Hidden Gems – Fugazi

After digging deep in the library catalogue, I found a couple of great things on one of my favourite bands, Fugazi. Fugazi is an American punk rock band from Washington D.C. that formed in 1987. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty. Fugazi are the ultimate independent punk band, they staunchly refused big money offered by the major record labels, would only play all-ages gigs that were no more than $5 on the door and refused to sell merchandise.

Fugazi were a phenomenal live band and played 2 gigs in Christchurch (both at the Caledonian Hall) one in 1993 and one in 1997.  At the 1993 gig, a member of the audience was annoying Ian McKaye so much he was escorted out and offered his money back. On Ian McKaye’s record label Dischord you can access recordings of both these Christchurch shows. (If you have photos of either of these shows that you would like to share with the library please contact us or upload them to the Discovery Wall).

Top of the list to read is In on the Kill Taker by Joe Gross, which is part of the Bloomsbury 33 1/3 Series available via Bloomsbury Popular Music. Next up is Fugazi: Instrument a documentary film collaboration between Fugazi and Jem Cohen. This is available from Access Video which has an excellent range of music documentaries and live performances.

This book offers a little bit of back history before it looks at the making of the album In on the Kill Taker. It starts from the disastrous first recording with Steve Albini, to stories behind the writing and recording of songs like Smallpox Champion, Rend it, Public Witness Program and Instrument. This book is full of interludes and discusses how the band wrote songs, punk vs pop, and their live performances. Joe Gross also interviews long time friend of Fugazi, Jem Cohen who spent a lot of time recording their live shows and is also responsible for creating the cover art for this album.

After reading In on the Kill Taker by Joe Gross, I really wanted to see footage of Fugazi and was super excited to find the library had this 2 hours of footage from a collaboration between Fugazi and Jem Cohen. This video has footage covering the 10 year period of 1987-1996, and it captures the energy of their live performances. Fugazi are known for touring relentlessly and played over 1000 gigs around the world from 1987-2003.

Read more about Fugazi in Rock’s Back Pages.

Your Halloween Soundtrack

It’s that time of year again for us to celebrate all things dark, sinister, and macabre, and what a lot of options you have from us here at Christchurch City Libraries!

We have Horror, Sci-Fi, & Fantasy booklists covering all your favourite subgenres, plenty of horror films available on DVD, Pru has done an excellent sum-up of Halloween stuff including Spooky Halloween Days at Shirley and Linwood, AND we have a way for you to soundtrack your festivities… after all, what’s more frightening than the sounds of impending dread…!?

Monster rock horror for your Halloween

List created by DevilStateDan

Trick and Treat yourself this Halloween with these suitably horror-ific musical experiences…

Nothing suits Halloween better than the psychedelic horror rock sounds of King Crimson, the perfect way to soundtrack your Halloween!
Live at the Orpheum

A great cross section of the work of Siouxsie & the Banshees. Rock this album while your carve your Jack O’Lantern!
Spellbound

The original monsters of rock – you wanted the best, you got the best. Get your full make-up on and rock this Halloween!
Monster

Thirty tracks from the Stranglers from between 1983-1991. A collection of punk fuelled horror B-sides to rock you this Halloween.
Here & There

Music from the horror show born out of NZ – what better way to kick start your Halloween!?The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The hugely celebrated second (and last!) album from the Cannibals. Some call it a masterpiece. Whatever you think you can bop with the pop til you drop this Halloween!
The Raw & the Cooked

Rob Zombie has been delivering his horror rock for decades and this album is one of the highlights of his career. Get trashy and zombie this Halloween.
Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor

Music to survive zombies by… the perfect soundtrack for your Halloween.
The Walking Dead

The grandfathers of gothic rock in a collection featuring their best tracks. It doesn’t get more dark, gothic, or horror-ific than the masters.
The Ultimate Collection

And finally, on this CD you will find THE classic piece of horror music; Toccata & Fugue in D minor. If you don’t recognize the name, you’ll surely recognize the first three notes!
Famous Organ Works

View Full List

Happy listening and a happy Halloween!

Free Radicals: WORD Christchurch Festival 2018

In conjunction with UC Arts, Empress Theatre Collective presents Free Radicals – an evolving song cycle that celebrates the achievements of women in science and technology. This sold out show on Wednesday night was beautifully presented – a one hour long series of various musical compositions featuring female scientists combined by narration. Great care was taken in the creating the setting with tasteful lighting and imagery to welcome you into the small, intimate space. The atmosphere in the full house was expectant.

Erin Harrington entered to a beautifully lit room and began with a moving and succinct original poem. Her narrative thread drew all of the disparate pieces together in a great and flowing way. The show began with Ariana Tikao singing a song called ‘Bind the Black’ featuring taonga pūoro: pūrerehua, kōauau and pūtōrino. It made for a wonderful opening that felt very welcoming and warm. After some narration by Erin, The Swan Sisters’ voices combined beautifullly in their tribute to Maria Sybilla Merian, The Great Outdoors.

They were followed by Sheree Waitoa on vocal and guitar performing her song Connections, a great song that included te reo Māori and English lyrics  and honoured the famous actor and scientist, Hedy Lamarr.

The next work by Glenda Keam was a tribute to the female NASA scientists that were portrayed in the Hollywood movie Hidden Figures. A stark and interesting work featured four solos, and a trio for three vocalists and prepared piano.

Technology was featured in the next piece by Misfit Mod with a flowing and wonderful visual element that help to bind the atmospheric work with the audience.

Beatrice Tinsley, the astronomer who originally studied at Canterbury University, was the subject of the next song by Naomi Ferguson. The electronic soundscape was enhanced by Ferguson’s flowing and powerful melodies.

To end the show the narrator joined with a small choir to sing In Feminea Forma, a piece for voices and electronics by Rosa Elliott. The electronics in this piece and throughout were seamless and added to the well-curated atmosphere.

This show was excellent. I loved every piece, the variety, the atmosphere, and most of all the illuminating subject matter. Hopefully the show will have a life beyond the WORD Christchurch Festival.

This show is also on tonight and there are some tickets still available. Don’t miss out.

Alex Van den Broek
Media Studio Specialist

Library sounds – a mid-year review

I’ve been exploring the CD collection available through Christchurch City Libraries this year and I’ve found some absolute gems!

There’s a mix of styles and eras in this list and quite a representation of New Zealand music – and it just so happens to be New Zealand Music Month.

So sit back and get some sonic stimulation from some quality musicians from around the world of music…

2018 – The Best of Music

List created by DevilStateDan

Music highlights for the year. Some are brand new, some are decades old but new to me, all are great!

Versatile – Van Morrison doing jazz interpretations backed by a very slick big band. It’s really well produced and if you’re new to the American jazz standards then this is a great way in!

Utterance – I love this album! It’s a collaborative effort between three on NZ’s finest musicians; David Long (banjo w/effects), Natalia Mann (harp), and Richard Nunns (taonga puoro). These flavours blend beautifully to create haunting soundscapes that are textural and dynamic – truly beautiful sounds from Aotearoa!

The Jazz Messengers – The first album from the group that went on to be the band that every jazz player wanted to be in. They’ve had some huge names in jazz through their ranks over the years and this is a great way to start their 40+ album recording career!

The Kitchen Table Sessions – Beaut, home-cooked alt-country from NZ’s favourite adopted daughter, Tami Neilson. Great country grooves and a lady with a voice of gold – what’s not to love!?

Preservation – Some more beautiful, lyrical, melodic songwriting from NZ’s Nadia Reid.

Second Nature – This is just how I like the Blues; stripped back, acoustic, you can just imagine it on the porch on a hot summer day… This father and son team recorded this album in single takes with no overdubs whilst they were touring Finland in 1991, and it’s a timeless and solid an blues album as you’ll find.

Charlie Watts Meets the Danish Radio Big Band – Charlie Watts (drummer for the Rolling Stones) gives it his jazz side on this album, featuring the big band of Danish radio. Some great jazz music here particularly the ‘Elvin Suite’ numbers. After that you get the obligatory big band arrangements of some Stones songs, beautifully arranged and executed but nothing terribly exciting musically.

Dog – Stripped back acoustic blues doesn’t get much better than this album of what I like to call “porch music” from Charlie Parr. Solid songwriting and a very real connection with the blues makes this a great addition to the genre.

Don’t Let Them Lock You up – New Zealand music is in good shape these days and I really like the creativity and superb musicianship that is on display on this album. They usually perform as a duo but the recording process has allowed them to expand on their ideas and grooves, implement new harmonies and percussion lines, and get really solid and funky! Great album!

Black Notes From the Deep – A great jazz album from the British multi-instrumentalist jazz legend Courtney Pine. Brilliant small ensemble playing and solid musicianship on display. I really liked the instrumentals – not so much the vocal numbers – but that’s just my preference. It’s good compositions played really nicely without arrogance or naff-ness. Jazz fans should have a listen.

View full list

Cavell Leitch New Zealand International Jazz and Blues Festival 2018

Frosty mornings, the threat of snow, and midwinter blues might be a couple of months away yet, but Christchurch is about to be hit by a different type of blues when the Cavell Leitch New Zealand International Jazz & Blues Festival comes to town later this week (May 23-27).

• Visit the Cavell Leitch New Zealand International Jazz & Blues Festival  website
• Follow the Jazz and Blues Festival on Twitter
• Like the Jazz and Blues Festival on Facebook

Returning to the city for its twenty-third year, this festival is a treat for lovers of jazz and blues, and offers a range of experiences showcasing local and international talent, and up-and-coming stars to watch out for in the future. Here are a couple that really stand out to me.

Kurt Elling, Grammy Award-winner and 8-times winner of the Jazz Journalists Association’s ‘Male Singer of the Year’ title, is headlining the festival, playing with the Kurt Elling Quintet at the Piano on Saturday, May 26. His is a voice that is an absolute pleasure to listen to, and with the backing of a live quintet, this is sure to be a magical evening.

Listen to Kurt Elling’s music in our collection (includes streaming music as well as CDs)

Whenever I think of jazz and blues, Billie Holiday is one of the first names I think of. Although we won’t be graced by the great singer herself, we will be able to experience the power of her repertoire when Mary Coughlan sings Billie Holiday in two concerts at The Piano on Wednesday 23 May. This show was first performed in Christchurch at the Jazz & Blues Festival fifteen years ago, and I’m hoping I get to it this time around – I was trying to decide whether to go see it back then, and didn’t, and have been kicking myself ever since.

Listen to Mary Coughlan’s music in our collection. 
Listen to Billie Holiday’s music in our collection (includes streaming music as well as CDs)

Having played clarinet when I was younger, I have always enjoyed hearing what Kiwi Nathan Haines has been up to in the music world, and am excited to see him here in Christchurch with Jonathan Crayford. With violin accompaniment, this duo will be reinterpreting the works of well-known classical composers to fit the jazz and blues style of the festival. Both Haines and Crayford have won the Best Jazz Album of the Year award here in New Zealand, and with this amount of skill on the stage I am really excited to see what they create.

Listen to music by Nathan Haines in our collection.
Listen to music by Jonathan Crayford in our collection. 

Of course, all the big names need to start somewhere, and the Jazz & Blues Festival supports these young up-and-comers and Christchurch locals. Georgie Clifford and Alice Tanner are two such ‘noteable young women’, and Christchurch local Kate Taylor, front-woman of the All-Girl Big Band, is also one to watch. On the festival’s last day, five Christchurch high schools will show off their jazz skills in the Festival High School Jazz Band Concert at Christchurch Boys High School on Sunday 27 May.

For something a little different, join chef Richard Till and local band The Eastern for an evening of Southern Fried Chicken and music at the Lyttelton Arts Factory on Friday 25 May and Saturday 26 May.

As you see, with so many different artists on the programme, there really will be something for everyone. I recommend getting your tickets now so that you don’t miss out on this wonderful musical experience. And, once the festival’s over, check out our jazz and blues resources to stay in the swing of things.

Jazz and blues in our collection

• Jazz and blues CDs
• Books about jazz and blues
• Magazines about jazz and blues

Jazz and blues eResources

Naxos Music Library Jazz streams over 9000 jazz albums, from jazz legends to contemporary jazz. It covers a wide range of jazz music with recordings from over 32,000 artists. Labels include Blue Note, Warner Jazz, EMI, Enja, Fantasy and more. New albums are added weekly.

Jazz Music Library includes material from Concord Records, including New Zealand pianist Alan Broadbent, major jazz figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and more. There are also recent jazz figures such as Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding, and even Michael Bolton singing Sinatra standards! The collection includes works licensed from legendary record labels, including Audiophile, Blue Note, Concord Jazz, Jazzology, Milestone, Nessa Records, Original Jazz Classics, Pablo, and Prestige. Also included are Marian McPartland’s Peabody Award winning Piano Jazz Radio Broadcasts and never before released performances from the Monterey Jazz Festival and great jazz venues. Jazz Music Library is part of Music Online: Listening Plus.

American Song provides online access to over 100,000 tracks from  every genre and music period of American history.

I hear dead people – Rock’s Back Pages

No, I am not a psychic, I have been listening to dead musicians. Big deal you say, you can hear dead musicians all the time by turning on the radio or just listening to some of the music on Spotify. What I have been listening to is audio interviews of musicians on Rock’s Back Pages, (there are also audio interviews with musicians who are still alive, if listening to people beyond the grave is not your thing).

Here’s my list of audio interviews from Rock’s Backpages (all deceased)

• Jimi Hendrix – Interview by Keith Altham, 11 September 1970
  In the last interview Hendrix did, a week before his death, he talks poignantly about his plans for the future, and looks back at his past.
• David Bowie – Interview by Chris Roberts, 29 July 1999
  Bowie, surrounded by some splendid NYC ambience, talks about where he’s at today, his workaholism, being part of Tin Machine and some of the personae he has adopted. (Part 1 of 2 interviews)
• Kurt Cobain – Interview by Jon Savage, 22 July 1993
  Childhood in Aberdeen, WA; ‘Teen Spirit’ and making it; Courtney Love and marriage; drugs and the stresses of success; Vig vs Albini; that notorious MTV Awards incident – it’s pretty much all here.
• Michael Jackson – Interview by John Pidgeon, January 1980
  John Pidgeon, via a 13-year-old Janet, hears from the King of Pop about how he linked up with Motown, learned about the studio, how he sees his future and his defense of disco.
• The Ramones – Interview by Ian Ravendale, 28 September 1978
  Johnny, Joey, Tommy and Dee Dee talk about what got them together; making records; being “Ramones”; playing live, and the true meaning of Gabba Gabba Hey!
• Bob Marley – Interview by Karl Dallas, 19 July 1975
  The day after his legendary Lyceum show, Marley expounds on Babylon, Rastafari, Jamaica, his universal message, and the meaning of ‘I Shot The Sheriff’.

Rock’s Back Pages has a huge variety of articles from heaps of different music publications like New Musical Express (NME), Real Groove and Rolling Stone. You will find artists (both dead and alive) like Ella Fitzgerald, Lorde, Joy Division and the White Stripes and so much more. Check out this fantastic eResource – it’s like going through a record collection in a second hand store, you never know what you will find.

Bloomsbury Popular Music

We are proud to present our newest eResource Bloomsbury Popular Music. This eResource has a huge amount of information on music from 1900 to present. It includes all eleven volumes of Bloomsbury Encyclopaedia of Popular Music of the World, over 120 titles of the widely acclaimed 33 1/3 series, and an expanding collection of scholarly titles.

Use it to:

• Explore the historical origins and cultural impact of popular music from almost every country in the world;
• Discover more about influential artists and albums, and local music scenes and subcultures;
• Learn about everything from musical form and instruments to the workings of the music industry;
• Research the social, political and economic context of different musical genres.

Bloomsbury Encyclopaedia of Popular Music

The Encyclopaedia of Popular Music of the World, over 20 years in the making, is a landmark reference work in its field. Each volume, authored by top contributors from around the world, includes discussions on cultural, historical and geographic origins; technical musical characteristics; instrumentation and use of voice; lyrics and language; typical features of performance and presentation; historical development and paths and modes of dissemination; influence of technology, the music industry and political and economic circumstances; changing stylistic features; notable and influential performers; and relationships to other genres and sub-genres.

33 1/3 Series

33 1/3 is a series of short books about popular music, focusing on individual albums by artists ranging from James Brown to Celine Dion and from J Dilla to Neutral Milk Hotel. Each album covered in the series occupies a specific place in music history, so each book-length treatment takes an individualized approach. 33 1/3 is widely acclaimed by fans, musicians, and scholars alike.

 

Scholarly books on Popular Music Studies

The Bloomsbury Popular Music Studies list consists of an expanding range of scholarly books ranging from edited volumes to biographies to historical overviews, and that span genres, including rock, pop, hip hop, and punk. Titles include and David Boucher’s Dylan and Cohen, James Braxton Peterson’s Hip Hop Headphones and Kevin Dunn’s Global Punk.

Record Store Day – Saturday 21 April 2018

Record Store Day is on this Saturday 21 April. It is an annual international event designed to celebrate the record store as a community. For more info, read Russell Brown’s Friday Music post The Shopping news and What’s happening for Record Store Day across NZ, this Saturday? Peter McLennan on Dub dot dash.
Here is our compilation of what’s happening here in Ōtautahi.

What’s on in Christchurch

Galaxy Records

Galaxy Records on 336 St Asaph St are an “Indie Institution’ in Christchurch, selling new and used vinyl. Like Galaxy Records on Facebook.
Record Store Day at Galaxy Records: Subscribe to the Facebook event
Rare & Collectable goodies! Featuring DJs: Pinacolada Soundsystem , Missy G & Skew-whiff from midday. Darkroom Bar will be open

Lyttelton Records

Lyttelton Records have spilled out of their home recording studio to open a shop (and bar) in Woolston. You can buy merch here, guitar strings and maybe catch a live performance. Like Lyttelton Records on Facebook.
Record Store Day at Lyttelton Records: Vinyl discounts, live music, happy hour 12pm to 4pm 650 Ferry Road

Penny Lane Records

If you are a record store fan in Christchurch, you can visit Penny Lane Records – they are at Eastgate Mall in Linwood, and in Sydenham at 430 Colombo Street. Penny Lane specialise in great quality second-hand music formats and collectibles. Like Penny Lane Records on Facebook.
Record Store Day at Penny Lane Records: The crew were cagey as to what’s happening – so there might be some good surprises on offer. What they did say was they are open at 8am, there will be Record Store Day exclusives available, and stuff happening for customers, as well as specials.

(here’s a pic from RSD 2017 at Penny Lane)

#RecordStoreDay at Penny Lane on Colombo St. Buzzing. pic.twitter.com/pSVUduAS4N

— Donna (@kebabette) April 22, 2017

Sadhana Surf and House of Creativity

Sadhana Surfboards is at Shop 52 at The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road Woolston. Like Sadhana Surf on Facebook

Sadhana Surfboards

Another hot tip for record fans: Vinyl Cafe at 24b Essex Street is a must visit for vinyl lovers. Like Vinyl Cafe on Facebook,

Get on down to your local record shop, buy yourself some vinyl to spin while the weather goes wild. Talk to people who appreciate quality music. Who knows you may make a new connection…

Record Appreciation – Fee

I love records! I still have a halfway decent collection of records. When I had to replace my stereo a few years back, I made sure it came with a turntable. I’m a purist – like Neil Young I can hear more depth and texture of sound in an LP (Long Player), than I can on a CD or a download. Neil developed PonoMusic to develop modern sound recording formats that delivered quality of sound almost as good as the studio, or the original record. (See Waging Heavy Peace, one of Neil’s engaging autobiographies.)

Other bands and artists such as Iron Maiden and New Zealand’s Shayne P. Carter, have steadfastly resolved to continue releasing albums on vinyl as well as other formats. Shayne P. Carter has been heard to lament the difficulty of reducing sleeve artwork to fit CD cases. I sure as heck can’t read the release date on CDs, and most won’t tell you when the original album was recorded. The discussion about sound continues…

Did you know that you can still buy turntables? I’ve discovered them at The Warehouse, The Listening Post (330 St Asaph Street), the Top Hi-Fi Shop (35 Carlyle St, Sydenham), and Soundline Audio (329 Madras St), Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi.

Now to put the record collection in alphabetical order

Record Store Day resources

• Follow Record Store Day on Twitter
• Record Store Day exclusive releases
• Like The Sound of Vinyl on Facebook
• Read our previous Record Store Day posts

Vinyl and music at the library

• LPs
• Music eResources
• Music magazines
• Music eMagazines
• Our page on Music and Musicians

Fee and Donna
Vinyl appreciators

An Easter music egg-stravaganza!

Easter approaches and you find yourself with some extra time for contemplation, relaxation, and resetting your spiritual clock.

How best to do this?

Personally I find music the best avenue for transcendental experiences so I have created a list of different options to share, for your ears, eyes, and souls!

And here it is…

An Easter playlist

List created by DevilStateDan

Some Easter-y music to enjoy on the long weekend… We have a wide range of traditional and not-so-traditional music here on this list, so happy listening to you – there may even be an “easter-egg” to discover somewhere in this list!

Let’s begin on a lighter and fun note with Jimmy Wakely singing “Peter Cottontail”. This 1950 Song Reached #7 on Country Music Charts in America and is sure to get your foot tapping while you ready yourself for the Easter season.

St. Matthew Passion – The masterpiece of baroque music, first performed on Good Friday 1727 in Leipzig Germany. It’s the story of the crucifixion – as according to the bible – and features beautiful baroque choral singing and stunning solo arias. Make Good Friday a good Friday with this piece!

St. Matthew Passion – And if you’ve got some musical skills and can pull a group of singers and instrumentalists together, why not give the piece a go yourself! This score is for soloists (SATTBB), two mixed choruses (SATBSATB), and two orchestras. Christchurch City Libraries has a large print music selection available for you to borrow!

Symphony no. 2 – What can you say about Mahler No.2 ‘Resurrection’ Symphony other than it’s moody as heck, excites conductors to a frenzied end, includes the most magnificent ‘musical death shriek’, and is an eternal piece of brilliant composition. Listen and you’ll agree, but is it an Easter piece…? You decide!

Mahler (Documentary) – Want to know more about the crazy musical genius oddball Bohemian, Gustav Mahler? Try this documentary available to stream for free through your Christchurch City Libraries membership.

Le lamentazioni del profeta geremia per il mercoledi santo – Thomas Tallis is super-important in early music history and is celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest ever composers. He straddled the times of change as HenryVIII was revamping the church in the early 1500’s Tallis proved quite adept at pleasing both sides of the believers (catholic and protestant) both stylistically and exaltedly! Have a listen to his magnificent choral arrangements!

Eight Classic Albums – And here’s a surprise inclusion but I couldn’t resist – an Easter-Egg if you will! On one of these eight classic albums the great Gerry Mulligan meets the great Ben Webster – a coming together of jazz saxophone to play the tune; ’18 Carrots for Rabbit’. Happy Easter!

Handel’s Messiah – And to finish off lets watch a live performance of Handel’s Messiah – the mightiest of all Easter pieces!

^DevilStateDan

View Full List

SPACifically PACific Polyfest Canterbury 2018

This Saturday I’ll be heading down to the former residential Red Zone in Dallington (on the corner of New Brighton Road & Locksley Ave) with my kids in tow, picnic, rug and chairs for the biggest annual specifically Pacific event this side of the Cook Strait. Saturday will see 730-odd performers from 19 secondary schools from Nelson College all the way down to Ashburton College take the stage to showcase the hours of hard work they have put in to refining every last movement and note.

This event has grown from strength to strength in the past few years with the hard work of some very dedicated teachers, parents, volunteers and agencies. The Pasifika population holds the youngest median age in the diverse populations of New Zealand, so it is best fitting that our Pasifika youth celebrate this on stage.

For a taste of what to expect you can view videos of performances from previous Polyfests on YouTube.

Make your way down to the red zone and expect to have your senses assaulted as you witness the graceful movement, rhythmic drums, enticing scent of warm coconut buns and chop suey, and the “chee-hoo!” of Pasifika celebration. Check out the performance order to make sure that you don’t miss out on your favourite group!

Find out more

• Polyfest Facebook event
• sPacifically Pacific on Facebook
• SPACPAC Polyfest videos on YouTube
• Find titles about Polynesian people in New Zealand in the library catalogue

Jan-Hai Te Ratana
South Learning Centre