Video: Benga’s “I Will Never Change”
Nine hundred sixty individually cut LPs were used to create the video for Benga’s “I Will Never Change.”
Stephen Mejias
Classic Album Sundays: Kraftwerk's Autobahn
The April NYC edition of Classic Album Sundays will take place on Sunday, April 8, 58pm, at Bellwether (594 Union Avenue, Brooklyn). As a bit of solace to fans that couldn’t get tickets to the upcoming Kraftwerk performances at the Museum of Modern Art, Classic Album Sundays will present Kraftwerk’s Autobahn in its entirety. Cool.
Kendrick Lamar’s “The Recipe”
In recent conversations with myself and with others, I’ve been trying to explain my addiction—and I truly do believe it’s an addiction—to music, new and old. A lot of times, when I’ve got an unfamiliar album in my hand, I feel like I just need to hear it. I just need to know what it sounds like. Why? I think I’m searching for connections between different times, places, and musical styles and artists. Why? I don’t know, exactly. I imagine there’s some magnificent story to be told through music, that all recorded music is somehow connected, and, if I can just trace those connections, I’ll learn something deep and special about myself and the world.
Searching for odd connections in music: It’s a game that I play.
Searching for odd connections in music: It’s a game that I play.
Shintaro Sakamoto: How to Live With a Phantom
I knew nothing about Shintaro Sakamoto, but there was just no way I could have resisted such provocative album art or a title like How to Live With a Phantom.
Divine Ricochet at the Guggenheim
Divine Ricochet is a three-part music series made to accompany John Chamberlain: Choices, on view through May 13 at the Guggenheim Museum. The series takes its name from Chamberlain’s 1991 work, a large and colorful, mangled assortment of painted and chromium-plated steel.
Neneh Cherry and The Thing: The Cherry Thing
I’m in a daze. My mind is officially, seriously blown.
Nothing, seriously nothing, could have prepared me for the news that Neneh Cherry—Neneh “Raw Like Sushi” Cherry—is heading a new project with the powerhouse free jazz trio of Mats Gustafsson (saxophone), Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass), and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums).
Nothing, seriously nothing, could have prepared me for the news that Neneh Cherry—Neneh “Raw Like Sushi” Cherry—is heading a new project with the powerhouse free jazz trio of Mats Gustafsson (saxophone), Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass), and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums).
Record Store Day 2012
My favorite holiday, Record Store Day, falls on Saturday, April 21—just one month from today. Independent record stores across the nation will celebrate with contests, giveaways, all kinds of limited-edition releases, in-store performances by exciting bands, and lots of other fun stuff. Check the Record Store Day website for details and participating stores near you.
This year’s Ambassador, Iggy Pop, has this to say:
This year’s Ambassador, Iggy Pop, has this to say:
Birth of the Magnepan Mini-Maggie System
"Daddy?" asked the young audiophile.
"Yes, son?"
"How are loudspeakers made?"
"Hmm...Maybe it's time we had a little talk. Follow me into the listening room..."
"Yes, son?"
"How are loudspeakers made?"
"Hmm...Maybe it's time we had a little talk. Follow me into the listening room..."
In the Morning
The system, as it is right now: Rega P3-24 turntable with Elys 2 cartridge and Boston Audio Design Mat 1, NAD C515 BEE CD player, Sony Playstation 1 CD player, NAD C316 BEE integrated amplifier, Parasound Zphono USB phono preamplifier, PSB Alpha B1 loudspeakers, Kimber Kable PBJ interconnects, Kimber Kable 8VS speaker cables, Furutech eTP-60 power distributor.
Thinksound’s ms01 in-ear monitor
The first model in Thinksound's Monitor Series: the ms01, shown here in Chocolate Gunmetal finish.
During my recent trip to Seattle for Definitive Audio’s Music Matters 7 event, I decided to compare Thinksound’s ts02 ($79.99) to their ms01 ($99.99), the first model in the company’s new Monitor Series.