On November 7, Dr. Mead C. Killion, founder and president of Etymotic Research, invited Stereophile to experience the company's newest in-the-ear high-fidelity earphone, the ety-8. What was so special about these half-ounce 'phones? No wires—the ety-8's are the industry's first and only in-the-ear, high-accuracy, noise-exclusion earphones.
I know what you're thinking. "Did he ask 36 questions or just 35?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is the most powerful melodic neuroimaging test in the world, and could blow your ears clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
My review of Nicholas Payton, Bob Belden, Sam Yehel, John Hart, Billy Drummond: Mysterious Shorter: Music of Wayne Shorter is now up at Face the Music blog.
Ohhhhh, my aching head. Back from a wedding and then right into CMJ (a sort of New York version of Austin's SXSW), which strangely enough actually had music worth seeing and some very cool panels for the first time in many many years. The Thrill Jockey Showcase that I saw, which showcased all the noiserock that Shytown is famous for, was excellent. Also attended a party at the Slipper Room on the Lower East Side for Fuzz Music, a new music company whose backing comes from one of the Google millionaires. They're looking for things to sign but have no real idea, it seems, as to what directin they want to go. A new music company in 2006. God bless they're Googly millions.
Stephen Walsh's new biography of Stravinsky sounds as though it proves that, at least when it comes to hagiography, sometimes art is better without Craft (ahem!).