Our top 5 most popular posts of all time

This is it. This is the end of the road, ladies and jellybeans. Three years, two girls, and a blog. (And plenty of opinions and feels about books, libraries, people, and life). It has been - forever and always - my pleasure to have entertained you (and, let's face it, myself) for the last three years, and eight months. I hope you've enjoyed our offerings as much as we've enjoyed rambling on. I'm off to figure out what one does when one leaves libraries, starting with picking up an old hobby I used to be good at. I leave you with our top 5 most popular posts of all time.

Happy New Year. Be well. Be safe. Be awesome.

1. Top 5 NZ reggae bands by Tosca, May 2010 - 5132 hits

"My music will go on forever. Maybe it's a fool say that, but when me know facts me can say facts. My music will go on forever."

- Bob Marley

[New Zealand has some great reggae bands and this list serves as nothing more than my pick of groups who have gone some way toward reaffirming or recapturing my love of reggae on a wider scale, and my love of Bob Marley in particular...]

2. Your top 5 most downloaded Freegal Music tracks by Tosca, May 2012 - 1174 hits

"Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole."

- Dean as played by Jensen Ackles in Supernatural

[I don't know about anybody else but Dean's saying above (which I like to use with my sisters but gets me absolutely nowhere) is totally the case in our household. Whichever person is driving is the one who gets to decide what music the rest of us listen to. My sisters and I took a road trip a couple of years ago to visit my grandfather's home town in the far north; I was banned from driving the car during our vacation. My love of country music, classic rock and the 80s will get me relegated to the backseat every time. It probably doesn't help that I have this unfortunate habit of driving like whatever music happens to be playing at the time. And it's made worse, I would think, by the fact that I adore angry girl music. The louder the better, as far as I'm concerned...]

3. 5 geeky Star Trek-related Etsy links by Tosca, April 2013 - 985 hits

“Five card stud, nothing wild. And the sky’s the limit."

- Captain Jean Luc Picard, uttering the last line of the series, Star Trek: The Next Generation “All Good Things…”

[...I'm waiting - rather impatiently, I might add - for the Star Trek film to come out. Every few days or so I pop into Etsy and look up Star Trek related THINGS and STUFF. Weirdly(?), not to buy anything. I like to look at the items. Some of them are totally LOL-worthy. Others are a major case of WTF-ery. And just as many are ones I want to make myself (only I never do), or buy (yet another thing I never do). That means, folks, that today's list has absolutely nothing to do with our collections or libraries, and everything to do with indulging my forever fangirlness/geekiness. I'm wholly unrepentant about that. If this isn't your thing, feel free to skip this post. If it is, YAY. And if you need more Star Trek-related Etsy goodness, check out this link for ALL OF THE THINGS. Live long and prosper, people! (Sorry, couldn't resist - I'll be honest, I really didn't try to).]

4. Top 5 highest-grossing Bollywood films by Tosca, July 2011 - 981 hits

[I adore Bollywood movies. They're so full of life, colour, drama, music, romance, action, emotion and, let's face it, sometimes cheesey humour. The women are always beautiful and graceful and the men extremely goodlooking. My first tentative foray into Bollywood films wasn't a success at all, though. I had no clue about anything. I didn't know what actors or actresses I liked, I wasn't too sure if I would prefer the comedies over the dramas and I was totally unaware that some of the films are about three hours long. Three hours! I have the attention span of a goldfish so I felt my heart sink right then and there. It was about that time that a colleague at Manurewa Library, Sunita, decided to step in and help. Brilliant for me, probably not so much for her :) Thanks to Sunita I was hooked from her very first recommendation - Baghban starring Amitabh Bachchan - and have never looked back...]

5. My top 5 recipes from Alison & Simon Holst's "The New Zealand Bread Book" by Annie, December 2011 - 634 hits

"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou."

- Omar Khayyam

[I grew up in a house where my mum made bread. And, because I was a kid and most kids’ mums didn’t make bread, sometimes this was embarrassing. But I do have fond memories of a group of my classmates around our house, all making bread with my mum.

Because I’m a fan of Alison Holst’s recipes, the bread book caught my eye. I’m getting into baking in a big way – so seeing it for sale really cheaply persuaded me to give it a go.

Now, a year on, I can offer my fav go-to recipes out of this book. In another year, I’ll probably have some more! Where available, I’ve added my notes from my copy of the book. I’m so addicted, my family bought me a food mixer for my 40th, one with a sturdy dough hook.

If you’re looking for something a little bit different to contribute to those ‘bring-a-plate’ functions this season, try these out.

~ Annie, Central]

5 (mostly) NZ reggae albums to make summer better

Thanks to the parental unit, my siblings and I associate long, hot summer days with roadtrips around the North Island visiting family and friends. Each roadtrip was accompanied by a mix of music, everything from Buffalo Springfield to The Doors, from Yvonne Elliman to Bob Marley and the Wailers and back again. I went through a phase in 1979/1980 where I loved (times a thousand) the Muppets, and would listen to their tape over and over and over. My parents would obligingly play the tape when we were in the car. Actually, they didn't just play it, they would sing along with it, too. I suspect they played it as much for themselves as they did for me. Looking back, that was no small thing, I mean back then, dad had an afro and a handlebar moustache (complete with beard, for crying out loud), and drove a bright orange Chrysler Regal Valiant. We very probably didn't look - or sound - like your average Maori family because here was this scary looking man and his hippie partner and kids singing along to Rainbow Connection while driving around the countryside. Good times. (That's not sarcasm). My parents were quite politically conscious, so something as simple as listening to music oftentimes involved discussions about the artist's political beliefs. Not surprisingly, that meant I heard a lot of folk and reggae growing up. Folk never quite stuck, but the reggae did. And summer, for me, still means impromptu roadtrips with the siblings, with carefully chosen playlists - with a lot of reggae thrown in - that capture the romance of long ago family trips, earlier times that were all about freedom, spontaneity, and adventure. I heart NZ reggae, and every summer means a new opportunity to discover never-before-heard bands, or check out new albums from bands I've been following for a while. Today's list is a quick round-up of what I'm listening to at the moment that are really worth a listen. And yes, before you ask, my siblings and I are planning a roadtrip north sometime in the next couple of weeks or so. Happy summer, everyone!

1. Harmony [compact disc] / House of Shem
Reggae music written and performed by the House of Shem with acc. musicians. HARMONY was recorded in a variety of studios across New Zealand throughout 2013 and mixed at Bob Marley's own Tuff Gong studio in Jamaica with the legendary Errol Brown (Bob Marley & The Wailers, Damian Marley, Julian Marley and Lauryn Hill) at the production and engineering helm.

1. Take You There 2. Fighting For Freedom 3. She's Mine 4. Hard Road feat Big Mountain 5. Harmony 6. For You and For Me 7. Jah Know 8. Crazy 9. Be Prepared 10. Let It Be 11. Stay Blessed 12. Calling

Photo credit: JBHiFi


2. Universal love [compact disc] / Sons of Zion
Good love -- Try again -- Superman -- Weekend -- Tell her -- Universal love -- Ignite -- Life -- Be my lady -- Feel -- Off my mind -- Home.

Photo credit: JBHiFi

3. Pacific reggae [compact disc] / Various artists
Featuring a collection of the hottest Pacific Reggae tracks released in the last two years - including hits from artists such as J Boog, Swiss, SpawnBreezie, Fiji, Three Houses Down and Brownhill - the new compilation hopes to further expose the groundbreaking Pacific Reggae Movement worldwide. To help bring this dream to reality, VP Records have included the biggest hits from the Jamaican Dancehall, Soca and Reggae scenes, including Busy Signals 'Come On Over', Tarrus Riley 'SuperMan', Gyptian 'Hold You' and Jamaican songstress Etana's hit 'Reggae'.

CD1: Pretty lady / Brownhill -- Let's do it again / J Boog -- Down by the river / Morgan Heritage -- Slow wind / Swiss -- Come over / Busy Signal -- Kanikapila / Three Houses Down -- Hold you / Gyptian -- Blue bayou / Swiss -- Superman / Rarrus Riley -- Love / Nesian N.I.N.E feat. Fiji -- Reggae / Etana -- Don't let go / Spawnbrezzie -- First love / Brownhill feat. Fiji -- Blessing / Etana feat. Alborosie -- Sweet & Irie / Sweet & Irie -- Sweet to the belly / Vybz Kartel -- Take it away / Tomorrow People -- Groovy little thing / Tarrus Riley -- All I need / Siaosi -- Feels like magic / Horsemen Family feat. Sweet & Irie.

CD2: Salute the crown / Lion Fiyah -- She's mine / Swiss -- The girl is mine / Morgan Heritage -- She's all / Brownhill -- Wrong address / Etana -- At the altar / Finn the Groovah -- Wine slow / Gyptian -- Sweet love / House of Shem -- She's royal / Tarrus Riley -- Good love / Sons of Zion -- Tempted to touch / Busy Signal -- Ganja farmer / J Boog -- She's my woman / Three Houses Down feat. Spawnbreezie -- Pure as the Nile / I Wayne -- Slow it down / Deach feat. Jae O -- Da style deh / Busy Signal -- Better place / Tomorrow People -- This is love / Monsta feat. J Boog -- I feel good / Beres Hammond -- Smoking bomb bud / J Boog & Fiji.

Photo credit: JBHiFi


4. One [compact disc] / Tomorrow People
One more time -- Feel alright (feat. Kolohe Kai) -- Let me be (the on you want) -- Take it away -- Sundown girl -- You give me something -- Irie music -- Jammin -- Souljah feeling (feat. Chad Chambers) -- Tonight -- Tell me -- Little story -- Better place.

Photo credit: JBHiFi


5. Irie inspiration [compact disc] / Sweet & Irie
Psalms of Bob Marley -- The love that comes from you -- Sunshine reggae -- Take me back to the islands -- Down by the river -- I'm sorry -- A new tomorrow -- Aotearoa -- On the road again -- Feels like magic (Raro remix feat. Brother Love).

Photo credit: JBHiFi


Also try:

• Give thanks by Foundation
• Nothing to hide by Rebel Souljahz
• Moon & back by Three Houses Down

Top 5 hip hop/rap albums (as selected by iTunes editors)

Photo Credit: Bourguiboeuf via Compfight cc

I'm always on the lookout for music recommendations, and as someone who came up through libraries knowing how to recommend books LIKE A BOSS, I'm really crap at the music side of it. It had always been something I wanted to work on, you know? I wanted to be so good at it that when someone came up to the counter to ask for someone else whose music was like *insert artist name here* , I'd kick butt at it. Never happened. (Probably never will now because I no longer work in a place where I can push myself to work at developing a skill like that). I like what I like and I'm mostly unapologetic about that, and it rarely occurs to me to want to do the "who else sings like...?" or "who else writes lyrics like...?" thing and go from there. Because I am such a lazy cowface, these days I rely heavily on iTunes to tell me who I should try, and this month I thought I'd try something a little different and check out the iTunes editors top 5 picks for best hip-hop/rap albums. This should be interesting. Hip-hop/rap isn't my thing and never has been, really. My siblings are all heavily into it, but for some reason it skipped me by. I'd be the first to admit that angry music is more my thing #notevenkidding. (Yes, I did just put a hashtag in a blog post). So, here's to trying new things. And hopefully, some of it might be stuff you want to check out yourself.

1. Nothing was the same [compact disc] / Drake
Tiscan leather -- Furthest thing -- Started from the bottom -- Wu-Tang forever -- Own it -- Worst behavior -- From time -- Hold on, we're going home -- Connect -- Language -- 305 to my city -- Too much -- Pound cake/Paris Morton music 2 -- Come thru -- All me -- Motion.

Photo credit: JBHifi


2. Yeezus [compact disc] / Kanye West
On sight -- Black skinhead -- I am a God -- New slaves -- Hold my liquor -- I'm in it -- Blood on the leaves -- Guilt trip -- Send it up -- Bound.

Photo credit: JBHifi

Comment: This is me making absolutely no comment about Kanye naming his baby North West.


3. Long.Live.A$AP [compact disc] / A$AP Rocky
Long live A$ap -- Goldie -- PMW (all I really needed) feat. Schoolboy Q) -- LVL -- Hell (feat. Santigold) -- Pain (feat. Overdoz) -- F**kin' problems (feat. 2 Chainz, & Kendrick Lamar) -- Wild for the night (feat. Skrillex) -- 1 train (feat. Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Big K.R.I.T.) -- Fashion Killa -- Phoenix -- Suddenly -- Jodye -- Ghetto symphony (feat. Gunplay & A$ap Ferg) -- Angels -- I come apart feat. Florence Welch.

Photo credit: JBHiFi


4. Girl Songs [compact disc] / @Peace
 Bar stool balancing act -- Days like this -- Cats like fish -- Midnight (featuring Wes) -- Cake -- Anaesthetised -- 2 die 4 -- Flowers -- Wandering -- My Dad.

Photo credit: JBHiFi


5.  Falling into place [compact disc] / David Dallas
Wire -- Transmitting Live -- Runnin' -- Gotta Know -- How Long -- My Mentality -- Local Celeb -- Southside -- Follow -- Right There -- One More -- Gate.

Photo credit: JBHifi

Your top 5 most downloaded Freegal Music tracks RIGHT NOW

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water."
- Ray Charles

Oh, people! I was nosey about what songs you all are downloading from Freegal Music, right? So I popped in and had a look at our most popular songs. What - who - why - like...hmm. I don't know which way to look or who to blame first. Look at your life. Look at your choices. They all led to this moment where YOU GUYS made Miley Cyrus our most downloaded artist *makes puppy dog eyes* (Please. Like I can talk. I still love the Spice Girls). Here are your top 5 most downloaded Freegal Music tracks RIGHT NOW. (And I freely admit that I grabbed the Daft Punk and Miley Cyrus songs. And they are good #whollyunrepentant *sniffs*).

Freegal Music
Auckland Libraries members can enjoy 3 free, legal music downloads a week with Freegal Music. You can access thousands of files from the vast Sony Music catalogue. So, how does it work? Like this:

* Log in with your Auckland Libraries barcode number and PIN to browse Freegal Music (you can contact us if you have any queries/problems: tosca.waerea@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)
* Each library member can download up to three songs per week
* Each song has a sample clip you can listen to before downloading
* You can keep track of your downloads by using the counter at the top of the site
* The download counter resets itself every Monday afternoon. (Please note: Unused downloads do not carry over into the next week)
* Please note that downloads cannot be reversed under any circumstances, even if you cancel the download
* If your download is interrupted or cancelled by accident, you can download it again from the Recent Downloads. You can do this twice, and only for songs downloaded in the current and last week

Have you used Freegal Music?

5 CDs to take on a girlie summer road trip

"House rules, Sammy. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole."
- Dean Winchester (as played by Jensen Ackles and I had my photo taken with him la la la la) in Supernatural, season 1, episode 1

Summer is here! And I'm a melted popsicle. Seriously, this heat? *keels over* It's only two days worth of it and I'm already voting we adopt the custom of siesta like the Spanish have. Is it so terrible that I was making up a to-do list that would involve sitting in the car just so I could have cool air? I see you silently judging me. If this were twitter, my hashtag for this moment would be #unrepentant. My sibling and I have planned a road trip home to the Far North for Christmas. Think lazy days exploring Ninety Mile Beach or driving up to the Cape for spiritual feels. I'm not allowed to drive her car. For a number of good reasons, all of which begin and end with my terrible taste in angry girl music that then leads to my driving like, well, an angry girl. That doesn't stop me from enjoying the drive, though, because everybody knows that the best part of any girlie road trip is, of course, the music. And I'm prepared! I so am. Two of the five CDs I'm taking are all about the nostalgia - they remind me of long, hot summers in Wellington visiting family or being at the beach. (After all, what is Wellington but a series of never ending beaches? You win, Wellington! You really do). Two CDs are by women whose music I've only kinda discovered this year, and I'm really appreciating their retro feel. And the other CD is just because I can. Roll on girlie road trip because I WILL BE IN YOU!

What music is necessary road trip music for you?

Top 5 shades of Fifty Shades

"So," I asked, "Do you like the feel of a feather on your naked skin?"
"I'm not sure," she said "Maybe if you took it off the pigeon first?"
- From Fifty sheds of grey by C. T. Grey

Art thou fed up to the back teeth of Fifty Shades of Grey? Have your eyeballs been singed by the spiciness of the dialogue and the raciness of the character shenanigans? (What DOES Anastasia do with that pancake flip? Why WILL you never look at a toothbrush the same way again? In fact, you may even chuck yours out). Yes? Well, that's just too darn bad BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE I haz five shades of Fifty Shades!

"What does that EVEN MEAN?" you ask.

Simple: It means I took some time out of my day to look up any and all Fifty Shades parodies and/or Fifty Shades-related THINGS and STUFFS to make up this post. Beck had two turntables and a microphone. I have four Fifty Shades parodies, two sex books, a compact disc, and a pukeko in a ponga tree. (I lied about the ponga tree). (The pukeko is real, though). (Ok, no it's not, I lied about that, too). (I am a lying liar who tells lies). While you read this post, imagine me with no words whatsoever, because it would be the truth. Sexytimes parodies? Speechless. (Enjoy it while it lasts because I am never silent long). And yes, I've requested them all. It is my duty to take one for the team *said with hand solemnly on heart* Plus, I need the giggles. You're welcome, et voilà!

There is also:

Fifty shades of ecstasy : fifty secret sex positions for mind-blowing orgasms / Marisa Bennett

Fifty shades of pleasure : a bedside companion : sex secrets that hurt so good / Marisa Bennett

5 more CDs for NZ Music Month

List by Danielle

'Thank you for inviting me round for tea, what a lovely garden this is, your house is so nice

Yes, I'd love some crostini, did you make it? how crunchy, shall I open the wine?'

~ Goon, from 'Mofoso'

Music Month part two: five cds just a little bit louder, rockier and more raucous than the first list (metrosexual lyrics above aside, and you really need to listen to the ominous bassline in the song above to get the full effect). Also, there are swears on some of these - you are warned. Thanks again to Amplifier for all of the band info.

Honourable mention:

Local Kid / Fur Patrol: how could I not listen to one of the NZ rockers that Tosca most wanted to be?

Five CDs that made NZ Music Month rock

List by Danielle

'There's only six miles of bad road between you and I
Only six miles of bad road and blue sky
If he gets there fast, you won't feel his breath
You won't catch my eye
But I count the time and I watch the days
Till he helps you fly'
~ Jordan Reyne, from 'The proximity of death (Blue eyed boy)'

Last year, I listened to a cd a day for NZ Music Month. The only criteria I had: the artist had to be from NZ, and the cd had to be one that I'd never listened to before. I don't listen to the radio much, so the artists were often completely unfamiliar, too. I totally recommend this as an exercise in musical exploration, especially if, like me, you're normally a bit timid in your listening habits and tend to 're-listen' (the musical equivalent of re-reading).

This year, I listened to about 35 new cds over the course of May, and while there were certain cds that I couldn't even finish despite the always-intriguing cover art and inventive band names, there were plenty that I plain loved, and a list of 13 or so that I plan to buy. I had too much trouble choosing just 5 favourites, so there is another top 5 queued up as a companion to this one. There is a big helping of boy angst on this year's list, lots of guitars and percussion and pop/rock with the kind of energy that keeps you awake on cold winter mornings when even your pc doesn't want to start up. I'm not much good at describing music, so thanks to Kiwi music site Amplifier for info on the bands, it's an awesome site and a great source of NZ music. They even sell the Shortland Street theme! Huh.

Honourable mention:
New Hot Nights / Luger Boa: big loud fun rock which is not entirely worksafe

Your top 5 most downloaded Freegal Music tracks

"Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole."
- Dean as played by Jensen Ackles in Supernatural

I don't know about anybody else but Dean's saying above (which I like to use with my sisters but gets me absolutely nowhere) is totally the case in our household. Whichever person is driving is the one who gets to decide what music the rest of us listen to. My sisters and I took a road trip a couple of years ago to visit my grandfather's home town in the far north; I was banned from driving the car during our vacation. My love of country music, classic rock and the 80s will get me relegated to the backseat every time. It probably doesn't help that I have this unfortunate habit of driving like whatever music happens to be playing at the time. And it's made worse, I would think, by the fact that I adore angry girl music. The louder the better, as far as I'm concerned. A few years back, as a precautionary measure, my sisters removed all angry girl music from the car and replaced it with harmless schmaltzy stuff. Huh. Things I didn't know until that moment: The world is a very different place when one drives sedately. Still, as bad as my music tastes are (at least according to my siblings) I'm beginning to wonder about all of YOU. Yes, YOU. The title of this post, you may have noticed, is 'YOUR top 5 most downloaded Freegal Music tracks' for one very simple reason: these are all down to YOU. Interestingly, none of these tracks are ones I would have chosen for myself. What is WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? I'm kidding. Slightly. Although I do wonder what my driving would be like should I download all of these and try them for myself...

Freegal Music
Auckland Libraries members can now enjoy three free, legal music downloads a week with Freegal Music. You can access thousands of files from the vast Sony Music catalogue. So, how does it work? Like this:

Log in with your Auckland Libraries barcode number and PIN to browse Freegal Music (you can contact us if you have any queries/problems: tosca.waerea@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)

Each library member can download up to three songs per week

Each song has a sample clip you can listen to before downloading

You can keep track of your downloads by using the counter at the top of the site

The download counter resets itself every Monday afternoon. (Please note: Unused downloads do not carry over into the next week)

Please note that downloads cannot be reversed under any circumstances, even if you cancel the download

If your download is interrupted or cancelled by accident, you can download it again from the Recent Downloads. You can do this twice, and only for songs downloaded in the current and last week

Have you used Freegal Music?
If you haven't, will you try it out?

5 reasons to enter Launch Your Lyrics

"I think songwriters are more related to fiction writers. The Odyssey was a story in song. To me, that's so beautiful, all those painted characters, all those travels and adventures."
- Regina Spektor

Happy New Zealand Music Month! There are still a couple of weeks left to enter our Launch Your Lyrics competition, and if you're not yet convinced that you should, then today's post is just for you. Aged 11-18 years old? Love music? Write your own songs? This is an opportunity you just can't miss, and is as easy as emailing us your lyrics along with an mp3 recording of them. Make sure to read the terms and conditions and, when you're reading, simply follow the instructions listed here: http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/News/NewsArticles/Pages/launchyourlyrics.aspx

If you need a few ideas to get started, or did get started and need a little help to carry on, try these on for size:

Songwriting without boundaries : lyric writing exercises for finding your voice by Pat Pattison

The art of songwriting by Casey Kelly and David Hodge

Get started in songwriting by Sam Inglis

Songwriting for dummies by by Jim Peterik, Dave Austin, Cathy Lynn

Songwriter's rhyming dictionary : quick, simple and easy-to-use : rock, pop, folk & hip-hop by Jake Jackson

What a great way to celebrate NZ Music Month. I can't wait to see the entries! As for me, I'll be celebrating by listening to one-new-to-me NZ CD a day. You'll see my recommendations on the tweetstream with the hashtag #nzmusicmonth. So look out! I'm raiding YOUR local library's CD collections. If you know anybody aged 11-18 who'd be interested, why not share this post with them? Here are 5 reasons to enter Launch Your Lyrics :)

How are YOU celebrating NZ Music Month 2012?

5 titles that'll either make me detest - or like - Bob Dylan even more

"A poem is a naked person...Some people say that I am a poet."
- Bob Dylan

I've been listening to Bob Dylan's self-titled début album, which was released 19 March 1962. If I had to choose three words to sum up his voice and lyrics, they'd be these: Sparse. Raw. Evocative. Two weeks ago, I would have said: Irritating. Overrated. Nasal. What prompted this about face? Just the other week I realised that Bob Dylan released his début album 50 years ago. I was equal parts impressed and confused. Impressed because his appeal has lasted so long and had such a huge impact on the music industry. Confused because I don't understand why or how. I don't really know anything about the man, his music or his life. In fact, here's a confession coming up. This is what I know about Bob Dylan: He and Joan Baez were an item once. That's it. Truly. And that only because I remember my parents, years ago, discussing his relationship with Baez and how their careers took quite different paths. Quite a heated discussion, too. Mum was a Baez fan, dad was a Dylan fan. For some reason, their love of either artist never transferred itself to me. I could never see either of them as anything other than poets who also happened to play a guitar. Thanks to one of dad's brothers, I heard the album Infidel played too many times for my sanity to comprehend, and the only song that stuck was Jokerman. Today, I remember it fondly. At the time, I thought my ears would bleed. Seriously, there were days I wanted to yank the ribbon of the tape out and dance around the lawn with it if it meant I never had to hear it again. And then, over the weekend, I had this strange idea that it was perhaps high time I took Bob Dylan for a spin, and requested (by employing my usual on purpose/random selection process) a combination of titles about Dylan's life and his music, most of which I've finished, all of which made for fascinating viewing/watching/listening. All serving to show me how little I really knew about him. Like the fact that Dylan had roughly 27 albums between 1962 and 2001 and, that out of those (roughly) 220 songs, I know 13. (I can add a few more since I now have his first album). Some of those I only know because other people had versions. Do I like his music more, now? I'm not sure. Certainly I admire his ability as a writer. I don't want to make my mind up until the end. And so! 5 titles that'll either make me detest - or like - Bob Dylan even more :) (Although I'm leaning towards 'like,' but not quite willing to topple totally just yet).

5 CD compilations to get me through this week

"No good opera plot can be sensible:... people do not sing when they are feeling sensible."
- W.H. Auden, Time, 29 December 1961

I suspect that this week is going to be one of those weeks where the ability to sing opera would come in handy. It is not going to be a sensible week. You don't know how you know that's going to be the case, you just know it is. Because sometimes you have insight like that. And if I'm armed with the right kinda music, even the craziest calendar lineup of meetings and eNewsletter edits can seem a little less daunting. And this selection of CDs right here? Just beg to be played loud. With headphones, of course :)

Query: What music do you prefer to listen to when working?

Music for the man cave
Songs to create the perfect man cave ambience for your Dad and his mates! Featuring hits from Deep Purple, Faith No More, Crowded House, Alice Cooper, The Clash, Motorhead and more! (Image and blurb from Marbecks.co.nz)

Khe Sanh (Cold Chisel) -- Smoke on the water (Deep Purple) -- Rebel yell (Billy Idol) -- Should I stay or should I go (The Clash) -- Ever fallen in love (with someone you shouldn't've) (Buzzcocks) -- Ace of spades (Motorhead) -- Tomorrow (Silverchair) -- Poison (Alice Cooper) -- Epic (Faith no more) -- Bohemian like you (The Dandy Warhols) -- Every you every me (Placebo) -- Sun hits the sky (Supergrass) -- Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode) -- Public Image (Public Image Ltd) -- Nil by mouth (Blindspott) -- Rollin' (Limp Bizkit) -- Out of my head (The 04) -- Calling on (Weta) -- Rev it up (Jerry Harrison) -- I walk away (Crowded House)

They sold a million
This double disc set features a selection of tracks from some of the greatest million-selling artists of our time -- including songs by Abba, Queen, Boney M, Blondie, Duran Duran and many more. (Image and blurb from Marbecks.co.nz)

CD1: Crazy little thing called love (Queen) -- Philadelphia freedom (Elton John) -- Fernando (Abba) -- Come on Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners) -- Wired for sound (Cliff Richard) -- Morning train (9 to 5) (Sheena Easton) -- The other guy (Little River Band) -- Call me (Blondie) -- Don't you want me (The Human League) -- I'm coming out (Diana Ross) -- Walking on sunshine (Katrina and the Waves) -- Road to nowhere (Talking Heads) -- Ebony and Ivory (Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder) -- Bette Davis eyes (Kim Cairnes) -- That's the way I like it (KC & The Sunshine Band) -- I am woman (Helen Reddy) -- The guitar man (Bread) -- Good vibration (The Beach Boys). CD2: I'll do anything for love (but I wont do that) (Meat Loaf) -- The best (Tina Turner) -- Thorn in my side (Eurythmics) -- Rebel yell (Billy Idol) -- Footloose (Kenny Loggins) -- Girls on film (Duran Duran) -- China girl (David Bowie) -- If I could turn back time (Cher) -- I'm on my way (The Proclaimers) -- The power of love (Huey Lewis and the News) -- She bop (Cyndi Lauper) -- Red red wine (UB40) -- Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band) -- Hit me with your rhythm stick (Ian Drury and the Blockheads) -- I will survive (Goria Gaynor) -- Stumblin' in (Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman) -- Rasputin (Boney M) -- Metal guru (T-Rex)

Running songs
The ultimate running or exercise playlist -- featuring Queen, Coldplay, Evermore and many other artists, performing songs such as Sweat, Keep on Running, Body and Soul, Footloose and more. (Image and blurb from Marbecks.co.nz)

CD1. Don't stop me now (Queen) -- Clocks (Coldplay) -- Running (Evermore) -- Ready to go (Republica) -- Footloose (Kenny Loggins) -- Body and soul (Jenny Morris) -- Show no mercy (Mark Williams) -- Pleasure and pain (Divinyls) -- Tub thumping (Chumbawamba) -- Movin' on up (M People) -- Relax (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) -- Here comes the hot stepper (Ini Kamose) -- Sweat (a la la la la long) (Inner Circle) -- What's up? (4 Non Blondes) -- Baby makes her blue jeans talk (Dr Hook) -- Wired for sound (Cliff Richard) -- Road to nowhere (Talking Heads) -- I'm on my way (Proclaimers) -- CD 2. Eye of the tiger (Survivor) -- Legs (ZZ Top) -- You spin me round (like a record) (Dead or Alive) -- One way or another (Blondie) -- Take on me (A-Ha) -- All fired up (Pat Benatar) -- Life is a highway (Tom Cochrane) -- Shock to the system (Billy Idol) -- Out of mind, out of sight (Models) -- Get ready for this (Unlimited) -- The look (Roxette) -- Pump up the jam (Technotronic) -- Gonna make you sweat (C & C Music Factory) -- Alive and kicking (Simple Minds) -- Back on the chain gang (Pretenders) -- Right on track (Breakfast Club) -- Breakout (Swing Out Sister) -- Keep on running (Spencer Davis Group).


DIY songs
It's time to get your Dad inspired to finish all those house repairs and renovations around your home! This specially priced 2CD set features 36 tracks to get him humming as he hammers, plasters, paints and fixes his weekends away. Tracks include Back on the Chain Gang by The Pretenders, Down Under by Men at Work, Nothin' But a Good Tim" by Poison, Gonna Make You Sweat by C & C Music Factory and many more. (Image and blurb from Marbecks.co.nz)

CD 1. Don't stop me now (Queen) -- Take the money and run (Steve Miller Band) -- You ain't seen nothing yet (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) -- Let's stick together (Bryan Ferry) -- Whatever you want (Status Quo) -- Bad case of loving you (Doctor doctor) (Robert Palmer) -- Freeze frame (J Geils Band) -- Back on the chain gang (Pretenders) -- I want a new drug (Huey Lewis & the News) -- Call me (Blondie) -- Working for the weekend (Loverboy) -- Hot in the city (Billy Idol) -- Hit me with your best shot (Pat Benatar) -- Is there something I should know (Duran Duran) -- Down under (Men at Work) -- Food for thought (UB40) -- 2-4-6-8 motorway (Tom Robinson Band) -- Safety dance (Men Without Hats) -- Talk talk (Talk Talk) -- Mad world (Tears for Fears) -- CD 2. Nothin' but a good time (Poison) -- Out of mind, out of sight (Models) -- Alive and kicking (Simple Minds) -- The king of wishful thinking (Go West) -- Lean on me (Club Nouveau) -- Life is a highway (Tom Cochrane) -- Roam (B-52's) -- Get a haircut (George Thorogood & the Destroyers) -- Gonna make you sweat (C & C Music Factory) -- Unbelievable (EMF) -- Pleasure and pain (Divinyls) -- Nothing's gonna stop us now (Starship) -- Absolute beginners (David Bowie) -- She works hard for the money (Donna Summer) -- When the going gets tough, the tough get going (Billy Ocean) -- Rock and roll dreams come through (Meat Loaf)


Don’t worry be happy
As the song says, Don't Worry Be Happy -- here are 36 feel-good tracks to lift your spirits and take your mind off your woes. 'Don't Worry Be Happy includes recent songs from David Guetta, Lily Allen, Katy Perry, P!nk, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sister Sledge, as well as hits from other decades, by artists such as Poison, Talking Heads, ZZ Top and more. (Image and blurb from Marbecks.co.nz)

CD 1. You're my best friend (Queen) -- Put your records on (Corinne Bailey Rae) -- Whole again (Atomic Kitten) -- Live it up (Mental As Anything) -- Suddenly I see (KT Tunstall) -- I am only shooting love (Time Bandits) -- Superstar (Jamelia) -- We are family (Sister Sledge) -- Smile (Lily Allen) -- Make me smile (come up and see me) (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel) -- Joyride (Roxette) -- Heart and soul (T'Pau) -- Sweet dreams (are made of this) (Eurythmics) -- Dancing in the street (David Bowie & Mick Jagger) -- Heaven is a place on Earth (Belinda Carlisle) -- Love changes (everything) (Climie Fisher) -- The joker (Steve Miller Band) -- Don't worry be happy (Bobby McFerren) -- CD 2. Get the party started (Pink) -- Dancing with myself (Billy Idol with Generation X) -- I kissed a girl (Katy Perry) -- Gimme all your lovin' (ZZ Top) -- When love takes over (David Guetta, feat. Kelly Rowland) -- Unskinny bop (Poison) -- Simply irresistible (Robert Palmer) -- Wild wild life (Talking Heads) -- The politics of dancing (Re-Flex) -- Let's groove (CDB) -- I'm so excited (Pointer Sisters) -- Born to be alive (Patrick Hernandez) -- Good times (Chic) -- Golden years (David Bowie) -- Strut (Sheena Easton) -- Don't you (forget about me) (Simple Minds) -- Your love (has lifted me higher) (Rita Coolidge) -- Higher ground (UB40)

5 Dresden Dolls library ninja gig tweets by YOU

List by Tosca

"All deep things are song. It seems somehow the very central essence of us, song; as if all the rest were but wrappages and hulls!"
- Thomas Carlyle

Friday. Wow. Friday. I can't thank Auckland people enough for Friday. Most certainly I cannot thank Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione enough, either. Friday afternoon's library ninja gig at Central City Library was everything I wanted it to be and then some. (I often tell people that my idea of customer service is built on that idea - you give customers what they want, and then you give them something they didn't know they wanted, and the ninja gig was a lot like that). I get such a buzz out of live music. You hear a song, or a group and you listen to them enough that you know every single lyric by heart. You know where to pause, which words to put emphasis on, how to vocally (and emotionally, too) build the song up to this moment of great intensity...and then let it fade away. And start it all over again. Know what I mean? It's a beautiful thing but, let's be honest, it's nothing compared to hearing it live and in your face and, for a little bit there when Amanda Palmer crowdsurfed a seated audience, literally over your head, too. And right then you're shocked out of your musical complacency and you remember why you adore the drama and the theatricality of a group such as the Dresden Dolls, and the words of their songs combined with the outright fun-ness of it all make it that much more real and special. Gah *flails*

I could go on and on about how fantastic it all was (you know I could), but I'm not going to. Instead I've rounded up some tweets that floated across our stream that capture the mood and the feeling of the library gig so much better than I could on any given day. You know that moment when everything comes together and you have the right band, the right crowd and life is good-fantastic-I'm-gonna-be-smiling-for-days? That. So much that. THANK YOU, Auckland, for sharing all of that with us. And, just quietly, thanks Corin (Manager Digital Services, Auckland Libraries) for arranging the library ninja gig. Tres cool, boss man, tres cool :P And thank you to those who allowed me to highlight their tweets :)

@x_chemicalism_x
Made it to the Auckland Library with a bit of time to spare - cigarette then the NINJA GIG TO END ALL NINJA GIGS. 21 hours ago via txt · powered by @socialditto

This tweet? This tweet right here? THAT is what I was hoping everyone else was wanting, too, the NINJA GIG TO END ALL NINJA GIGS. Thank you, @x_chemicalism_x, for putting it in words.

5 reasons you have to come see us TODAY

List by Tosca

"...and it looks like i am shaking
but it's just the temperature
and then again
if it were any colder i could disengage
if i were any older i could act my age
but i dont think that youd believe me..."
- The Dresden Dolls, Girl anachronism



I'm kickstarting my morning with Girl Anachronism by The Dresden Dolls because because because they're here in town today *claps hands*

What: Dresden Dolls library ninja gig
Where: Central City Library, Lorne Street
When: Friday 27 January, 2pm
Why: BECAUSE WE WANT TO! BECAUSE WE WANT TO! (Ok, so I'll apologise for the little bit of Billie Piper (as in pre-Doctor Who Billie) reference, there).

Brace yourself! The Dresden Dolls are doing a library ninja gig. Today. For Auckland Libraries. When I first saw the conversation take place on Twitter between my boss and Amanda Palmer, well, I don't mind telling you my heart skipped a beat. I felt faint and had to sit down. And that was before anything was confirmed. Now that the day is here I can barely contain my fangirlness.

I'm always late to the party, so I don't mind confessing that I had never heard of the Dresden Dolls until 2008. (I know, I know, I suck!). I can't even remember what I was doing at the time but, knowing me, I was probably randomly following links and being nosey about all kinds of things and, before I knew it, ended up at their website...and had my mind handed to me on a silver platter. Seriously, I can't even begin to describe the effect it had on me, I only know that I've been an unabashed fangirl ever since. In 2009, I was lucky enough to be able to see Amanda Palmer perform at the Bodega Bar in Wellington (I had returned home for two reasons: hear Neil Gaiman's talk, and listen to Amanda Palmer) and loved. Every. Minute. Of. It. I have no rhythm and can't dance for peanuts (probably a little too inhibited) but in that moment, with everyone else? It didn't matter. I remember one girl was so hyped up she passed out. One minute we were standing beside each other and the next thing I know she's passed out on the floor from excitement. It was kinda sweet. People picked her up, dusted her off, and then we all carried on again. It was kinda magical (ok, granted, maybe not the part where someone passed out, but all the bits before and after it definitely). And I'm hoping to experience a little bit of that night all over again :) Which is why I would LOVE to see you all there today. And here are five reasons why...

My 5 favourite finds of 2011

List by Danielle

I'll take vampires over werewolves anyday...
~ From 'Vampires', by Minuit

2011 = much YA and more short stories and graphic novels than usual, in an attempt to actually finish some reading, what with the demands of work (apparently I have to work there, and not just read) and wonderful young kids. Also, 2011 brought a memorable 31 days in May listening to a new NZ cd each day, for NZ Music Month. Well, new to me. Which brings me to: Note: I'm not an early adopter. I don't so much start trends as fall over them in my near-sighted way a few years down the track, and marvel at their shininess. With that in mind, here are my favourite 'discoveries' of 2011 (oh look, the Wheel! Sliced bread! An Interweb!)...

Top 5 books I'm using to learn how to play the mandolin

List by Tosca

"The sound of the mandolin is a very curious sound because it's cheerful and melancholy at the same time, and I think it comes from that shadow string, the double strings."
- Rita Dove

This is a picture of a mandolin. Not just any mandolin. MY mandolin. It's beautiful. And it makes the loveliest sound. Just...not when I play it. I'm teaching myself to play the mandolin. Why? One big reason: I want to play bluegrass music! I want to be good enough to play the songs in The complete idiot's guide to bluegrass mandolin favourites. :) One day (obviously not today) I want to be good enough to be the Earl Scruggs of the mandolin. (I can't think of a mandolin equivalent of his style of banjo playing, so stop mocking me). And if you ask me, 'Who is Earl Scruggs?' I'm going to cry :P Why bluegrass? I'm not sure. I just know that I fell in love with the style of music when I was about 9 or 10 years old. There are only three places in my whole life I've had such a yearning to see: New Orleans, Route 66 and Kentucky. Specifically, Kentucky for all of their various bluegrass festivals and the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. This has to happen. It just *has* to. Confession: I also want a banjo of my very own, and have done so since I was about 12. I just don't think I'm ready for one yet. Weirdly, when I do buy myself a banjo, I want to play it not like Earl Scruggs, but like Steve Martin. And if you haven't seen him play with Men With Banjos Who Know How To Use Them you so need to fix that. I can help! Here's a YouTube clip of them playing on the David Letterman show. MAD LUV. I'm going to use the Christmas/New Year period to learn to play a tune in a halfway decent manner. Or something approaching it. Hopefully, 5 tunes so that that can make up another post. Maybe. So, not today, but someday very soon, I'm going to stun you all with my mandolin. And not by whacking you over the head with it :)

What I really want to be able to play:

The complete idiot's guide to bluegrass mandolin favorites [music] : 16 bluegrass classics, all in both easy & intermediate arrangements by Dennis Caplinger

New classics for bluegrass mandolin [music] by Butch Baldassari

Mel Bay presents mandolin classics in tablature [music] [arranged] by Robert Bancalari

1,001 reasons to love kid's books, chocolate, songs, video games and albums

List by Tosca

"A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers."
- Plato

What if you had knowledge *and* numbers in the one book? 1,001 numbers, to be exact, with the accompanying 1,001 pieces of information to go with them? And if you were crazy enough to request and read 5 such books, well, those are some phenomenal numbers right there. My brain is crazy-jam-packed-full of bits of trivia and recommendations after the reading fest of the last four or five days. When I had the idea to do this list I thought it would be a relatively easy-ish thing to do: search the catalogue, request whatever interests me, read and add/not add. Foolish, foolish thought. Choosing which titles to request was hard enough but trying to play favourites with them was worse. I had to discount a whole heap because they weren't quite as interesting to me as I thought they'd be (golf? Really?!) or, really, were too 'highbrow' for my tastes (I think Mr. 7's fingerpaintings are a wonder to behold). I'm not a classy kind of person. Now I have a huge list of kids' books to re-read, chocolates to try, songs and albums to locate and listen to and video games to hunt down. Eek!

Also, I apologise for my absurdly long and somewhat dizzy version of 'honourable mentions.' And to the librarians who had to round up these enormous books to send them to me, thank you so much! And no, Sue, I'm not creating a bucketlist :) Well, not yet, anyway...

Top 5 greatest songs of all time (according to Rolling Stone)

List from Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs of all time

The other day I made some stupid grandiose claim (wholly unaided by mind altering substances such as chocolate, icecream or dinosaur lollies) that my favouritest rock song ever, ever, ever in the history of rock songs was Carry on, wayward son by Kansas. So much so that it pains me - as in shooting-sharp-pains-in-my-chest pains me - to see that we don't have a copy of it catalogued on any of our umpteen numbers of compact discs. It's quite likely it *is* sitting on one of our discs somewhere but the track list just hasn't been added to a library record *cue tears* I should've known better than to make a statement such as that because someone - namely a sibling (pick one, any one, I have eight) - was going to call me on it. Sure enough, one of my (many) sisters responded with, 'Favouritest rock song? Yes. Ever? No.' And I fired back with, 'This is *my* list. It's *my* favouritest rock song.' There's nothing like siblings to remind me that mentally I'm forever five years old and always a sentence away from a childish I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I type of retort. Her comment did get me thinking, though. Is there a definitive list of all time rock songs? Whose list is it? How credible is it? And, of course, the sixty-four thousand dollar question: did I agree? After a quick and dirty Google-fu session I got distracted, not by an ultimate rock list so much as the all encompassing Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs of all time list and OH. WOW. It certainly provoked comment at our dinner table, and what a mission to get through it/read it aloud without ending up shouting each other down (because in our family he/she who shouts the loudest wins). And as for my questions? Totally disregard them! I did :)

Query: What one song would you have had on this list? And yes, Carry on, wayward son by Kansas is totally acceptable :-)

Bottom 5 worst song lyrics in the world (according to Johnny Sharp)

List by Johnny Sharp from the book Crap lyrics : a celebration of all the very worst pop lyrics of all time -- ever!.

Pop has never been shy of asking searching questions of its listeners. Why does it always rain on me? Does your chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost overnight? Are we human or are we dancer?
- Johnny Sharp,

Terrible confession: Sometimes, when I'm feeling really juvenile, I perform a keyword search for a curse word and request any title that looks relatively interesting. Which is how I ended up with Johnny Sharp's book Crap lyrics on my desk. I never thought there'd be a time when I would be glad to possess such an awful sense of humour because this, mes amis, is a very funny book. Funny in that laugh-out-loud kinda way and, also, in that wince-because-you-can't-believe-he-just-said-that kinda way, too. Any songs I hadn't heard of I looked up. Did I agree or disagree with Sharp's comments? Sometimes I did - I Want To Sex You Up by Colour Me Badd (remember them from the 90s? Unfortunately, I do). Sometimes I didn't - Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi (I'm always going to be biased about Bon Jovi). Sometimes he made me see songs I already knew in a different light - Horse With No Name by America (I was flabbergasted because that song was one I adored as a child but Sharp sees it as obscure and illogical) *cue tear* As to why I've chosen the bottom 5 as my list (i.e. #6 - #10), I thought they were way more interesting than the top 5 :)

Can you think of any songs that have awful lyrics?

Top 5 NZ Music Month discoveries

List by Danielle

'We're just happy people.'
~ Dave Gibson, Elemeno P

31 days... 31 NZ cds! That was the challenge I set myself at the start of the month.

I'm posting a little early because, well, frankly, I enjoyed my trip through the Manukau Library NZ music collection so much that some days I listened to 2 or more cds. I'm a bit shellshocked by this stage, what with so much new music to listen to in such a short time, but the overwhelming impression I have is that NZ music is pretty darn awesome and well worth a listen. Yes, there were a couple of cds that I had to force myself to soldier to the end of, but there are also about 15 cds that are now on my 'do-some-budgeting-and-buy' list, and at least a handful that I have repeatedly thrashed in the car. I even put my foot down and made the kids take off 'Never smile at a crocodile' for some of them. Choosing 5 is actually a major mission. At least half the list deserve honourable mentions.