Landslide
Intern Ariel Bitran sent this around the office today, in an e-mail titled "Crying in My Cubicle."
Stephen Mejias
Desire, Passion, Hunger (Duh)
Fans of Shindo's gorgeous green and gold tube amplifiers will be excited to know that the Japanese manufacturer has just introduced (or re-introduced, I'm not sure) a new (or re-new, as the case may be) integrated amplifier.
Marantz KI Pearls
I love the styling of the latest Marantz gear—strong and masculine without being overblown or audacious. Though the late '80s through early '90s saw Marantz move away from their high end roots, the last decade has been a return to form. Under the ownership of D&M Holdings, the respected audio company seems to be embracing their cherished past. In May 2008, Michael Fremer was extremely impressed by their SM-11S1">http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/508mar11s1/index.html">SM-11S1 Reference power amplifier. He wrote:
Marc Ribot at Le Poisson Rouge
For a long time, I wasn't sure if I would go to the show. Finally, on the day of the show, I decided I would go. I made the right decision. Marc Ribot, celebrating his 55th birthday at Le">http://lepoissonrouge.com/">Le Poisson Rouge, was something to remember. Little did I know he had played every night of the week, performing old and new material with several different bands at various venues throughout New York City.
Things Are So Bad
And earlier in the">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/safe_sex_of_the_highest_order… night, I listened to an old Yazoo title: St. Louis Blues (1929-1935): The Depression, which has some amazing, moving cuts from Henry Townsend, Charley Jordan, Georgia Boyd, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Hi Henry Brown. Such pure, raw sounds are timeless, and are perhaps especially meaningful today.
Safe Sex of the Highest Order
And later in the">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/things_are_so_bad/">the night, I listened to Archie Shepp's Three For A Quarter, One For A Dime, which I understand is the darker, angrier, wilder side of a performance held at San Francisco's old Both/And Club on February 19, 1966.
In Shades of Orange
This was my initial choice of cover motif for our June 2009 issue. We were concerned that these colors, however, would appear too similar to those used for our">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/now_on_newsstands_stereophile… May issue. One goal in designing a cover is to make it look as different as possible from the cover preceding it. So that buyers don't get confused, or something, I guess. While I understand the point, I must say that the Klipsch Palladium P-39F loudspeaker looks nothing like the">http://www.stereophile.com/turntables/sme_model_2012_turntable_312s_ton… SME 20/12 turntable.
Now on Newsstands: Stereophile, Vol.32 No.6
The June 2009 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. At first, I was against the green border and font for the front cover, favoring a">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/in_shades_of_orange/">a red and orange motif instead, but I now think the green treatment looks excellent. It is appropriate for spring, and the Klipsch Palladium P-39F loudspeaker seems to leap right from the page. Like a (really freaking) gigantic squirrel leaping from the branch of a blossoming tree.
Dark Night of the Soul
Pain: I guess it's a matter of sensation
Where the Bad Word Would Be
While putting together yesterday's entry, I stumbled upon this video of Mike Bones performing a version of Grinderman's excellent "No Pussy Blues." This was back in the summer of 2007, during a music festival in New York City's East River Park. I wasn't there.