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<i>Santogold</i>

It seems like forever ago that I became interested in Santogold's music. In fact, however, it's only been four months. What made that time so hard to stand was that I couldn't listen to her music as much as I wanted to, in the way that I wanted to. Sure, I could listen online. And I did. But that wasn't enough.

Her self-titled debut album wasn't available on vinyl until this week. I bought it. Finally.

Finally.

For these past four months, I'd walk into record shops, browse the bins, flip through titles, always with Santogold in the back of my mind. You don…

 

The Apple and the Orange

I have not listened to a compact disc at home in months. It's kind of crazy. It kind of makes me feel weird about even having a compact disc player. At some point along the road, I figure I'll transform all of my compact discs into invisible bits and pieces on a hard drive and trade the physical objects for more vinyl.

More vinyl!

The transition from compact disc to vinyl did not come immediately for me, but it was pretty darn quick. At first, I still listened to certain CDs simply because I didn't have a vinyl counterpart. I have since augmented most of my favorite CDs…

 

The Sound That Shouldn't Be

Interesting article on subharmonics. There are links to recorded examples, which are certainly interesting, but for me, the money quote is: "She demonstrated her ability to top scientists in the US, but they gave up trying tofind out howthe effect happens."

Reminds me of some people I've met.

 

<i>The Hawk is Howling</i>

Mogwai doesn't bother with words. These are all instrumentals. Thick, heavy instrumentals, packed with emotion and color.

The Hawk is Howling is the band's sixth full-length album and is available as a luxuriously packaged double-LP on 180-gram vinyl. Thank you, Matador. You can listen to the entire album on the band's Myspace page. My current favorite song is also probably the album's poppiest track, "The Sun Smells Too Loud."

Sounds great on the hi-fi, too.

 

Program notes for <I>If There Were No Sun, You Would Have This Song</I>

Strange collection, but that's the point. How do you categorize that which is beyond category? Of course, Wittgenstein said, " Whereof one cannot speak, thereon one must remain silent." I say, "Eff off, Ludwig."

This disc's title comes from the lyrics to "Theme For the Eulipions": "If there were no sun / You would have this song." I have never been able to figure out why Rahsaan Roland Kirk is not universally acknowledged as one of America's greatest musicians ever. People think that playing multiple reeds simultaneously was some kind of gimmick, but he was creating real honest to…

 

<I>If There Were No Sun, You Would Have This Song</I>

Like many perpetually adolescent, emotionally-stunted hipsters, I had a radio show at the campus station back in the day. Crafting a show that had flow was an arcane art—one that is virtually impossible to experience on commercial radio stations with limited play lists. Therefore, it was an art that, once mastered, would be of almost no practical use. It certainly wasn't going to get you a good paying job.

But some of us were seduced by it anyway. Matching tempi and even keys was elementary, but a really masterful mix would link music that you never thought of as having commonalities and…

 

<i>Some Girls</i>

STEPHEN MEJIAS
This ravishing yet reticent redhead claims to have been in love on at least three occasions. Though fiery at the start, each romance fizzled with time, unable to live up to Stephen's ideals. She says, "I have no regrets. I would rather be lonely than sorry…"

She sits on her orange couch one Sunday morning listening to old records, wondering why she is alone. Why can't she have some handsome, quiet man to sit beside? Someone who will just shut the hell up and be still while the record spins.

She's listening to the second side of Some Girls and she has…

 

The <i>2009 Stereophile Buyer's Guide</i>

Here is a screen shot of Mistral. Mistral is an online tool used to proof magazine pages before shipping to press. It allows several people in remote locations to view pages and exchange notes regarding specifications and corrections. There are several different view options. The view presented here is called "flatplan state." Flatplan state is my personal view of choice. It's kind of like having each page of the magazine tacked up to a wall. It's kind of cool. Though I still prefer old-fashioned pen and paper.

I have been going through the flatplan for job STRS-080049. That…

 

Lyric’s Free All-Day John Lennon Birthday Bash

John Lennon of the Beatles was born on October 9, 1940. He would have been 68 this week. To celebrate, Lyric Hi-Fi & Video (1221 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY) will be spinning Beatles and Lennon albums all day long, from 10am to 6pm. Fans are invited to stop by and enjoy.

Sounds like a good time. For more info, along with a brief but interesting timeline of Lennon's life, visit Lyric's website.

 

America's Audio Show

And tomorrow we leave for Denver to cover "America's Audio Show," the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.

Man, are we busy or what? We are kind of like superheroes. They should clone us.

I have never been. To RMAF or to Denver. John Atkinson tells me it's going to be a good time. He says it won't be nearly as crowded or chaotic as the Consumer Electronics Show or our own Home Entertainment Show&#151the only two audio shows I have experienced&#151so we should actually be able to listen to some music.

Crazy concept.

The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest…

 

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