Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
04 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in General Posts, Video of the Week Tags: audio cassettes
04 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in General Posts, Toward Better Sounding Music Tags: audio, receivers
(via C/net)
by Steve Guttenberg
It’s a strange turn of events, but mainstream manufacturers long ago gave up on the idea of selling receivers on the basis of superior sound quality. I’m not claiming today’s receivers sound “bad,” but since almost no one ever listens to a receiver before they buy one, selling sound quality is next to impossible.
Back in the days when brick-and-mortar stores ruled the retail market, audio companies took pride in their engineering skills and designed entire receivers in-house. Right up through the 1980s most of what was “under the hood” was designed and built by the company selling the receiver. That’s no longer true; the majority of today’s gotta-have features–auto-setup, GUI menus, AirPlay, iPod/iPhone/iPad compatibility, home networking, HD Radio, Bluetooth, HDMI switching, digital-to-analog converters, Dolby and DTS surround processors–are sourced and manufactured by other companies. Industry insiders refer to the practice of cramming as many features as possible into the box as “checklist design.” Sure, there are rare glimpses of original thinking going on–Pioneer’s proprietary MCACC (Multi Channel Acoustic Calibration) auto-setup system is excellent–it’s just that there’s precious little unique technology in most receivers…
Read more: http://www.cnet.com/news/how-can-30-year-old-receivers-sound-better-than-new-ones/
02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: all she wants, mika
Mika: “All She Wants” (2015)
Mika has clearly assimilated the work of the masters when it comes to crafting unapologetically infectious pop music. Here he displays ABBA-esque aptitude for stitching a rather sad lyric into a tapestry of bright, bouncy handclap-punctuated and harmony-drenched ear candy.
You may have trouble getting this one out of your head. In a good way.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2017/02/24/songs-you-may-have-missed-611/
02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: keren ann, not going anywhere
Keren Ann: “Not Going Anywhere” (2003)
Though it’s easy to discern something in Keren Ann’s delivery to identify her as a non-American, it’s more difficult to pin down just where in the world the singer hails from.
Perhaps it’s because her father is Russian-Israeli, her mother is Japanese-Dutch, while she herself was raised in Paris and speaks French as a first language.
02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: eric hutchinson, forget about joni
Eric Hutchinson: “Forget About Joni” (2014)
Eric Hutchinson is irresistibly attracted to a girl who finds him totally resistible, and he weaves the tale of his frustrated infatuation around the type of melody that hooks you on first listen. Fun stuff.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/07/06/songs-you-may-have-missed-441/
02 Sep 2015 Leave a comment
in General Posts Tags: muses, women who inspired songs
(via Purple Clover)
“Crazy Love,” Van Morrison
Every Moment Has A Song 