My first couple of articles have been published in what I consider to be the best music and audio magazine on the web... TONE Audio. TONE has a great mix of gear reviews and music articles put together with top class visual design and photography. It comes out every other month as a PDF. Download the latest issue.
Well, I had a 24hr flu/stomach virus for new years eve/day… and the ensuing grumpiness has me a little more critical of the past year’s (2007) releases. Think I should open up my horizons a little more in 2008 and move beyond “indie”-pop/rock. Still love my vintage jazz (on vinyl of course)… and adding vintage rock, country and blues. Thinking of exploring more “world” music in ’08. Is this what happens when the music fan passes 40? Below you’ll find most of my purchases from ’07 appropriately categorized:
Smells like roses (and plays often):
- The National: Boxer* (*My favorite album of the year.)
- The Good, The Bad & The Queen
- Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
- Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha
- Sigur Ros: Hvarf-Heim
- Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals: Lifeline
- Robert Plant & Alison Kraus: Raising Sand
- The Black Keys: Magic Potion (2006)
- Patrick Watson: Close to Paradise** (**Highly recommended! Sounds like a new, fresh Jeff Buckley who might have recorded with Sufjan Stevens.)
- Radiohead: In Rainbows*** (***Moved them up from asparagus after watching this video.)
Asparagus (tastes good initially):
- White Stripes: Icky Thump
- Cold War Kids: Robbers & Cowards
- Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
- Feist: The Reminder
- Band of Horses: Cease to Begin
- Any Winehouse: Back to Black
- Peter, Bjorn & John: Writer's Block
- Interpol: Our Love to Admire
- Voxtrot: Voxtrot
- LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Some Loud Thunder
- Beastie Boys: The Mix-Up
- Arctic Monkeys: Favourite Worst Nightmare
- The Besnard Lakes: … are the Dark Horse
Light a match (need I say more?):
- Pinback: Autumn Of The Seraphs
- The Ponys: Turn The Lights Out
- Manu Chao: La Radiolina
- Kings of Leon: Because of The Times
- Fountains of Wayne: Traffic and Weather
Just Published: System Review consisting of the 47 Lab Shigaraki CD Player, DAC and Integrated Amplifier, with the Audio Note AN-E/Lx loudspeakers... written for SonicFlare.com. (This review format is not my favorite, and is the new format SonicFlare's publisher will be using for all future reviews.)
Note: This was my last post on SonicFlare.com. Moving onwards and upwards and continuing to review gear for Tone Audio.
My latest review of the Monarchy Audio SE-250 mono’s with Gemme Audio Tanto loudspeakers.
Some great new music (and cuisine ;-) from Montreal: Patrick Watson and Besnard Lakes.
Just Published: System Review
consisting of the Resolution Audio Opus system and Verity Audio Rienzi loudspeakers... written for SonicFlare.com
"You have read how fantastic I think the Resolution Audio Opus 21 system sounds. To be fair, 99% of the time during its review it was playing through the Verity Audio Rienzi’s. That’s quite the advantage. As far as pairs go, having the Rienzi speakers as a mate is kind of like Edward Norton snagging Jessica Biel if ya know what I mean. He’s no slouch, but Jessica…"
Just Published: System Review consisting of the Mac Mini, Hagerman Chime USB DAC, Kore-Eda amp and preamp, and the Audio Note AN-E/Lx loudspeakers... written for SonicFlare.com
If the Red Sox can do it…
Just watched the Red Sox hit four consecutive home runs in a row off Chase Wright and the Yankees. First time the Red Sox have done that in team history.
Not really related at all, but I thought I’d catalog my last 4 posts on SonicFlare.com:
A short post on the stylish wireless Pioneer Music Tap system.
A post describing the systems in house now and up for review on SonicFlare.
See what I’m listening to lately in my second iMix for SonicFlare.
And a quick post on a Mac Mini wannabe from Nexus.
Just Published: Review of the Duevel Planets for SonicFlare.com.
Top 10 (Ok, 13) albums of 2006:
1. Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
2. The Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldiers
3. Built To Spill: You In Reverse
4. Film School: Film School
5. Beck: The Information
6. Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not
7. Band of Horses: Everything All The Time
8. Calexico: Garden Ruin
9. Sonic Youth: Rather Ripped
10. Thom Yorke: The Eraser
11. Phoenix: Its Never Been Like That
12. G. Love & Special Sauce: Lemonade
13. Yo La Tengo: I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
Favorite 2005’s discovered in 2006:
1. Field Music: Field Music
2. Page France: Hello Dear Wind
3. Hockey Night: Keep Guessin’
4. The Coral Sea: Volcano and Heart
5. National Eye: Roomful of Lyons
6. Grizzly Bear: Yellow House
Just Published: My second now annual visit to Verity Audio in Quebec. Posted on SonicFlare.com.
