"Dude. Dude! You haven't even opened this yet!"
John looked at me like it was no big deal. Choosing not…
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It was a certain sunless Sunday afternoon and we were listening to some records at the Brooklyn Navy Yard's DeVore Fidelity factory. Something had just come to an end, and I decided to take a look through a box of LPs to find something new. I found an album that was still sealed in its plastic wrapper. It was the seventh installment of Sonic Youth's SYR series, the album that started it all for me. I was shocked. Shocked. I was all exclamation points and italics.
Well, I've already given you the full scoop on the drama behind the construction of my system: the muffled sound, the thick thick cables, and the paper clips, but we're missing the most important part:
The music!
Despite what skeptics may tell you, hi-fi is not just about the gear. It also makes you want to listen to music. Incessantly. An indescribable urge grows in your gut to just buy more music.
I've enjoyed tons of incredible records since I first constructed my system.
Tuesday
I got home from work. We were in the midst of the Buyer's Guide…
The walls of the Stereophile offices have been shaking to the sounds of Mogwai's latest, The Hawk is Howling. Yes, we know that hawks don't howl. (Or do they?) We also know the difference between a hawk and a bald eagle. (Sourpusses.)
YouTube member "doublewords" of Finland put together this video for Mogwai's "The Sun Smells Too Loud," my favorite track off the album.
Keep an eye out for a full (LP!) review of Mogwai's The Hawk is Howling in an upcoming issue of Stereophile.
A hit abroad but relatively unknown at home. That describes Cheap Trick who I wrote about here recently and also, believe it or not, Otis Redding. He was a big hit in the U.K. and even it seems in Paris before he hit at home with his final single, “(Sittin’ on the) “Dock of the Bay.”
Now a new disc which gathers his 1967 shows in London and Paris confirms, if only from the amount of requests being shouted out from the crowd during the Paris show, that he was well known there before his “Dock of the Bay.”
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have spoken with the…
Then there's this site full of awesome Asian record covers from the 60s and 70s. (Thanks Eden.)
You've become acquainted with The Daily Beast, but do you know The Daily Audiophile? The two are kind of similar. On the former, you can read about nude New York City dinners, while on the latter, you can read about hi-fi reviews. See what I mean?
I'm always happily surprised when I find audiophile-related sites on the web. I'm not sure how I came across The Daily Audiophile (oh, yeah, I was Googling myself again), but, noting its clean design and friendly voice, I was impressed. So, I asked The Daily Audiophile's founder, Mark Wieman, a few questions.
The site was…
Wednesday
Before my bandmate and frontman Mike Baglivi showed up for a one-on-one guitar session, I listened to my recently purchased Manolo Sanlucar album, Mundo y Formas de la Guitarra Flamenca, Vol. 2. Sanlucar scales the fretboard with such speed and precision. While Paco De Lucia has the fury and fire that made him so famous, Sanlucar played with a certain reserved/professional quality, focusing more on the composition and the progression of the notes. Well Manolo, just know, your clarity is appreciated.
When Mike arrived, he asked if it was me playing.
We then…
The year’s not quite over, but it’s a safe bet that Sonny Rollins’ Road Shows Vol. 1 (on his own Doxy label) will be the best jazz album of 2008 and rank among the best of the decade.
Rollins, still strong and agile at 78, remains not only the “saxophone colossus” (as he’s been dubbed since his album of that title 51 years ago) but also the last heroic figure of jazz—the soloist (usually a horn player) who stands at the front of the bandstand and unleashes his soul through the frantic majesty and force of his long improvisations, much as an Action Painter would on his canvas. (Rollins…
Jimmy Boyd's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." Columbia, 10" (MJV 152).
Saturday, December 6—Sunday, December 14, 11am to 6pm: The ARChive of Contemporary Music (54 White Street, New York City) will hold a RECORD + CD SALE.
The sale will consist of 92.6% new stock, boasts the ARC, with tons of jazz, punk, and new wave. I have never attended the ARCive Record Sale—I missed this summer's event, making me especially eager to hit this one up—so, it'll be 100% new stock to me.
For more info, visit the ARC's website or call (212) 226-6967.