Stephen Mejias

Hey. If you like Cold Cave, I think you'll like Bal Pare. It's pretty safe to judge a 7" by its cover, which is what I did when I saw this one winking at me from the racks at Other Music. How could it not be good, all masked and silvery and naked like that?

Hey, have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a Stereophile staffer? (I have.)

During the final episode of Radio Happy Hour, held at Manhattan’s Le Poisson Rouge on Friday, August 12, we were treated to performances by New York five-piece, Twin Sister. The band played a selection of songs from In Heaven, an unabashed pop album full of hooks and charms, to be released by Domino on September 27.

I was drawn to this music from its earliest moments&#151those celestial and far-reaching chimes, old-school synth beats, and Andrea Estella’s arresting vocal delivery, a strange and glittering coo, reaching out to “Daniel”:

The Yardbirds' version of "Train Kept A-Rollin'" has been sharing space in my mind with Outkast's "Ms. Jackson." Makes no sense. It's like the train keeps rolling right into Ms. Jackson. Only my subconscious knows why.

1. Sonic">http://www.sonicyouth.com/">Sonic Youth — my favorite band — is working on a new album.

Back in August, we told you about the proposed $150 Orbit turntable from upstart U-Turn Audio. The company is now moving closer to making their dream a reality. And, if they can keep their promise of high-performance sound and construction, that reality will likely be a dream-come-true for many young and budget-minded music lovers.

U-Turn Audio is funding their project through Kickstarter and hopes to raise $60,000 by Monday, January 21, 2013. As I write, 90 backers have pledged $15,666. (Is that a multiple of 33.3?)

Stereophile’s editorial assistant, Ariel Bitran, directed my attention to this USA Today article on an interesting turntable from U-Turn Audio, a company founded by three close friends&#151Ben Carter, Bob Hertig, and Peter Maltzan&#151all in their early 20s, who were tired of playing records on cheap USB turntables.