David 'Honeyboy' Edwards dies at 96; Chicago bluesman

David "Honeyboy" Edwards, considered the last of the original Delta bluesmen, has died. When the library reopens next week, you can explore his legacy by checking out his autobiography The World Don't Owe Me Nothing: The Life and Times of Delta Bluesman Honeyboy Edwards (ML420.E28 W6) which the Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich called "a memoir that has become a landmark of American musical history" in his obituary.

David 'Honeyboy' Edwards dies at 96; Chicago bluesman

Punk and Post-Punk in the Public Library

With our emphasis on popular music, most of our library displays are about that. But it is an unexpected subject for most public libraries, especially when the subject is more specifically British punk and post-punk. Steven Rosen reports on this display created by a member of the community at a Cincinnati branch library in CityBeat:

Madeira Celebrates British Punk Rock

Our own current display highlights the work of Berklee alumni on Broadway. Although the library will be closed for two weeks, we'll have a new display up during Check-In week.

Library/Musician Connections

Of course we love both libraries and music here at Stan Getz. But we recently found what may be a unique distinction: Dave Faulkner of Australia's Hoodoo Gurus may be the only musician represented in our collection whose mother has a library named for her. As a councillor for the shire of Belmont (as it was then known) in the Western Australian state government, she campaigned in support of free public libraries. As a result of her efforts the Ruth Faulkner Public Library was named for her when it opened in Belmont 40 years ago. Ruth Faulkner was on hand to celebrate the library's 40th anniversary.

First lady of the library

Listen to Dave Faulkner with the Hoodoo Gurus here at our library, which has more Hoodoo Gurus materials than the Ruth Faulkner Public Library:
Hoodoo Gurus in Blue Cave (CD 8070)
Mars Needs Guitars! (CD 6364)

Ruth Faulkner's love of libraries could explain why, on at least one occasion, her son's band played their set in alphabetical order by song title.

UK Indie Label Relief Fund Established

A Sony distribution center that housed the entire inventory of many UK independent labels was destroyed in last week's riots in London. A relief fund has been established, started with donations from the larger indie labels that are in a better position to weather the damage. They are also accepting individual donations. The NME has full coverage.

£250,000 relief fund set up for labels affected by Sony warehouse fire

RIP Warrant's Jani Lane

Jani Lane, the lead singer of '80s hair metal band Warrant, was found dead in a California hotel. Explore his legacy at the library:

CDs:
Cherry Pie by Warrant (CD 20587)
Monster Ballads (CD 15725) contains "Heaven"

Scores:
Guitar Hero (MP125 .G7464 2007) contains "Cherry Pie"
Power Ballads: 30 Rock Anthems (MP1631.R6 P6 2008) contains "Heaven"

Citation Accuracy on the Web, Steve Albini and Odd Future

Steve Albini recently had some rather choice words about Odd Future. Or did he? It depends on whether you unquestioningly believe everything you read on the web, and it shows the importance of making sure you cite accurately when you quote others.

Here's the background: Steve Albini is a legendary producer, having worked with Nirvana, the Pixies and many other artists with both high and low profiles. He is also legendarily prickly, especially because he is outspoken when he encounters nonsense (to use a polite term) from anyone. Odd Future is a rap group that has attracted attention for being outspoken in different ways. Albini recently shared an airport shuttle with the group, and posted some rather harsh words about them online.

John Robb reported this in a blog post on Louder Than War. The same entry was posted on Rock's Backpages Writers' Blogs. Robb quoted Albini at length, citing as his source Albini's studio’s Electrical Audio website, but the link was to Electrical.com Electrical Supply and Information Center.

So did Albini really make any statements about Odd Future? Good research means going back to primary sources to verify the accuracy, not just taking someone else's word for it, especially when someone gives an inaccurate citation. A Google search of Steve Albini and Odd Future shows that lots of web pages are discussing the topic, but that still doesn't make it true; false information repeated many times is still false information. However, at least one source reporting the issue, guardian.co.uk, included a link to the precise post by Albini in the Electric Audio website forum section.

Remember when you are doing your own research to cite your sources accurately because accurate information cited inaccurately carries no more weight than inaccurate information. And be willing to seek out primary sources for citations by others.

More MTV History

To follow up on Monday's post about MTV's 30th anniversary, the library has several books on the history of music videos in general and MTV specifically:

Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video, from the Beatles to the White Stripes by Saul Austerlitz (PN1992.8.M87 .A97 2007)

Gender Politics and MTV: Voicing the Difference by Lisa A. Lewis (PN1992.8.M87 L49 1990)

Inside MTV by R. Serge Denisoff (PN1992.8.M88 D4 1991)

While MTV didn't invent the music video, the network certainly helped raise it to an artform. To see some of the best videos ever created, come watch the Directors Label series of DVDs, each volume devoted to the works of a different director. Among the many highlights are "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys, directed by Spike Jonze (DVD 1373), "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails, directed by Mark Romanek (DVD 1941) and "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai, directed by Jonathan Glazer (DVD 1937).

Name That Drum Fill, Then Make Your Own

NPR's All Songs Considered has put together a fun interactive quiz where you can try to match a drum fill with its source album.

Name That Drum Fill Pt. III

After playing the game, why not learn to make your own drum fills in the hopes that you can create something equally distinctive with the instructional DVD Rock Drum Fills (LVD 482). As our catalog describes it, "Drummer Mansaku Kimura demonstrates over 230 fills for rock, funk, blues, and Latin styles of drumming. Includes two live performances with a variety of camera angles enabling you to see how each fill is performed."

I Want My MTV

MTV turns 30 today. The cable network itself is doing little to mark the occasion, perhaps because it is now older than its target audience. RollingStone.com has an interview with Mark Goodman, one of the five original VJs. The first hour of their broadcast is up a playlist in 10 minute segments on YouTube. It is well-known trivia that "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles was the debut video, but it is fascinating to see what else they aired, dictated by a limited library, everything from Rod Stewart and the Who to local Boston sensation Robin Lane & the Chartbusters.