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Public Event

Electronic Music Production with Mike Huckaby

Wednesday February 4, 2015: 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Downtown Library: Training Center
Adults And Teens (Grade 6 And Up).

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Blog Post

New Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album: Hypnotic Eye

by eapearce

Did you know that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came out with their 13th studio album just a couple of months ago? Titled Hypnotic Eye, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. You may have heard some of the singles from the album on the radio over the past couple of months; “American Dream Plan B,” “Red River,” and “U Get Me High” have all had their share of time on the airwaves. Hypnotic Eye shows that age has far from deterred Tom Petty and his crew from making great music. The AADL just added the album to our collection, and you can join the hold list of eager fans waiting to give it a listen!

Of course, Hypnotic Eye isn’t the extent of our Tom Petty collection. We have nearly all of the other Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers albums, including 1994’s Wildflowers, 1979’s Damn the Torpedoes, 2006’s Highway Companion, and their 1993 Greatest Hits album. Interested in learning some Tom Petty music of your own? We have the sheet music and lyrics for his entire solo album, Full Moon Fever.

We also have the fascinating movie Runnin’ Down a Dream, which follows Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from their early beginnings in Gainesville through their 30th anniversary celebration. The DVD features lots of amazing footage and information from over three decades of the experiences of this wonderful band.

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Performers

An Afternoon with Nessa

Saturday March 21, 2015: 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

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Blog Post

New CDs: Fleetwood Mac!

by eapearce

Fleetwood Mac fans will be happy about a recently added CD to the Ann Arbor District Library collection: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac. 17 different beloved Fleetwood Mac songs are covered by a variety of lesser known artists on this unique album and I really enjoyed hearing the twists that the different groups put on the classic songs. Some tracks sound nearly identical to the Fleetwood originals with only minor instrumental changes, while others sound like completely different tunes, barely recognizable as covers of the well-known originals. Tribute to Fleetwood Mac is definitely a must-hear for those who love the band (who, incidentally, are fully reunited and on tour this fall!).

AADL also recently added the Fleetwood Mac album Mirage to our collection, which the band released in 1982, after the 1979 Tusk. Although Mirage is not as well-known or loved as the unbeatable Rumors, it does have the wonderful tracks "Gypsy" and "Hold Me" on it and the whole album has a classic Fleetwood Mac feel.

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Performers

Drum Buddy Demo: Sounds & Science w/Quintron

Sunday November 16, 2014: 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Grade K - Adult

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Blog Post

I Can't Stop Watching YouTubers: Books and Media for YouTuber Fans

by nicole

2014 is the Year of the YouTuber.

That's right, guys. Internet fame is now as easy as turning on your camera and doing whatever you do best, whether that's applying makeup with extra finesse, doing dance covers of K-Pop songs, or just generally being weird...and there's A LOT of weird out there on the internet. "YouTubers," as the famous video bloggers of YouTube are so cleverly called, have been around for years and years, but THIS year a number of them are putting down their cameras and throwing themselves into other media endeavors. Hence: The Year of the YouTuber. Catchy, right? If you're a YouTuber addict, here are a few dates (and titles!) to mark down on your calendars:

Hannah Hart, expert pun-maker, intrepid explorer of all the world's liquor cabinets, and creator of the YouTube show "My Drunk Kitchen," is putting out her first book on August 12, 2014. Aptly titled My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut, this book will contain pages, pictures....possibly even words! And of course, recipes, wisdom, and cooking tips from the Tipsy Chef herself. This book is sure to be a blast to read and use, both for those who drink and those who don't!

Next, we'll take a stroll outside the world of books. You don't mind, right? Libraries aren't just about books, you know! If any library has proven that, I'm pretty sure we have. Troye Sivan, 19-year-old Australian YouTuber, actor, and now singer-songwriter, will be releasing a new EP titled TRXYE on August 15, 2014. Troye officially announced his new endeavor at VidCon 2014 (causing the entire fandom to go insane and crash his website...typical) and released his first single "Happy Little Pill" on July 25, 2014. For those who are a big fan of Troye or of snyth-pop music, this'll be one to keep your eye out for.

Next up we have Grace Helbig. Comedian. Actress. Youtuber. Generally awkward person. Grace, has basically got it all. And she's willing to share "it all" with you! Formerly of "DailyGrace" and currently of the "ItsGrace" YouTube channel, Grace has been kind enough to share her infinite fake wisdom with the world in her upcoming book Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up. This one is set to be released on October 21st and if you're a young adult looking for uncomfortable anecdotes or advice on doing a really good impression of a grown-up (mortgages and filing your taxes and....oil changes...look, I don't know how adults live) then this is the book for you! This is following Grace's debut into film-making earlier this year with the comedy film Camp Takota, made alongside fellow YouTubers Mamrie Hart and Hannah Hart (remember her? From two paragraphs ago?).

Last, but certainly not least, Zoe Sugg (a.k.a. Zoella), British beauty vlogger and blogger, announced in June that she, too, would be taking the dive into the world of books with her fictional novel Girl Online. The novel follows Penny, who is known in the real world as a school-going, drama-having, normal girl with a crazy family. But to the internet she's "GirlOnline," a famous blogger and internet-personality. Over the course of the story Penny is dragged off to New York by her parents, struggles to maintain her online cover, and falls a little bit in love with a boy who has a secret of his own. Girl Online is set to be released on November 25, 2014, so it'll be a bit of a wait, but surely worth it to see what sort of writer Zoella will be off the screen. A blogger writing about a blogger? How meta is that?

The library has some of these but not all, so keep checking back as those release dates get closer! And remember, if there's something we don't have, The Michigan eLibrary is always a good back-up plan!

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Performers

Tabla 101: An Introduction to the Drums of North Indian Classical Music

Saturday April 25, 2015: 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Adults And Teens Grade 6 And Up

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Blog Post

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #470 - All That Jazz

by muffy

Spectacular debuts, heartbreaking stories and two unforgettable young heroines to cheer for.

Last Night at the Blue Angel * * * by Rebecca Rotert. 10 yr. old Sophia takes up her usual spot behind the curtain as she watches her mother Naomi Hill performs for the last time at Chicago's Blue Angel Jazz Club. After a decade at the past-its-prime night spot, Naomi is finally about to catch her big break after her photo appears on the cover of Look Magazine. But success has come at enormous personal cost. Beautiful and magnetic, irresistible and dangerous for those around her, Naomi is fiercely ambitious yet extremely self-destructive, and no one knows this better than Sophia, whose fear dictates that she keeps a watchful eye and a running list of practical objects that must be reinvented in the event of a nuclear catastrophe. The one constant in Sophia's life is Jim, the photographer who is hopelessly in love with the mercurial Naomi, and is about to make her famous.

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s vibrant Chicago jazz scene, and told from the alternating perspectives of Sophia and Naomi, "Last Night at the Blue Angel is an unforgettable tale about what happens when our passion for the life we want is at sharp odds with the life we have."

"(A) highly ambitious and stylish literary debut." Singer and songwriter Rotert's musical background informs Naomi's passion for performance, but it is her heartbreaking portrait of Sophia that will stay with us.

2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas * by Marie-Helene Bertino - an enchanting debut novel about one day in the lives of three unforgettable characters.

Aspiring jazz singer Madeleine Altimari is a jerk (Don't judge me until you've read the book) - smart-mouthed, lice-headed, quick-fisted and a loner by choice. On Christmas Eve Eve, this 9 year old has just been expelled from school and cruel circumstances have denied her one chance to perform at school Mass. Still mourning the recent death of her mother, and caring for her grief-stricken, drug-addled father, Madeleine doesn't realize that she is about to have the most extraordinary day and night of her life. On the same day, Sarina Greene, Madeleine's 5th grade teacher is having anxiety picking up the pieces after her divorce, and nervously looking forward to a dinner party with her high school chums (and an old crush).

Across town at The Cat's Pajamas, unless he could raise $30,000 in a flash, owner Lorca is about to lose his jazz club, and breaks his promise to let his musically talented, teenage (i.e. underage) son play in the house band. "As these three lost souls search for love, music and hope on the snow-covered streets of Philadelphia, together they will discover life's endless possibilities over the course of one magical night."

Pushcart Prize and Iowa Short Fiction Award winner "Bertino's characters are spot-on, and her special brand of humor brings each one to life in this fresh and charming tale."

* = starred review
* * * = 3 starred reviews

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Blog Post

Amazon Teen Bestseller: If I Stay

by annevm

Currently #2 on Amazon's List of Best Sellers in Teen & Young Adult Books is the Kindle Edition of If I Stay by Gayle Forman. From our AADL catalog: "While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, seventeen-year-old Mia, a gifted cellist, weighs whether to live with her grief or join her family in death."

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Blog Post

Best New Music At AADL

by patrickpdunn

AADL is constantly adding to its diverse selection of new CDs. If you're seeking some great new tunes, consider the following must-hear material.

"Modern Creation," The Whigs: Hailing from Atlanta, the Whigs are one of the solidest rock bands working today. They didn't quite break the big time with their great 2010 release, "In the Dark," but they've gone right on cranking out fun and unfussy records. The Whigs used to have more punk-inspired fire in their blood, but the band has eased up its average tempo a little to create more laid-back hooks that make for perfect summer driving jams. This record's lead single, "Hit Me," is a standout example of that formula. And if you like this one, check out the band's excellent 2012 release, "Enjoy the Company," also recently added to AADL's catalog!

"Teeth Dreams," The Hold Steady: With their sixth LP, the Hold Steady continue to prove themselves America's most literary (and, perhaps, all-around best) bar band. The big guitars and catchy riffs are great, but if you're not paying attention they can also be deceptively simple. Frontman Craig Finn is a true poet, spinning incisive, wistful and funny tales of barflies, townies and scenesters. Dig the amusing portrait of a girl you just can't take seriously in "Big Cig," or the anthemic "Spinners," which exhorts the weary-hearted to "get back out there" and find love. The songs are great rockers at surface level, but they're shot through with a distinguishing sense of humanity and positivity.

"Tomorrow's Hits," The Men: The Men got their start about five years ago with some pretty wild punk records, but they've since refined their sound to incorporate poppier hooks and some elements of classic Americana. That's still not to say the group is particularly polished; drummer Rich Samis botches a fill within the record's first 30 seconds, and the production is far from slick. But the band makes up for technical precision with sheer energy, recalling Crazy Horse's thundering majesty on "Dark Waltz," the Band's Southern shuffle on "Sleepless" and the shaggy charm of the Replacements">Replacements in pretty much every track. Behold the piano- and horn-led momentum of "Another Night," and just try to resist.

Find more great new CDs here.