Moderat: II
Moderat is made of Apparat’s Sascha Ring and Modeselektor’s Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary; as the album title suggests, II is their sophomore release. This is no slump, however, and the music these men make together is seamless and true: It does not sound like two distinct visions forced together, but instead reflects a natural progression of shared ideas, a tangle of conflicts, tensions, and parallels brought together to create something exhilarating.
Modular LP Storage from Nomad Crates
On the evening of August 18th, I made some space in my kitchen, got a beer from the fridge, pointed a fan directly at my sweaty face, and went about the simple but rewarding task of assembling a Nomad Crate.
Monday Morning Theme Song
The Pharcyde's "Otha Fish," from their crazily good 1993 album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde.
Monkeyhaus: Colorado Springs
Rob of Colorado Springs writes:
Monkeyhaus: Ottawa (Ohio!)
The system: An Integra disc player, Pro-Ject Debut III turntable, Cambridge Audio Azur 540A integrated amplifier, and Bellari VP129 phono preamp.
I didn’t even know there was an Ottawa in Ohio. But there is. Turns out to be a village in the northwest section of the state, about 155 miles west of Cleveland. The Mayor is Kenneth A. Maag, and in 2009, the village celebrated its 175th anniversary. Can you believe that? The Village of Ottawa has a population of 4,367, and among them are at least two music lovers.
Monster Style
Lady Gaga wanted to create a headphone that would combine Dr. Dre's sense of sound with her own sense of style. The result is Heartbeats, which have a look inspired by the studded jackets Lady Gaga and her friends once wore.
Monster's Miles Davis Trumpet in-ear headphone
Monster partnered with members of the Miles Davis family, Sony, and J&R Electronics to commemorate music icon Miles Davis’ 85th birthday at J&R’s downtown New York City location. Pictured (left to right): Rachelle Friedman, J&R Electronics co-founder; Erin Davis, Miles Davis Properties, LLC; Greg Pedersen, Monster Marketing & Brand Alliances; Anthony Ellis, Sony VP Urban Sales & Marketing; Noel Lee, “Head Monster”; Vince Wilburn, Miles Davis Properties, LLC. Photo: Dan Dion.
Last Thursday, May 26th, I attended an excellent dinner at the Tribeca Grill, hosted by the Miles Davis Family, Sony, J&R Electronics, and Monster, in celebration of Miles Davis’ 85th birthday. During the event, which included a heartfelt remembrance from Miles’ nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn, members of the press were given an introduction to Monster’s Miles Davis Trumpet in-ear headphone. (We were also treated to birthday cake!)
Wilburn offered a simple yet charming sketch of his uncle: “Miles was the type of guy who would change his clothes six times a day just because he got bored. He was never satisfied, always on to the next thing,” he said, with a chuckle and a sigh.
He then talked about the genesis of his family’s relationship with Noel Lee, Monster’s CEO, “The Head Monster”:
montreal is:
montreal is:
two spiral staircases
two spiral staircases
More About Cassettes
Two more recent articles on the cassette tape revival: The Los Angeles Times tells us “Cassette">http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-ca-cassette-revival-… tapes are back in the mix,” while Fact Mag offers “Cassette">http://www.factmag.com/2010/07/26/cassette-playa-in-praise-of-tapes/">C… Playa: in praise of tapes.”
More Cassettes
A few weeks ago, I wrote about Cassettivity, the new cassette-only distribution site. At the time, Cassettivity had 10 labels on its roster; now it has 14. You can also now sort Cassettivity’s offerings by “ease of listening." I think that’s cool. Currently, Cassettivity’s easiest listening experience can be found in Manchester’s The Potomac (Sixteen Tambourines), while the hardest comes via Yvonne Lovejoy’s Voice Studies 8: This is Yvonne Lovejoy (My Dance the Skull).