The Library CD Shelf
No Discount
Zongo Junction
Electric Cowbell Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
$16.98 CD / $8.91 MP3 www.amazon.com
Afrobeat ensemble Zongo Junction presents No Discount, a rip-roaring origin
al album of explosively enthusiastic songs. Guitar, pounding drums, and lay
ers of synthesizers characterize this unstoppable, pulse-pounding collectio
n, sure to excite fans of the genre with the passionate inducement to get u
p and dance! The tracks are "The Van That Got Away", "Longtooth", "Invented
History", "No Discount", "21 Suspects in Madina", "Invented Search", "The
National Zoo", "Tunnel Bar", and "Unknown Elsewhere."
Hamidbar Medaber
Zebrina
www.zebrina.org
Privately Published
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz
The band Zebrina (a play on the Latin name for the plant colloquially calle
d "wandering jew") is a lively mix of Klezmer, jazz, and jam performing the
original compositions of Canadian jazz pianist Jonathan Feldman in Hamidba
r Medaber, an album embodying the creative quest for knowledge. Entrancing
yet energetic, Hamidbar Medaber works its way into the listener's spirit, f
ostering questions and wonder for life's miracles as well as open celebrati
on. Highly recommended, especially for international music collections! The
tracks are "Chant of Ages" (5:33), "Revolution in my Mind" (7:09), "The Sp
irit Within" (7:25), "The Desert Speaks" (6:57), "Higher Power" (7:59), "Br
eath of Life" (8:11), "The Guru's Advice" (6:46), and "Freedom Groove" (6:5
2).
NAWA: Ancient Sufi Invocations & Forgotten Songs From Aleppo
Sacred Voices of Syria
Lost Origin Sound Series
3320 Mt. Pleasant St. NW, Washington, DC 20010
www.lostsoundseries.com
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
$TBA CD / $9.49 digital www.amazon.com
NAWA: Ancient Sufi Invocations & Forgotten Songs From Aleppo gathers record
ings of some of the oldest spiritual music known to humanity. When musician
Jason Hamacher contacted the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of the United Stat
es and learned that there were no recordings of liturgical chants from Urfa
, Hamacher resolved to ensure that he would help preserve 1800 years of mus
ical tradition in recorded form, available to the public. To experience and
record ancient chant traditions, Hamacher traveled to Syria, working with
its Christian, Jewish, and Islamic communities. Fortunately, Hamacher was a
ble to gather most of NAWA before the onset of Syria's terrible civil war.
Hundreds of years of spiritual, musical, and faith traditions are embedded
in these powerful, profound liturgical chants, highly recommended especiall
y for public and college library music collections. The tracks are "Fasel A
l Jalal", "Mowashah Dhabya Wadi Al Naqah", "Fasel Al Sawi", "Fasel Kesmet A
l Sawi", "Mowashah Al Refko Be Mattoon", and "Mowashah Habbatha Al Dugah".
Surya Chants of Light
Nadaka Gopika
ragamantra.com
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$17.47 CD / $7.92 MP3 www.amazon.com
Surya Chants of Light is a music album of classic vedic chanting, sung in t
he original sanskrit and following the pronunciation and intonation traditi
ons passed down in India for thousands of years. Music accompanying the cha
nts balances the traditional Indian-raga with modern guitar-synth. Songs on
Surya Chants of Light range from 4000-year-old vedic mantras to (relativel
y) recent Indian hymns, some of which are part of daily modern life. A sola
r theme of life-giving light binds these eight beautiful and inspirational
selections. The tracks are "Suryaya Swaha", "Arogya Mantra", "Gayatri Mantr
a", "Navagraha", "Suryashtakam", "Dakshinam", "Surya Namaskar", and "Chidak
ash". 52 min.
Saguita al Bate
Leticia Rodriguez Garza
http://leticiarodriguezperforms.com
Privately Published
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221, Austin, TX 78748
$TBA www.pressjunkiepr.com
Saguita al Bate is an EP music album featuring songs from Hispanic-American
performer Leticia Rodriguez Garza, also known for creating the one-woman s
how "Canciones For Generations". Saguita al Bate has stellar, crystal-clear
performances of three songs from "La Americana" plus a lively recording of
"Saguita al Bate" (a song about a man pushed to the brink by his wife's lo
ve of baseball - or is she just infatuated with the handsome baseball playe
r Alberto 'Saguita' Hernandez?). A celebration of life, love, family, and a
rt, Saguita al Bate is a joy to listen to. The tracks are "Saguita al Bate"
, "Milonga Sentimental", "La Cumbancha", and "Incertidumbre".
Puerta Del Sur
Bio Ritmo
Privately Published
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221
Austin, TX 78748
www.pressjunkiepr.com
$19.47 CD / $7.92 MP3 www.amazon.com
Latin dance band Bio Ritmo presents Puerta Del Sur, an album that reaches i
nto the heart of salsa, rock, and the effort to revive "lost" Latin music.
Overflowing with vibrant celebration, Puerta Del Sur showcases broad instru
mental variety in complement to its lively lyrics. The result is a treat fo
r Latin music connoisseurs everywhere! The tracks are "Se Les Olvido", "La
Via", "Picaresca", "Perdido", "Motocilengua", "Pajaro Pio Pio", "Le Dicen D
olor", and "Codeina".
Knowledge Shine Bright
See-I
Privately Published
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221
Austin, TX 78748
www.pressjunkiepr.com
$14.09 CD / $7.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
The second album of Washington DC live band See-I, Knowledge Shine Bright i
s an exciting album drawing inspiration from funk, house, dancehall, hip-ho
p, R&B, and rock music. Guest contributions from rappers Mr. Lif and Flex M
athews, as well as chanteuses Candice Mills and Edy Blu, enliven this origi
nal, heady nonstop ride. The tracks are "Never Give Up", "Real Steel", "Kin
g of the Road", "The Boogieman", "The Chase", "Rudeboy Razor", "Knowledge S
hine Bright", "A Rebel in Blue", "Musical Murder", "Queen of Sheba", "Wrong
Side of the Line", and "Revolution."
Road to Ambo
Adam Andrews
www.adamandrewsmusic.com
Privately Published
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$10.83 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
The debut album of Adam Andrews, a former member of the world-touring folk-
pop group Cede, Road to Ambo is a solo piano music CD of entirely original
compositions. The instrumental songs convey emotion from the highs and lows
of Andrews' own life - the trials that he and his family braved to adopt a
n African orphan, his tribute to people who sacrifice and live selflessly,
support for a family member grappling with mental illness, and the sustaini
ng, life-affirming gifts that are meditations and breathing exercises. Road
to Ambo is a superb gift for connoisseurs of exquisite piano music, highly
recommended. The tracks are "Road to Ambo" (3:17), "Unknown Hero" (3:47),
"Hope and Joy" (4:40), "We Are Brothers" (3:18), "You Were There" (3:16), "
Faces We See" (2:56), "Smoky Hill" (2:58), "Upside Down Church" (4:19), "Ne
w Normal" (3:41), "The Well Within" (3:13), and "Breathe" (2:58).
After the Inferno
The Bad Things
Silent City Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Six-piece band The Bad Things (their instrumentation includes accordion, ba
njo, guitar, upright bass, trumpet, keys, drums, and mandolin) present Afte
r the Inferno, an album that treads the tenuous border between love and des
truction. Songs resonate with a touch of sadness for the tragedies of the p
ast, but also build upon renewed hope for the future. Intense and powerful,
"After the Inferno" reflects resilience, perseverance, and remembrance. Th
e tracks are "Young Emily Rose", "Lincoln", "Bonnie to my Clyde", "Can't Ge
t Enough of Love", "Green Grass", "Grifter's Life", "Carless Maria", "Not T
onight", "Jalisco Serenade", and "Death of the Inferno."
Bedstuyle
Brooklyn Shanti
c/o Rhythm & Culture Music (distribution)
2212 Massachusetts Ave. NW #215
Washington, DC 20008
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221
Austin, TX 78748
www.pressjunkiepr.com
$TBA CD / $TBA download, www.itunes.com
Brooklyn Shanti, hip-hop's official cultural ambassador to India, presents
Bedstuyle, an exciting, rhythmic emblem of the hip-hop heritage of Shanti's
native neighborhood of Bedstuy, Brooklyn. The songs range in subject from
love, to civic duty, to the yearning to connect with others, and carry a po
sitive theme nurturing the brightest sparks of love that lie within us. The
tracks are "Midnight in Paris", "Something Beautiful", "This Feeling", "Sh
e", "Sun Salutation", "Intervention", "Garden of Ghosts", "33 1/3", "Let It
", "The Rain", "A Great Day", and "She Acoustic)".
Cinefonia
Bombay Rickey
Cowboys & Indian
Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Core members of Brooklyn-based ensemble known as Bombay Rickey present Cine
fonia, an album inspired by the rich musical traditions of India, plus insp
iration from Afro-Latin, all in a jubilant cocktail. Lyrics range from Engl
ish to Spanish to the purely invented syllables of the opening song "Taki R
ari". Elements of mythology blend with kitch pop culture in this extraordin
ary audio journey. The tracks are "Taki Rari", "Bombay 5-0", "Promontory Su
mmit", "Dum Maro Dum", "Pondicherry Surf Goddess", "El Final del Pachanga",
"Coyote in the Land of the Dead", "Queen of the Rhumba", "Pilgrim", and "T
uco's Last Stand".
Maverick
MOA
Privately Published
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221, Austin, TX 78748
www.pressjunkiepr.com
$TBA www.mynameismoa.com
Max Wild, jazz musician and electronic producer, has created his debut full
-length album under the artist's name MOA. Maverick is a vivacious fusion o
f acoustic and electronic elements, with inspiration from electropop, dubst
ep, jazz, and African rhythmic style. A heady rush of excitement from begin
ning to end, Maverick is a unique delight especially recommended for advent
urous music lovers! The tracks are "My Name is MOA", "Prelude", "Dance Toni
ght (feat. Chiwoniso)", "Take Me Higher", "In My Funk", "Uncountably Infini
te" (feat. Jesse Lewis), "Hands in the Air" (feat. Jahaan Sweet), "Debo", a
nd "Barbarian".
Lento
Youn Sun Nah
Act Music
www.actmusic.com
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
ACT 9030-2 $16.92 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
Korean-born, Paris-trained, award-winning jazz singer Youn Sun Nah presents
Lento, an album that blends European jazz with elements of pop, Korean fol
k, Western classical, and a dash of metal and industrial. Jazz guitarist Ul
f Wakenius, and others on bass/cello, accordion, and percussion provide the
rhythmic and melodic undercurrent to Nah's mesmerizing vocals, in these kn
ife-edge balanced songs sure to stir the hearts of jazz connoisseurs everyw
here! The tracks are "Lento" (3:04), "Lament" (3:40), "Hurt" (5:22), "Empty
Dream" (4:20), "Momento Magico" (5:32), "Soundless Bye" (3:44), "Full Circ
le" (3:36), "Ghost Riders in the Sky" (4:58), "Waiting" (3:30), "Arirang" (
4:25), and "New Dawn" (3:42).
Roadsides
Ayelet Rose Gottlieb
www.ayelerose.com
Privately Published
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Roadsides is an astoundingly beautiful, poetic music CD by Jerusalem-born c
omposer and vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb. Although Roadsides based on the
Hebrew poetry that Gottlieb has experienced since her childhood, she has al
so made an effort to include Palestinian poetry in translation, as she comp
osed her soul-stirring songs. A touch of jazz infuses the unforgettable mel
odies of her uniquely uplifting creation. The tracks are "Bridge" (4:03), "
Love Song with a Ceiling-Fan" (5:54), "Slowly, Distance" (7:49), "Clarity"
(5:02), "The World in Translation" (5:06), "At the Supermarket" (2:29), "A
Woman's Song" (3:03), "A Second Bird" (4:03), "Letter" (6:25), "An Hour of
Grace" (2:39), "An Old Shed of Tools" (5:17), and "From One Sky to Another,
Dreamers Pass" (6:12).
Naam Radiance
Megan Chaskey
Heartways Music
www.heartwaysmusic.com
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$TBA www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
Naam Radiance is vocalist, composer, flutist, and Naam Yoga Therapies teach
er Megan Chaskey's fourth album, in which she chants and sings traditional
Sanskrit lyrics to melodies she composed with assistance from award-winning
musicians. The songs reflect the life-affirming benefits of the practice o
f Naam Yoga, and support one's inner will to mend both physical and spiritu
al wounds. Beautiful, enlightening, and enriching, Naam Radiance is highly
recommended. The tracks are "Invocation" (2:02), "Aardas Bahee" (12:34), "C
ello Interlude" (2:09), "aapa Sahaee Hoa" (12:09), "Haray Guray" (5:36), "A
jai Alai" (10:51), "Har(a)" (4:54), "White Guru" (6:13), "Haray Guray (5:38
), and "Sat Nam" (3:44).
Dalava
Dalava
Sanasar Records
Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Dalava is the eponymous debut album of the band Dalava, who bring the Morav
ian folk songs trasncribed by ethnomusicologist Dr. Vladimir Ulehla to vivi
d life. Vocalist Julia Ulehla (Vladimir's great granddaughter) and guitaris
t Aram Bajakian have created a musical expanse that pushes the boundaries o
f the imagination, applying guitar alternates for a curiously eerie touch.
The subtle beauty of the Czech language is brought to a fine luster in this
captivating album, especially recommended for international folk music col
lections. The tracks are "Ach, boze muj", "Ej, lasko lasko", "A ty moja naj
milejsi", "Aj, Jurenko", "Mamicky", "Nech je pan lebo kral", "Hory huca", "
Litala", "Mila ma", "Vysla devcina", and "Hajicku zeleny".
The Paris Session
The Toure-Raichel Collective
Produced by Idan Raichel
Cumbancha
www.cumbancha.com
c/o Press Junkie PR
9901 Brodie Lane, Suite 160, PMB 221, Austin, TX 78748
$16.98 www.pressjunkiepr.com
The Toure-Raichel Collective, a band led by Israeli keyboard player and son
gwriter Idan Raichel and Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure, present their
new album The Paris Session. Toure (an Israeli Jew) and Raichel (a Malian M
uslim) did not set out to make a political album - they simply collaborated
as artists and friends - yet the striking fruit of their combined talents
makes a tremendous statement just by its existence. Heartrendingly beautifu
l, The Paris Session is a sonorous echo of love and the search for fulfillm
ent. A wondrous, uplifting musical experience, highly recommended. The trac
ks are "From End to End" (4:15), "Tidhar" (5:27), "Hodu" (3:27), "Gassi Gab
bi" (1:29), "L'Amour" (3:07), "Allassal Terey" (4:16), "Diaraby" (2:23), "D
ebo" (4:28), "Bandirabait" (3:53). "Diame" (2:23), "Soumbou Toure" (4:48),
"Deni Deni" (2:13), "Philipa" (4:28).
Weightless: Ambient Transmissions Vol. 2
Marconi Union
marconiunion.comJust Publishing
justmusic.co.uk
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$29.99 www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
Weightless: Ambient Transmissions Vol. 2 is the seventh album by Marconi Un
ion, well-known for their quietly wondrous instrumental music. The first tr
ack of "Weightless" was originally created in collaboration with a sound th
erapist from the British Academy of Sound Therapy, as the ultimate expressi
on of relaxing music. Successive tracks extend up on the theme, exploring t
he gentle, restful connections that music can bring to the mind, body, and
spirit. A wonderful way to ease stress, or simply enjoy for its ethereal be
auty, Weightless: Ambient Transmissions Vol. 2 is highly recommended. The t
racks are "Weightless Part 1", "Weightless Part 2", "Weightless Part 3", "W
eightless Part 4", "Weightless Part 5", and "Weightless Part 6".
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo
ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte
rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi
duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo
rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat
ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview
(dot) com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal
muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish
er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number
, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
|
| Follow-ups: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
|