[ID: Three elderly vinyl record covers with library tags; the first is labeled Soviet Army Chorus and Band, featuring a photo of a large military band. The second shows the rolling Welsh countryside and is labeled Traditional Welsh Songs; the third is a blue and red cover with an hourglass motif, and reads The American Jewish Experience in Song.]
The Chicago Public Library system recently weeded nine thousand vinyl records from its collection and announced a three-day sale; all records $1, cash only. I didn't imagine that there'd be a lot of LPs I wanted, but I do have a turntable and a reputation as a hipster to maintain, so today on the first day of the sale I strolled down to the Harold Washington Library to check it out.
It was startlingly popular -- each group of roughly 30 people they let in was limited to 15 minutes, and even with the time limit it took me 40 minutes to get in. Worth it, though; I came away with a dozen records all told, mostly a mixture of British and Jewish folk music, with a few soundtracks and other oddities thrown in.
But the piece de resistance, the prize find, was Rome With Love by Jo Basile and his orchestra: an album of accordion covers of Italian folk songs from 1957.
I hope it's half as good as the album cover suggests.
[ID: A fourth album cover reading "Rome with Love" and below that "Roma con Amore", labeled "The Italian Accordion of Jo Basile and his orchestra". The cover features a man and a woman on a scooter with Roma plates, dressed in the height of fifties beach fashion.]
just came across this beautiful rendition of siúil a rúin by irish-palestinian artist roisin el cherif. this song has always been close to my heart, especially after it's use in the nightingale, a film that explores the (ongoing) colonial violence on the island that i call home.
i really love the way that she weaves the arabic language into this song, as well as the influences from both irish and palestinian styles of music.
all the proceeds of the release are being donated to the doctors without borders gaza emergency regional fund so if you love her rendition as much as i do i would really recommend purchasing it on band-camp (i've linked it above).
Stan Rogers Songs Categorized By Status Of The Boat
Northwest Passage: The Boat(s) sank a long time ago.
Barrett's Privateers: The Boat sank. It was a terrible boat anyway.
The Flowers Of Bermuda: The Boat sank.
Rolling Down To Old Maui: The Boat didn't sink.
Take It From Day To Day: The Boat didn't sink.
Bluenose: The Boat didn't sink.
White Squall: The Boat didn't sink, but somebody fell off.
The Mary Ellen Carter: The Boat sank, but goddamnit we're gonna unsink it!
Man With Blue Dolphin: The Boat sank again. This poor fool is going to waste his money unsinking it again. What an idiot. This boat is a piece of junk.
The Last Watch: The Boat didn't sink, but it's being broken up for scrap.
The Wreck of the Athens Queen: The Boat sank! Hooray, free stuff for us! (Also we almost sank the boat we used to grab stuff off the boat that sank because we were all drunk)
The Idiot: There are no boats in Edmonton or wherever. This sucks.
WHO was going to tell me that the Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird is set to the tune of Streets of Laredo/The Unfortunate Rake??!?!!? And it’s WRITTEN LIKE THAT IN THE BOOK?!?!???!
Like the fact that it’s supposed to be her lamenting her own impending death?? And she chose the most famous folk song about someone lamenting their impending death??? Hello?!??