Lisa Marie Presley. What do you think when you hear that name? Elvis' daughter? A spoiled heiress? Ex-wife to both Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage? How about a songwriter/singer? Yes, indeed, Elvis' daughter seems to have inherited some of her legendary dad's musical ability. I'm pretty sure Elvis didn't have much involvement in writing the…
Movies for a rainy day
I'm at work today, but maybe you decided to stay at home and watch some movies on a rainy day. Monsoon season is here, and it could be raining somewhere right now. Here are some suggestions, both old and new... The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 version) I never saw the original with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway…
Thieves Like Us
Chris Dashiell has worked for the Library since 1997, and reviews films for Cinescene, KXCI Community Radio, and on Arizona Public Media’s Arizona Spotlight. The story of Thieves Like Us is an adaptation of Nicholas Ray's They Live By Night ('49), but Robert Altman's style and purpose couldn't be more different from that darkly romantic…
Mumbo Gumbo
People can have strong opinions about okra; they often love it or hate it. I happen to love the plant. It's tropical grace and beautiful mallow flowers swaying in the breeze, but have yet to be sold on the fruit. This year I am determined to find a recipe that highlights the culinary beauty of okra, and…
Soul Stirrers for the 2010s
The music of Soul and R&B's golden age is big business these days. Echoes of Motown, Stax-Volt, Atlantic and other labels can be heard everywhere through the influence of their artists--people like Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Al Green to name a few. With the arrival and tragic early…
Realmente Lo Mejor: Simply the Best
A strong mainstay in the Latin alternative music scene, Julieta Venegas has been making music since the release of her debut album, Aquí, in 1997. A wonderful vocalist and songwriter, she is originally from Long Beach, CA but raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Her music is a mixture of Latin alternative, pop, rock en…
Pop Perfection with Imogen Heap
I like to imagine artist Imogen Heap as a magical, musical pop fairy. This is not difficult: she wears flowing, ethereal gowns and braids feathers through her hair. Her voice is as mercurial as the wind - a whispering breeze one moment and the fury of a storm the next. And when I listen to…
Let The Good Times Roll with Treme
While this blog post is about a TV show, it is a very musical TV show. HBO's Treme is from creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer, the same team that brought you HBO's highly successful drama The Wire. Treme refers to a historically African American neighborhood in New Orleans, and the show centers around musicians…
My music life, before and after kids
Born in the late '70s, I started listening to music in the '80s and really came into my tastes in the early to mid-'90s. You know, high school. I listened to everything really. My tagger friends were into Hip Hop, I had punk rock friends who were, you know, punk rock. My fancier friends listened to…
Musical Obsessions
Do you suffer from musical obsession? I enjoy different genres of music and a variety of artists, but I can become obsessed with a single artist or group and listen to their music almost exclusively for weeks. Jack White is one such obsession. It Might Get Loud There's nothing like a great documentary to fuel…
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