New Year's Musical Resolutions!

1. Play more guitar: Alright, I admit it, there's a layer of dust covering my guitar! But I promise to find more time to practice in 2013. And since I'm a little rusty, I will probably start with a song that's easy and fun to play, like anything from a Nirvana album.

2. Attend more concerts: There were some great shows I missed this year because they either sold out (I'm looking at you, The Lumineers) or I double-booked that evening (I'll see you next time, Of Monsters and Men)! Luckily, next year is looking great for concerts in Tucson. Personally, I'm excited for the XX and Tegan and Sara at the Rialto and That 1 Guy and Ra Ra Riot at Congress.  What concerts are you looking forward to?

3. Download from Freegal:  Life is busy and I often forget about my three, free, legal songs each week from Freegal. But no more! I promise to finish downloading that awesome new Calvin Harris album and maybe pick up the stunning Adele Bond track, Skyfall, along the way.

Bonus resolution - No more Rick Rolls: I promise to never sing Rick Astley songs at karaoke again.


-James

To find some of the bands I mentioned:

Nirvana (click me)
The Lumineers (click me)
Ra Ra Riot (click me)
Tegan and Sara (click me)
Freegal (click me - each week)!

Turning 50 in 2012

I turned 50 this year, along with some well-known musicians and bands. While the folks below are now eligible to join AARP, age is not slowing them down and most of them had a very successful 2012.

Halfway to Fivepoints

Do you remember what it was like listening to music before the Internet was a thing? Do you remember how frustrating it was to hear a song on the radio or during a movie, and have no way to find out what that song was? For all the arguments that digital piracy has ruined music forever, I've found that the inverse is the actual truth; I love being able to find music from all across the world that I would never have had a chance to learn about otherwise. You're not limited to what's playing on the radio or available in the CD aisle anymore.

Now, we have the entire world open to us, with all of its niche styles and indie artists. I love that.

I first heard of Swedish singer-songwriter Anna Ternheim when her song "No, I Don't Remember" was played during the end credits to the Xbox 360 video game Alan Wake. Her lyrics and musical ability captured my attention immediately and I wanted more. With a bit of searching based on nothing more than a half-remembered lyric, I found Anna's album Halfway to Fivepoints.

March Fourth Marching Band at The Rialto 12/13/12

I have a bit of a conundrum here, as March Fourth Marching Band last Thursday night at The Rilato was probably my second favorite Tucson live show of 2012 (the favorite being Wilco at TCC, which I blogged about several months ago), yet Pima County Public Library has no music by this Portland, Oregon based 20-piece band, and none is to be found at Freegal.  However, In the library spirit of disseminating information, I decided to go ahead and review the show here, despite your inability to actually access any of their music through our library.  Hopefully you will remember this glorious review (following the break) when the band returns to town in the future, and you will go and see/hear them for yourself.

Nightmares before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, and not a creature was stirring, except perhaps Rod Stewart, or Olivia Newton-John. And Ringo Starr, and even Toby Keith.

It is a time honored tradition that every year brings new albums of Yuletide joy from your favorite artist or washed-up musician. To honor these albums, we look at the delightful.. and the not so delightful.

And best of all, these albums are available for checkout from your Pima County Public Library.

For 2012, you can ring in Christmas with a duo familiar to each other: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John have re-teamed for "This Christmas." Fans of this duo will of course remember them from the movie soundtrack of Grease and Travolta from dozens of movies you probably can't remember the name of.

My 2012 Playlist

It's that time of the year for Top Ten lists, Best Of, etc. For the last several years I've written up a list of my "Songs Of The Year". It's a mix of new stuff, old stuff, stuff that caught my attention....I never put the list in order of favorites because I like to pretend I don't have favorites...ha! Herewith is my list for 2012:

Marooned : the next generation of desert island discs

Imagine that you are stranded on a desert island. You have plenty of shelter, food, and no worries in the world. Now, what music do you wish to keep you entertained in this sudden paradise? This is the age old question and if you are anything like me, that list is constantly changing as you broaden your horizons year by year and discover new music that is unforgettable. I just finished the wonderful book Marooned : The next generation of desert island discs and I am eager to share this fun little book.

Brother, sister, author, musician

Since I'm always on the lookout for a book-related post to put up here (what can I say, working at the library, books are always part of my hidden agenda), I was delighted to discover a new book and music connection: did you know that Colin Meloy of The Decemberists has a sister, Maile Meloy (pronounced like Miley Cyrus's name), who writes literary fiction? (For that matter, as you can see if you search our catalog for his name, he's written some books of his own.)

Reznor 101: How to Destroy Angels_: The Omen_

Love him or hate him, I don't think anyone could argue that Trent Reznor is not a hardworking man. Reznor's impressive career: front man of industrial powerhouse Nine Inch Nails, an Academy Award win for The Social Network original score, and most recently his new independent band's (How to Destroy Angels_) release of a new EP, "An Omen_," available now for download through the library's Freegal database.  Phew.

Imagine a typical electronic pop song as a candied apple. Reznor takes that apple, strips its flesh to the core, and leaves it outside to the mercy of the elements. Every beat, every tone is carefully mapped by this self-proclaimed perfectionist. His tones are as dark and brooding as they are full of life - like a pastoral painting seen through a cyborg's eyes. It is a sound that fit perfectly with The Social Network's theme of human power struggles filtered through the lonliness of a digital screen.

Anywhere but Home

One of my favorite things in Freegal is how it's helped me find some hidden gems that I never would have known about otherwise. Now, most of the time, when you hear the phrase "hidden gem," it's referring to a band or album that was overlooked despite being amazing. For me, however, there's another kind of hidden gem: songs or albums by some of my own favorite artists that I never knew existed. These are particularly exciting in my opinion because they blend the familiar with the unfamiliar, the new with the old. You get the excitement of discovering something new even though it still sounds comfortably familiar.

My hidden gem for today is "Anywhere but Home." It's a live album recording from Evanescence, recorded during a 2004 tour. Now, I'm a fan of live albums for several reasons; I think it's interesting (albeit sometimes sad) to hear the difference between a studio album and a live one. In my opinion, there's something more visceral about hearing the music without all the cleaning, modifying and other audio tricks that go into a studio work. Most importantly, however, is that you can usually find a hidden gem on a live album that didn't make it into the studio release.

University of Arizona School of Music Performances

If you are on a budget and want to enjoy different styles and genres of live music, I highly recommend the University of Arizona School of Music performances. Admission is often only $5 and some performances are free. In previous years, I have attended UA Symphony performances, guitar competitions and the "Holiday Card to Tucson." I am always impressed by these talented student and faculty musicians. Below are some of the upcoming events listed on the School of Music's website. For a complete list, visit the "News & Events" page of the UA School of Music website.

"Dance-friendly" Cities

For this post I am scoring many of the various cities and towns in which I have lived and spent time on a scale of "dance-friendliness."  This is to say, given the same live music performance, how likely are people in that city to get up and dance rather than sit/stand and watch.  I am generally inclined to want to dance at shows, so I personally appreciate a high rating of "dance-friendliness" in a city, it is easier to dance at a show, not be in the way, not be a spectacle.  The ratings are on a scale of 1-10, and the cities are in no particular order.  Read on to see the list.

Into The Wild

So Fred and I have decided to try doing a "dual blog" since we are both fans of the film Into The Wild. One of our favorite soundtracks is also one of our favorite movies, and books. "Into the Wild" is a true story, with a soundtrack by musician Eddie Vedder which is haunting and brilliant and uplifting and sad. A score that truly films the film.

"Into the Wild" tells the (true) story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who abandons his college life to find himself by hiking and living a life across the United States in 1990. McCandless made news when his body was discovered two years later in Alaska, where he had been living off the land inside an abandoned bus on National Park land. Director Sean Penn and musician Eddie Vedder came together to compose a soundtrack to the film that tells Christopher's story, and the result is one of the most haunting and joyous albums we've ever encountered.

The Encyclopedia Of New Wave

If you have read any of my previous posts, you have probably noticed that I am a huge new wave connoisseur. If you enjoy new wave you have got to check out one of the library's recent acquisitions The Encyclopedia Of New Wave by Daniel Bukszpan. It is a solid who's who companion of many of the strongest acts of new wave rock who paved the way for what the world would eventually define as "alternative rock".

Literary Rock (or, just pretty pictures)

I'm having writer's block at the moment when it comes to actual music and Fred's post about the book The ABC's of Rock got me to thinking about some books I've enjoyed recently by various musicians and bands. So, here's a list of some titles you might enjoy....

U2 by U2:  I'll state right off the bat here that I've been a HUGE fan for over 25 years now and if the ability to time travel ever becomes a reality one of my first stops would be their show in 1985 at Compton Terrace outside of Phoenix (anyone remember THAT venue?) I was only 12 at the time and there's no way my parents would have allowed me to go, but I remember wanting to go see this band that I didn't know a whole lot about but that I was very intrigued by. I'll have to share the story of how I first heard them some other time (and no, it was NOT Bono who got my attention at first.) Anyway, about the book....

Mums the Word: How Folk Rock Conquered the Charts

Name: Mumford & Sons
Genre: Folk Rock
Sounds Like:  Calexico, Fleet Foxes, Avett Brothers
Listen to: "The Cave," "Winter Winds," "I Will Wait," "Lover of the Light"

Chances are you've heard of Mumford & Sons at some point in the past few years. The English folk rock band scored a string of monster hits with the growling apology song "Little Lion Man," the self-reflecting "The Cave," and the most recent smash "I Will Wait." The band has been nominated for multiple Grammies, their CD Babel is the fastest selling album of 2012, and lead singer Marcus Mumford recently wed An Education star Carey Mulligan...call it an understatement to say the band is in full view of the public eye!

So for anyone who has yet to listen to a Mumford song, allow me to convince you: Banjo solos. Big, booming sound. Catchy hooks. Relatable (if somewhat average) lyrics. Mumford & Sons write crowd-pleasing folk music that makes you want to stomp your feet on the dance floor. Last year I saw the band headline the fantastic Railroad Revival Tour. For their entire set they kept the energy high, with the crowd dancing and hollerin' along to every song!

If You Like The Shins, Try...

Remember that scene in Garden State, where Natalie Portman's character promises Zack Braff's that if he listens to a song, it'll change his life? That song was "New Slang" by The Shins, and although I wouldn't say listening to the Shins changed my life, it certainly has brightened it. I love the contrast of their dark lyrics and catchy, upbeat pop music. And I was so sad to miss their recent sold-out concert at the Rialto! So, to console myself, I've been listening to a lot of stuff that sounds like vintage Shins.

For bands with physical CDs in the library for you to check out, I highlighted their names in bold. For bands with tracks available on Freegal (three free downloads a week, with your library card!), I italicized them. Some are available both ways!

First up: Broken Bells. This is really the perfect band to get into if you like the Shins, because guess what...they share a singer. It's his side project with Danger Mouse (also known as half of Gnarls Barkley and Sparklehorse, as well as the genius behind the Grey Album, the epic mashup of Jay-Z's Black Album and the Beatles' White Album.) Broken Bells is just as catchy as The Shins, although a little less guitar-driven and twee (which, in my humble opinion, is a good thing!). Try listening to "The High Road" and you'll be hooked. Read on for more sound-alikes!

Misunderstood Lyrics

I recently heard a song on KXCI that I had not heard since I was a child. My parents were Johnny Cash fans, and I often heard this song, "The One on the Right is on the Left." When I was five years old, I thought this was a silly little song. In my mind, I pictured the "one on the right" running over to then be the "one on the left" - kind of like a musical chairs games. Even if I knew that "right" and "left" referred to political views, I would not have understood the lyrics to this song. When I heard this song after so many years, it was like a revelation. I was laughing out loud in my car, as I heard these lyrics from a new, adult perspective.

Geeky music lovers rejoice

Best. Concert. Ever.

If you are of a geeky temperament, you probably already know about Jonathan Coulton. If you’re of a geeky temperament and you don’t know Jonathan Coulton, you’ll want to pay attention to this post (it’ll make me feel better if people from the first group pay attention, too.)

Jonathan Coulton is best known for his ironically geeky songs that have become emblematic of geek and nerd culture. He’s played live at PAX and his beloved song “Still Alive” first appeared during the end credits to the video game portal. If none of that made any sense to you, don’t worry; you don’t need to be a card-carrying member of the geek crowd to appreciate Coulton’s style. His music has a rather folksy feel to it, but his lyrics are decidedly sharp and witty and tend to focus on computers and technology rather than the traditional country themes you might be used to.

Bond... James Bond

You know his name, you know his number.... but did you know you can get some great James Bond/007 music right here in the library?

It was 50 years ago... "Dr. No" premiered in 1962 with a then mostly unknown Sean Connery in the lead as Ian Fleming's suave British spy. The legacy of the Bond franchise is enormous, spawning countless films, spin-offs, books, parodies, and of course music. Wonderful music. Shaken, and stirred.

The latest James Bond film "Skyfall" opens in theaters in November 2012. To celebrate, I put on my tuxedo and took the Aston Martin (aka a run down 1990 Plymouth) for a spin and looked for James Bond theme songs and musicians for you!

New Orleans Music on TV: Treme

While today's music blog post is about a TV show, it is a very musical TV show.  HBO's Treme is from creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer, the same team that brought you HBO's highly successful drama The Wire.  Treme refers to a historically African American neighborhood in New Orleans and the show centers around musicians returning to the city following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  Having lived in New Orleans and been an active musician and music lover before, during (I evacuated and ended up on what my friend referred to as "evacucation" for several months), and after Hurricane Katrina, I can personally attest to the show's accurate depiction of New Orleans music and culture as well as the devastating effect the storm had on both.  Read on to learn more about the wonderful array of characters that make up the show, as well as the show's authentic and impressive commitment to the city's amazing music and culture.  Additionally, if this is a subject which interests you please consider attending the program, The Birthplace of Jazz and Much More: New Orleans Music and Culture in the Treme Neighborhood and Beyond, held at the Joel D Valdez Main Library on Saturday, October 27 at 2 pm.

Nicole Kidman sings....!

There seems to be a resurgence of musicals lately...Rock of Ages (starring Tom Cruise) got me to thinking  about Nicole Kidman, (the former Mrs. Tom Cruise) and the musical she was in, Moulin Rouge (2001). I remember seeing this movie when it played in theaters and being struck by how pretty Nicole's singing voice was, along with her co-star's, Ewan McGregor. I liked the music so much that I picked up the soundtrack not long after. I will admit the movie probably isn't for everybody...the first half hour seems rather crazy and confusing while the various characters are introduced and watching them break into song seems a little odd at first. The movie then settles down into a more conventionally told storyline though and the songs serve their storytelling purposes very well.

Tucson Meet Yourself

Calling all music fans (and food fans): Tucson Meet Yourself is coming up this weekend, on October 12-14! This should be an especially fun year for the festival, since it will overlap with the Tucson Zombie Walk and Pride in the Desert. Come meet everyone who "keeps Tucson weird" (as the bumper sticker goes), including many Pima County employees, who will mostly be gathered in the area near the sculpture in front of Main Library downtown. The Library staff will be out in force, and you may even get a chance to scope out the infamous Bookbike!

Everyday Should Be Halloween

 I love Halloween, horror films, and all sorts of music. They go so well together. To get in the mood for the upcoming month of Halloween, I will share my annual October custom of listening to music that correlates to Halloween, the macabre, the occult, ghosts, vampires, witches, the undead and downright spooky stuff. 

Light up your life with The Lumineers!

Name:  The Lumineers
Genre:  Folk Rock
Sounds like:  The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, Of Monsters and Men, The Avett Brothers

Judging from the large number of holds on their self-titled CD and a sold out show at the Rialto Theatre this past Thursday, it seems that many people are as excited by The Lumineers as I am! One of my favorite new bands, The Lumineers are a folk rock band from Denver whose rapid rise to stardom is underscored by the simple beauty of their songs. As guitarists Jeremiah Fraites stated in an interview earlier in the year, "We're not reinventing the wheel...the ideas themselves are very simple." Those of you looking for blistering guitar solos might try a different band, but anyone who craves songs about hopes and dreams, loss and love, would do well to give this band a listen!

Singing by numbers

Do you sing to yourself? I don't sing in the shower, but lately I sing in the pool. The "singing" one does while swimming is obviously more in your head than actual singing. I have been trying to think of songs with numbers in them to help me count laps. Here are some of the songs I sing during my long, slow swims:

Wilco at TCC Music Hall

Wilco absolutely killed it at the TCC Music Hall.  Jeff Tweedy and company seemed to be fully enjoying themselves, playing in Tucson for just the third time.  They played The Rock in 1996, UA Centennial Hall in 2009, and last Wednesday night.  The band was great, the sound was great, and the audience was appreciative and energetic.  Read on for more details about the wonderful show and the full setlist.

G&S - Who Knew?

If you normally listen to rock, punk rock or blues, here is something new and totally different. Actually it's something kind of old.

I never thought I cared for Gilbert and Sullivan. The various exposures I had with this music previously from community theater companies and amateur singers were...let's just say, not to my liking. Then due to odd circumstances and historical curiosities I listened to some CD's of their work from various casts. My new and stunning verdict is...The Mikado is great. It is a funny and musically entertaining piece of work. Several songs were excellent on this CD, The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan, distributed by Prism Leisure.

Check it out and let me know if you feel like skipping around the room when you listen to it.

~Endora Pipistrella Fortunata

(Sergio Mendoza) Y La Orkestra @ HoCo Fest

Y La Orkestra (formerly Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkestra) celebrated the release of their first studio recording Mambo Mexicano! at Hotel Congress on Saturday September 1st as part of HoCo Fest.  The band delighted the home crowd throughout the set and the lengthy encore with Mambo-inspired songs and generally amazing musicianship.  Read on to find out more about the small army of musicians who made up the band for this stellar performance.

Beatles: all you need are solo albums

If there is one thing I can't get enough of it, it's oxygen. Second to that are the Beatles. Recently I decided I would check out what solo albums the members of the Beatles recorded and are available at the library. I found a good assortment! The number of albums the four lads from Liverpool put out is quite astonishing, and some of it is astonishingly bad (we're looking at you, Ringo) but you can find some of the best there is to offer quicker than you can tell me who the Walrus really was.

John, Paul George and Ringo have all contributed strongly as solo artists to the music world after the Beatles split in 1970. Each ex-member of the Fab Four, in addition to releasing strong solo albums, also were in bands: John and Yoko One in Plastic Ono Band; George in the Traveling Wilburys; Ringo's All Starr Band; and Paul in Wings.

Now, on with the Magical Mystery Tour:

My Concert List

I've been to quite a few shows since last December and thought I'd share some of my memories with you...if you went to any of these shows I'd love to hear what you thought!

Found Magazine + Rasputina Visiting Tucson

After catching the hilarious Found Footage Festival at the Loft recently, I'm really excited for more peeks into the weird private moments of America, at the Found Magazine tour coming to Club Congress Saturday, October 20th. They often choose great musicians to accompany their show (the last time they were in town, it was the Watson Twins), and this time, one of my favorite (and equally weird) bands, Rasputina, is joining them.

Plus, on the following Sunday, October 21st, the Found Magazine folks are going to stop by Main Library at 2pm for a free matinee performance sponsored by, that's right, the coolest public library in Pima County. (The Sunday show will be minus Rasputina and some of the more risqué content). Read on for more info about Found Magazine and Rasputina!

The ABC'S Of Rock!

Here is a little treat for those of you who have children and would like to get them interested in rock music at an early age. The ABC'S Of Rock by Melissa Duke Mooney and The Print Mafia is a dynamite little picture book that has an A-Z listing of some of Rock music's finest talent.

Music Will Take Care of U

The most beautiful thing about music is its nature as a collaborative art form. Imagine your favorite rock song without the drums, bass, and guitar all working together.  Would Beethoven's Ninth move us to tears without the power of a full orchestra? And now the internet has opened avenues of musical exploration and collaboration never before possible. There is no better example of this than my new favorite CD from the library collection: "We're New Here" - an amazing collaboration between jazz poet legend Gil Scott-Heron and "The XX" producer Jamie XX.

It is a strange pairing: the raw style of recently deceased "bluesologist" Scott-Heron with the industrial, dubstep beats of Jamie XX.  But "We're New Here" is one part social message, one part slam poetry, and one part club smash blended to perfection. On the track "NY is Killing Me," Jamie XX weaves Scott-Heron's somber words "fast city ain't livin' all it's cracked up to be...New York is killing me" into a frantic dance tempo like a nightmare merry-go-round spun out of control. The track "Running" races forward on an absolutely stunning bass line, Scott-Heron preaching, "It's easier to run...than staying and finding out you're the only one that didn't run." My favorite track, "I'll Take Care of U," is a remix of Scott-Heron's previous cover of Bobby Benton's 1959 smash hit, "I'll Take Care of You" (hooray for collaboration)! Scott-Heron's vocals, raw and wounded, are layered atop soothing island drums and an awe-inspiring tribal breakdown. It is an amazing song - so good that rap superstar Drake used it as the title track of his latest album, "Take Care" (also available from the library).

Road Trip

As I prepare for a short vacation in San Diego one of the most important things is to select CDs for the drive. I am low-tech when it comes to music and I still buy CDs to play at home and in the car. There are so many elements to consider when packing road trip music: location, time, mood, weather, etc. Of course, your idea of what music goes with all of these elements will be different than mine, but this may help you pack your own road trip music.

Juguemos a Cantar

I remember being in a department store in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico with my parents and falling in love with an LP with a yellow jacket. On the front it had a stick figure girl wearing the type of dress that stick figure girls wear. She was holding balloons. On the back, tiny pictures of kids, each with a song title attributed to them. It was the first record that meant anything to me and my first true introduction to bubblegum pop. It was in Spanish.

It meant so much to me, still means so much to me, that I never gave it up. The LP itself is in pretty bad shape, warped and little scratched but it's still on my shelf. About a year ago, in a fit of nostalgia, I downloaded it and bought a CD copies for my own daughter, my best friend and her niece. I still remembered most of the songs enough to sing along with them. One funny thing about all of it, aside from the fact that Juguemos a Cantar feels like the soundtrack to my early childhood, was that the Queen of Mexican Pop, singer and actress Thalia was on that record. I had no idea who she was at the time and had no clue that I already knew her when she sang "Amor A La Mexicana."

I have to admit to not being a tremendous fan of Thalia's. I bought the album with "Amor A La Mexicana" on it because I liked it so much. It's a great song, the kinda song that gets stuck in my head whenever I hear it. I still loosely follow Thalia though. I mean, I know that she's married to Tommy Mottola, influential music executive and ex-husband of Mariah Carey and there were rumors that she had a rib or two removed for cosmetic reasons. But I digress. I don't think I really ever loved her music. But I LOVE some of her songs. Enough to give her another listen, even if just for the Mexican pop fan that I have hidden deep down inside but still definitely influences me, even if I don't often admit it.

Ahhh... memory lane. I just remembered a band called Flans that I used to do choreographed routines to with all the girls at Pio Decimo Center.

The Tucson Beat

I bet you didn't know Tucson had a pretty thriving music scene? Or I'm sure you probably did if you've lived in this great desert city long enough. Either way, this month I invite you to explore some great local music and musicians that call Tucson home. If you've gone out on any given weekend to the Downtown area or 4th Avenue you have likely seen some great diverse solo musicians and local bands play live. To support our local artists Pima County Public Library has a growing collection of local music available for you to check out at your local branch. It's a varied collection and a great way to get started exploring what Tucson has to offer musically.

Some great local musicians featured in the collection are local indie rock favorite Calexico, folksy pop singer Leila Lopez (similar sound to Ani DiFranco), Gabriel Sullivan and Taraf de Tucson (sound is a real fusion of rock, flamenco, reggae, and even Balkan Gypsy beats), or The Jons (a great local rock/latin alternative group that sing in both english and en español). Or listen to some Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta, a great local band that specializes in mambo similar to the big band sound of Perez Prado. There is some local music to fill everyone's musical tastes. So start exploring local music at your library (check some out here!) and then get out there and see the musicans live at a Tucson musical venue near you!

-Marissa

More Rockumentaries - The Last Waltz, Festival Express

Continuing with my recent stretch of blogs on music documentaries (I have not been out to much live music lately, things should pick up in the Fall), and because the Joel D. Valdez Main Library has a display this month featuring music documentaries, today I am blogging about Festival Express and The Last Waltz (Happy would-be 70th Birthday to Jerry Garcia as of yesterday, August 1).  Read on to hear more about these great films.

Yeah...THAT Lisa Marie Presley...

Lisa Marie Presley. What do you think when you hear that name? Elvis' daughter? A spoiled heiress? Ex-wife to both Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage? How about a songwriter/singer? Yes, indeed, Elvis' daughter seems to have inherited some of her legendary dad's musical ability. I'm pretty sure Elvis didn't have much involvement in writing the vast majority of the songs he sang, but Lisa Marie writes her own material (she generally writes all the lyrics and various songwriters come up with the melodies) and I think it's pretty impressive.

Top 5 Indie bands

If you haven’t read "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornby, at the very least please rent the movie (both available in the Pima County Public Library). As music fans I think you will find this an essential and brilliant drama/comedy of a man named Rob looking back at the five loves of his life and as they relate through personal songs. Rob compiles top five lists through the story and speaks directly to the us, the audience, to demonstrate a love of music as he soul searches through the women who meant so much to him.

In cheesy honor of this great story, I have created my own top five list, hopefully of bands you may never have heard of. I am diving heavily into my love of British glam rock here. 

Heroes for Just One Day

Fun fact I learned in library school: researchers at one large public library discovered that about most of the items people check out are ones that they found through browsing (as opposed to ones on a list, or ones they'd put on hold). The library is all about serendipity, like finding that hidden treasure on a shelf, or grabbing a choice item that's on display. This is just as true for music as it is for books. My favorite impulse checkout CD so far is War Child Presents: Heroes.

I want my MTV: 120 Minutes, Alternative Nation, Headbanger's Ball, YO MTV Raps and the lost art of music video.

In my childhood and teen years, I fondly remember MTV being a terrific network that was led by creative professionals that were all about premiering quality music and entertainment. Much of their programming was all about introducing new and innovative music to the audience. Come reflect with me for a moment and let's revisit wonderful shows like 120 Minutes, The Headbanger's Ball, Yo MTV Raps, Alternative Nation, Amp, Beavis And Butthead, and Liquid Television.

Kaskade - Fire & Ice

Calling electronic music "big" these days might be an understatement. Turn on the radio, and it seems that every new song has been infused with the big, dance-friendly beats of trance, house, and dubstep music. In a world where the DJ is king, it is not uncommon for the person responsible for the beat (Calvin Harris, Tiesto, David Guetta) to be listed before the famous singers lending their vocals to the track.

For those unfamiliar with the electronic music scene, a worthy place to start is the latest offering from ten year electronic veteran Kaskade. Titled Fire & Ice, this two disc collection showcases Kaskade's talents for stadium-sized dance hits and collaborations with the biggest names in the electronic scene. And since everyone's all sweaty already in the summer heat, there is no harm in having a dance party!

Rat Girl

I think that everyone who loves music, and everyone who doesn't, has a favorite artist.  One band, musician, or manufactured pop group that for reasons unknown speaks to their very soul.  That one, that singular, constant love in my life is Kristin Hersh. 

So here's my deal.  I grew up in the age of vinyl records, purchased many a cassette later, in say my junior high years, and then easily moved in to buying CDs while still maintaining my previous purchases.  Yes, I still own cassettes.  And I'm never selling/giving away/burning my vinyl.  It's all lovingly preserved.  It all used to be in alphabetical order by artist, then in order of release.  It's not anymore, with husband and children touching and disorganizing.  But it's all still there.  And there is one band and musician that holds a still organized space, in a shiny red CD organizer.  Throwing Muses and Kristin Hersh.

Godmother of Punk

Patti Smith  has been my favorite artist since I saw her unshaven armpits on the cover of Easter in 1978. While I admit the armpits were the initial draw, I quickly realized that Patti was something special. Growing up in rural Vermont, I knew nothing of CBGB and the growing punk scene, but Patti opened my eyes to a whole new world of poetry and a little angry rebellion. She seemed so strong and wise. I could listen to her for hours - and I did.

Amor y Maná

Maná has been around for a long time. And I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. But I've somehow strayed away from listening to their music on a regular basis. This realization came to me when I read they were coming back in concert to Tucson on September 20 at the TCC. It's been awhile and I'm really thinking I may go to see them and reacquaint myself.

For those who haven't heard of Maná here's a bit of a background. They're a rock group from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and have been on the Rock en Español and Latino music scene for about three decades. They've won American Grammys, Latin Grammys, MTV awards, Billboards awards. You name it, they've won it, probably. They're veteran rockeros but their music always seems to be evolving, fusing with new music genres and new music trends not only in Latino music but also American genres as well.

They're great at using their music to raise awareness about social issues happening in the world, such as world hunger and many of their songs revolve around themes of love, hope, racism, oppression, etc. They created their own foundation, Selva Negra, in 1995 which works on supporting projects that protect the environment.

So what is their music like? Their music reminds me of The Police or Journey with a bit of reggae rock latin pop beats infused into it. It has a cool funky mix and on some tracks you can still hear a strong 80's rock vibe. But they also somehow are able to stay current and infuse current music genres into their sound. Interested in listening? Well you can head over to the library and pick up some of their music today! Hooray!

You can check out one of their newer albums Drama y luz or Arde el cielo, which is a live compilation album of some of their best hits if you'd like to hear a bit of their past music. Either way you can't lose! And if you really dig their sound after listening remember, they're coming in concert to Tucson in September. Maybe I'll see you there!

Happy listening.

Marissa

Endless Summers with the Beach Boys

It's nearly time for the Fourth of July, and what does that mean? Fireworks, hot dogs, surfing safari's, fun fun fun, and of course, Beach Boys. The group has been synonymous with summer and has been sending out good vibrations to music fans for 51 years. And in perfect timing, they have released a brand new album of all original music "That's Why God Made the Radio" which is available at your Pima County Public library. I have listened to it, and I LOVE IT! It's a time warp back in time. Even the cover is 60's style!

Late Intro and more World Music

Though this is my 3rd post for the music blog, I thought I should introduce myself somewhat formally.  I moved to Tucson in September, and I have attended many shows and music events in that time.  As my posts have suggested, I am a big fan of New Orleans music, African music, funk, horns, bluegrass, most anything that has a high index of danceability.  I also like some more straight forward rock-n-roll, going back to R&B, classic rock, and contemporary bands.  This week I am reviewing the Buena Vista Social Club DVD, and also reminding everyone how awesome the Freegal service is.

Duran Duran.....Now

As a child of the 80's, Duran Duran was my second love. (Rick Springfield was the first, but let's not go there, at least today!) If I mention Duran Duran to people my age these days, I get the typical response: "They're still around?" If I mention them to younger friends of mine, they're familiar with the big hits, such as Hungry Like The Wolf, Girls on Film, or Rio. Certainly the band will always be famous for these songs, but their more recent output deserves some attention too.

Nick Cave and the Sad Soundtracks

When I saw the first half of the last Harry Potter movie, I was delighted to recognize a classic song from one of my favorite artists: Nick Cave. So it got me to thinking, what other soundtracks or scores have his songs been on? Turns out, the library has a few! The Road was a bleak favorite. Follow the break for more info.

Drive - Scoring a noir film with a cristal baschet and neo-80's new wave

I was very impressed with Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 film Drive.  A lovely blend of arthouse noir and crime thriller, the film (to a certain extent) is an homage to films like Bullitt(1968), Thief(1981), and "To Live And Die In L.A." (1985).The entire film score and accompanying songs radiate an active 1980's motif. Very reminiscent of two innovative film composers of the 1980's. The first is 70's ambient/electronic band Tangerine Dream who scored memorable films like Risky Business, Legend, Firestarter, and Near Dark.  The other being electronic king Giorgio Moroder who handled 80's classics American Gigolo, Scarface, Cat People, The Neverending Story, and Flashdance. 

A Sneak Peek* from the Cheap Seats (Regina Spektor)

On the first day of every month, a little voice inside my head reminds me, "Hey buddy! Check the Orders Placed section of the library catalog!" For those of you who don't know, if you head over to the "Catalog" section of the library website, there is a wonderful button on the right side called, "Browse Our New Titles." One of its subsections is "Orders Placed," where I discover all the new books, movies, television shows, and music that are coming soon to our library (and stake a nice little spot near the front of the reserve line)! The ritual always leads to some great finds: for example, on June 1st, when I discovered that Regina Spektor had released a new album!

Los Lobos

Welcome music lovers!  Ahhh, the intro to a fabulous show put on by Los Lobos at the Rialto Thursday night.  I have been lucky enough to catch them at the Rialto and at the Fairgrounds and even once at the Rodeo Grounds outside of Sells (anyone else go to that show?).  Last night's show ranks up near the top - they absolutely rocked everyone's socks off!

Musical Obsessions

Musical Obsessions

Do you suffer from musical obsession? I enjoy different genres of music and a variety of artists, but I can become obsessed with a single artist or group and listen to their music almost exclusively for weeks. Jack White is my latest obsession.

Mimi Music

Mimi.  It's babytalk, Spanish babytalk, for sleep.  Go mimis, I tell my 18-month-old.  She puts her head down on the pillow, face down, and snores.  That's when she's not tired.  When she's tired, she demands to "go mimis," her eyes filling with tears.  At night, our house is silent and she, fortunately, sleeps right through anything that might be going on outside of her camita.  During the day, she requires music and the gentle hum of a humidifier to block everything out.

Her preferred "mimi music" is Arrullos=Lullabies in Spanish by Jose Luis Orozco.  I've heard him called the J.LO of the children's music world. (Haha!)  He certainly is famous, well, elementary school/public library famous.  He does not, however, wear short skirts or date backup dancers.  He's prolific and bilingual.  His songs are charming, mostly acoustic, usually arrangements of traditional songs.  Excellent for soothing small children.  I highly recommend it, especially considering that this one CD has kept the toddler, and her sister before her, napping happily.  A rested baby=a rested parent.

Random Album Reviews

Wilco made a beautiful, folk inspired indie rock album with Sky Blue Sky. The lead singer and lyricist, Jeff Tweedy, has a talent to paint beautiful pictures in the form of poetry that become music with no less beautiful music accompaniment. Songs that remind you of what it's like when you realize something may not work out as you had hoped, such as "Impossible Germany" or songs that inspire hope like "Either Way" fill this album.

African Invasion

I had the good fortune to attend not one, but two live music shows by musicians from Africa this week.  On Monday night, Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars played a wonderful show at Solar Culture, then on Tuesday night, Khaira Arby dazzled the crowd at Hotel Congress.  To hear more about these great shows and to find out what African music is available at Pima County Public Library, read on!

Coachella Festival Music

Every year since 1999 a three-day music and arts festival takes place in the Coachella Valley of California in Indio bringing together many genre types of musicians and structural art. By historical terms, this is the annual Woodstock concert, with several stages, tents and theaters outdoors. Tickets sell out fast (this year, they sold out within 3 hours of going on-sale) and it is a crowded amazing place to be. Past performers have included Sir Paul McCartney, Prince, Madonna, Jay-Z, and the Beastie Boys. To call it eclectic is an understatement.

Although Coachella 2012 has passed us for the year, but in honor I thought I would mention some of the bands who performed this year. Sadly I did not make it to the show, but there were many fantastic musicians and I'll try to touch upon many genres here to strike a little of everyone's tastes:

From the United Kingdom, Radiohead was a major headliner and may be one of the most well known of this year's Coachella bands, with their expansive alternative rock sound blending jazz and electronica. Radiohead has been honored by Rolling Stone as one of the best bands of all-time,

Mercer's Mark--The Shins

"Caring is creepy" according to The Shins, but let me tell you why you should care that James Mercer is at it again with his band's latest album, Port of Morrow...even if it is creepy to care. It has been about eight years since The Shins gained national momentum as a result of their presence on the soundtrack of the indie favorite, Garden State. Many of us remember the scene where Zach Braff puts on Natalie Portman's humongous headphones to hear "New Slang," the song that will "change your life." Charming as that was, I sure hope it hasn't been that long since you have checked up on The Shins; especially since the album prior to their latest, Wincing the Night Away, is an absolute delight. The album  propels easily from one song to the next, leading listeners through a kaleidoscopic build that never fails to disappoint. The tracks "Phantom Limb," "Sea Legs" and "Split Needles" are best heard with the volume cranked, that way you can let Mercer's impeccable vocals, lyrical abstractions, and tonal complexity consume you.  Oh, and if you enjoy Isaac Brock and his little band, Modest Mouse, you may just adore hearing the fruits of his collaboration with Mercer on the following tracks, "Florida," "We've Got Everything" and "Missed the Boat" (on the Modest Mouse album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank). 

From The Sky Down (or, a brief history of U2)

"We have to go away and dream it all up again..." said U2's Bono at the band's famous 1989 New Year's Eve shows in Dublin. The band had spent the previous 2 years in the hurricane that was the Joshua Tree album and tour, during which time they became the world's most famous rock and roll band. From The Sky Down documents both this time period and the recording of Achtung Baby. The band members talk about how difficult aspects of this time were and that they became the band "too stupid to enjoy their own success." They also were dealing with changes in their personal lives, most notably The Edge's disintegrating marriage and subsequent divorce, which affected the band members deeply since they had all grown up together.

After taking some time off the band reconvened in 1991 to start recording the follow-up to The Joshua Tree, which became Achtung Baby, considered by many to be U2's best album, although I consider it a toss-up between it and The Joshua Tree. (I'll digress here and explain why...if I'm in an "American" mood, it's The Joshua Tree, and if I'm feeling more "European" it's Achtung Baby.) From The Sky Down documents the recording process, both with archival footage and with recent interviews with both Bono and The Edge. As a long-time fan, most of what's discussed in this DVD isn't news to me, but seeing the archival footage is pretty cool. If you're a casual fan or don't know much about the band at all it may come as news that there was serious internal strife within the band during the recording of Achtung Baby, enough that the band nearly broke up.

Suffer for Fashion: Of Montreal Live

Back in March, I caught Of Montreal at the Rialto Theater, one of my favorite local venues. They played to a very diverse crowd: it was fun to see young ravers be-glowsticked and covered in sequins navigating a less-hip and more-jaded, almost-sold-out space.

Kate Bush: The Sensual World

I first discovered Kate Bush through my mother when I was about seven years old. Having been a child with an extremely overactive imagination, I was immediately allured into this new world of dream pop alternative rock. Imagine if Glenda The Good Witch from The Wizard Of Oz  went on to pursue new wave rock with a passion for ballet and books, then you would have Kate Bush.

Whistle while you work: Andrew Bird in concert

On the slanted standing space of the Rialto Theatre earlier this month, I stood about 30 feet away from the stage, watching Andrew Bird perform. A whistling, singing-songwriting, guitar-and-glockenspiel-playing classically trained violinist out of Chicago, Bird released his 9th album Break it Yourself on March 6th and hit Tucson on his tour on April 20th. All of the people who attended either sat upstairs in the Rialto balcony or stood in the general admission area, and they mostly seemed to fall quiet as he held his violin in his hands like a guitar, strumming and plucking out melodies and rhythms.

My music life, before and after kids

Born in the late 70s, I started listening to music in the 80s and really came into my tastes in the early to mid-90s.  You know, high school.  I listened to everything really.  My tagger friends were into Hip Hop, I had punk rock friends who were, you know, punk rock.  My fancier friends listened to Shoegazer bands.  Quite the variety.  And then there was the Rock En Español crowd. 
Fast forward to the Oughts (aughts? 00s?) and I'm pregnant with my first child.  Pregnant and married to a man a couple of short years younger than me who grew up in Chicago and was super Emo in his more musically inclined days.  My pregnancy was filled with lots of Latin music (good drums, baby kicks and moves) and my husband and I waxing poetic about how AWESOME our baby was going to be.  I mean, how could she not with a music collection like ours?!  Everything from the Cure to Shakira to Los Lobos to Beethoven to Bright Eyes (not part of my collection, I want to be clear, far too emo for me).  So we played music to her inside me and she was born and we played music to her and we sang to her and bought her tiny instruments.  Then she was able to talk and form complete thoughts and sentences, somewhere around age 2.  We were impressed.  And she told us she hated our music.  And she told us she only liked ballerina music.  WHAT?!  I spent much of my formative years avoiding "ballerina music!"

Pop Perfection with Imogen Heap

I like to imagine artist Imogen Heap as a magical, musical pop fairy. This is not difficult: she wears flowing, ethereal gowns and braids feathers through her hair. Her voice is as mercurial as the wind - a whispering breeze one moment and the fury of a storm the next. And when I listen to the perfection of her music, I feel like one of J.M. Barrie's characters sprinkled with pixie dust - able to fly.

My favorite Imogen works: the collaborative "Frou Frou" album Details and the self-produced album Speak for Yourself, are (in my opinion) two of the greatest pop albums of all time. Details begins with the mesmerizing opening track "Let Go," which invites listeners to, "Let go, just jump in, oh well, what are you waiting for?" And it would be a huge mistake not to experience the magic of these eleven tracks. "Must Be Dreaming" paints the landscape of love in wild euphoria; "Hear Me Out" explores the swirling emotions of a jilted lover. Her voice glides and soars like a bird in flight across a digital sky of strings and synth, a flawless combination that has led to many triple-digit "play counts" on my media player!

Time to Crawl

This weekend, head to 4th Avenue and downtown to enjoy live music on over 25 stages. The Tucson Weekly's Spring Club Crawl on Saturday, April 21st once again features a wide variety of Tucson musicians, as well as some out-of-towners. A few years ago, I saw Elmo Kirkwood from Phoenix with his band Kirkwood Dellinger. I was impressed with the multi-talented band members, switching instruments every few songs. I look forward to hearing Kirkwood, son of Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood, playing solo at 11:00.

Realmente lo mejor/Simply the best

A strong mainstay in the Latin alternative music scene, Julieta Venegas has been making music since the release of her debut album, Aquí, in 1997. A wonderful vocalist and songwriter, she is originally from Long Beach, CA but raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Her music is a mixture of Latin alternative, pop, rock en Español, with generous additions of traditional regional Mexican music found throughout. She's also an accomplished instrumentalist and well-known for her amazing accordion playing, an instrument not traditionally played by women within the Latin music scene. She is a breaker of barriers in her music on all levels. Julieta has won five Latin Grammys and one Grammy award for her album, Limón y Sal. She has collaborated widely with other Latino artists through her career. A great example of this is her 2008 album MTV Unplugged, where she recorded with Mexican pop singer Natalia Lafourcade, Spanish rap artist La Mala Rodriguez, and Brazilian pop star Marisa Monte.

If you're looking for a great intro to Julieta's music check out her album, Sí, full of pop love ballads, available for check out at your local branch and on Freegal. For a more comprehensive view of all her best hits, download songs from her album, Realmente Lo Mejor, also available on Freegal.

-Marissa

La Grande

If you are into the folksy rock sound staight out from the Portland scene, check out this new addition to PCLP's music catalog: La Grande by Laura Gibson. La Grande is a small town in the Pacific Northwest where native Oregonian Gibson found inspiration for her third album. Gibson is now with Barsuk Records, the independent Seattle label that includes such bands as Nada Surf and Death Cab for Cutie but don't be misled; she is far from alternative rock. Her sound is closer to folk and blues. Gibson cites singer/guitarist Mississippi John Hurt and Elizabeth Cotten as her influences. Closer to our time, she sometimes reminds me of Eleni Mandell.

Soul Stirrers for the '10s

Music of Soul and R 'n B's golden age is big business these days.  Echoes of Motown, Stax/Atlantic and other labels can be heard everywhere, through the influence of their artists - people like Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Al Green to name a few.  With the arrival and tragic early passing of Amy Winehouse, the retro-soul sound is in full swing as a dominant pop music trend.  Veteran artists like Sharon Jones (whose band The Dap-Kings were pivotal in Winehouse's smash Back to Black) and newcomers like Duffy are enjoying great popularity.

Heartfelt homage or cynically derivative?  Only your ears can decide.  If you dig that classic soul sound and want to hear something new, check out these artists in the library's free music database Freegal: 

Ryan Shaw.  Sounds a bit like Otis Redding and his "Do The 45" sounds just like Junior Wells' "Shotgun" - in other words, an old-school dance floor hit.
Raphael Saadiq.  Stevie Wonder guests on a track with this smooth crooner.
Aloe Blacc.  Blacc's music features his sweet voice front-and-center, with  influences from hip-hop, rap and 70s funk.
Cee Lo Green.  Much of his work has a serious, urban hip-hop influence, but his monster hit "Forget You" is a great example of freshening up a great old sound.
Adele.  Ah, Adele.  How could we ignore you?  A phenomenon in her own right, Adele's voice has reached out across the globe to touch the heartbroken.  If you've been living with tribesmen in Borneo for a year, it's time to discover what 750 gazillion people have been talking about.
John Legend.  RnB sound that is less retro, more modern, with hip-hop and reggae influences.
Bonus recommendation: check out a legend you may have missed 50 years ago, the original Soul Stirrer Sam Cooke!

Links are to library catalog.  To download songs for free, go to http://www.library.pima.gov/ and click "Music from Freegal." Artists currently not part of Freegal include:

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.  A rock 'n soul party!
Eli "Paperboy' Reed.  Love this guy.  His bluesy "Roll With You" is a great sounding party record.
Jamie Lidell.  Looove this guy's voice.  The white-and-nerdy Terence Trent D'arby!
Nikka Costa.  The much-overlooked queen of hard-core funk changes her musical style with every album. Her updated 70s funk sound can be heard on her classics Everybody Got Their Something and Can't Never Did Nothing.
Joss Stone.  Where has Joss disappeared to?
Mayer Hawthorne.  *(I don't really get this guy, but he is one of the more popular retro soul artists!)

Bonus classic: Donny Hathaway.  Winehouse referenced him in her infamous  "Rehab" along with Ray Charles. And like Winehouse, "Mr. Hathaway" also tragically passed too soon.  He grew up singing gospel and went on to be considered one of the very best singers from the golden age of soul music.  Remembered best for "A Song For You," "Someday We'll All Be Free" and his biggest hit "Where is the Love?" with Roberta Flack.  Next time you hear his "Theme from Maude" on TVLand, listen up!

-- John

Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk at Hotel Congress 3/14/2012

Dumpstaphunk brought their New Orleans brand of Funk music to the Hotel Congress on Wednesday March 14, 2012.  The band did not disappoint the many fans who came out for the show.  The Hotel Congress stage is adorned with the Latin words "musica delenit bestiam feram," which means, "music soothes the savage beast."  As for this night, the way the crowd danced up a frenzy with Dumpstaphunk, this proved not to be the case!

You can find some great New Orleans music, including songs by both The Neville Brothers and The Meters on Pima County Public Library's CD Mardi Gras Essentials.  Both bands also have works in Freegal, available under the Downloadable Media heading on our home page.  To find out more about Dumpstaphunk, their show at Hotel Congress, and their connection to these classic New Orleans bands, please read on.