Lately I’ve become a bit of a Brazil-o-phile. I know very little about Brazilian culture except for what I’ve seen in movies, read in books or listened to on radio and in my music collection. All I know is that Black Orpheus is one of my favorite films,  and that I could listen to the music of Bebel Gilberto and Ceu for hours upon hours. And now that Rio de Janeiro has been appointed the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics, I’m clamoring for a trip to Cidade Maravilhoso and for more information about Brazil in general.

It should come as no surprise that the Library has a wealth of information on this incredibly fascinating country. Here are some of the things I’ve been checking out so far:

Portuguese For Dummies: I figured that in learning about another culture, a great place to start is by getting acquainted with the language. Portuguese, particularly of the Brazilian variety, is a lovely yet complex language. But Portuguese for Dummies is a great introduction to the language. For me, it helps to see Portuguese grammar and Brazilian colloquialisms and makes learning less intimidating. Seeing Portuguese in print helps me tremendously by reminding me of its similarities to other Romance languages.

Pimsleur Language Programs Portuguese (Brazilian): Right now I’m on course 1A and it’s a great way to begin tuning the ear to the language. Pimsleur’s also great for learning just about any other language you can imagine…and at your own pace.

Brazil: Nothing helps you plan a vacation quite like a guidebook. DCPL has travel books by Fodor’s, Frommer’s and Lonely Planet. The one that I’m perusing right now is a Moon Handbook which, like most guidebooks, offers helpful lodging, dining and entertainment hints. But I really like the fact that this particular book has a nice little survival phrasebook in back and fascinating cultural tidbits throughout.

With just a smidgeon of summer remaining, there is still plenty of fun to be had.  One event on the horizon is the 20th Annual National Black Arts Festival that begins today, July 29 through August 2. Among the notable performers, speakers and guests on the roster are actor/filmmaker/producer Robert Townsend (check out his independent film classic Hollywood Shuffle),author Nelson George and a tribute to one of my favorite singers Nina Simone by great vocalists such as Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright. This promises to be a truly special event in celebration of African cultural heritage in through film, theatre, dance, literature, music and art. Check out the festival’s website for more information . Don’t you wanna go?

In Memory of Michael Jackson 1958-2009 (that was weird to write...)

The Library offers all sorts of great summertime diversions including public use computers,  programs, book discussions and children’s activities–in addition to its vast collection of great books. Heck, the Library even offers a cool and welcoming respite from the blazing summer sun. But I, for one, continue to be amazed and excited by the eclectic and ever-expanding collection of great music here at DCPL.

Here are some of my favorite finds in the  “Wow, I didn’t know we had this!” category:

The Best of Eric B. and Rakim: The Millenium Collection:  Hip-Hop Hooray!I’ve noticed that the Library is steadily expanding its hip-hop repertoire (but rest easy, parents, the selections are still, for the most part, in the PG-13 arena).  As a kid, I missed out on alot of the quote-unquote “old skool rap” (my mom wasn’t having any of it!) so it’s great to explore some of the seminal artists of this musical genre.  Some of my favorite cuts include “Paid In Full”,  “I Ain’t No Joke”  and “Microphone Fiend”.

808’s and Heartbreak by Kanye West: Say what you will about a rapper who’s considered egotistical, even by hip hop standards, but he’s always been able to support his boasts with cutting-edge, exciting music. The Auto-Tuned warbling (tedious in other artists but somehow Mr.West makes it work)! The introspective lyrics! The taiko drums! This is my favorite Kanye album to date. Prime cuts: “Love Lockdown”, “Say You Will”  “Welcome to Heartbreak” and “Heartless”.

Anything Tori Amos:  It seems someone in Collection Management has a taste for Tori Amos. As a teen I found her work a bit esoteric but I’m definitely rediscovering the flame-haired chanteuse. Right now I’m tucking into her 2005 album The Beekeeper.  I’m enjoying the tracks “Parasol” and “Sweet The Sting” so far.  The Library is a great place for really learning more about an artist that fascinates you. But if Amos is already your cup of tea you may want to delve into some of DCPLs Tori-centric literature including her fascinating memoir Tori Amos: Piece By Piece (co-authored by Ann Powers) and Comic Book Tattoo, a collection of graphic novel works based on Amos’ songs.

Leonard Cohen: Live in London: Some cheesy manager ran off with Cohen’s earnings so he has come back to work. Sorry for his loss but it is indeed his fans’ gain. Here’s another artist I’ve been turned on to since I’ve been here at the Library. For people who love writers who happen to sing  look no further than this album. I’d tell you how I like it but since it’s brand new I have to wait in the request queue like everyone else. But you can check out the Library’s other Cohen albums until your turn with Live In London comes around.

I could do this all day long. Literally, I get goosebumpy thinking of all the wonderful music you can find at the Library. Thank you, DCPL, for being awesome!

P.S: If you know anyone who doesn’t remember how awesome Michael Jackson was (and who isn’t still a little heartbroken by his passing) please  direct them to these Jackson classics.

“We all have a voice. We have the responsibility to exercise it, to use it.”

This is a quote from (one of my new favorite musicians/artists) Patti Smith. I was watching the excellent documentary Patti Smith: Dream of Life and was inspired to blog about it a little bit. In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that I’m not an aficionado of punk rock music so I’m no expert on this seminal artist; a woman commonly regarded as the “godmother of punk rock”. But one of the most striking things about her is that she is living a life of creativity, full of love, family, friends and art. Just watching this film, beautifully and lovingly directed by Steven Sebring, has made me not only want to dig up my copy of Horses but has provided me with the heartening aforementioned quote, something I hope to always carry with me.
Check out the Library’s catalog for resources and amazing music by Patti Smith and other great artists.

Here are some things that I’m checking out right now:

Patti Smith: Dream Of Life I love documentaries about famous or extraordinary people so I can’t say enough about this film (Seriously, Readers, it’s in the Library–check it out!). I enjoyed the performance clips but the moments that really endeared Smith to me were her quieter, slice of life moments including visiting and dining with her sweet parents, doting on her two kids (who are musicians in their own right) and her solitary reflections on her art and the artists who inspire her. Look out for appearances by fellow musicians Michael Stipe, actor Sam Shepard and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Horses After watching Dream of Life I was keen on finding my old copy of Horses, her 1975 masterpiece.  Until then I’ll just be replaying her blistering rendition of “Gloria” over and over in my head. Or I’ll be borrowing it from the Library if all else fails. Other favorite tracks of mine are “Free Money” and “Break It Up”.

Click here for more Patti Smith items.

I’ve taken a break from the book I blogged about two weeks ago (How To Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard) to do a number of things. Among my diversions from this book were other books including comedian Steve Martin’s brilliant memoir Born Standing Up (Scribner) and an intriguing book called Def Jam, Inc (One World Ballantine) by Stacy Gueraseva. In her book, Gueraseva chronicles the rise of Def Jam Recordings, the preeminent and pioneering record label that helped steer rap music into the mainstream.

I was reading about Def Jam as I watched the Grammys on Sunday night. I’d read snatches of the book during commercials, awkward podium banter and some of the performances (sorry, Kid Rock!). Watching the awards show with its genre-splicing rap performances–Jay-Z meets Coldplay! Lil Wayne and Allen Toussaint!–was quite a reminder of how far hip hop music has come. What was once an underground, New York-centered movement is now a global phenomenon. Lately I’ve grown curious about the roots of rap music, its cultural significance and what to expect for the future.

DCPL is a great source for all things hip-hop, from music to books to DVDs. Here are some other notable titles:

Beats, Rhymes and Life: What We Love and Hate About Hip-Hop (Harlem Moon/Broadway Books): This book features insightful essays, articles and interviews of some of hip hop music’s biggest names.

Know What I Mean?: Reflections on Hip -Hop by Michael Eric Dyson (Basic Civitas): Author Dyson examines and discusses the cultural significance of rap music not as a casual observer or a detached outsider but as a fan who appreciates hip hop and understand its roots.

In Ya Grill: The Faces of Hip-Hop (Billboard Book):This book, with photos by Michael Benabib, features the vivid, nostalgia-inducing images of some of hip-hops original all-stars including future Hollywood powerhouses Will Smith and Queen Latifah.

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of The Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang (St. Martin’s Press)

Third Coast: OutKast, Timbaland and How Hip-Hop Became a Southern Thing by Roni Sarig (Da Capo Press): This book focuses on the rise of Southern rap and its contributions to the hip-hop community.

DCPL also has great DVDs that explore hip hop culture, including:

The MC: Why We Do It : This documentary features interviews with hip-hop’s preeminent voices including Slick Rick, Talib Kweli and Kanye West as they discuss their craft.

Krush Groove, a flick about an up and coming rap label in the ’80s and Style Wars, a documentary on hip-hop culture in early 80s NYC, are also worth a look.

Can you recognize these legendary album covers?  If so, what about where these photos were actually taken?  Word magazine has created a Google Maps mashup called Album Atlas that makes it really easy to find out, so that you can be the most knowledgeable guy or gal at the music store (at least concerning this topic).  You can click anywhere on the map with a blue flag and it will show you an album cover taken at that location.  Alternately, you may click on an album title from the full list, and it will show you the location on the map.  Continue reading this post if you want the answers to the above questions… Read the rest of this entry »

Many notable people, who left an incredible mark on our culture and society, passed on in 2008. This year we have said good-bye to the people listed below, whom I greatly admired and enjoyed their work.  I also picked my personal favorite or most memorable piece of theirs from the Library’s collection.

• George Carlin: George’s best stuff
• Arthur C Clarke: 2001: a space odyssey
• Bobby Fischer
• Estelle Getty
• Isaac Hayes: Ultimate Isaac Hayes: can you dig it?
• Heath Ledger: Ten things I hate about you
• Charlton Heston: The omega man
• Eartha Kitt: Purr-fect: greatest hits
• Bernie Mac: Pride
• Paul Newman: Cool Hand Luke
• Randy Pausch: The last lecture
• Sydney Pollack: Tootsie
• Tim Russert:  Big Russ and Me: father and son: lessons of life
• Yves Saint-Laurent
• Aleksander Isayevich Solzhenitsyn: One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich (and, which we noted his passing in this post)
• David Foster Wallace: Oblivion: stories
• Phyliss A Whitney: The ebony swan

Let us remember their work fondly.  For a more complete list of people who died in 2008, you may want to try this article from Wikipedia.  Who will you miss?  What are your favorites from his or her work?

Have you ever wanted to play an instrument? While I waited for Rock Band 2 to arrive with my plastic instruments, I thought of where I have gone to learn to play my real instruments. I have always wanted to play the drums, but whomever I live with refuses my pleas to learn! I have decided the plastic drum will have to suffice.

I have always turned to the Library and the variety of resources they have to learn the basics of every instrument I have ever wanted to play. The picture on the left shows a sampling of some of the musical instruments that I own and have learned to play. Here is a sampling of material that the Library has to help you learn how to play your instrument of choice.

For the Piano, the Library has several books and DVDs/Videos. Here are two commonly asked about items:

Play the Piano Today

Complete Idiots Guide to Playing the Piano

For the Violin, we have a few books:

Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching

The Mastery of the Bow

For the Guitar, we have several books and Video/DVDS. Here are two items often requested:

Learning Guitar for Dummies

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Guitars

For the Harmonica, we have a DVD:

Anyone Can Play the Harmonica: A Beginners Guide

Once you have begun mastering your new instrument, you might be interested in some music to play. The Library has a few songbooks in the collection. Check out these two for starters:

Acoustic Guitar Songs for Dummies

The great family songbook: a treasury of favorite folk songs, popular tunes, children’s melodies, international songs, hymns, holiday jingles, and more: for piano and guitar

Looking for other instruments? In our catalog, under keyword searching, try Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. This publishing company produces many instructional DVDs for learning a variety of instruments.

Still can’t find anything? Try a keyword search for the specific instrument and instructional. If we have anything, it should come up. Looking for more music? We are in the process of ordering more song books, so check back in a bit.

‘Tis the season for the library to be closed in observance of Christmas! So if you’re bundling yourself up to head out to the library, take heed: our doors are closed today. But fear not, here are some year-end book, movie, and music lists to tide you over.

Book Lists

• NPR: Best Books of 2008
• ALA: Teens’ Top Ten
• Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2008
• NYTimes: 100 Notable Books of 2008
• Washington Post Best Books of 2008

Movie Lists

• Metacritic: Best Films 2008
• Roger Ebert’s Best Films of 2008
• American Film Institutes 2008 Movie Awards
• Entertainment Weekly Top 10
• indieWIRE’s Critics Poll 08

Music Lists

• Rolling Stone’s Albums of the Year
• NPR Listeners Pick the Year’s Best Music
• Metacritic’s Best Albums of 2008
• AV Club: The best music of 2008
• Tiny Mix Tapes Favorite Albums of 2008

What are some of your favorite books, movies, and music of 2008? Please share in the comments section.

Note (12/29/2008): These links are meant as resources only.  The library owns many (but not all) of the books, CDs, and DVDs mentioned in these lists.

Do the words Georgia on my Mind conjure up Ray Charles? It amazes me how many big name music stars and bands are from Georgia or have deep ties to this state. I thought I would list some fairly current artists that have called Georgia or currently call Georgia home. The Library has music from everyone included in this list. The list crosses several genres and should give everyone a moment to be proud of a fellow Georgian. I confirmed that they had Georgia connections and gathered the biographical information from our database Biography Resource Center (under History and Biography) or allmusic.com.

In the Popular genre, there are many names that come to mind, Monica was born in College Park. She, along with Brandy, won a Grammy Award for Best R & B performance by a duo (1999). Usher is another artist who, although born in Dallas, Texas, is claimed by Atlanta. His family moved to Atlanta because of the city’s reputation for launching R & B careers. He has won many Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Performance (2001 & 2002).

Athens, Georgia has been known for launching many bands. The best known band is R.E.M. This band is still around and cranking out music after their debut album in 1983. A more current band from Athens is the Drive-By Truckers. The band is made up of members who claim either Georgia or Alabama as home. Read the rest of this entry »