns (those are the Irish handheld drums). Or they moan that Irish tunes are depressing and morose, filled as they are with dead people and minor keys.

If your only impression of Irish music is pop superstars U2 or familiar singalongs like "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," our CD collection at DPPL can broaden your Celtic horizons. Stop by the third floor display, assembled by Readers' Services Assistant Laura Adler and titled, "Irish Music: Beyond U2 & The Clancy Brothers." You'll find public television heartthrobs Celtic Thunder, contemporary Celtic folk band Solas and varied collections full of authentically traditional jigs, reels and airs. You'll also find recordings by modern Irish rock bands like Snow Patrol and My Bloody Valentine.

I've only been able to travel to Ireland once, but I think even a few days there can help you understand why so much artistry has come out of this tiny island. The landscape is by turns lush and then stark, green and then grey. There's tremendous hardship in the history and yet, a love of laughter and story-telling, too. The pub culture of the cities and towns encourages performers and the dark, silent nights in the country provide plenty of time for reflection and creation. If you share a love for Irish music with me, then check out some CDs to begin your St. Patrick's Day celebration. If you're convinced Irish music is all the same, I think we can gently, or forcefully, sway your opinion.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

"Don't need no silver linin'...just give me gold."

A few posts ago my colleague David wrote about the latest barrage of CDs by bands from our "Remember when?" days. When I was a kid, I lived, breathed, slept, ate and drank Cheap Trick, so I am completely embarrassed that now, as a responsible adult, it has taken me months to get to their latest. And yes, it's called "The Latest," nudge nudge, wink wink. I will definitely not wait so long the next time because this is a fine album and a strong reminder of why the band held such appeal to me 30 years ago. Ouch - has it really been that long?

The album starts out with the knob turned up to "Weird," with Robin Zander singing solo over a dreamy piano background, "Sleep forever." "Weird" because he seems to be singing someone to sleep: eternal sleep. I always thought the Trick were at their best when they married fullblown creepiness with Zander's disarmingly charming voice and look, so they get off to the right start. This tiny snippet of a song dissolves into a trip on the wayback machine, as the familiar drum riff of "Elo Kiddies" pumps up and morphs into a cover of Slade's "When The Lights Are out." The band clearly had a lot of fun blending the opener from their very first album into this punchy pop song.

"Self-referential" is a term you'll encounter a lot in reviews of "The Latest." Song title "Sick Man of Europe" comes from the name of Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson's old band. "Everybody Knows" throws in a lyrical reference to 80s album "Next Position Please."

I should probably insert a disclaimer here: I think Robin Zander is one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time, so I can hardly write an objective review of this album. Nevertheless, I will say that sometimes, on "The Latest," I wish he would sing more like himself and less like a medium channeling John Lennon. I love John Lennon, believe me, I just love Zander's voice as is and when it pours out of my earbuds in full throttle, I'm a very happy listener. I think he hits a real high on this album's "Everybody Knows." Once again, the song has an overall quality one can only describe as "creepy," with a lyrical trip on a sinking ship, and the vocal style reminds me of "Heaven Tonight." I think it's the best cut on this outing. Other standouts: "Closer, the Ballad of Burt and Linda" cranks the creepiness up way past 11, a psychedelic love ballad about the stars of documentary "Crazy Love." The guy who had thugs throw lye in his ex-girlfriend's face - and then she married him anyway. And people think Midwestern bands are pedestrian?

I'm also loving "Times of Our Lives," "Alive," and "These Days." Really, there's a lot of great stuff here. If "The Latest" and their last album, "Rockford," are any indication, Cheap Trick has a ton of crunchy, sweet, vaguely creepy pop-rock left in them and I hope we're listening for a long time. I'm glad this is "The Latest," but not The Last.

Monday, January 25, 2010

I Can't Hold On!

How many songs have THAT lyric? Too many to count. The first one that pops into my mind is from Squeeze's 1982 album Sweets From a Stranger, which also features the adult radio charmer "Black Coffee in Bed."

If my opening paragraph gave you a taste to revisit that melodic gem by Squeeze - sadly, you won't find it at DPPL. Or any other library in our CCS consortium, which can be searched through our Catalog. What do to when faced with such a quandary?

Expand your search via WorldCat. First, to backtrack a little: when you want a CD or any item from our Library, you search for it in the online catalog. If you know the title of the album, best way to search: type in the full title or at least a good portion of the beginning part (don't start in the middle!), click the "Browse" radio button, and choose "Title" in the dropdown menu. Oh, and leave off any initial articles, like a, an, the. So, Coldplay's "A Rush of Blood to the Head" would be simply "rush of blood", Browse, Title. Voilà.

If DPPL does not own the item, expand your search, going back to the search screen and changing the Library: option to ALL. Remember: you don't have to travel to these area libraries to borrow their materials. When you find what you like, click the blue "Place Hold" button, put in your library card number and password. We'll call you when the items arrives here at DPPL, you come in and pick it up just as easily as if we'd had it in our own collection.

Still empty-handed? That's when you can harness the power of WorldCat and expand your borrowing privileges to libraries across the country, across the world. (We have yet to master "across the universe," but we're trying.) Again, if you know the CD title, I recommend entering it in the Title search box. (WorldCat is less fussy about articles, etc.) So, if our Library and our neighboring libraries didn't own that Coldplay title - more than 800 other libraries do. While in the record for a specific item, look for the link that reads, "Borrow This Item From Another Library (Interlibrary Loan)," click, fill in the form, we'll take care of the rest. Specifically, Mike in our Circulation department will take care of the rest. We'll call you when the CD arrives.

It's that easy. You may have to "hold on" for a bit until the item arrives, but placing holds and interlibrary loans puts more music at your fingertips. Try it next time you're stuck on a song you can't find anywhere else.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Tastes Like Chicken

If "tastes like chicken" is the bane of gourmands everywhere, then "If you like Kate Bush, you'll love...(fill in the blank)" is the unimaginative music fan's killer catchphrase. I'd just been thinking that when I read an interview with Florence Welch, of Florence + The Machine, in which she was asked, "Is it lazy journalism to compare you with Kate Bush?" She responded both yes and no. I haven't heard Florence + The Machine's latest, but I bet it won't remind me of Kate Bush.

With that in mind, I gave a listen to Bat For Lashes' (aka Natasha Khan ) "Two Suns." It reminds me of Kate Bush here and there, mostly vocally - Khan likes to make big octave leaps and has a little of Bush's Brit-sweet affectation. Occasionally, on a song like "Sleep Alone," you hear an echo of Bush's most electronic recordings, such as "Joanni" and "Sat In Your Lap." Tender, piano-driven pieces like "Moon and Moon" do seem influenced by Bush's earlier albums. Bat For Lashes is often compared to Stevie Nicks as well, and validly, in the sense that as a lyricist, Khan seems to inhabit her own private world (do you often find yourself listening to Fleetwood Mac and wondering what the heck Nicks is talking about? I say that as a huge fan, not as a critic). Khan is not as commanding as either Bush or Nicks as a vocal artist, however. I found myself tuning the songs out pretty quickly, poppy 80s background music, sweet but a little too light to divert my attention. You might also hear the influence of people like Annie Lennox, Sinead O'Connor (the 80s years) and the Cranberries, but while Khan's overall range is impressive she doesn't ever sing with much power or theatricality. Scott Walker's cameo on "The Big Sleep" does nothing to help the Kate Bush parallels, reminiscent as it is of those odd moments when Kate's brother Paddy would guest star as a "heehawing" demon or what-have-you.

You might expect to hear this music during a rave scene in a hipster movie or on the catwalk at a fashion show. It's not terrible, it perhaps just feels too derivative to seem new and exciting, and the artist lacks a virtuosic talent for singing, playing or writing that might make you overlook the lack of originality.

Does your mileage vary? If you're a fan of "Two Suns," convince me a little bit so I'll give it a second listen. :) Best tracks to my ears: "Glass," "Pearl's Dream," "Travelling Woman." You can find "Two Suns" in our Catalog.