All things musical

Archive for February 2014

Read: We Are Alive - a Portrait of Bruce Springsteen

Yup, he's alive alright. The Boss keeps on working and doesn't look like he's ever going to stop. With Bruce Springsteen coming to play Auckland this weekend, it's a good a time as any to read up on his storied career.

David Remnick, Pulitzer Prize winning writer and editor of The New Yorker, has penned what's said to be one of the most thorough profiles of Springsteen. Titled We Are Alive: a Portrait of Bruce Springsteen, it's freshly arrived on our shelves. If that takes your fancy, click here to find which libraries have it/request it be brought to your local library.

And if you're not convinced, check out Remnick's excellent New Yorker feature by the same name.

Listen: Tiny Ruins - Me at the Museum, You in the Wintergardens

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Originally the solo project of Hollie Fullbrook, Tiny Ruins has now expanded to be a full band with the addition of a stunning rhythm section consisting of bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer (Artisan Guns/Cool Rainbows/The Eversons).

On Me at the Museum, You at the Wintergardens (which you can hear via the Soundcloud widget above), Tiny Ruins delivers her trademark delicately mannered and poetic vocals over intricate finger picking. But now that sound is fleshed out subtly, with percussion, brass and strings. Listen to the shimmering, echoing background sounds fade in at 0.49”. They’re ghostly and low in the mix, and all the more haunting for it. Having recorded with engineer Tom Healy over several months in Auckland studio The Lab, the song is the lead single from her forthcoming album Brightly Painted One. Now signed to the UK label Bella Union, Tiny Ruins have joined a stable consisting of Beach House, the Flaming Lips and Fleet Foxes. Pretty amazing company, nice one Hollie!

Read: When Bob Met Woody

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Just quickly, and unintentionally keeping on the folk theme of the past few posts, I came across this delightful book in the children's section the other day and thought it might interest some of you lovely music fans/library users.

When Bob Met Woody is a beautifully illustrated picture book detailing the early days of Bob Dylan. Starting out in the wintry Minnesota port of Duluth and culminating in Dylan meeting his biggest inspiration, it could be a good way to try and introduce little ones to good music before they start listening to whatever post-LMFAO bands exist in the future (btw I'm imagining a dystopian future where the influence of their party rocking has spread far and wide. They say that not everyone who listened to LMFAO bought a ringtone, but everyone who listened to them started a sickeningly terrible band). Here's Bobby visiting Woody in the hospital below, though the book doesn't talk about him dying (so don't worry, it's pretty upbeat and hopeful). If you'd like to borrow it, you can find it in the library catalogue here.