Getting into the Music
I had an experience at last summer's CES in Chicago that bordered on the religious. I heard the legendary $42,000 Wilson WAMM system.
LATEST ADDITIONS
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Chasing Rainbows
There was a time, very recently in terms of human history, when high fidelity promised to free the music lover from the constraints of the concert hall and the local repertoire, allowing him to choose at his whim any orchestra in the world playing any work he desired under the baton of any conductor he preferred. "All the pleasure of concert-hall listening, in the comfort of your home," was the way one display advertisement painted this musical utopia which, only 20 years ago, seemed right around the corner.
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I'm A Vagabond, Too
I…uh, I…I just don’t know what to say, but I’m definitely making this my new theme song.
Corea-Gomez-Motian Play Evans (sort of)
Some risky business is going on at the Blue Note, the posh jazz club on West 3rd Street in Manhattan.
Wadia 2000 Decoding Computer
Ain't technology grand! That's what I was thinking while driving to work this morning. Sure, the rain was coming down in buckets, but there I was sitting comfortably in a warm car, listening to music while making tracks at 50mph. A long way from horse-and-buggy days.
An Aleatory and Combinatory Remix
Beautiful plus beautiful equals more beautiful. Phoenix pairs Grizzly Bear’s “Foreground” with Brian Eno’s “Discreet Music” and offers instructions for mixing in some chance operations. Click <a href="http://wearephoenix.com/grizzly_bear_remix/">here</a> and make magic.
Benchmark's "Masters From Their Day"
When asked how to create a good recording, John Atkinson will tell you to use good musicians in a good room. The people behind <a href="http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/">Benchmark Media Systems</a>, makers of some of today’s most highly regarded digital audio converters, headphone amps, and mic preamps, agree.
My Love Will Follow Me
My love for the Vivian Girls only grows and grows: I love them more today than I did yesterday, but not as much as I’ll love them tomorrow. Their 2009 album, <i>Everything Goes Wrong</i>, continues to sound fresh and exciting with each play on my turntable. And they’ve got a new 7-inch single available from their own <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/viviangirls/wildworld.htm">Wild World Records</a>. Perfect for a sunny Cinco de Mayo like this one, the A-side has Cassie confessing, “I can hardly wait until the summer comes,” while Katy and Ali echo the feeling with handclaps and angelic backing vocals. The B-side is a cover of the Chantels’ “He’s Gone,” which I had the great and unforgettable pleasure of hearing performed live, a cappella, <a href="http://forum.stereophile.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/2149/passwor… Bamboo Beach</a> <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/what_happened_in_puerto_rico/… Puerto Rico</a>.
The Sound of My Love Dying
Jon Iverson is going to love this.
The Music of Her Mind
Last night, on Later with Jools Holland, Joanna Newsom performed “81,” the lead single from her ambitious and inspired triple-LP, <i><a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/bewitching_rewarding/">Have One On Me</a></i>.