Staff Picks

Under the Munka Moon by Alice Russell [Music CD]

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The 2004 debut album from the criminally overlooked UK singer with a lavishly soulful voice and sass to match. While British singers such as Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Estelle, Joss Stone and Lily Allen have sold millions, Alice has remained relatively unknown in the United States. With production fusing Latin, Girl Group, Hip-Hop, house, drum & bass, funk, gospel, jazz, rock and classic R&B sounds , Alice’s voice remains the core of her first release, which was largely a compilation of singles, remixes and collaborations. Known for her numerous side projects including Bah Samba, the Here Lies Love project with David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, the Bamboos, Quantic Soul Orchestra, her tours with diverse artists like De La Soul, Roy Ayers, the Roots and Lonnie Liston Smith and her collaborations with producer and co-writer TM Juke, the blue eyed, blonde haired lass from Brighton makes every song she performs unique and joyful.

Cover Story. Volume Two by Wax Poetics [Book]

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Our friends at Wax Poetics Magazine have released a book which compiles the craziest album covers one can possibly imagine. After the introductory pages by David Hollander, we say goodbye to commentary and are left only with high quality images of curated wacky lp covers. This is one of those books where one can flip through endlessly. Some of the images are truly original, inspired works of art, whereas others are just plain and unbridled insanity. Colorful and psychedelic explosions sit along side grinning, mustachioed men on roller skates and “Music For Your Plants”… Better yet, the artwork for the record “Music To Massage Your Mate By” could leave just about anyone in stitches.

Thanks has to go to all of the contributors who collect these treasures at various flea markets, record shops and thrift stores. Weirdos!

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris [Book]

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David Sedaris, our favorite expatriate, quirky, self-deprecating funny man, has penned a new collection of short stories. The issues and tone are certainly classic Sedaris, but this time his subjects are animals! For instance, a baboon hairdresser is having difficulty finding a common gossip angle with a cat who is at the salon for an appointment… also, a self righteous lab rat wishes diseases on those who aren’t kind to her. Readers who enjoy dark, observational humor will enjoy this wonderful collection.

Hot Burritos: The True Story of the Flying Burrito Brothers by John Einarson with Chris Hillman [Book]

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This refreshing biography about the pioneer country rock outfit unearths plenty of new insight. Author John Eirarson leaves behind previously scattered, sensational headlines for contemporary accounts of the group’s living members (including extensive interviews with founding member/ex- Byrd Chris Hillman). Where as most biographies of the Burritos tend to lean on the “tortured soul” angle of the late Gram Parsons, “Hot Burritos” discusses the collective innovation and follies of this seminal group.

Ram by Paul & Linda McCartney [Music CD]

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“Ram on give your heart to somebody…soon right away, right away,” McCartney laments on the ukulele driven “Ram On”. Ram, the sole album credited to Paul & Linda McCartney, is truly a family affair with half of the songs credited to the couple. Despite several tunes with surreal, nonsensical lyrics, Ram seems to give us a window into a simpler life. There’s numbers about dogs, the desire to live in the country and young love.

While retaining an element of the homemade sound McCartney crafted on his debut record, the pair also delve into Beach Boys arrangements and harmony as well as exploring something I’d like to call easy-listening/avante garde (see “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” or “Long Haired Lady”). Other highlights include the rocker “Eat at Home” and the false ending with futuristic tag on “The Back Seat of My Car”.

Ram gives us the impression that these are people who are doing it their own way… just have a look at the back cover to see the cryptic message Paul has left about his feelings toward his old group.

Murder in the Marais by Cara Black [Book]

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Aimée Leduc is a tough private detective who specializes in computer security investigations. She is hired by a rabbi to work with an encrypted photograph. Needing money to pay back taxes, she takes on this anomalous investigation which takes us through richly-drawn Paris in the Marais district, November 1993 and during the occupation, including politics, past and present, Nazis and neo-Nazis, and has Aimée running for her life.
The first in the Aimée Leduc Investigations series, which explores a different area of Paris in each novel.

Bargaining with the Devil by Robert Mnookin [Book]

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The head of Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation, Mnookin offers guidance on how to make a wise decision about engaging with an untrustworthy adversary. He identifies traps to avoid, strategies and tools for analyzing challenging situations. Case studies from the lives of business and political leaders (including Churchill and Mandela) as well as ordinary citizens illustrate the principles and are fascinating stories in their own right.

Appalachian Journey by Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O’Connor [Music CD]

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Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O’Connor play with ideas drawn from traditional American fiddle tunes on this album; the results are great fun. The traditional tunes on this album are often played at a slower tempo than that which you may be accustomed to hearing, but this fantastically talented trio fills the resulting space well, using harmonies and polyphonic lines that give the music an almost classical feel.

Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Edgar Meyer, bass; Mark O’Connor, violin. James Taylor and Alison Krauss join the trio for a song and a tune each.

Little Miss Sunshine [DVD]

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This movie shows that life is an adventure. An imperfect, slightly dysfunctional family of six sets out on a road trip, and all their quirky personalities are crowded together in one bright yellow van that cannot hope to contain them. As they encounter ever more emotional and mechanical breakdowns the characters learn how to handle imperfection and failure. They encounter situations which are sometimes dark, yet still hilarious. With lots of situational irony and dry humor, Little Miss Sunshine is a story which will make life’s difficulties feel like just little bumps in the road.

La Vie en Rose [DVD]

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This biographical film tells the story of Edith Piaf’s life with striking cinematography, music, and a spectacular performance by Marion Cotillard as Piaf. It is an emotional portrayal of poverty, family, fame, love, and music within the framework of one woman’s true experiences.

Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin [Book]

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Grandin transports her readers into the animal mind. She challenges us to approach animals the same way we approach each other- considering the psychology of the individual.The book explores training, communication, trauma, happiness,and natural behaviors. What makes horses spook? How do you train a cat? Why raise happy livestock? The answers may not be what you expect. Grandin brings together scientific research and anecdotal evidence to reveal surprising insights that can improve human-animal interactions in ways that are simple but have enormous impact.

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym [Book]

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Excellent Women is one of Barbara Pym’s best — a funny, engaging, and insightful story of post WWII English life. Like Jane Austen, Pym examines the small, seemingly mundane lives of ordinary people in an extraordinary manner.