NYPL Blogs: Popular Music

Feliz Navidad & Joyeux Noël: Celebrate Christmas with World Music

Michelle Lee, Young Adult Librarian, Riverside Library — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 17:31:56 -0500

Christmas is celebrated in many countries around the world, and in some cultures festivities can go beyond December 25, like Three Kings Day, the day of the Epiphany on January 6. Also known as Día De Los Reyes in Spanish, the holiday marks the arrival of the Three Wise Men's visit to baby Jesus and it is celebrated across the globe by the Anglican, Eastern and Roman Catholic Churches.

Ring in the holidays with some of these festive music albums listed below in Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, Greek and Vietnamese, or use your library card to listen to some digital Christmas world music via the Naxos Music Library database.

Feliz Navidad. Joyeux Noël. عيد ميلاد سعيد 聖誕節快樂 καλά Χριστούγεννα Giáng sinh vui vẻ

Musica En Español / Music in Spanish

Memorias de Navidad with Victor Manuelle

Cantares de Navidad with various artists

Carmina Latina

An Esperanza family Christmas album [sound recording] = Canciones Navideǹas para la familia

Fiesta navideña with Johnny "El Bravo" López

Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano with various artists, including Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Christina Aguilera and Ricky Martin

Mi regalo en navidad with Moncho Rivera

Nuestra Navidad with various artists

Top Latino Navidad

Top Latino Navidad Vol. 2

Musique En Francais/ Music in French

French Christmas

Chantent Noël avec Les Choeurs De l'Armée Rouge

Pastorale de noël ; Grandes antiennes o de l'avent

Christmas music in Arabic, Chinese, Greek and Vietnamese

Aghānī wa-tarānīm al-Mīlād

再别康桥/ 徐志摩; 剑桥大学国王学院合唱团; 史蒂芬.克劳伯里.

Sun of Justice: Byzantine Chant for Christmas in Greek, Arabic, and English.

Top Hit Noel 2 : Giáng sinh hạnh phúc

Come On And Jingle Bell Rock to These Holiday Albums

Michelle Lee, Young Adult Librarian, Riverside Library — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:06:41 -0500

It's peak winter holiday season and there are plenty of options for festive tunes, whether it's traditional carols or more recent songs, like Daveed Diggs' new hit, the hybrid rap-klezmer song "Puppy for Hanukkah," or Mariah Carey's 1994 blockbuster "All I Want for Christmas Is You," which has also been turned into a children's picture book and an animated children's film.

There are plenty of free musical options to access from the New York Public Library, whether it is listening to Christmas music digitally via the Naxos Music Library database, or requesting any one of the suggested CD holiday-related albums listed below. There's a wide range of genres offered in our music collection, including songs for children, country music, live performances by orchestras and classically-trained singers, Broadway musicals, pop, soul and more, with the occassional Hanukkah and Kwanzaa song. There's even one holiday album with American Sign Language instructions.

So whether you prefer to celebrate Christmas with Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Justin Bieber, Kacey Musgraves, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, or Charlie Brown and friends, feel free to skim the 40 album suggestions listed below.

Stay safe, warm and happy listening and/or holiday song-signing.

Children's Music

Christmas with the Chipmunks by David Seville

Honeyky Hanukah by Woody Guthrie, performed by The Klezmatics (children's picture book with music CD)

Kidz Bop Christmas

Peanuts Greatest Hits by Vince Guaraldi Trio

Sing 'n Sign Holiday Time with Gaia (with American Sign Language instructions)

Winter Party

Broadway Performances

Elf: The Musical, original Broadway cast recording

Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, original Broadway cast recording

Rent, original Broadway cast recording

Classical Live Performances

Christmas in New York with Renee Fleming and various artists

A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert with Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade, Wynton Marsalis and André Previn

Christmas Concert with José Carreras

Christmas with Kiri Te Kanawau: Carols from Coventry

Christmas Oratorio by Johan Sebastian Bach

Christmas 'Round the World, with songs in English, Spanish, Italian, German and Czech with various artists

The Jessye Norman Collection: A Christmas Collection

Messiah by George Fredric Handel

Musical Gifts from Joshua Bell and Friends

Seasons of Light: Songs of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah and New Year

Christmas Carols, Country Music, Jazz, Pop and Soul Albums

The Classic Christmas Album with Tony Bennett

Christmas with Harry Belafonte

Christmas: A Season of Love with Idina Menzel

Christmas from the Blue Note, with various artists

The Christmas Collection with Il Divo

The Christmas Song with Nat King Cole

Christmas Songs with Diana Krall

Country Christmas with various artists

Elvis Christmas with Elvis Presley

Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano with various artists, including Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Christina Aguilera and Ricky Martin

It's a Holiday Soul Party with Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Motown Christmas

My Christmas with Andrea Bocelli

NOW Christmas

A Pentatonix Christmas

Sending You a Little Christmas by Johnny Mathis

Ultimate Christmas with Frank Sinatra

Under the Mistletoe with Justin Bieber

A Very Kacey Christmas with Kacey Musgraves

White Christmas Blue with Loretta Lynn

Wonderland with Sarah McLaughlin

Bela Lugosi's Dead, and Other Reasons to Celebrate World Goth Day

Amanda Pagan, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Tue, 22 May 2018 00:00:01 -0400

Theda Bara's pale skin and dramatic dark makeup has always been a source of inspiration for the goth aesthetic. NYPL Digital Collections Image ID 77193.

Greetings and salutations my fellow lovers of all things dark, mysterious, and sublime!

May 22 is World Goth Day, a chance to celebrate the subculture that showed the world how to find beauty in the dark. Evolving out of the U.K. punk scene of the late 1970s, goth music as a genre was born after the release of Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” in 1979.

Characterized by a romanticized fascination with darkness—whether it be the dark side of humanity, creatures of the supernatural, or the aesthetic appeal of ages long since past—the term “goth” can refer to anything that contains a mixture of these elements.

Since its inception, goth has grown, evolved, and branched off into new genres and subcultures including darkwave, industrial, steampunk, etc.. For this post, we’re going to highlight the classics you’ll need to consume in order to understand, celebrate, and enjoy the second-most macabre day of the year! (Halloween is the first, of course.)

Music for the Masses: A Place to Start Your Playlist

Siouxsie and the Banshees- Album Juju

Lead singer Siouxsie Sioux has most often been credited as a pioneer in the goth fashion scene. Her heavy eye makeup, huge hair, and penchant for fishnets and leather immediately made her the “It” girl every goth teen would try to emulate for the rest of the 1980s. Their album, Juju, features their breakout hits, “Spellbound” and “Arabian Knights”.

Joy Division- Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook

Although the band broke up and reformed as New Order after the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, their two studio albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, as well as their hit single “Love Will Tear Us Apart” cemented their place in the burgeoning post-punk era that lead to the creation of the goth scene. Bassist Peter Hook wrote Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, for fans who would like an insider's history of the iconic band.

Bauhaus- DVD Shadow of Light Archive

The “Godfathers of Goth”, their hit single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” is a ten minute long journey of synths, atmosphere, and melodrama that is often credited as the first truly goth record. Their second studio album, Mask, features their hits “Kick in The Eye” and “The Passion of Lovers”. Lead singer Peter Murphy would eventually go solo and release hits like, “Cuts You Up”.

Pictures of You: Graphic Novels

The Crow by James O'Barr

One year after he and his fiance are brutally murdered by a street gang, Eric Draven rises up from the dead as The Crow, a supernatural being who cannot rest until his dead lover is avenged. This graphic novel is full of stunning imagery, brutal action, and poignant storytelling. Author and illustrator James O’Barr’s created this graphic novel as a way to process the death of his own fiance, and the pain of loss and raw emotion comes through on every page. Poetry and lyrics from bands like Joy Division are interspersed throughout the issues, and O’Barr based the look of Eric Draven off of punk band,The Stooges lead singer, Iggy Pop. Because of its dark atmosphere, tale of love and loss, and its heavy poetic influences, this is probably the most goth graphic novel you will ever come across. The film version, starring the late Brandon Lee in the title role, is also one of the few examples of a perfect page to screen adaptation.

Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

After being captured and held hostage by an occultist for 70 years, the younger brother of Death, Dream, goes on a quest to rebuild his kingdom which has fallen into disrepair in his absence. Set in the DC comics universe, this series begins as a dark horror comic but later evolves into a more elaborate fantasy that effortlessly combines classical and contemporary mythology. Gaiman’s dark illustrations and even darker story feature themes such as human nature, the nature of evil, and what it means to be a hero. Gaiman based the look of the lead character, Dream, off of Bauhaus’ lead singer, Peter Murphy.

Interview With The Vampire: Claudia's Story by Ashley Marie Witter

A graphic novel companion to Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, this is told from the point of view of Claudia, the immortal child vampire created by the novel's vampire protagonist, Louis, and his companion, Lestat. Outwardly, Claudia maintains the perfect image of a five year old child, while internally she is a grown woman who resents her "fathers" for trapping her in her neveraging body. The tragedy of Claudia's story is beautifully illustrated in black and white with splashes of red whenever there is blood, and there is plenty of blood.

Through the Woods: Stories by Emily Carroll

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss. These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator, Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there…

Dark Entries: Gothic Horror

For more gothic horror recommendations, check out our posts, A Brief History of Gothic Horror and Where to Start with Edgar Allan Poe.

Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story by Horace Walpole

One of the first gothic fiction novels ever written, The Castle of Otranto contains much of the elements that would become staples of the genre such as a haunted castle, a cursed family, tense atmosphere, and tragic romance. After Prince Conrad is killed under supernatural circumstances, his father, Manfred, the evil prince of Otranto, conspires to divorce his wife and marry his dead son’s fiancée, the beautiful Princess Isabella. What follows is a harrowing journey of murder, mystery, and shocking revelations.

Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

The story of Dr. Frankenstein and the obsessive experiment that leads to the creation of a monstrous and deadly creature.

The Fall of the House of Usher: And Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe ; with an introduction by Stephen Marlowe and a new afterword by Regina Marler
A collection of fourteen of the author's best-known tales of mystery and the macabre includes "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher," in which a visitor to a gloomy mansion finds a childhood friend dying under the spell of a family curse.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Anne Rice both revolutionized and revamped both the vampire novel and the gothic fiction novel with the first entry in her Vampire Chronicles series. Here we have the confessions of Louis, an 18th century vampire who has spent his afterlife struggling with his vampire nature. What follows is an unbelievable journey of horror, madness, and tragedy. Brad Pitt played the title role in the 1994 film adaptation alongside Tom Cruise as the bombastic vampire Lestat.

Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me: Gothic Romance

For more Gothic Romance recommendations, check out our post A Brief History of Gothic Romance.

Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Orphan, Emily St. Aubert, finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the medieval castle of her aunt's new husband, Montoni. Inside the castle, she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni's threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors that threaten to overwhelm her.* Master and creator of the gothic romance, Radcliffe’s stories combine thrilling horror, suspense, and, of course, romance. Her dark, brooding heroes and strong, determined heroines would become a staple of the gothic fiction genre.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The orphaned Jane Eyre has emerged a fiercely independent young woman. As governess at Thornfield Hall, she’s found her first real home—though it stands in the shadow of the estate’s master, Mr. Rochester, and its haunted halls ring with maniacal laughter. For even the grandest houses have secrets.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Recommended by Alexandria Abenshon and Amanda Pagan

The unassuming young heroine of Rebecca finds her life changed overnight when she meets Maxim de Winter, a handsome and wealthy widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. Rescuing her from an overbearing employer, de Winter whisks her off to Manderley, his isolated estate on the windswept Cornish coast—but there things take a chilling turn.

Max seems haunted by the memory of his glamorous first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy is lovingly tended by the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. As the second Mrs. de Winter finds herself increasingly burdened by the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, she becomes determined to uncover the dark secrets that threaten her happiness, no matter the cost.

Bloodflowers: Young Adult Gothic Fiction

For more young adult gothic fiction recommendations, check out our post, Dark and Beautiful: Young Adult Gothic Fiction.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between #1) by April Genevieve Tucholke

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand… Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, likes coffee, kisses you in a cemetery, and makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it…

Shadowtime: Films

Nosferatu (1922)

The quintessential silent vampire film, crafted by legendary German director F. W. Murnau. Rather than depicting Dracula as a shape-shifting monster or debonair gentleman, Murnau's Graf Orlok is a nightmarish, spidery creature of bulbous head and taloned claws, perhaps the most genuinely disturbing incarnation of vampirism yet envisioned.* The tale of horror and the aesthetic appeal of this silent film classic ensures it will always have a place on any goth movie marathon.

The Craft (1996)

If you want to know what goth looked like in the 1990s, watch this movie. The Craft is the story of Sarah, played by Robin Tunney, a teenage girl who moves to a new city and new school and immediately encounters a group of outcasts lead by the power-hungry Nancy, brilliantly played by Fairuza Balk, who invite her to join their coven of witches. Soon the girls’ spells, and their wildest dreams, are all coming true, but you know the saying, be careful what you wish for.

The Addam’s Family (1991) & Addam's Family: Family Values (1993)

Originally a series of cartoons created by American cartoonist, Charles Addams. The Addams Family became a television series in 1964, and eventually a film series beginning with the release of The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel Addams Family Values (1993). The Addams family consists of devoted husband and wife, Gomez and Morticia, their two precocious children, Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, their butler, Lurch, their right-hand thing, Thing, and the various other members of their large and eccentric family. The family lives in a crumbling old mansion and revel in all things dark, mysterious, and macabre. Most of the humor comes from having the characters interact with “normal” people who tend to find them, well, a little kooky.

Crimson Peak (2016)

When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay; a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth.

For the Gothic Younglings (Because It's Never Too Early to Learn How to Pronounce "Macabre")

For more macabre reading recommendations for your little Goth-in-training, check out our posts, Remembering Charles Addams: Picture Book Edition and Remembering Charles Addams: Elementary & Middle School Edition!

Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace

Oh, to be a ballerina! It's a challenge for any little girl, but even more so if you happen to be a vampire like Vampirina. First of all, you have to find a class that meets at night. Then you have to figure out how to perfect your form when you can't see yourself in the mirror? And then there's wearing pink (not the most flattering of colors if you happen to be undead) and that nagging urge to take a little nip out of the other dancers. And worse of all STAGE FRIGHT!!!*

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.*

Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?*

*adapted from the publisher

Travel Around the World in 80 Checkouts

Marianna Vertsman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 16:08:56 -0400

Model of Trylon and Perisphere with airplane; NYPL Digital Collections; Image ID: 1684345

As a librarian working with the World Languages Collection, I consider myself an Ambassador of Global Cultural Heritage. Over the years working with our multilingual collections, I have fallen in love with a number of international authors and, despite encountering striking differences in circumstances and perspectives across many translated books, I am always struck by the universality of human experiences.

In addition to providing a much-needed perspective on my own life, foreign literature can always be used as a conversation opener in our multicultural city. Below is an extensive list of my recommendations and a link for each book or film; I hope these will challenge you to embark on your own international journeys and make new friends along the way.

My favorite books from the World Languages Collection include two autobiographical novels from Russia and a tale from an unreliable narrator from Congo.

The first, Bury Me Behind a Baseboard, has been a bestseller since its initial publication more than 20 years ago. In addition to having a cult following in Russia, the novel was published in Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Israel, China, and Taiwan. This unforgettable story of a boy and his overbearing grandmother will resonate with any readers familiar with dysfunctional families.

The second, written by Ruben Gallego Gonzales, documents a totalitarian state's indifference to individual human life—White on Black details a childldhood spent in Soviet oprhanages for disabled children. Translated into mulitpe languages, White on Black can be requested from the Mid-Manhattan Library in English, Russian, Spanish, and Polish.

Broken Glass is written by Alain Mabanckou, a Congolese recipient of Académie Française's grand prix for lifetime achievement., and it's everything a great novel should be: entertaining, thought-provoking, and deeply moving. A denizen of a shady Brazzaville bar, the narrator, nicknamed Broken Glass, is on a mission to secure his place in a literary canon. Armed with a truly encyclopedic learning and fueled by red wine and "bicycle chicken," he takes us on a wild ride through history.

Recommended Authors

In the past few years I have enjoyed reading translations of Argentinean Federico Andahazi , Hungarian László Krasznahorkai, and Korean Kyung-sook Shin. I also believe that books written by Ivan Klima, Tove Jansson, Kōbō Abe, Clarice Lispector, and Jorge Amado deserve a wider audience, as well.

A couple of years ago, I finally read popular Neopolitan novels from Elena Ferrante, and you can request them in Mandarin, French, Spanish, Polish, Hebrew, Italian, and English. After you complete the series, I highly recommend Ferrante's Days of Abandonment; I can't think of any other modern writer that addresses the immediate aftermath of marital dissolution with such unrestrained candor.

My neglected masterpiece award goes to author Aluísio Azevedos for O Cortiço, translated as Slum, or Brazilian Tenement.

Current and Upcoming Reads

For current reading, I'm back to Russian novels, reading a bestseller as bizzare and enticing as its title: iPhuck 10. It's the latest savage satire from a bad boy of Russian literature, Victor Pelevin.

I am next looking forward to reading:

2084 : the end of the world, a dystopian novel by Algerian writer Boualem Sansal
the newly translated Oblivion by Segei Lebedev
Three Daughers of Eve by Elif Shafak

In the near future, l am determined to get a hold of the The llustrious House of Ramires by José Maria de Eça de Queirós; plan to read a book by frequently requested Algerian author Ahlam Mosteghanemil; and, by summer, I might get to My Struggle, a multi-volume autobiographical opus by Karl Ove Knausgaard.

Film Recommendations

My favorite film from the World Languages Collection is an Academy Award nominee from Argentina, Relatos Salvages (Wild Tales), which catches up with characters each on the verge of an approaching nervous breakdown. Other contenders for my favorite Spanish-spoken film are from some of the industry's most highly-regarded filmmakers: Pedro Almodóvar's Volver, El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth), an earlier film from The Shape of Water writer-director Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Gonzáles Iñnáritu's Amores Perros and Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mamá También.

Under-the-radar Russian movies that I have liked include the eerie Silent Souls (directed by Aleksei Fedorchenko), gloomy Leviathan (Andrey Zvyagintsev), brutal The Major and brilliant The Fool (both by Yuri Bykov).

French Village is a well-researched period drama television series from France, starring the stunning, flawless Audrey Fleurot as a bored housewife, hopelessly in love with a charismatic Nazi sociopath played by Richard Sammel. Some of my favorite French movies in our collections include comedies The Dinner Game (directed by Francis Veber), The Class (Laurent Cantet), Penny Pincher (Fred Cavayé) and The Closet (Veber), plus drama Leaving by director Catherine Corsini.

Cesare deve morire (Caesar Must Die) is an unforgettable Italian documentary filmed in a maximum security prison, about the staging of a production of Julius Caesar. Golden Door (directed by Emanuele Crialese) follows a Sicilian immigrant family on a journey to the land of giant onions, rivers of milk, and incomprehensible immigration policies. And the Italian thriller I'm Not Scared (Gabriele Salvatores) should not be watched alone.

Among my favorite Scandinavian movies in our collections:

Norwegian Kitchen Stories from director Ben Hamer
Danish drama After the Wedding, directed by Susanne Bier
Icelandic award-winning drama Rams, from Grímur Hákonorson
Swedish coming-of-age tale My Life as a Dog, an early film from director Lasse Hallström

Additional Film Suggestions

From Japan:

My favorite Akira Kurosawa film, Dodes'ka-den
A brilliant film on the subject of resignation, Suna no onna (The Woman in the Dunes), based on the novel by the great Kobo Abe, and directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
The animated films of Hayao Miyazaki, which continue to enchant audiences of all ages, including my top three: Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro

Also:

Casa de Areia (The House of Sand), a Brazilian film in our collection
The delighfully bizzare Chinese comedy, Mermaid, about a community of merfolk fighting against a greedy developer
The Square, 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or winner from Swedish director Ruben Östlund.
Quest for Fire, one of the most remarkable films in the World Languages Collection, whose language is classified as "Undetermined"

Films by Deepa Mehta have been on my watchlist for a few weeks, including NH10, a frequently requested thriller that will keep on the edge of your couch. For a light and charming reflection on serendipity, request Mehta's The Lunchbox. In the film, an unusual mix-up by a usually efficient dabbawalla, popular lunchbox delivery system in Mumbai, results in an epistolary exchange between a widower and a neglected wife. As they get to know each other, both decide that drastic changes must free them from a lonely and unfulfilled existence.

Music Selections

My desert island disc collection includes Djavan ao vivo, Bom tempo by Sergio Mendes, and the assorted works of Gilberto Gil and Paulinho Mosca . Also: Brazilian-born, Paris-based singer Flavia Coehlo, who has travelled many of the world's roads, and whose collaboration with Senegalese musician Cheikh Lô results in a very addictive musical composition. The music of Astor Piazzolla suits many of my moods and, in the past few weeks, I have been listening to Buika, queen of flamenco, jazz, and anything else that comes her way.

To release my inner Cinderella , I turn to popular Lebanase singer Nancy Ajram, and know that my taste for Henry Salvador, Serge Gainsbourg, and Joe Dassin definitely shows my age. (In addition to singing, Joe Dassin wrote a book of short stories, and World Languages has a copy in Russian.) Zaz, Cœur de pirate and Stomae are members of the new generation of talented francophone performers.

Gogol Bordello is a band known for its effortless blend of gypsy punk and irreverant lyrics—you might remember the band's irresistible Ukrainian-born , Brazilian-based frontman from the film Everything is Illuminated. Gogol Bordello's latest release, Seekers and Finders, reminds us that some things are illuminated for all those who actively seek to understand the world.

We invite you to share the titles of your favorite works of world literature, international movies, and world musicians in the comments below!

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 8

Andy Wagstaff, Collection Development — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 10:51:32 -0500

For your listening pleasure, check out some of the most exciting, newly purchased CDs from our circulating collections. Just click on any album title to head over to the catalog and put that CD on hold—and don't forget the provided "PREVIEW" tracks below. Enjoy!

"The Infected Mass" by Those Who Walk Away (2017)

Somewhere nestled among the charming piazzas of Rome is a place known as the Capuchin Crypt, comprising small chapels, with altars, designs, and wall decorations made from the bones of 4,000 exhumed human skeletons. One altar is made entirely from the skeletons of priests, one room features a mandala wall design comprised of pelvic bones, and another room is made mostly from the bones of infants.

Continue on to the adjoining museum and you will find a painting by the Italian master of shadow, Caravaggio: It is of St. Jerome, sitting alone by candlelight, staring at a human skull in his hands, contemplating death.

In case you can't make out the picture on the cover of "The Infected Mass", it is an airplane plummeting to certain doom. Who has not boarded an airplane and had their own St. Jerome moment: contemplating their own mortality, if only for a moment?

It is just that moment that this Mass explores. The quickened heartbeat, deliberate breathing, actual cockpit recordings of in-flight crises, droning tones, and the slowing down of time. It evokes what Caravaggio evokes, that life itself flickers like a candle, holding the shadows at bay; yet behind every face is a skull.

PREVIEW

"The Art of the Chinese Lutes" by Miao Xiaoyun (2017)

Alone on the northern frontier,
I play my lute to cover my solitude with songs.

Autumn chills, maple leaves and reed flowers fall;
The river reflects the moon through a veil of mist.

I close my eyes, a figure of a golden phoenix appears, with flowers in its beak.
The flowers flutter, and the phoenix sings;
Lingering, filling the countryside.
An early snow begins to fall.

I listen to the sound;
It is like magic sent down from heaven.
Something profound floats in the music;
It is beautiful and sad, a gateway to the mystery.
My coat is soaked through with tears.

On these snowy, moonlit nights in fall,
I often sit and play alone. It keeps me warm.
I drink wine by myself, and raise a toast to the beauty of this loneliness.

(freely compiled and rewritten by A. Wagstaff, from poems of the Tang Dynasty.)

PREVIEW

"Little French Songs" by Carla Bruni (2013)

Perhaps Carla Bruni's name is familiar to you—many know her as the woman who married then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008 while he was in office (their daughter was also born during his tenure, in 2011) . However, such trivia should not eclipse the fact that Bruni has some serious musical talent, and one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard!

Take, for instance, Bruni's cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" on her new cover album, "French Touch". There are some other wonderful songs on that 2017 cover album (don't miss her version of "Miss You"), which I could have easily made the focus of this entry. But there's a lovely song from "Little French Songs", her 2013 release, that I must highlight here.

Bruni takes a lovely Chopin Waltz—"Valse Posthume no. 17 en la mineur"—and adds her own French lyrics, to great effect. The result is a wonderfully light and sultry song that takes you back to some torch-lit sidewalk cafe in Paris, of some bygone era.

PREVIEW

"Ribbons" by Justin Adams (2017)

This collection of sound paintings seems to combine the sonification of energy waves in outer space with an ancient music hidden deep within the earth, somewhere in the Middle East. It escapes the tyranny of musical trends of the present simply by drawing on the ancient past and the distant future. It is as relaxing as it is unique.

PREVIEW

"Eternal Tides" by Joanne McIver & Alain Genty (2017)

Joanne McIver has an undeniable passion for the traditional music of Scotland, and has geared her graceful musical talents and entire career toward exploring, performing, and composing it. The fact that she clearly lives and breathes this music is what makes it so compelling!

McIver sings, often in Gaelic, and plays the flute, tin whistle, and Scottish pipes. My personal opinion about bagpipes is that they're great for parades, but not for my living room. However, McIver may be the only person to play the bagpipes in a way that is 100% enjoyable. (I like bagpipes now, and she did that!)

In addition to "Eternal Tides", McIver released another album this year, a collaboration with harp player, Christophe Sauniere. Here's a video of McIver singing and playing the tin whistle on a song from that album.

Her composition style draws lovingly from the Scottish Gaelic tradition she identifies with but there is something else in her music, her own unique elements. That assertion of her own musical sensibilities is so subtle, so effortless and naturally in conjunction with tradition, that the music succeeds in being the most beautiful history of Scotland you'll ever have the pleasure to hear. I wish she were better known. She should be. I do what I can.

PREVIEW

"Arrival: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by Johann Johannsson (2016)

Arrival was a 2016 science-fiction movie involving visitors from outer space. Yet, unlike many other films involving similar visits, the aliens don't use humans as hosts for their spawn, blow stuff up, or otherwise cause a bunch of on-screen havoc. Arrival is an elegantly paced, thought-provoking film whose main protagonist is a linguist professor—an atypical sci-fi hero for sure. Check out the DVD and keep in mind just how important music is for film.

A main plot point in the film focuses on language. How, for instance, could we begin to communicate with an alien life-form whose language shares none of the traits our earthly languages? The starting points, building blocks, and approach to language are just so completely different than our own that there are no motifs or structures from which to draw, even for the most gifted of polyglot linguist professors.

Most interesting about this film is that the composer's similar approach to the music. He seemingly steered clear of all musical conventions and tried to think of soundwaves, and of music, as something completely new. This approach mirrors the film's ideas about language and communication, that our structures and motifs are so familiar, it becomes challenging to even think of something outside of them.

What would language be without vowels, hieroglyphs, verbs or nouns? How would you approach playing music if you couldn't use any instrument, or scales, that already exists? That's the best way I can describe the "Arrival" soundtrack. Actually, the composer is much more eloquent and informed about this approach, and breaks down his process, element by element, in this very interesting podcast. So listen to that, and then check out this mesmerizing track, titled "Heptapod B."

PREVIEW

"The Blue Notebooks" by Max Richter (2004)

The incredibly beautiful track that plays out the credits in Arrival is not from the film's composer, but from Max Richter. The piece is called "On The Nature of Daylight", and it is one of the most haunting pieces of music ever written. I'll put it there with Arvo Part's "Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten" (Find it in our catalog!) as the song I believe God will have the angels play when the world finally comes to an end, as it is truly magnificent. Okay, that's just my own imagined, larger-than-life scenario. Think of your own.

PREVIEW

"boyd meets girl" by Rupert Boyd & Laura Metcalf (2017)

Both these musicians have already been critically aclaimed, with The Washington Post all but comparing Boyd's playing to that of Andres Segovia. Allmusic's 5/5 star review of the Laura Metcalf-Matei Varga collaboration "First Day" (also on our shelves) claimed that "the listener is likely to have to be restrained from taking off into the stratosphere!" The review is referring specifically this Poulenc piece, but the whole album is wonderful! This year brings an equally wonderful collaboration, this time with cello and guitar.

PREVIEW

"Cousin Emmy and Her Kinfolks, 1939-1947"

Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys get most of the credit for inventing bluegrass music, and it's perfectly warranted. The birth of bluegrass is usually set in December 1945, when guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs joined the group and solidfied the instrumentation.

But, as we all know, music—certainly any type of folk music—doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It draws on elements of music that came before it, and adds its own innovations.

When Cousin Emmy was teaching Grandpa Jones how to play the banjo, and gaining popularity playing the "Jamboree" live on the radio in the 1930s, Earl Scruggs was still a kid. Scruggs is rightly credited with his impressive and innovative 3-finger playing style (now called the "Scruggs Style") and Monroe's better-known Bluegrass Boys certainly codifed an instrumentation for an entire genre (mandolin, banjo, guitar, fiddle, stand-up bass).

But playing the banjo at breakneck speed, getting everybody in the barn up and dancing, and singing about cornbread and beans and lonesome roads? That came to us from Cousin Emmy (and others as well). It is said she knew how to play 16 different instruments. She was one of the first female musicians to barnstorm into a male-dominated industry and never look back, she would brag that "she was the first hillbilly to own a Cadillac,"and she was among the many musicians to have a resurgence in popularity during the roots music revival of the 1960s—a new popularity that resulted in her performing at the Newport Folk Festivals. Cousin Emmy is a legend in country music and her music is always a jamboree!

PREVIEW

"Two Parts Viper" by '68 (2017)

This one is loud and sweaty. It is screamed out of a garage as unsuspecting victims walk by, trying not to glance over at the monstrosity. "Are we in danger?! What if it comes after us? They can sense fear, and if they see us looking, they'll get even madder. Let's get out of here!"

If you like raw, unpolished in-your-face rock and roll energy... I'm pretty sure these guys don't have a stylist on the ol' payroll. (Hey, if you play punk rock and have a stylist, you're not really punk.)

But, is this punk? It is if you consider that punk came along and accused rock of being stale and boring and narcisistic and lacking energy and all that, sure. But it's really just straight ahead rock 'n' roll, served up as it should be, with a heaping side of attitude.

PREVIEW

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 7

Andy Wagstaff, Collection Development — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 08:00:00 -0500

Check out this list of some of the most exciting, newly purchased CDs from our circulating collections for your listening pleasure. Click on the album titles to be taken to the catalog and put the CDs on hold, and don't forget the provided PREVIEW tracks. Enjoy!

Petty's Peculiar Picks by various artists (1930s-1960s)

The recently departed and widely-beloved Tom Petty is not performing on this collection, rather he is playing DJ. It's just a fun little trip through Petty's record collection and the blues-leaning sounds of the 50s and 60s. Let's just mention one track, "Cherokee Dance" by Bob Landers with Willie Joe and his Unitar, from 1956. The gravel-voiced singer, Bob Landers, has to be heard to be believed. But the guitarist, Willie Joe, had a homemade Diddley Bo that was made out of a 7-ft tall porch post, one string, and an electric pick-up. He used to drive around town looking for a store with an outlet out front, and just plug in and start playing anywhere and everywhere. And with a 7-ft tall one-stringed guitar, they say he usually could garner people's attention pretty well. Some say this track is the meanest guiar tone put to record up to that time. It is very hard to argue with that. To get a sense of the variety on this collection, now listen to another gem on this one, Mose Allison's "I Don't Worry About a Thing"! Perfect for a cross-country road trip! PREVIEW

Pollinator by Blondie (2017)

If I could hang out with any legendary musician or band I wanted, I think it would be Debbie Harry of Blondie. She worked as a waitress in the back room of Max's Kansas City, serving the likes of Andy Warhol and his factory people while the Velvet Underground turned art into noise (or was it noise into art?) in the background. She helped early punk and hip-hop cross-pollinate, calling out the pioneers of hip-hop in her songs, and them returning the favor by calling her out in theirs. She was among the first "punks" to play CBGBs, hung out with Fab Five Freddy and Chic, worked with Georgio Moroder and is now a household name. If you are a Blondie fan, I am happy to inform you that their newest CD is as good as you hoped it might be. Try, for instance, this great duet with Joan Jett! So retro-awesome in all the right ways! Still a great band! PREVIEW

Fake Sugar by Beth Ditto (2017)

Ms. Ditto really loves to sing. She just, clearly, loves it! You will know this as soon as you hear her voice; and if you ever get to see her perform live, you'll know it even more. She got her start in a band called Gossip that formed in the late 90s in a town that was overflowing with inpsiring, often very feminist (Riot Grrrl!), DIY punk bands: Olympia, Washington. Gossip was awesome.

Through the years, she has been involved in several music projects (coincidentally including a Blondie song), and some time last year decided to focus on a solo project. Fake Sugar is her debut solo CD. When this song get to the lift, I mean, I get chills. I want to fly or something! I do in a way. PREVIEW

Black Origami by Jlin (2017)

There is a genre of street dance that originated mostly in Chicago, called "Footwork". If you are unfamiliar, watch this. It's pretty mermerizing, and impressive, no? And like many such labels (Salsa and Merengue come to mind), "Footwork" as a term is now used for both the dance style AND the music that best accompanies it. An inspired, tech-savy and musically-inclined steel worker from nearby Gary, Indiana, just wanted to make music that the kids would want to dance to. Jlin makes electronic music, combining identifiable elements from hip-hop, house, techno, drum and bass, and more into her sound. Footwork dancers like it eclectic, agro. It's got to be extreme, but has to remain danceable too. And Jlin delivers just that.The choreography alone on this preview track is enough to make it worth watching. PREVIEW

Shortwave Nights by Hiss Tracts (2017)

A dark and dreamy organic noise collage that sounds a lot like it would if it rained down beautiful drops of melody on a grey, autumn afternoon. The water, forming into streams, on its long journey back to the sea. PREVIEW

Palenque Palenque Champeta Criolla & Afro Roots in Colombia 1975-91 by Various (2010)

Travel to anywhere in South America, throw a rock, and you will make contact with one of a thousand different, awesomely colorful and unique subgenres of music. Any such genre has its own set of influences; its own history; its own set of elements that, when combined, make it sound so awesome. All great. All great. Yet, "Champeta" music of Colombia is a juggernaut among giants. Not only is its sound as fantastic and fun as anything any culture has produced, like, ever, its history is pretty amazing as well. "Champeta" flourished in the 1970s and '80s along the Carribean-side coast of Colombia. To this day, you can visit cities like Cartagena, and Barranquilla and find clubs that cater to Champeta; but in the late '70s, it is more likely you would find it being blared out of loudspeakers at an outdoor dance party out in the backstreets and outlying villages. One of the nearby villages largely credited with inspiring Champeta music is Palenque de San Basilio, the namesake of this collection. "Palenques" (known as a "Quilombos" in Portuguese; similar to "Maroons" in English) were towns that were set up by enslaved Africans who escaped their captors and founded settlements of their own in the Americas. This was, mind you, on or around the early 1600s, long before slavery was outlawed. Many of those towns not only survived, extrajudicially and often in secrecy, for another 250 or so years of legalized slavery, but still exist to this day. The town that is credited with birthing the awesome music on this CD has been declared a "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO. Founded by an escaped African King in the early 1600s, the town went through a few treaties, violations, executions, etc; but became most certainly the first town in the Americas where Africans were officially declared free: that is, the first town in the Americas to be home to free Africans. And eventually in 1691, this was even recognized in a treaty with the town and the Spanish Crown. That culture embodies a struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds (indeed, "champeta" comes from a word meaning "knife", similar to a machete), yet this struggle includes the fight to find enough goodness in the world to make you want to dance and make beautiful music in spite of it all. All that is to say, this music is great! PREVIEW

Republique Amazone by Les Amazones D'afrique (2017)

You need to support this ensemble, and I'm here to tell you why. Les Amazones D'afrique, an all-female group from Mali, wrote a song a couple years ago called "I Play the Kora". The song is a cool mix of traditional and modern sounds, but it is also a declaration. For years women in West Africa were not even allowed to play the kora; and the song encourages women to "rise up and fight injustice because we're all equal." Angelique Kidjo is the Kora player here. After having fought against social prejudices for the right to play the kora; she is now recognized as a 'Ngara', which is a title given only to those musicians in West Africa who are perceived to have an aura of greatness. And ALL the profits from the sale of that song went to a charity that helps victims of sexualized violence, an issue of grave concern in the war-torn regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And that is one of literally dozens of charities and causes with which this group is involved. More very interesting choreography in this video too! PREVIEW

Libraries on Fire by Derek Gripper (2017)

A change of pace for you here, with some atmospheric solo classical guitar. If this can't relax you, man, I ain't got nothin' for you. Imagine if John Fahey played classical guitar. It has that free-flowing, inprovisational feel, even though it likely isn't. It's just very organic; soft and lilting yet technically impressive at the same time. Enjoy! PREVIEW

President Obama's 2016 Summer Playlist

Alison N. Quammie, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 17:51:36 -0400

"One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain." —Bob Marley (Rastaman Vibration)

President Obama released his official Summer 2016 Playlist via his Twitter feed @POTUS this past Thursday. The thirty-nine track listing features a mix of classic jazz standards, popular music genres from blues, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, and rap to American folk, Latin, and Indie rock.

Click on any artist's name from the playlist below to read biographical information from All Music Guide.

To request your copy of the music CDs from the NYPL catalog, click on the song title or visit your Library branch.

The President's Summer Playlist: Daytime

Listen on Spotify

The Gifted

Coming Home

Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit

Little Voice

The Eephus

The Blueprint 3

Finding Forever

Lift Your Spirit

Distant Relatives

Sign "o" The Times

Young, Gifted And Black

The Beach Boys

The Bright Lights EP

Gravel & Wine

Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus

"LoveHate Thing" (feat. Sam Dew) - Wale
"Smooth Sailin'" - Leon Bridges
"Elevator Operator" - Courtney Barnett
"Home" - Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros
"Many the Miles" - Sara Bareilles
"Tightrope" (Solo Version) - Janelle Monáe
"Classic Man" (feat. Roman GianArthur) - Jidenna
"So Ambitous feat. Pharrell" - Jay Z
"Me Gustas Tu" - Manu Chao
"Forever Begins" - Common
"The Man" - Aloe Blacc
"As We Enter" - Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
"Sinner Man" - Nina Simone
"U Got the Look" - Prince
"Rock Steady" - Aretha Franklin
"Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
"Don't Owe You a Thang" - Gary Clark Jr.
"Man Like That" - Gin Wigmore
"II B.S." - Charles Mingus

The President's Summer Playlist: Nighttime

Listen on Spotify

Esperanza

What Is Hip?

The Heart Speaks in Whispers

8 Mile

All Day Music

If I Have My Way - Chrisette Michele
"Espera" - Esperanza Spalding & Leo Genovese
Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
Alright - Ledisi
"Trapped By a Thing Called Love" - Denise La Salle
Lady - D'Angelo
"So Very Hard to Go" - Tower Of Power
"Midnight Sun" - Carmen McRae
Cucurrucucu Paloma - Caetano Veloso (This song was featured in Pedro Almodovar's film Talk to Her, You can request the DVD copy here.)
"Green Aphrodisiac" - Corinne Bailey Rae
"I'll Be There for You / You're All I Need to Get By" - Mary J. Blige/Method Man
Lover Man - Billie Holiday
Criminal - Fiona Apple
"My Funny Valentine (Live)" - Miles Davis
"Do You Feel Me" - Anthony Hamilton
I Get Lonely - Janet Jackson
Lean In - Lizz Wright
"All Day Music" - War
Say Yes - Floetry

Do you know about Freegal Music? It's one of NYPL free databases with access to about 11 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists, and over 15,000 music videos. Download the mobile app and start building your music library today.

Recent Hip Hop You May Have Missed

Laura Stein, Adult Services Librarian, Grand Central Library — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:24:40 -0400

As with a lot of hip hop music, there are language advisories. Please be aware that all content may not be suitable for those under 17 years old.

Chance the Rapper is, as far as I’m concerned, this year’s breakout superstar. He was slated to perform at the 2016 Hot 97 Summer Jam but his set was canceled due to inclement weather. That may have been the last chance to seem him before he blows up. Up to this point he has released all his music as free mixtapes.* He almost signed with Sony this past week but has decided to remain independent. His style is smooth, sweet, and spiritual.
If you want to mellow out even more you’re going to want to turn to Flying Lotus for some electronica/jazz beats with rap over top. You're Dead is the newest album and "Never Catch Me" features Kendrick Lamar.
Joey Bada$$ is Brooklyn born and his style is very '90s East Coast. “Christ Conscious” or “Paper Trail$$” from B4.Da.$$ are good ones to start with.
If you like Joey Bada$$, see Oddisee. He’s going to give you a sound that’s a little bit harder. The track “Lifting Shadows”** is an honest look at being Muslim in America today.
To get real turnt up, Run the Jewels (El-P and Killer Mike) is this blogger’s choice. “Blockbuster Night Part 1” on Run the Jewels 2.
If you need a female vocalist in your life (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) I recommend The Internet, a trio that has Syd tha Kyd (also from Odd Future) and specifically the track “Girl” from Ego Death. It's a little more R&B, soulful.

Who have you been listening to? Let us know in the comments.

*datpiff.com is a free online resource to stream and download tons of mixtapes.

**If we don’t have an artist’s album check out the music database that the library provides access to—Freegal Music. With your library card you get three free song downloads per week (to keep!)

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 3

Andy Wagstaff, Collection Development — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 16:02:13 -0500

Nordic Affect, Clockworking (2015)

Nordic Affect is an experimental chamber music ensemble from Iceland. A string quartet made up of four women, doing a handful of compositions all by women. Well that's pretty cool on some level, in and of itself; but that's a bonus, because it is the magnificence of this CD that demands it be included here. I mean, you could tell me all the songs were by guys named Larry and they were all born on a Tuesday, and the poetry contained here would continue to float above the land. Or, maybe there is something to it. Maybe this fact allowed for a communal energy to drive it toward fruition. Anyway, I'll be honest, chamber music doesn't take up a lot of time on the old turntable at my house, percentage-wise. I recommend this because I think people who AREN'T particularly into chamber music will really find it incredible. Once in describing the atmosphere they were attempting to evoke, the director said that it is meant to harken back, to a time when "rhythmical rhythms permeated life, be it through the chopping of wood, making of butter or spinning yarn." Yes, they did it, there is something timeless and ancient here. I might make a movie just so I can use this on the soundtrack. PREVIEW

Ata Kak, Obaa Sima (1994)

The discovery of this recording is so fascinating on many levels, but before I run the risk of information overload, for goodness sakes, if you just want to hear a really great tune, find the preview track below and check it out.

In the early 2000s, an ethnomusicologist, Brian Shimkovitz, was in Ghana studying a local music subculture called "Hiplife". One of the habits he acquired while there was purchasing completely unknown (to him) music cassettes from street vendors. Much of this music was underground in its truest sense, certainly outside of Ghana. Let's just say, you couldn't Google it. Can we even imagine? After unearthing so much fantastic and interesting music, he thought for certain the right thing to do would be to work to bring it to a larger audience. He started a website that no armchair ethnomusicologist should ignore: Awesome Tapes From Africa! The website offers streaming music for much of these cassettes that you will simply not find anywhere else, and its offerings have expanded to include other music, from other street carts, in other countries. I'm sure you will soon see if you check it out, it is brimming with more unique, infectious, and just culturally interesting music than can usually be found under one umbrella. The readership for this blog grew by so much that Shimkovitz decided to turn it into a record label, Awesome Tapes; which through proper licensing and working with artists, brought many of these artists more recognition than they'd had in a while, or ever.

The very first post on that blog was this cassette, Ata Kak's Obaa Sima, and read in part:

"This is it! ...You may never hear anything like this elsewhere. I bought this on the street from a guy selling tapes displayed on one of those big, vertical wooden racks in Cape Coast, Ghana."

Of all the amazing, colorful music he had come across, it was the Ata Kak cassette that garnered the honor of the inaugural blog post; because it was certainly one of, if not THE most unique cassette he had come across. But as his label got up and running, try as he may, Shimkovitz could not track anything down about Ata Kak, and so could not license this cassette for a proper release.

Well to make a long story less long, after traveling literally to Africa, to Germany, and Canada, multiple times, he finally tracked down Mr. Ata Kak (real name: Yah Atta-Owusu). Turns out Ata Kak had moved from Ghana, done some traveling, internalized musical influences like Reggae, Dancehall, early Hip Hop pioneers like Grandmaster Flash, as well as American soul and disco; then while living in Ontario in the early '90s, cranks out this gem of a cassette while somewhat isolated from what was going on in Ghana's own rap scene. The result of this isolation is a completely unique sound that makes it undeniably different from anything going in in the US, Canada, OR Ghana.

So they finally licensed the recording, rereleased it on CD, and then sold a few copies to us, the NYPL. And now the artist is getting more recognition and compensation than he ever did in the 90's when he recorded it.

Then there's the whole story of its digital restoration, but I've gone on too long. If you like unique music, this one is very worth your time! PREVIEW

Natalia Lafourcade, Hasta La Raiz (2015)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Mexico is, let's face it, the coolest neighbor ever. And anyone who says otherwise needs to spend some time enjoying the ways that culture has permeated the very fabric of our country, like many countries and cultures actually. Ms. Lafourcade is awesome and I'm here to tell you why. She started singing in a mariachi band when she was 10. She wrote AND produced literally every song on this album. When she toured Mexico in support of the recording, she only played venues that were landmarks of at least 100 years old. She did this really fantastic duet with Juan Gabriel, what harmonic blending! She combines musical elements like a master chef combines ingredients: a dash of French Ye-ye here (eg, Françoise Hardy's "Mon Amie La Rose,") a dollop of bossa nova here (eg: Astrud GIlberto's "Agua de Beber,") knowing what elements will combine well to create something lovely. The other ingredients in here, I can only guess; I wasn't in the kitchen. But I just know whatever is in there is delicious! PREVIEW

The Rough Guide to Bollywood Disco (1970s)

I think if Philip K. Dick wrote a book about a possible future of music, or would it be a parallel present of music, it would be called "Bollywood Disco," and it would read like this disc sounds. The title says it all. To pick a track to preview from this most interesting nugget of globalized culture is a combination of Sophie's Choice and shooting fish in a barrel. Oh, but here's one, "I Am A Disco Dancer."

The added bonus here is the supplemental disc, which is "The Rough Guide to Kishore Kumar." Kumar was an extremely prolific playback singer. In Bollywood cinema, pretty much all singing parts are recorded by professional singers and then lip-synched on-screen, during a "playback" of the recording, by the actors. That is why, perhaps, you've watched a Bollywood movie or two and thought, "Hey, that actor sounds exactly like the one in the last movie I saw...when she sings anyway." That is likely that, it was. In fact, the most prolific playback singer, Asha Bhosle, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the most recorded voice in history, her voice having appeared in somewhere over 1,000 films. For many of those films, Bhosle would sing the lead female parts, and Kumar would sing the male parts.

But enough about Bhosle, she has become known to a degree outside of India that Kumar has not. Yet, it was Kumar who adopted the Jimmie Rodgers-style "Blue Yodel" to Bollywood cinema, and it is definitely something you haven't heard before (unless you have). Let me repeat, singing cowboy-style yodeling by way of Indian cinema. What in the world are you waiting for! You've got to check this out! Click here! → PREVIEW

Orenda Fink, Blue Dream (2014)

Have you ever had a friend, say, tell you about the genius of a film and how it changed their life; and then you go and see it and find it to be less than it was advertised? That somehow your friend, by over-selling it, raised your expectations in a way that caused you to, for some reason, enjoy it less? Expect too much? Well you know what? I don't care! I mean, maybe work it out with your friend; but right now, listening to this song, I just don't care. I can't!

I wish I knew the words, Ms. Fink. I want to build a house, out of clay, and live inside this song. A lean-to perhaps, out of fallen limbs and leaves. Or would it be to build a boat, out of the air, or clouds, and float in the slow unfolding of sound that is "Blue Dream." It must have been written in a dream. Or is it I who am dreaming when I listen to it? You must have slept, and watched as ancient juggernauts transformed into gossamer visions, watched mountains erode into dust, in time, and stood in awe as the whole universe just danced, danced eternally in front of you. And I am there too, in that dream, where music is magic, and everything is blue. It is my honest opinion that if you could build a spaceship and travel several billion light years, to the edge of the universe, the threshold at which no scientist on planet earth can tell you what lies beyond, you'd find that the entire universe rests in an eternal pillow made of this song. I think Cyndi Lauper said it better, "Oh, the sleep in your eyes is enough. Let me be there, let me stay there awhile." PREVIEW

Gogo Penguin, Man Made Object (2016)

You've got to love the word "jazz." To say "I like jazz" is a lot like saying "I like clothes." It's almost too broad; and many of us, as it is with clothes, like these and not so much those. I mean, the genre is like over a 100 years old! A teen-aged Louis Armstrong got his first gig playing hot jazz on a riverboat in New Orleans harbor in 1918; and though his is the first widely known name associated with jazz (please, jazz enthusiasts, don't kill me), the genre certainly predated him by many years.

In that time it has challenged itself and the listener, rebelled against its own conventions, diversified, redefined itself and dramatically changed directions multiple times.

So this is fun:

Listen to Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five performing "Heebee Jeebies" recorded in 1926 (an early example of scat singing!)
Now compare Alice Coltrane's wonderful meditation from her Journey to Satchidananda from 1971, "Shiva-Loka."
Both of these are filed under "jazz" in your local record store. That's a pretty big range, no?

Even more fun, demonstrating this range using just one artist:

Listen to Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader" from his seminal 1959 release, Kind of Blue.
Now listen to Davis's brilliant, 1972 funk-inspired masterpiece, "On The Corner", from the album of the same name.
Yep, there it is: jazz.

So yea, I like clothes, some of them anyway. Some of them just aren't "my thing." But like clothes, jazz continues to change, redefine itself, and stay, well, "fresh;" and I'd put Gogo Penguin up there as the newest thing that's actually pretty awesome, and infectious, and worth a try. Jazz, I'll be danged, you've done it again! PREVIEW

Zammuto, Anchor (2014)

Zammuto is a not-so-minimal synth outfit that really pushes the boundaries in creative ways, obviously using in-studio production techniques as an important tool in composition. There are a lot of elements woven in here, weeping guitar riffs, glitchy casio-sounding breaks, atypical yet lilting vocal harmonies, all over a tremendously effective atmospheric synth bass line. They've certainly got a unique sound. PREVIEW

Headless Heroes, The Silence of Love (2008)

A short-lived indie-folk studio supergroup project that happened to hit on really nice versions of some songs you may know. Take this Simon & Garfunkel song for instance: PREVIEW

Neighb'rhood Childr'n, Long Years In Space (1968)

I suppose it's more common, when we think of the Summer of Love, to think Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane and a host of other pretty well-known bands. Though the Childr'n may not have stayed a band long enough to start making terrible pop music in the '80s, they DID manage to drop one and only one LP that seems to capture the spirit of that magical summer. The track, "Long Years In Space," is an epic saga built on a psychedelic drone, while the lyrics reflect the simultaneous hope and hopelessness of the era. Something is wrong, social norms, corporate underwritten warfare, the very direction of civilization; but is it too late? It reminds this listener very much of the lyrically similar "Into The Void" by Black Sabbath. And that is, the world is just too full of injustice and hate; perhaps the only logical response is to build a rocket and fly out into space, where maybe we can find a planet and settle it based on the values of love and mutual respect. Yeah, Black Sabbath said that. But these guys aren't quite as hopeless, still. Or maybe they are, but they don't want to be, and you can tell when you listen. Because as sad as they found the world, those hippies seemed to offer us an olive branch of hope. Ah, the hippie era, when music provided a reflection on society, and a dream. And here's some you might have missed the first time around! PREVIEW

Find the 2016 Grammy Winners at the Library #GrammyAwards

Lilian Calix — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 11:53:47 -0500

Find the Grammy Winning albums at the Library #GrammyAwards:

Record of the Year: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"

Album of the Year: Taylor Swift, 1989

Best New Artist: Meghan Trainor

Best Rock Performance: Alabama Shakes, "Don't Wanna Fight"

Best Musical Theater Album: Hamilton

Song of the Year: Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Best Country Album: Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Best Rap Album: Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"

Source: Grammys 2016 Winners: The Complete List

Spotlight On: Meshell Ndegeocello

Chasity Moreno — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 14:32:26 -0500

Singer Meshell Ndegeocello has been making music most of her life but came onto the scene in 1993 with her debut album Plantation Lullabies. Since that time she has managed to amass an impressive catalog of music that spans the genres of rock, funk, jazz, R&B, and even hip hop.

Ndegeocello, whose real name is Michelle Lynn Johnson, was born August 1968 in Berlin, Germany. Her father was in the U.S. Army but also an accomplished musician who played the saxophone, her mom was a healthcare worker. Raised in Washington D.C., she credits her love of music to her father for his skill in playing and love for jazz. Also inspired by the music collection of her brother, she picked up the bass around the age of 16 and began writing songs and music. During her teen years she began to play regularly in clubs around DC but eventually made her way to New York City after studying music at Howard University. It was there that she began going by the name Me'shell Ndegeocello, the last name which is adapted from a Swahili word which means "free like a bird". (Biography in Context)

After auditioning for several bands, including Living Colour, Ndegeocello decided to go it alone. An accomplished musician at this point, she would often perform solo playing the bass, keyboard and drum machine. Eventually a recording of her music made its way to music execs in Los Angeles. A special showcase was arranged and she was ultimately offered a deal from Maverick Records, the record label founded by Madonna. Her debut album Plantation Lullabies was released in 1993 and was well received. It spawned the hit song "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)." The following year saw her hit the mainstream on a duet with John Mellencamp which was a remake of the song "Wild Night" by Van Morrison. (Project Muse)

Despite not seeing the level of success of her first album and the duet, Ndegeocello has still managed to produce an eclectic mix of music. Her second album, Peace Beyond Passion, had a more spiritual feel and dealt with heavy themes most specifically critiquing homophobia in the black Christian church. 1999's Bitter was still soulful and featured a more jazzy side of her music as it charted the dissolution of a relationship. While the album received praise from critics it didn't do well commercially. This prompted criticism from the Maverick label of her music not being "black enough." (Oxford Music Online) In response Ndegeocello put out the album Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape in 2002. "No one got that it was a joke. It’s a parody of what they think black music is. They just wanted hot beats, so I did all that, though I still tried to make it an interesting record," she said in a 2014 interview with Fact Magazine.

Comfort Woman was the final album Ndegeocello made for Maverick. The following years saw her continue with her eclectic style moving between the jazz fusion of The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel to issues of identity both personally and musically on The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams (2007) and Devil’s Halo (2009). With 2011's Weather, she returned to the sparse jazzy style of her earlier album Bitter. In 2012 she made a tribute album to one of her idols, Nina Simone entitled Pour une âme souveraine: a dedication to Nina Simone. (Oxford Music Online) Her most recent work, Comet Come to Me manages to combine rock, jazz and R&B with some reggae as well. A melange of styles that suits the singer who has described music as "layers of patterns on top of patterns". (NPR)

Ndegeocello has long been an intriguing figure in the music industry. She has always been bold and unapologetic about both her androgynous look and sexuality (she is openly bisexual). She admitted in the past to developing a drug habit during the recording of her first album, one she eventually quit to complete it and never looked back. During her early years in New York she bore a son whose father she has chosen not to name. (Biography in Context) Over the years she has always maintained both privacy and an openness about who she is. Discussing her thoughts on identity in her Fact Magazine interview, she said "...I’ve had a lot of experiences, and the gender thing is very difficult sometimes—not because I experience bigotry towards my gender per se, but more trying to uphold ideas of what people think my gender should look like or be like or do. When I play music, it’s the only time I can let go of those things—the feeling of making music together as just humans. Which isn’t something I feel too often out in the world."

Inspired by the music of artists like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, Ndegeocello has become a musical inspiration in her own right. Always one to break the mold she challenges mainstream concepts of what it is to be female and black in the music industry today. Despite not receiving the accolades of some of her peers, she continues to produce soul stirring music that will definitely be appreciated for generations to come.

Sources

Works featuring Meshell Ndegeocello

Available for check out from The New York Public Library

Full Discography

Plantation Lullabies (1993)
Peace Beyond Passion (1996)
Bitter (1999)
Cookie:The Anthropological Mixtape (2002)
Comfort Woman (2003)
The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel (2005)
The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams (2007)
Devil's Halo (2009)
Weather (2011)
Pour une Âme Souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone (2012)
Comet, Come to Me (2014)

Want to know more about Meshell Ndegeocello? Other Resources

Spotlight On is a special blog series I am doing featuring African American artistry (in music, art and writing). Next up: painter Ernie Barnes.

A Tribute to David Bowie

Margaret Siggillino — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 11:02:58 -0500

As a tribute to David Bowie's life, his music and his acting, here is a list of works by him as well as about him. Materials on the evolution of electronic music are also included. All are available to reserve and check out in our library system. Good for new fans and longtime fans alike.

When you're finished, be sure to explore Bowie's own list of favorite books.

Books about David Bowie

Bowie on Bowie: Interviews and Encounters with David Bowie

by Sean Egan

David Bowie: Starman

by Paul Trynka

Heroes: David Bowie and Berlin

by Tobias Rüther

The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie and the 1970s

by Peter Doggett

CDs of David Bowie's Music

Heroes

Low

Nothing Has Changed

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Space Oddity

Station to Station

DVDs of David Bowie in Concert

David Bowie: A Reality Tour

Space Oddity

DVDs of Movies featuring David Bowie

August

Basquiat

Hunger

The Man Who Fell to Earth

The Prestige

The Last Temptation of Christ

Books about Electronic Music

The Cambridge Companion to Electronic Music

Edited by Nick Collins and Julio d'Escriván

Electronic Music Pioneers

by Ben Kettlewell

Remix: The Electronic Music Explosion

by Bruce M. Gerrish; edited by Craig Anderton

DVDs about Electronic Music

Be77er [i.e. better] Living Through Circuitry: A Digital Odyssey into the Electronic Dance Underground

High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music

Kraftwerk and the Electronic Revolution: A Documentary Film

A Tribute to Singer Natalie Cole

Candice Frederick — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 10:23:12 -0500

Schomburg Communications Pre-Professional Alicia Perez looks back on the life and career of the late Natalie Cole, who was laid to rest on Monday in Los Angeles.

In 1975, the Rolling Stones called her a “gifted soul stylist in the mold of Aretha Franklin.” In 1977, Don Cornelius said she was the most important talent discovery of the decade. Now the world mourns the loss of Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole, who passed away at age 65 on New Years Eve.

Cole touched all fans of all ages and walks of life with her show-stopping performances, earning her countless awards throughout her forty-year career. Her first hit, “This Will Be,” won the 1976 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance and kickstarted decades of success. Cole would go on to win seven additional Grammys though nominated for many more—including Record of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Performance for “Unforgettable,” a posthumous duet with her late father, legendary singer Nat King Cole. Still Unforgettable, her 2008 Grammy-winning studio album you can reference in our Digital Collections, also featured a duet with her father titled “Walkin' My Baby Back Home.” Cole also joined other greats like Bunny Briggs and Cab Calloway in a 1980 musical tribute to the Apollo Theater in Harlem with an energetic rendition of her 1979 hit "The Winner,” which is available in our Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division.

Cole gained recognition for her 2000 autobiography, Angel on My Shoulder, which detailed her longtime battle with drug addiction, her recovery, and her subsequent related health issues. Though it is her bravery and undeniable talent that continues to inspire people across the globe.

She will be missed.

The Summer David Bowie Made Me Cry (And Why I'm Grateful)

Wayne Roylance, Selection, BookOps — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 13:39:23 -0500

In the summer of 1981, the most lucrative option for me to make money was to stay in my college town and work the graveyard shift at the local IBM factory. The work wasn't strenuous, but it was maddeningly mind-numbing. Basically, my job was to place huge copper sheets on a machine that would pumice them to achieve a nice, dull finish. At the other end of the machine, my co-worker, an extremely conservative divinity student whose cherubic face belied his harsh thoughts on the welfare system, would pull them off and stack them up. That's it. That’s all we did for seven hours a day, five days a week, with an hour for lunch (or whatever term you would use for a meal at 3 AM). That work environment, combined with a work schedule of 11 PM to 7 AM, put my head in a very strange temporal and existential space. For one thing, I never experienced days ending. They just sort of drifted along, merging into the next day. I'd go to sleep at 8 AM on Tuesday, wake up in the afternoon (still Tuesday), putter around downtown Binghamton with a scraggle of friends, and then head off to work at 10:30 (still Tuesday); And during my shift, the next day would arrive, although I could never sense the change. The days all merged for me.

Why am I telling you all this? Because the one thing that I considered to be my lifeline that summer—the one thing that kept me reasonably grounded during the three months of my psychic funk—was David Bowie’s album Heroes. I had bought the album when it came out several years earlier and listened to and enjoyed it very much. And then I bought other albums that I would also listen to and some I would enjoy and some not so much. But one day in June, I woke up early in the afternoon (still Tuesday), and I dug Heroes out from my record pile and put it the stereo. I lay down on the living room floor and listened to it—both sides. Now there are a lot of great songs on Heroes: “Joe The Lion,” “Heroes,” “Sons of the Silent Age” all stand out. All were widely played on your local college radio station. But the songs that meant the most to me—at least during that summer—were the three least commercial tracks on the album: “Sense of Doubt,” “Moss Garden,” and “Neuköln.” While I initially listened to the whole album, eventually I would play just those three tracks. Those tracks became vital to me. As I listened to them they defined exactly how I felt that summer—they were literally the sonic representation of my state of mind: the ominous piano chords of "Sense of Doubt", the cacophonous saxophone on "Neuköln", and most importantly, the sense of peace at the center of "Moss Garden.” Listening to them was like looking at myself in the mirror—not in a superficial, narcissistic sense—more in the sense that you are really looking hard at yourself, trying to see the real you.

I would listen to those three songs every day. I had to. Like I said, they were my lifeline. And sometimes—not every time, but often enough—I cried as I listened; not because I was sad, but because it was cathartic. So, I’m grateful to David Bowie. I’m grateful that his music could speak to me in such a personal way, but more importantly, I’m grateful that he could make me cry.

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol. 2

Andy Wagstaff, Collection Development — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:33:44 -0500

This batch of new music will not only take you around the globe; but in places, back in time as well. Oh, and it will make you dance. Don't forget to put in your requests for any and all of these great recordings new to our circulating collections. Just click on the CD title to be taken to the catalog link. Don't forget to check out the PREVIEW links as well. Now sit back and enjoy the flight!

Fumaça Preta (self-titled) (2014)

Think if Fela Kuti was joined by the guitarist of the Stooges, sang in Portuguese, and played for the Cajuns and Creoles in some backwoods juke joint in the swamps of Louisiana just outside of New Orleans. It sounds like it's 1975, and someone says to the others, "let's get REAL gone for a change." Then this album happens. PREVIEW

Ibibio Sound Machine (self-titled) (2014)

With undeniable influences from various forms of Afrobeat, this album/project mixes in just the right amount of electronic production to not only produce fantastic grooves; but also to produce a sound, I must say, not quite like anything I've ever heard before! The result is a recording that is enjoyable, highly danceable, and just interesting to listen to on that creative, never-been-done-quite-like-this-before level. PREVIEW

Aqui Los Bravos! by Michi Sarmiento y su Combo Bravo (1967-77)

This recording is a ticket to an outdoor dance party on the coast of Colombia, circa 1968 or so. Salsa came to be in New York due in no small part to the mixing of various, yet-related musical traditions from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, etc, etc, etc. But New York was not the only place with musicians picking and choosing and recombining influences from various traditions into something new, yet with real and genuine ties to the traditions it was built out of. Michi Sarmiento and his band were doing the same thing in the late '60s in and around the coastal province of Cartagena, Colombia. This outfit was first and foremost a live dance band, who would work up a variety of different rhythms into a sonic party so energetic and infectious nobody would be left sitting down! PREVIEW

Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes by various artists (1960-1976)

Disco Fuentes was and is THE most important label to operate in and out of Colombia. It brought various regions into contact with each other, introducing its various parts to the traditions of other parts, and in so doing not only documented a culture, but somehow forged it into a more cohesive whole. One might even say, the label introduced Colombia to itself. OK, of course it knew itself, but it demonstrated just how complex and rich it was region to region; THIS is what it helped demonstrate. Much like the Michi Sarimiento collection above, this collection is an invitation to the dance parties of Colombia in the late '60s and early '70s, but this collection is even more varied in its offerings of the sounds and traditions of the country's various regions. PREVIEW

Sound of Siam by various artists (1964-75)

Yet another journey back in time, across the Pacific and into the Thailand of the '60s. In part through sound recording, the 20th century saw the process of cultural exchange accelerated to a degree the world had never known, and Thailand was no exception. This compilation includes music of Luk Thung, which was a mid-century genre of Thai country music that grew out of earlier forms. Also included are some Molam tracks, which is a genre from Thailand's Isan region. This region borders Laos and shares much culture with its neighbor. Molam music is a good example of this, a music that is shared between Laos and the Isan region of Thailand. But the genres included only hint at the diversity to be found on this comp. Each and every track has its very own, completely distinct sound. As many country folks began moving to the cities in the late '60s, they brought their music with them, and some discovered new, sometimes electric, western instruments in the process. Some of these tracks show signs of outside influences, some sound more traditional, but the variety can't be topped. An amazing offering of a specific time and place. PREVIEW

Magical Thinking by Chico Mann (2013)

A modern, Latin-flavored electronic album that's equal parts chillout and boogie-down dance. A handful of lovely guest vocalists keeps it varied, but track-to-track this one is surprisingly consistent. Punchy! Ah, well I guess I have to pick just one track off this near-flawless platter now to preview. Well, fine, start with this one: PREVIEW

Meçhul by Erkin Koray (1970-77)

Next stop, Turkey, mid-'70s. Yet another rich example of cultures influencing each other by way of recorded sound is what is known is Anatolian Rock. The United States was certainly not the only country to experience a "British Invasion" of music in the 1960s, Turkey did too. And they took all that rock and roll energy, combined it with traditional Turkish music and instruments, and came up with their own unique version of rock. Erkin Koray was part of this scene, and he would often go further into psychedelic rock than some of his contemporaries (the title of this release, Meçhul, is Turkish for 'unknown'). The result is utterly unique! PREVIEW

Saigon Rock & Soul by various artists (1968-1974)

Oftentimes, hardship, be it extreme poverty or the daily destruction of war, produces such beautiful music; because when a people are surrounded by tragedy, that is when music is needed most. And really, it reminds us of the power of music; that it is a gift we give to ourselves, because it helps. It gives beauty to life. To think this country's most devastating war was going on during the exact same time this collection of Vietnamese music is drawn from reinforces this idea. But it only gives some interesting. albeit tragic, context to yet another fantastic region-specific combination of local traditions and western rock. The guitar work on this is quite amazing; the fuzz, well, they ain't joking around. These tracks have all the proto-punk energy of anything on the famous Nuggets compilation of American garage rock bands. Another winner! PREVIEW

Black Goddess by Remi Kabaka (1978)

This Nigerian film may not be available on DVD, but the afro-jazz soundtrack by drummer Remi Kabaka has recently been re-released on CD. Some great jazz with just a sprinkle of experimentation and far-outness. PREVIEW

Batida (self-titled) (2012)

So a talented electronic DJ of Portuguese/Angolan descent gets his hands on a bunch of Angolan street music recordings from the '70s, samples the hell out of them, then adds no small amount of electronic bass and drums back into the mix. So postmodern! And cool! PREVIEW

Rock 'n' Read: Caspar Babypants

Dana Sagona, Senior Librarian, Chatham Square Library — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 10:34:49 -0500

“I have great memories of going to the library as a super little kid for story times on weekday mornings...Every time I walked into that library I felt this sensation of the world opening up to me.”

There's simply no denying it anymore: the '90s are back with a vengeance. If you've embraced the nostalgia, perhaps one of the '90s jams you've been playing is "Peaches" by Seattle alternative band Presidents of the United States of America (PUSA). Probably "Lump," also. While many musical acts of yore have faded away, Chris Ballew comfortably transitioned to "parents music" in 2009, using the moniker Caspar Babypants, and performs at libraries, schools, and other family friendly events. Caspar Babypants makes it easier than ever for humans of all ages to rock 'n' read forever!

What inspired the transition from PUSA to Caspar Babypants?

The entire time that I was doing PUSA I had a gut feeling that I was not through searching for my real artistic voice. I tried and tried and failed to find out what that true musical self was until I met my wife Kate Endle, and her artwork inspired me to make innocent songs with few instruments. When I listened back to those songs, I realized that family music was my true calling. I WAS THRILLED!!!

What is your favorite part about performing in libraries?

I love how attentive everyone is at the beginning of the show. I use that time to do the more wordy songs in my collection. I also love the way the parents are available to participate by singing along and clapping. I really make "parents music," so having them involved is key.

What role have libraries played throughout your life (pre-Caspar Babypants)?

I have great memories of going to the library as a super little kid for story times on weekday mornings and sitting is a little circle listening to the librarian read while my mom went around and got the books she wanted. Every time I walked into that library I felt this sensation of the world opening up to me.

Is there a specific person or book that made you into the reader you are now?

There are a couple of books that really jump-started my current voracious reading appetite. The Alienist by Caleb Carr is a perfect piece of historical fiction that I have read about four times. Dracula by Bram Stoker set off hallucinations in my mind as I read it because of the vivid, descriptive storytelling. There was also a collection of poems by Rumi the Sufi called Open Secret that was my first time diving deeply into poetry.

Has any one book in particular had a lasting effect on you?

They all do, really! It would be super hard to pinpoint one, but I guess I would have to go back to Dracula for that hallucinatory feeling I got reading it. I want people to SEE what I sing when I am singing songs for kids and parents as Caspar Babypants, and that impulse was significantly strengthened by my experience reading that book.

What is a classic that you've never gotten around to reading but would like to one day?

Moby-Dick is that classic that I still have not tackled. I just got back from Nantucket and did a lot of immersion while I was there in the history of the island and the big fire in 1846 and the rise and fall of the whaling industry. That trip reminded me that I really must find time to read that book!

Who is your favorite character from literature and why?

I have never thought about that but as I let my mind drift for an answer, Alice from Alice in Wonderland comes to mind. She had her whole sense of reality shift and flex and she found a way to navigate despite all those impossibilities. I have a fluid relationship with the "real" world as well and find I travel as far in my imagination as I do in reality.

What children's book has your favorite illustrations?

My wife's work is my favorite for sure! It is her work that inspired me to make the music that I do as Caspar Babypants. It has a perfect balance of craft and skill and innocence and ease.

What genre do you prefer? Are there any you can't get into?

I love all genres, really. I find myself stuck in a long pattern of reading social theory or music theory, and then I drift over to fiction for a while, and then historical fiction, then science for a break from that, then biographies, and then back to theory. I am all over the place!

What are you currently reading? If nothing at the moment, what was the last book you read?

The last book I read was The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and I LOVED it. It is part historical and part mythological children's story and part family drama. I highly recommend it. Currently I am reading Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America by Linda Hunt. I just started it a couple of days ago so it is too soon for me to give a review but I am super intrigued by it. It is the story of two women who walked across America in 1896 so it's GOT to be good!

“I would like less screens in my life, but the ability to buy a book on the spot that someone at a party is telling me about is incredible.”

Are you looking forward to any books to be released soon?

Those lost J.D. Salinger novels will be interesting to check out.

While on tour, are you able to get much reading done?

I get a TON of reading done on tour. That is one of the reasons I can tolerate touring at all! Touring is really not a sustainable way of life for me and I am basically finished with that phase of life, so I look forward to getting as much reading in at home as I did on the road.

Do you have any tour memories involving books or libraries?

I had a collection of children's stories when I was little that had the most spooky illustrations. There was one story of a boy who mocked the farm where he lived and boasted that he could get along fine without any of the products that the farm produced. He fell asleep and had a dream in which all of the things he used that the farm produced disappeared, and he found himself naked in the night with ghostly images of the farm animals and the trees laughing at him. I still have that one illustration of that scene hanging up in my studio where I write and record music and it still scares me.

Where is your favorite place to read?

I love to read in bed at night before sleep. I love the way it clears my mind and influences my dreams.

Do you do any other writing aside from songwriting?

I do a little poetry when I am moved to do so. Otherwise, all of my writing energy is in songwriting. I have written a few children's books with my wife Kate but they were also songs, so it was a balance between songwriting and book writing.

What kind of book would you write?

I am BAFFLED by people that can write a well constructed novel. How do they do it? To invent a world and have it hang together amazes me. I would like to be Haruki Murakami for a while and be able to write like him.

Have any specific authors, books, and/or poems influenced your songwriting in any way?

Well aside form the Dracula experience there is Dr. Seuss. How many people can cite those two in one sentence? The alliteration and inner rhymes are a huge influence on my lyrical style for sure.

Do you have any favorite memoirs by musicians?

Life by Keith Richards was perfect. I understand him in a new way. Anytime the veil of fame is pulled back a bit, I am the first to applaud. Culture is so fame-obsessed, and the true stories of that experience are far more illuminating than the veil of fantasy.

What is the best book recommendation you have received?

The Snow Child from my wife Kate. She recommends a lot of books to me and her taste is excellent!

Do you prefer physical books, eBooks, or no strong opinion either way?

I have been a Kindle person for about four years now, and I have read dozens of books on my phone of all things, and I love it! So easy to set it up on the nightstand while in bed, and it turns itself off if I don't turn the page for a few minutes because I have drifted off to sleep. I would like less screens in my life, but the ability to buy a book on the spot that someone at a party is telling me about is incredible. I was just told about it and now I am reading it one minute later. BUT I am thinking of skipping the electronics for a while and going back to the library. It is such a beautiful resource that I have underused for a long time. I am ready to go back!

Do you have a library card? If so, which library system are you a member of?

YES! Seattle Public Library system is my library system. So watch out SPL! HERE I COME!

We hope to see Caspar Babypants perform for NYPL patrons young and old in the near future! Until then, place a hold on the following CDs:

2010 Compilation

Rock 'n' Read: Colleen Green

Dana Sagona, Senior Librarian, Chatham Square Library — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 12:24:47 -0500

“To me the library represents peace, warmth, and understanding.”

Colleen Green's musical output began as one-woman lower-than-lo-fi cassette recordings made in her bedroom. More apparent than her love for The Descendents (two album titles make reference to the seminal punk band, and her cover of "Good Good Things" is highly recommended) was her loner ennui. With the release of I Want To Grow Up in February, Green's third full length album, she may have left her bedroom and entered a proper studio, but her indie-pop is still fuzzy and her tone remains endearingly straightforward. While pop music may not have a reputation for particularly deep lyrics, the LA (by way of Boston) transplant smashes this stereotype. It comes as no surprise that such a skilled writer has been a lifelong reader. Check out Green's literary predilections and rock 'n' read forever!

What role have libraries played throughout your life?

As a kid I was constantly at the Dunstable Town Library, always reading a new book and acting in the plays they would present. In high school it was a welcoming place, a gathering place, like your parents' living room. In college it was my secret spot to be alone and eat lunch on a comfy couch. I have very fond memories of school libraries. To me the library represents peace, warmth, and understanding.

Is there a specific person or book that made you into the reader you are now?

My mother is undoubtedly the force that made me into a reader. She would always read to me when I was young, so much so that I would memorize the stories she'd read to me even before I was literate myself. To this day she can invariably be found with her nose in a book.

Has any one book in particular had a lasting effect on you?

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch is a memorable story from my childhood that my mother would read to me. I can barely look at the title without bursting into tears.

Who is your favorite character from literature and why?

At the risk of sounding trite, my answer is Holden. He just gets it, and I relate to him because he's an outsider and feels alienated from all the people and things he perceives as being phony. This is a feeling I've always coped with but especially with the advent of social media and society's obsession with it. He thinks he's crazy because he isn't like them, but actually he is the most sane, present, and thoughtful of all. All of Salinger's characters are pretty wonderful; he has a gift for making them seem real and not imagined. But especially being the age I was when I first read The Catcher in the Rye, Holden was the most real to me. Patrick Bateman [from American Psycho] is also pretty awesome.

What genre do you prefer? Are there any you can't get into?

At present I'm most interested in reading celebrity autobiographies. Chris Rock, Ronnie Spector, Gene Wilder, Don Rickles, Rob Lowe, Pattie Boyd, and Bob Dylan all have great stories and I'd love recommendations in that category. You had a question earlier in the interview about "classic" books, and I'd say that is probably the genre that I have tried to get into in the past and can't quite seem to, and I deleted that question! But maybe I am not trying the right ones.

What are you currently reading? If nothing at the moment, what was the last book you read?

I just started reading Rose Madder by Stephen King. I've gone through his best and now on to the rest. He has a lot though. The last book I read was Gone Girl.

"I recently realized that I can download books on my iPad...and that's kind of fun because I can easily take it with me when I travel and don't run the risk of thrashing a precious paperback."

Are you looking forward to any books to be released soon?

The day Mel Brooks releases an autobiography, I will be first in line!

While on tour, are you able to get much reading done?

Oh yes. Long car and plane rides are perfect for reading. I recently realized that I can download books on my iPad, and it's OK and it doesn't make me a complete piece of sh*t, and that's kind of fun because I can easily take it with me when I travel and don't run the risk of thrashing a precious paperback.

Do you have any tour memories involving books or libraries?

While on a U.S. tour with my first band, we would go into public libraries to use the internet and get directions because smart phones and laptops weren't really in use yet. On another tour, I had just finished reading Pet Sematary and was staying deep in the woods in Colorado and couldn't sleep because I was too scared.

Where is your favorite place to read?

Most of my reading is done on the road because there's so much downtime and there's no TV. But it's been really hot here in Los Angeles lately, so a couple of days ago I went out and sat in the shade in my driveway and read for a couple of hours and it was quite nice.

Do you do any other writing aside from songwriting?

Sometimes I write comics.

What kind of book would you write?

My book would probably be a sardonic kind of self-help book.

Have any specific authors, books, and/or poems influenced your songwriting in any way?

There's a line in my song "Goldmine" that alludes to something Holden Caulfield says: "I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it." I've always felt like a hopeless romantic and always connected with that sentiment. The line in my song goes: "I can't help myself / When I see you I believe I need you."

Do you have any favorite memoirs by musicians?

I don't enjoy Bob Dylan's music at all but I really enjoyed his Chronicles books. They are interestingly compiled and poetic. Ronnie's [Spector] is also very fascinating and sad.

What is the best book recommendation you have received?

The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth. This non-fiction work was recommended to me by my dear friend Marisa. She has very good taste.

Do you prefer physical books, e-books, or no strong opinion either way?

No strong opinion either way, because I really just like to read but my hands and arms still get tired from holding the object.

Do you have a library card? If so, which library system are you a member of?

Yes, I am a member of the Los Angeles Public Library system.

Check out two of Colleen Green's albums from NYPL:

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 1

Andy Wagstaff, Collection Development — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 14:32:15 -0400

One thing I've learned while keeping my eye on new music is, sometimes a snappy title can encourage people to check you out. And so, I've changed the title of my periodic blog posts on new music to reflect what they are, at least to me: and that is, little audio mini-vacations from the cubicle I sit in every day of the week. And who wouldn't want that? Through sound, the entire world is our oyster. So here is your list of some of the most exciting, newly purchased CDs from our circulating collections for your listening pleasure. Just click on the album titles to be taken to the catalog and put the CDs on hold, and don't forget the provided PREVIEW tracks. Enjoy!

Ibeyi (self-titled) (2015) Ibeyi are twin sisters, born into a musical family (their father, Anga Diaz, was a percussionist for Irakere and the Buena Vista Social Club) , who spent their childhood in both Havana, Cuba, and Paris, France. They both sing and play various instruments, and incorporate Afro-Cuban styles, rhythms, themes of Santeria, and the Yoruba language into their music. Add some punchy state-of-the-art production, and you've got Ibeyi. They've made all these influences their own, turned it all into something that sounds modern yet as old as the centuries; ancient, somehow. You see, uniqueness is good, but there's got to be something more, an undeniable musical appeal as well. This music has both; it speaks for itself. It's worth checking out! PREVIEW

Commune by Goat (2014)

Blanketed in the fog of an autumn evening, under the Swedish skies of Norrbotten County, natives played on local instruments, dancing and paying homage to the gods, to nature, to the mystery, the presence always there but just beyond the realm of site, between the trees and the rustling leaves. It was the age before science, and the world was still magic. The gods were conjured and brought with them instruments of unknown lands, from worlds yet-to-be-known or heard by the natives. The sounds started out slow and sparse, as more folks and spirits joined in. The sound became a power, greater than could be explained, or understood. The campfires came at twilight, if only to insure that the sound would not end. And intoxication also came, on magic moss and mushrooms, with dancing and the ecstasy of shadows cast by the moon.

And the gods said, "These natives have never known electricity and the way it can shape sound, dare we blaze into this night with our electric, distorted guitars from worlds unknown to them? Might it cause horror? Fright? Disorientation?" But the music of the natives continued, became louder and livelier, and the shadows of the dancers and the trees, it all answered, "yes, gods, we want to go further!" And the gods said, "why not?"

The forest will never tell of what happened that night, but this record will. PREVIEW

Alvvays (self-titled) (2014)

I once fell asleep on the sand by the ocean, and I dreamed I saw a band. I had backstage passes. It was pretty cool. At one point the singer inexplicably turned into my 3rd grade teacher and it never even dawned on me that that was weird. They must have played for a solid two hours. This was the band I dreamed of, that day at twilight by the sea. PREVIEW

Passerby by Luluc (2014)

When Nick Drake's old manager was getting a tribute album together, it's no mystery why he specifically asked Luluc to to sing the lead single on that album. They share the same somber and gentle approach to folk music. Close your eyes and listen to this preview track. There is such a beautiful weightlessness to it, no? It just floats there in the air. This must be what clouds feel like. PREVIEW

Electric Brick Wall by Black Bananas (2014)

180 degree turn alert! Ain't no clouds up in here. This is dirty, grungy, electronic music, with guitars and swirls and grooves and beats that make you snarl and bob your head. Hell, you might even make the metal sign to yourself with your hand, you know the one. This is in-your-face and down-your-throat electronic rock and roll, not for the faint of heart. In fact, "Electric Brick Wall" is pretty apt. If Luluc is weightless, this music is like a ton a bricks. PREVIEW

Just Be Free by Big Freedia (2014)

If you are unfamiliar with Big Freedia, there's a really great mini-doc about her online. And if you've never heard of Bounce Music, it's about time you had. Bounce music is hip hop's crazy southern cousin from New Orleans, and it is awesome. Big Freedia is a fantastic entertainer; her tireless dedication to her music has probably done more to bring attention to the New Orleans Bounce scene than anything or anyone else. The energy in her music blows everything else away. No opinions here, folks, just facts. And it feels like there is a lot of the spirit of the city in the music as well. There must be! I'm certain many in New Orleans consider her a hero of sorts, at least an outspoken representative of just how crazy and fun and unique and amazing that city is. It's all captured in her music! This is your trip to New Orleans. PREVIEW

Sisyphus (self-titled) (2014)

If someone suggested to me we put Serengeti and Sufjan Stevens in a room and see what comes of it, I would have balked; would have made that peak with my eyebrows, like I was kind of worried about the person who suggested it. And if you don't know who they are, imagine putting Paul Simon and Nicki Minaj in a room, to musically collaborate. I mean, maybe, maybe. It's just not something I would have ever thought of on its own. I would say this record is booty-shakin if it didn't make me feel like a nerd trying to sound cool. So, let's see, it's got some really good beats! PREVIEW

Introducing Darlene Love by Darlene Love (2015)

It's funny because how do you introduce someone in 2015 who had their first single back in 1962? That single was "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals. The group had their first #1 hit with that song. Problem is, was, Ms. Love wasn't in the Crystals. Phil Spector had her ghost-sing it and credited it to The Crystals, who weren't, as it turns out, particularly good at singing it live. That's because nobody else could sing like Ms. Love, but fellow musicians knew who really sang that song, and they sought her out, often. She went on to sing backup for the likes of, now get this, Elvis, Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Sam Cooke, Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones… I mean, really, this woman's voice is all over the place in popular music! If you've ever heard the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," Sinatra's "That's Life," Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang," "Jonny Angel," so many more, then you've heard her voice before. The list of famous artists and hit songs she's backed up does not run into the dozens, it runs into the hundreds.

And though her name is not as recognizable as some, The New York Times summed it up nicely by saying her “thunderbolt voice is as embedded in the history of rock and roll as Eric Clapton's guitar or Bob Dylan's lyrics." And this album is refreshingly great, as it demonstrates her powerhouse of a voice has literally not lost a cent in over 50 years! I'm not kidding, not a cent! This lady is 74 years young! And that's just refreshing somehow. It's cool. These tracks have all the fun and feel of those early '60s hits; but this time, she gets top billing… as it should be. And so may I "introduce," if you don't know her already, Ms. Darlene Love! PREVIEW

Mosaics within Mosaics by Circulatory System (2014)

Take influences like the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows", those tiny little Casio keyboards, and the biggest tribal drums you can find. Then put a bunch of psych-rock musicians that like to play around with electronics and effects in a studio. "What would happen?" you might ask. Well, you guessed it. This album is what. PREVIEW

Touristes by Vieux Farka Toure & Julia Easterlin (2015)

Ignore at your own peril, dear reader. This one is amazing! Um-mazing! The vocal acrobatics on this… you've got to be kidding me! It's the track that made me think of my new blog title: music as an audio vacation from your cubicle. Next stop, Mali! Now I told you we could go anywhere, didn't I? Anywhere we want. So Bon Voyage! We'll miss you! Be safe. And DO bring us back some kitschy souvenirs, will you? PREVIEW

Rock 'n' Read: Chastity Belt

Dana Sagona, Senior Librarian, Chatham Square Library — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 11:25:15 -0400

Photo: Angel Ceballos

“...As my collection grows, I’m realizing it’s impractical to have so many books when you’re moving around all the time. Luckily I can usually count on the library to have whatever I want.”

Chastity Belt was formed by four friends attending Whitman College in Washington state, and later relocated to the DIY-minded Seattle. The band's music reflects this melancholy climate, with moody lyrics and understated guitars. On their March 2015 release Time To Go Home, lead singer Julia Shapiro pleadingly asks "Why do I try?" and a few songs later repeatedly declares "I don't care" on the succinctly titled tracks "Why Try" and "IDC," respectively. Chastity Belt may seem down, but they're not out—the ennui is often juxtaposed with an upbeat melody, and there's a playfulness behind the sad veneer. On the opening track "Drone," the line "He was just another man trying to teach me something" was a sentiment I related to all too well, and that relatability carried on throughout the duration of the album. How excited I was to learn that this line was taken from a popular book! Read on to learn the source, as well as guitarist Lydia Lund's bookish habits, and rock 'n' read forever!

What role did libraries play in your youth?

My dad was a librarian and took me to libraries all the time as a kid. He would read to me almost every night before I could read on my own, so we went through a lot of books.

What was your favorite book growing up and why?

I loved the BFG. I just felt like Roald Dahl had the best sense of humor. He totally got what I wanted as a kid: something goofy, slightly crude, and a little dark.

Has any one book in particular had a lasting effect on you?

I really love The Lord of the Rings. Now when I recollect scenes from the books, I almost feel like I can re-access the feeling I had when I first read it. My best friend and I would imagine mythical worlds when I was in middle school, so I was in total awe when I discovered The Lord of the Rings. The world was so thought out and extensively described, that I felt a sense of magic simply in the fact that Tolkien could even fathom such a thing.

What is a classic that you've never gotten around to reading but would like to one day?

I've picked up East of Eden several times but have never gotten past the first few pages. Hopefully one day I will.

What genre do you prefer? Are there any you can't get into?

I don't really know much about genres but I generally like books that are pretty introspective. I loved The Catcher in the Rye when I was young and I like reading autobiographies. I also tend to like works that have a strong connection to place, occasionally with an environmental bent, like Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams and Gary Snyder's essays.

What are you currently reading? If nothing at the moment, what was the last book you read?

I'm reading Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams. She's an amazing author and speaker, such a passionate and thoughtful woman. I really admire her.

While on tour are you able to get much reading done?

Luckily I don't get carsick when I read in the car, so I am able to read. Mostly though we listen to podcasts so we're all on the same page.

Do you do any other writing aside from songwriting?

A fair amount of journaling. There's lots of time in the van for that on tour.

Have any specific authors, books, and/or poems influenced your songwriting in any way?

I think all of us read How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti and found it pretty profound and enjoyable. Chastity Belt's song "Drone" adapts a line from the book: "He was just another man trying to teach me something."

Do you have any favorite memoirs by musicians?

I loved Patti Smith's Just Kids.

Do you prefer physical books, e-books, or no strong opinion either way?

I prefer reading physical books. But as my collection grows I'm realizing it's impractical to have so many books when you're moving around all the time. Luckily I can usually count on the library to have whatever I want.

Do you have a library card? If so, which library system are you a member of?

The Seattle Public Library.

Check out Chastity's Belt excellent sophomore album Time to Go Home:

Check out past Rock 'n' Read interviews with Hutch Harris of The Thermals, No Joy, Crocodiles, Screaming Females, and Thee Oh Sees!

Best of New Music (July 2015 Edition)

Andy Wagstaff, Collection Development — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 12:09:08 -0400

A periodic list of some of the most exciting, newly purchased CDs for our circulating collections.

Broke With Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks (2014)
Though this collection was released in 2014, it includes a few singles that Ms. Banks has been putting out since 2011. The impressively formulated "212" (named after Banks's favorite public library area code! kidding, maybe); 2012's "Liquorice," which reveals in glorious splendor the cultural fact that, unlike other "rappers" whose chosen last name may or may not be coincidentally identical to Azealia's first, Banks grew up surrounded by rap, gathering in cyphers with her friends after school, freestyle rhyming "off the dome", as the old-timers would say. And clearly, she had something, like Rakim had, or Biggy; just, a gift, to flow over the rhythm better than most: to pay attention to the elements of building a verse, what worked and what didn't; to come in and out of it, change up the phrasing, play with it, like good jazz instrumentalists do. And Ms. Banks has something else too, a gravitas that turns the machismo-ness of rap on its head. This ain't some female rapper merely adopting the macho stance of her male rapping counterparts; but more of a, "you think YOU'RE tough! Step aside, boy! I'm in charge now!" (to put it in a less profane way than you'll find on the CD, that is).

So lest we forget that rap music and Hip Hop culture in general was born right here in New York City, out of its African American communities that turned to art to form an identity in a city that had economically turned its back on them, Banks comes along to remind us of that. It's a culture. It's got roots and history. And if you grow out of those roots, you're what can be called "legit". Banks rather notoriously often lets her opinions known by way of social media, and one could surely argue that the whole twitter platform makes sharing our immediate reactions all to quick and easy, destroying any time we may have once had to reflect a little, but the biggest one of her feuds goes like this:

Can a white girl from Australia start talking in a New York street slang, put-on accent, "rapping" about dealing drugs and "capping" people, and it NOT come across as a grotesque caricature of race, the likes of which we haven't seen since the days of blackface minstrelsy? Yet, so-called "twitter wars" can distract actual artists from talking and discussing actual issues. I mean, it is literally the worst platform to have a meaningful debate on meaningful issues. History is important, the history of culture is important. And cultural appropriation is a sticky subject, not to be ironed out here. We'll let bell hooks and/or the insightful Tricia Rose tackle that one. But an underlying issue that adds to Banks's anger is that sometimes music that is bad is more popular and makes way more money than music that is good. It's an injustice: yet, a certifiable fact. McDonalds sells way more hamburgers than you EVER will, even though I can promise you yours are way better. Popular in no way means good; and when one makes art, or anything I suppose, that can just be upsetting.

Regardless... lest you think this full-length LP is merely a collection of singles already released by Banks, it's way beyond that. In my opinion, it's the greatest, coolest, most exciting, impressive, enjoyable, groovin' collection of rhymes to come out of hip hop in, well, a long time. It's up there, this one, with the greats. You'll see, in time. I'd bet anything. And this young lady grew up right here, in our city, the birthplace of Hip Hop. You can hear that culture in her rhymes, and maybe she even checked a few CDs out from NYPL when she was comin' up, for inspiration. Who knows?

Regardless, this right here is "flow" people, right here= (PREVIEW 1) (PREVIEW 2)

This World Oft Can Be by Della Mae (2013)
Della Mae are an all-girl bluegrass band, formed in the backwoods, podunk little town of... Boston, Massachusetts. Now for you folks who get tired of what some people call "country," because nowadays you can't even go out for sushi in Williamsburg without hearing Taylor Swift infiltrate your skull about how she's never ever getting back together with her boyfriend that you can't for the life of you figure out why you even know he exists in the first place; bluegrass musicians have something Ms. Swift doesn't need, complete mastery of their instruments. These ladies have paid their dues by playing many live shows throughout the country and the world (you may be surprised at how popular bluegrass is in other parts of the world, at least in Europe). Further, they write lyrics, good ones, evocative ones, ones you don't regret live in your head somewhere after you hear them. Their song "Empire," for instance, it tells through lyrical imagery the lost history of an old, abandoned gypsum mine:

Empire sits on the edge of a hill
Born out of a gypsum mine
Held at once 300 souls
And none of them were mine
Now they’re just ghosts in the streets
Wandering a land that sleeps
.....
The miners callused hands
The women who planted seed on the land
Empire met its end.

But really, do yourself a favor and let them tell it through their music, because it's the drive of the music that really brings this story to life. (PREVIEW)

Rough Guide to Unsung Heroes of Country Blues - Various (1920s-1930s)
There are so many well-known, traditional blues musicians, that one may not feel the need to dig any deeper into the genre if one has at least a dozen names and recordings to turn to when one feels the need; though digging, as we all know, is the only way to uncover hidden gems of ANY genre that don't seem to make it into the Pantheon. Well here, Rough Guide has done the digging for you. And it is worth it, because there is not only some fantastic music here, but some fascinating history as well. Let's just take the lead track:

The Henry Thomas track, "Fishing Blues," is an example of the use of "quills" (aka, panpipes) in blues music: not a common feature in the music of the more well-known blues masters. Thomas recorded a few tracks in the late 1920s, then virtually disappeared into obscurity (some say he died shorty thereafter). Yet, his music would stand the test of time and become very influential, his songs being covered by many:

Bob Dylan (re-worked Thomas' "Honey, Won't You Allow Me One More Chance" into his own version, included on the album, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan).

Taj Mahal (recorded his version of "Fishing Blues," replacing the quills solo with his own amazing guitar picking).

But the biggest influence of Thomas must be traced through his song, "Bull Doze Blues." Listen to it, and for anyone familiar with classic rock, you will recognize that quills solo! Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson of Canned Heat had rewritten the lyrics, while staying musically true to the original Henry Thomas song, down to recreating that quills solo note-for-note for the flute (played by a one Jim Horn, who you may recognize from the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds sessions). Canned Heat played the song live at Woodstock. The song was re-titled "Going Up The Country", and the revised lyrics captured perfectly the nomadic, free-spirited lifestyle of 60s counterculture. And with its more than tip of the hat to the influences of roots music, and blues music specifically, the song became in the eyes of many the veritable theme song to The Woodstock Music Festival and the entire culture and era that moment would come to represent.

Long Way by Chastity Brown (2015)
There's something that warms my heart, and it ain't Katy Perry or Kanye. It's when talented musicians gain some notoriety and then use that notoriety to bring attention to worthy causes and charities. Ms. Brown has donated her talents to causes like building and improving on music and arts programs in the public school system, and community projects meant to assist the homeless. But this isn't a charity blog, it just makes the music, that is already really great, just, better somehow.

So about the music, you might not have thought you could combine these musical elements with any success: smooth R&B production, psychedelia, and (wait for it....), banjo. I don't know what to tell you. I didn't think it was possible either. We were wrong! PREVIEW

Africa Express Presents Terry Riley's In C Mali by Africa Express (2014)
Terry Riley designed his minimalist composition, "In C," in 1964. It is no coincidence that this release came out exactly 50 years after the piece was written: an homage linked to its anniversary. It is written for an indefinite number of musicians, loosely instructed to play through a few phrases of music, repeating each phrase as many times as each musician sees fit. The result is that with each playing, it's different; each ensemble, a different orchestration. It has been recorded and played by both professionals and amateurs many times over. Having played this myself in high school band, I can safely say as well that the piece is rather forgiving: that provided with just a little wiggle room for improvisation (at least in so far as in-the-moment musical decisions being made), the result can be... interesting at the very least, even when played by a room full of amateurs.

But Africa Express brings something to the table my high school band did not. And that is, well, one, a group of musicians that all actually SHOULD be making music, instead of dropping out and joining the chess team or something. But more importantly, the many African musicians, playing a variety of traditional African instruments, give this particular recording a feel all other recordings of the piece don't have. The piece evolves more dynamically, ranging from downright danceable pulses to light string-led interludes. But the real joy for me are the polyrhythms achieved and locked in on in ways I dare say musicians tied to African rhythmic traditions are best suited. Polyrhythms evolve, fade, find hidden patterns that surprisingly manifest before you realize it, then disappear and are reborn as other patterns. It's quite mesmerizing, and may have been what led to the composer, Terry Riley himself, say of this release:

"I am overwhelmed and delighted by this CD. I was not quite prepared for such an incredible journey, hearing the soul of Africa in joyous flight, (feeding) the piece with ancient threads of musical wisdom... I could not ask for a greater gift for this daughter's 50th birthday." (PREVIEW)

Elements of Light by Pantha Du Prince (with Bell Laboratory) (2013)
If the agro sounds of dubstep get on your nerves, but perhaps you have some darkened corner of your musical house reserved for the day you come across electronic music that is actually enjoyable to listen to, you may want to check out Pantha Du Prince's "Elements of Light." Properly cataloged as "minimal techno", it is indicative of Kraftwerk's more poetic moments, without the at times comical robots singing about falling in love with computers. The result is an atmospheric yet groovy and, in this listener's opinion, relaxing and enjoyable exploration of electronic sound. (PREVIEW)

NYPL Blogs: Popular Music

Feliz Navidad & Joyeux Noël: Celebrate Christmas with World Music

Feliz Navidad. Joyeux Noël. عيد ميلاد سعيد 聖誕節快樂 καλά Χριστούγεννα Giáng sinh vui vẻ

Musica En Español / Music in Spanish

Musique En Francais/ Music in French

Christmas music in Arabic, Chinese, Greek and Vietnamese

Other reading recommendations from the New York Public Library:

Come On And Jingle Bell Rock to These Holiday Albums

Children's Music

Broadway Performances

Classical Live Performances

Christmas Carols, Country Music, Jazz, Pop and Soul Albums

Other holiday music blog posts from the New York Public Library:

Bela Lugosi's Dead, and Other Reasons to Celebrate World Goth Day

Music for the Masses: A Place to Start Your Playlist

Siouxsie and the Banshees- Album Juju

Joy Division- Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook

Bauhaus- DVD Shadow of Light Archive

Pictures of You: Graphic Novels

Through the Woods: Stories by Emily Carroll

Dark Entries: Gothic Horror

Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me: Gothic Romance

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Bloodflowers: Young Adult Gothic Fiction

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between #1) by April Genevieve Tucholke

Shadowtime: Films

The Addam’s Family (1991) & Addam's Family: Family Values (1993)

For the Gothic Younglings (Because It's Never Too Early to Learn How to Pronounce "Macabre")

Travel Around the World in 80 Checkouts

Recommended Authors

Current and Upcoming Reads

Film Recommendations

Additional Film Suggestions

Music Selections

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 8

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 7

President Obama's 2016 Summer Playlist

The President's Summer Playlist: Daytime

The President's Summer Playlist: Nighttime

Recent Hip Hop You May Have Missed

Who have you been listening to? Let us know in the comments.

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 3

Find the 2016 Grammy Winners at the Library #GrammyAwards

Spotlight On: Meshell Ndegeocello

Sources

Works featuring Meshell Ndegeocello

Full Discography

Want to know more about Meshell Ndegeocello? Other Resources

A Tribute to David Bowie

Books about David Bowie

CDs of David Bowie's Music

DVDs of David Bowie in Concert

DVDs of Movies featuring David Bowie

Books about Electronic Music

DVDs about Electronic Music

A Tribute to Singer Natalie Cole

The Summer David Bowie Made Me Cry (And Why I'm Grateful)

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol. 2

Rock 'n' Read: Caspar Babypants

“I have great memories of going to the library as a super little kid for story times on weekday mornings...Every time I walked into that library I felt this sensation of the world opening up to me.”

“I would like less screens in my life, but the ability to buy a book on the spot that someone at a party is telling me about is incredible.”

Rock 'n' Read: Colleen Green

“To me the library represents peace, warmth, and understanding.”

"I recently realized that I can download books on my iPad...and that's kind of fun because I can easily take it with me when I travel and don't run the risk of thrashing a precious paperback."

Cubicle Vacations: New Music, Vol 1

Rock 'n' Read: Chastity Belt

“...As my collection grows, I’m realizing it’s impractical to have so many books when you’re moving around all the time. Luckily I can usually count on the library to have whatever I want.”

Best of New Music (July 2015 Edition)