Fourth period is hands down the best time of day in Connor U. Eubanks Middle School, because that's when Mr. Lewis teaches Jazz Lab. So his students are devastated when their beloved teacher quits abruptly. Once they make a connection between budget cuts and Mr. Lewis's disappearance, they hatch a plan: stop the cuts, save their class. Soon, they become an unlikely band of crusaders, and their quest quickly snowballs into something much bigger--a...

Part travelogue, part cultural criticism, part music appreciation, It Still Moves does for today's avant folk scene what Greil Marcus did for Dylan and The Basement Tapes. Amanda Petrusich outlines the sounds of the new, weird America-honoring the rich tradition of gospel, bluegrass, country, folk, and rock that feeds it, while simultaneously exploring the American character as personified in all of these genres historically. Through interviews, road...

Rod and his cousin take family rivalry to a new level in this rollicking comedy from Jeff Strand. Rod's life is pretty awesome. He plays in a punk rock band that's starting to score gigs and has a great girlfriend. Then he learns that his rich cousin, Blake, will be staying with him for three months?moving into his room, moving in on his girlfriend and band, and basically ruining his life! Prankster Blake has his own ideas on how Rod should live,...

"Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings" by Joel Chandler Harris is a timeless collection of African American folktales that resonate with the charm and wisdom of the Deep South's oral tradition. Published in 1881, these tales are framed through the character of Uncle Remus, a wise and kindly old freedman who shares stories with children. Harris's work captures the essence of plantation life and the rich oral history passed down through generations....

Ed Ward covers the first half of the history of rock & roll in this sweeping and definitive narrative&#x; from the 1920s, when the music of rambling medicine shows mingled with the songs of vaudeville and minstrel acts to create the very early sounds of country and rhythm and blues, to the rise of the first independent record labels post-World War II, and concluding in December 1963, just as an immense change in the airwaves took hold and the Beatles...

NOW Christmas Classics features twenty of your favorite holiday hits from Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, The Temptations, and more! This compilation inc ludes: White Christmas; Santa Baby; Sleigh Ride; Silent Night; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas; and fifteen other heartwarming holiday classics.

"The fascinating story of America's national anthem and an examination of its powerful meaning today. Most Americans learn the tale in elementary school: During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key witnessed the daylong bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry by British navy ships; seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying proudly at first light, he was inspired to pen his famous lyric. What Americans don't know is the story of how this everyday "broadside...

"A legendary record producer-turned-brain scientist explains why you fall in love with music. This Is What It Sounds Like is a journey into the science and soul of music that reveals the secrets of why your favorite songs move you. But it's also a story of a musical trailblazer who began as a humble audio tech in Los Angeles to became Prince's chief engineer for Purple Rain, and then create other No. 1 hits (including Barenaked Ladies' "One Week")...