An Embarrassment of Riches

PDX sounds good - Loch Lomond - by Alison

The first time I heard Loch Lomond it was amazing I could hear them at all. The local band was playing the Pickathon festival when the sound system died. The audience responded by getting as close as possible to the stage. From there it was possible to hear all the nuances of the music and admire the range of instruments - including melodica, clarinet and vibraphone. It was fun to watch the looks passing between the band members as they did their best to give a good show under the circumstances. The sight-seeing planes circling overhead didn't help with the acoustics and yet the audience was charmed anyway.

Loch Lomond's music has been described as "mesmerizing" and "lush". Lead singer Ritchie Young has an ethereal voice that seems to float above the music. The songs move from sweet and dreamy to sinister - what does he mean "the sounds of children laughing makes my eyes bleed"? For a visual representation of the music's sense of mystery and foreboding, go to their MySpace page and take a look at the video for "Blue Lead Fences" from their soon to be released album.
It's hard to pin down exactly what genre Loch Lomond falls into. Though I love all those descriptions that music critics come up with (otherworldy folk? circus pop? chamber folk?), maybe you should just have a listen for yourself.

Freddie and Me - by Laural (read)

Freddie & Me: A  Coming-of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody by Mike Dawson is one of my favorite books of the last year.  Think back, possibly way back, to when you were a child or a teen and there was music.  And music was one of the most important elements in your life.  First it was the Beatles for me.  Then it was a New Zealand band called Split Enz. Thereafter I branched out to local bands I could see live. Well, Mike Dawson may have branched out but as we find out in this terrific graphic memoir, Mike can place the memories of his life with the releases of rock band Queen’s albums. Besides using graphic art methods to tell his story there is also time-line at the beginning of the book outlining major events in his life with the releases of Queen’s record albums. Queen fans and readers who love a good memoir will like this book. At times this book is laugh out loud funny and other times touchingly philosophical~don’t miss it.

And in case you love this book and want to talk about it with other fans, The Hollywood Library's Graphic Novel Book Group is discussing Freddie and Me on March 10th at 6:30. Details here.

Disney Delight - by Steve (listen, read) Yesterday I bought my very first LP record.  For Christmas I bought myself a new record player. It's actually one of those fancy cd/cassette/radio/record players that looks like it's an antique.  While doing some window shopping on Hawthorne, I came across a tiny store that had odd things for sale.  They had a stack of records, which I thumbed through enthusiastically.  I came across a recording of Walt Disney's Fantasia, conducted by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.  Now the library doesn't own any LPs, but we do have a CD version of the same album.  The artwork is spectacular, with vibrant color that mimic the film.  I haven't listened to it yet, but I'm sure it will transport me back to when I first saw the film.

The artwork from my beautiful new record actually reminds me of another item in the library's collection.  Children's author Jon Scieszka has retold the story of Alice in Wonderland, and the artwork inside is magnificent.  The illustrations used in the new edition are by Disney Legend, Mary Blair.  Known for her brilliant work as a conceptual designer for Disney, each page is uniquely painted and very stylistic.  Her images and his story work together wonderfully.  She has a few other titles in our library system that are also visually stunning.

While I cherish my childhood memories of Disneyland, I'm learning to appreciate the time I spend with Disney as an adult.  I think I've even found where I want my next vacation to be...

If You Are Among the Very Young at Heart - by Tama (watch) I watched Young @ Heart in early December. While raving about it the morning after, a voice in my head said to zip it until I could put together a rational thought. I think I'm ready.

Young @ Heart is essentially the biography and recent history of a chorus of senior citizens. Established in 1982 in Northampton, Massachusetts, all the original members (none are still with us) lived in a senior center. Nowadays the chorus members are in a wide variety of living situations--some in their own homes, alone or with spouses, some in retirement homes or apartments. The choir's music, chosen by their artistic director, Bob Cilman, is not what one might expect--"I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones, for example. Their struggles with "Yes We Can" by Allen Touissant and "I Feel Good" by James Brown are epic, and finally mastered, but, man, they were close ones. Considering the average age of the group members, syncopated vocal rhythms really are the least of their concerns. As a coworker said, "Fix You" by Coldplay takes on a whole new meaning when you see and hear it sung solo by an 80-year-old so weakened by congestive heart failure that he must sit, oxygen canister beside him. And it is perfection.

It is still so difficult to put my feelings about this movie into words. They make it sound trite and "feel good," and that demeans it, somehow. These are real people, forming friendships, rehearsing, traveling and performing together, fighting battles with illness which we see won and lost, and grieving together. They are as different from each other as you and I, but they have that common thread of age. There are moments of pure hilarity, absolute frustration, terrible sorrow, and sheer joy.

These folks master performances that would be difficult for any age, but they're all over than 65, some well past that mark. I can't seem to get a good walk in, but I'll be the first in line to buy tickets if Young @ Heart comes to Portland. Maybe I'll even hoof it to the Max station.

Learn more about the chorus at http://www.youngatheartchorus.com.

Rat A What? - by Steve (listen)

I've returned to work after a nice long vacation and snow assault.  Stuck in St. Johns, I spent a lot of time curled up on the couch watching tv, playing card games, and eating too much holiday baking.  Sure I tried to leave the house, but waiting at the bus stop for 90 minutes inspired me to return to my warm couch and some cocoa.

After the snow started to melt, and about an hour of shoveling out the car, navigation through the icy city streets became quite the adventure.  Chains in the boot, shovel in the backseat, and the newest Ratatat cd in the player, the drive was a welcome respite after a week stuck at home.

Now I've been a big fan of electronica music for as long as I can remember.  Daft Punk is, of course, my number one listening choice.  However, last year I was turned on to Ratatat while relaxing with friends at the Oregon Coast.  LP3 is the latest from them, and while their other albums are great, this one is practically perfect for driving around in a winter wonderland.  I enjoy having a Ratatat cd playing in the background, as it helps me pretend I'm in a movie and they're part of the soundtrack of my life.  It's very relaxing, and not as intrusive as some of the other albums I've recently been listening to.

If you've never given electronica music a try, don't worry.  There are many different genres, and you're bound to find one that you'll like.  Ratatat's LP3 is a definately a great place to start.