New Music at the Library

I usually like to go to the new section of the music CDs in the library to see what new bands and singers are trending and what’s popular these days. On my last venture into the 2 drawers of new music I found 3 CDs that intrigued me and I thought they deserved some spotlight on them. I decided to take out and review them for this blog .  I chose 2 or 3 top tracks from each CD and I’ll tell you why and what I thought of the albums:

The 12/12/12 Concert for Sandy Relief by Various Artists

There are 2 discs with a total of 24 songs. Songs #1-12 are on disc 1 and songs #13-24 are on disc 2.  My top 3 tracks are Losing My Religion (live) by Chris Martin featuring Michael Stipe, Another Brick in the Atlantic Wall part 1, 2, 3 (live) by Roger Waters, and Helter Skelter (live ) by Paul McCartney.  Losing My Religion has got to be one of my favorite songs ever. I’m a big fan of REM and Coldplay so to hear both leading men sing one of my favorite songs was wonderful. It was haunting to hear it live with none of the flair from a recording in a studio to sand out the roughness and because of the circumstances of the concert. This song bled with the emotional chaos Hurricane Sandy caused. My second top track was Another Brick in the Atlantic Wall part 1, 2, and 3 by Roger Waters. Roger Waters is one of the two surviving members of the famous band Pink Floyd. This was my second top track because I grew up listening to them since my dad was a huge fan. Another Brick in the Wall, all parts of it, were performed beautifully and although it isn’t my favorite Pink Floyd song it was a great choice for the concert, showcasing the determination and strength that everyone who faced Sandy has. My third and last top track for the album was Helter Skelter sung by Paul McCartney. I just liked how he sang it, it’s an awesome song to get the crowd going and I liked that he chose it over other Beatles’ songs since they tend to be more romantic and uplifting.

What did I think of the album? I thought the album was great!  I enjoyed listening to the music from some of the greatest artists of the 20th century. I saw the concert when it was on TV and it was great to relive the experience. It doesn’t hurt that all the proceeds when to the Robin Hood Relief Fund and helped those affected by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. I recommend this CD to those who enjoy music from the 1980s and 1990s and loves live recordings.

Port of Morrow by The Shins

This is only a one disc CD with a total of 10 songs. My top two favorite tracks are The Rifle’s Spiral and Bait and Switch. I chose those two tracks because I really enjoyed listening to The Rifle’s Spiral, it was catchy and fun. You could easily sing along to the chorus since it’s easy to pick up and it’s a fun track to dance around to although it’s not like their past single Caring is Creepy. I happened to like Bait and Switch since it did have funky groove going for it. What did I think of the album overall? I definitely enjoyed listening to the album. The only songs I have heard from them originally have been Caring is Creepy and New Slang from the Garden State soundtrack. I found that some of their songs are slow and sweet and others are upbeat. Other reviewers of the album believe that James Mercer (lead singer and lyricist) has evolved as a song writer and that The Shins have aged gracefully. Some of the other reviewers like the album but believe their earlier work was better and more true to who The Shins really are, that could be that this is the first CD since four of the original founding members have left the group. I recommend this CD for people who like indie and alternative music.

Our Version of Events by Emeli Sandé

This CD was only one disc with 14 songs in total. My top 2 tracks are would be Heaven and Wonder.  I chose these as my top two tracks because they were fun to listen to. Emeli Sandé has a great and powerful voice. The other 12 tracks on her album were great; just I am not a huge R&B fan to begin with. Heaven and Wonder have a more pop and upbeat vibe compared to other songs of hers like Where I Sleep and Clown.  I thought the album was amazing. This is her first album and it’s wonderful. She has a voice that mesmerizes and her lyrics are incredibly deep. It is a mix of R&B and Pop and it’s definitely a favorite of people’s considering their rave reviews on Amazon. I would recommend her CD to listeners who like Adele and Leona Lewis. She is one powerhouse voice that I hope stays in the spotlight.

-posted by Stacey, Librarian Trainee

New Book Alerts

Now there’s an easy way to check on new books, movies and music arriving at the Syosset Public Library every week.  Stay on top of the latest fiction, non-fiction, large type, paperbacks, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and more.

Subscribe to our New Book Alerts email newsletter and as soon as a new title hits the shelf, you’ll be one of the first to know about it.  Then click on the borrow link right from your email to reserve a copy.

Can’t escape that country music!

The last week in November marked two anniversaries in country music history. George D. “Judge” Hayes introduced the WSM Barn Dance in Nashville on Nov. 28, 1925. He was joined by fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson in a show that quickly became very popular. Realizing that for the new radio show to survive and thrive it had to appeal to a broader audience than that in Nashville, Thompson included a musical component that would appeal to the surrounding rural area.  The timing was very good since country music was gaining in popularity. Within weeks the show was a hit showcasing local talent; soon it expanded from one to three hours.  Never heard of WSM Barn Dance? Perhaps you know it with the name it took in 1927: The Grand Ole Opry. Last week also marked the anniversary of Willie Nelson’s debut at the GOP on Nov.28, 1964. This week saw the fan-voted American Country Awards sponsored by Fox. The big winner was Jason Aldean who was named Artist of the Year; his “My Kinda Party” took Record of the Year.

You can get a feel for the country music lifestyle from DVDs and books. The library has films such as “Crazy Heart”, “Nashville” and “Country Strong” as well as documentaries about the Dixie Chicks and the legendary Johnny Cash.   Mysteries by Donald Westlake (Baby Would I Lie) and W.L. Ripley (Electric Country Roulette) have country settings as do several novels such as Nashville Chrome by Rick Bass,  And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to  You by Kathi Goldmark, and Crazy Heart by Thomas Cobb.

For a bit of history country music check out Will the Circle Be Unbroken, edited by Paul Kinsbury, Sing Me Back Home by Dana Jennings, Classic Country: Legends of Country Music by Charles Wolfe and The Grand Ole Opry History of Country Music.

If you like country music, or if you just want to give it a try, choose a CD from the library’s collection (maybe Dolly Parton, Patsy Kline, Reba McEntire or Merle Haggard). If  the genre captures you, you can follow up with some of the Grammy nominees. ACA winners Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood as well as such musicians as George Strait and Lady Antebellum are all nominated for Grammy awards scheduled to be given out in February.

- posted by Brenda, Reference Services

Five for Vampires

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter -  Did you know our 16th President was a Vampire Hunter?  Well, he wasn’t really, but if he were his life might have gone the way author Seth Grahame-Smith has imagined it in this book.  Lincoln’s mother dies because of a Vampire when he is only nine years old and he pledges to get revenge.  So, as well as keeping the Union together and freeing the slaves, Abraham Lincoln was a successful Vampire Hunter as well.

True Blood: Music from the original HBO series. “True Blood” doesn’t come back to TV screens until June but if you’ve already re-watched all the episodes and still want more, try listening to the full versions of the songs you only get to hear parts of during the show.

Dracula – Have you ever seen the original 1931 version starring Bela Lugosi?  No?  Although there have been many film versions featuring the character of Dracula, this is still one of the creepiest.  See it, if not for Lugosi’s iconic and definitive portrayal of Dracula, for the superb performance of Dwight Frye as Renfield:  no one has ever delivered a more disturbing “Yes Master”!

The Vampire Archives: The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published / edited with an introduction by Otto Penzler.  “(This anthology) collects an astoundingly thorough and enjoyable set of 86 vampire tales, poems and true stories.  Classics such as Le Fanu’s Carmilla, Poe’s Ligeia and Stoker’s Dracula’s Guest are nicely interspersed with lesser-known older and newer works. Fredric Brown’s Blood, an old-school sci-fi short-short, is a hoot, and D.H. Lawrence’s The Lovely Lady is a witty satire that in many ways harks back to Polidori’s The Vampyre.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

Vampire Secrets – This History Channel documentary “uncovers the ancient folkloric origins of blood-craving creatures from beyond the grave. Learn how the vampire myth is strongly rooted in Eastern European lore, but how it has also played a prominent role in the ancient cultures of Greece and China.” (Product Summary).

- posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services

How was that last book you read?

Did it have your fingers earning tiny little paper cuts as you anxiously turned to the next page, desperate to know what was going to happen next?  Did it give you a headache from banging your head against a desk in frustration (Why am I reading this book, why)?

Spread the word!

Submit a review for a book you’ve read and let the whole library know how fantastic or awful it was.  How do I do this, you ask?  It’s easy.

1. Find the book in the library catalog.
2. Under the title/author/publication information is a line for User Reviews.
3. Click where it says, “add a review.”
4. Click “Review this yourself.”
5. Create a review account by entering a user name, password, and if you’d like, an email address.  Prefer to post an anonymous review?  No problem – just create a wacky user name; no real identity required.
6. Click “Submit.”
7. Type your review!

You can review any of the library materials that appear in the catalog, not just  books – the more reviews, the merrier – so add yours now!

- posted by Megan, Reference Services

Mary Travers Obituary

It is with sadness that we learned of the death of Mary Travers of the Peter, Paul and Mary singing group.  The music of Peter, Paul and Mary was a part of many of our lives.  Read the New York Times obituary.

- posted by Ed G., Reference Services