Mes: septiembre 2019

(CBS News) A major battle is shaping up for Syria’s largest city. Aleppo is about the size of Los Angeles, and part of it is held by rebels trying to overthrow the 42-year-old dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad. Assad is trying to crush the rebellion which began nearly a year and a half ago. CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports Syrian helicopters flew over Aleppo Wednesday, but according to activists, they were not shooting, just spotting the positions of rebel fighters on the ground for the next assault. A Free Syrian Army commander made a bold claim: “We have captured half the city.” But how long can they hold on in these neighborhoods? They’re equipped for street-by-street fighting, guerrilla-style, though no match for air power or the regime’s heavy artillery, which is already on its way. The fight for Aleppo will be fierce. It’s a strategic prize. If the rebels take it — on top of town of Azaz, which they won earlier this week — the area would form the first Free Syrian Army-controlled zone, all the way to the Turkish border. The United Nations and the international community are still calling for dialogue in Syria, but dialogue has been drowned out by the din of war. Civilian casualties — like victims of shelling — are just hoping to survive, and the armed men on both sides are determined...

(CBS) A guitar. A voice. Sometimes that’s all a musician needs to lift the listener to a higher place. Smart lyrics help, too, and Robin Bacior has them. On “Headless Sheep,” she sings about two subjects – a relationship and an unpleasant flight – using direct, uncomplicated imagery. The result is a song that makes listeners feel as if they’re floating through the clouds (but having a much better go of it than Bacior’s protagonist). (Scroll down to listen to “Headless Sheep”) Bacior’s voice is the focus here. She’s upfront in the mix, singing with a sweet tone and using layers of harmonies that belie a tough spirit in the lyrics. The few other songs on Bacior’s site fall loosely under the banner of folk or alt-country, but these are definitely pop songs, just with folk-ish instrumentation, including what sounds like upright piano and slide dobro. The 24-year-old has a full-length, “Rest Our Wings,” coming out Nov. 1 on Consonants & Vowels. She has a couple live dates scheduled on the east coast in August before embarking on a west coast tour in September. Read more about Bacior here. Hat tip to @zeitgeisler. Tour dates (check venues for times): Aug. 19 – The Grape Room, PhiladelphiaAug. 31 – Cake Shop, Manhattan, N.Y. Sept. 5 – Origami Vinyl, Los AngelesSept. 7 – Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles (with Naomi Greenwald)Sept. 8...