DESIGN AND HISTORY: In the new coffee table book Luxury, Inequity & Yellow Fever: Living Legacies and the Story of Old New Orleans, published by the Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic houses, readers are offered a glimpse into antebellum New Orleans. With lush imagery and historic accounts written by photographer Kerri McCaffety, the 152-page, full color hardback volume details life in 19th century New Orleans via the prominent Grima and Gallier families, and the people who passed through their lives and the life of the homes themselves. The book is available at local bookstores, Barnes & Noble and in the Hermann-Grima Exchange Shop.
POP: Fixtures on the national alt-pop stage throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, New Orleans-based Better Than Ezra this month released its first studio album in five years. All Together Now is a slick, electro-pop-infused effort from the trio best known for hits such as “Good” and “Desperately Wanting.” The first single on the album, “Crazy Lucky,” dropped earlier this year and sets the up-beat tone and tempo. The band recorded All Together Now in Los Angeles for six weeks with Beck as well as Phoenix producer Tony Hoffer. Fans of the band’s earlier work will gravitate toward the grittier track “Sunflowers,” featuring heavy guitar licks reminiscent of indie darlings Spoon and devoid of the more overt electronic flavor ever-present on other tracks.
POETRY: In his new book, Human Crutches poet and novelist Damon Ferrel Marbut navigates gay bar life in the French Quarter with wit, a gimlet eye and sometimes tender, other times biting honesty. The verse is raw, the imagery visceral and themes vary from the day-to-day to the dramatic. Marbut holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of South Alabama.
His previous works include the novel, Awake in the Mad World and the poetry collection, Little Human Accidents.
JAZZ: Best known as a member of New Orleans’ swingin’, harmonizing Victory Bells, Cristina Perez recently released her debut album, The Sweetest Thing. With music and lyrics by the sultry songstress, the independently and locally produced album weaves together influences from the World War II era swing familiar to fans of the Victory Bells, as well as blues and later era jazz standards. The CD release party is Oct. 11, at 2 p.m., at the Louisiana Music Factory.
Please send submissions for consideration, attention: Melanie Spencer, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005.
