Stephen Mejias

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Stephen Mejias
Sitting In a Roofless Room
Stephen Mejias  |  Feb 08, 2012  |  0 comments

From the Mouth of the Sun's "Sitting In a Roofless Room," from the new album Woven Tide, released by Experimedia.

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Stephen Mejias
All Tape Guide
Stephen Mejias  |  Feb 02, 2012  |  24 comments
Photo: Teen River, a cassette-only label.

I’ve discussed my (apparently controversial) attraction to cassettes. Besides being affordable, fun, pretty, and filled with interesting sounds and art, cassettes provide a direct and meaningful connection between artist and audience: The person releasing cassettes in 2012 is likely doing so out of passion, with a spirit for adventure, perhaps even a with a distaste for modern technologies and conveniences; the person purchasing cassettes in 2012 probably has similar motivations and interests.

I like cassettes.

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Stephen Mejias
World's Largest Collection of Vintage Audio?
Stephen Mejias  |  Feb 02, 2012  |  12 comments

Wow, look at all the pretty boxes.

Maybe I'll finally find that Nakamichi CD-1 cassette deck I've been waiting for.

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Stephen Mejias
Challenges and Rewards
Stephen Mejias  |  Jan 27, 2012  |  4 comments
Sheriff Truman: Jelly donuts?
Dale Cooper: Harry, that goes without saying.

The beast is now in the careful, capable hands of our copy editor, Richard Lehnert. I sent it to him last night, only six days after I began creating this latest collection of “Recommended Components” blurbs—the last six months of equipment reports, follow-ups, and column coverage distilled into 150-word gems. Six months squished into six days: less time than it took to create the universe.

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Stephen Mejias
The Dirty Three: Toward the Low Sun
Stephen Mejias  |  Jan 27, 2012  |  1 comments
Last night, before giving in to sleep, I listened over and over to the Dirty Three’s upcoming record, Toward the Low Sun, the band’s first release in seven years and their first for the great Chicago label, Drag City.
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Stephen MejiasCES 2012
Preparing for Las Vegas
Stephen Mejias  |  Jan 06, 2012  |  13 comments
The Consumer Electronics Show takes place January 10–13 in Las Vegas.

Have I mentioned that I hate Las Vegas? My hatred for Las Vegas is juvenile and irrational and represents what is probably the last strand of my nearly resigned defiance for all things bourgeois, fascist, bogus, and generally lame. I’ve softened up a lot over the last 10 years, but Vegas hardens me anew. I hate Las Vegas.

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Stephen Mejias
Chrysta Bell: “Real Love”
Stephen Mejias  |  Jan 06, 2012  |  6 comments
This seems right for a Friday afternoon: The video for “Real Love” from Chrysta Bell’s This Train, the new album produced by David Lynch and available now from La Rose Noire.

(Before clicking below, please note that this video contains "sexual situations." It may not be appropriate for certain younger viewers, certain older viewers, those with heart conditions, or those who, I don't know, hate life and stuff. I, however, like it a lot and I hope you do, too.)

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Stephen Mejias
David Lynch Remixes Zola Jesus’s “In Your Nature”
Stephen Mejias  |  Jan 05, 2012  |  5 comments
In theory, the pairing makes perfect sense. One imagines a young Nika Roza Danilova enchanted by the beautiful, haunting images of David Lynch’s films.
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NewsStephen Mejias
Gibson and Onkyo form strategic partnership
Stephen Mejias  |  Jan 05, 2012  |  4 comments
Gibson Guitar Corp., makers of some of the world’s most iconic electric guitars—the Flying V, SG, and, of course, the Les Paul come to mind—yesterday announced a strategic partnership with Onkyo Corporation, perhaps best known for their versatile multichannel A/V receivers and 2-channel power amplifiers. If approved, Gibson will purchase a stake in Onkyo Japan and acquire a majority interest in Onkyo USA, becoming the second largest shareholder in Onkyo Corporation. The agreements are subject to Japanese regulatory clearance, further negotiations, and financial considerations.
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Stephen Mejias
Now on Newsstands: Stereophile, Vol.35 No.1
Stephen Mejias  |  Dec 22, 2011  |  13 comments
Happy New Year! The January 2012 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. In this issue, you’ll find in-depth reviews of loudspeakers from TAD, Sonus Faber, Nola, and Dynaudio; amplification components from Sutherland, Fi, and Anthem; D/A processors from Weiss, Bel Canto, dCS, and Musical Fidelity; power conditioning from Audience, AudioQuest, and Shunyata; and CD players from Emotiva and Sony.

Plus:

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Stephen Mejias
New Arrivals at the Princeton Record Exchange
Stephen Mejias  |  Dec 16, 2011  |  4 comments
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!

Sadly, I won't be able to get down to Princeton any time soon, but, if you're interested in 20th Century classical, experimental, avant-garde, drone, minimal synth, noise, and Fluxus-related stuff, now's the time to visit the Princeton Record Exchange!

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Stephen Mejias
My Favorite Budget Components of 2011
Stephen Mejias  |  Dec 16, 2011  |  34 comments
You don’t have to spend a fortune to put together a great-sounding system. In fact, many of today’s most affordable hi-fi components offer greater bang for the buck than today’s more expensive products. If your room and/or your budget are small, you can still achieve outstanding sound while having a lot of fun. Here are my ten favorite budget components of 2011.
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Stephen Mejias
The Audio Doctor: Prescribing the Best of Everything
Stephen Mejias  |  Dec 13, 2011  |  14 comments
On the corner of Sherman and Sanford in the quiet, residential neighborhood of Jersey City known as The Heights, just a block from Leonard Gordon Park and two blocks from Pershing Field, there is a beautiful, old Victorian house. Standing a little taller than the other houses in the neighborhood, 112 Sherman Place, with its turreted rooms, stained glass windows, and distinct green and ochre exterior, has a proud, stately, almost royal, appearance. This is the home of Dave and Paula Lalin, their three children, their three pets, and more high-end audio components than you would ever expect. This is the Audio Doctor.

On a perfect, late autumn morning, Uncle Omar and I made the short drive from Downtown Jersey City to meet with the Lalin family for a little tour and a lot of hi-fi.

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NewsStephen Mejias
Sonus Faber Introduces the Aida
Stephen Mejias  |  Dec 09, 2011  |  7 comments
Sonus Faber is celebrating the launch of their Aida loudspeaker ($120,000/pair) with a series of dealer events beginning this weekend.
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Stephen Mejias
My Favorite Records of 2011
Stephen Mejias  |  Dec 08, 2011  |  40 comments
Mirror to Mirror's Here You Leave Today—one of my favorite records of the year.

In the January 2012 issue of Stereophile, I list my 15 favorite records of the year (p.52). Here is an expanded, slightly more detailed list.

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