Well it's been quite a few moons since the last "All Things Vinyl"--my bad. With the holiday rush and what not around these parts, regular entries kinda fell by the wayside. And for that I sincerely apologize. But no more! This week we've got some most excellent news on some of the latest vinyl releases. So feast your eyes (and ears) on the best of what's new:
Miles Davis Quintet--The Great Prestige Recordings: If you're a jazz fan, you already know the killer music that was laid down on the five Prestige albums that make up this set: Miles, Relaxin', Workin', Cookin' and Steamin'. Analog Productions first issued this remastered set over ten years ago, and what a stunner it was--top-notch 180 gram, 33 1/3 rpm pressings mastered with tubed electronics, courtesy AcousTech Mastering. And buh-leeve you me, it was to die for. Now for the second go 'round, AP has decided to take everything that made the first production run sooo good and kick up the sonic goodness a notch by pressing these LPs at 45 RPM. Whoa. But all this analog auditory bliss doesn't come for free: We're talkin' $300 for the set (ouch!). But if you love this music and can allow yourself one super box set this year, make it this one.
Beck--Odelay, 10th Anniversary Box Set: This was the album that totally turned me on to Beck and got many repeated plays in my CD spinner. Unfortunately for me I never did get the vinyl; but now I can rectify all that with this sumptuous 4 lp, 180 gram anniversary set with commemorative book. There's a few remixed and a couple of previously unreleased tracks thrown in for good measure. Look for this set on or around January 26.
Beastie Boys--Paul's Boutique, 20th Anniversary remaster: I've been a BB fan since Licensed to Ill, playing the cassette like, a million times a day in my boombox. So when Paul's Boutique dropped, I immediately ran out and bought it expecting more illmatic, party boy rap goodness. And Holy Hanna was I thrown for a surprisingly awesome loop! Actually, make that millions of loops: Paul's Boutique is definitely one of the best and most densely-packed sample-happy albums ever (mad props to production gurus The Dust Brothers) with genius lyrics to match. This 180-gram reissue has been completely remastered by the band members themselves and includes a fold out poster and access to a “track-by-track” album commentary via free download. Dropping February 10.
Greetings ladies and germs. Here's an idea...In an attempt to get my pasty, lanky behind blogging more, not to mention the added bonus of providing the masses with fantastic music, I bring you Davey Gravy's Definitely Awesome Music...Definitively.
What we will have here will be collections, and samples of definitively awesome music. There will be no room for discussion...everything posted here will be music of the highest caliber. Top notch. Every time you visit this blog and listen, you will have oodles of new favorite songs.
There may be the exceptional rare moment that you find yourself thinking, "Davey Gravy...this music isn't amazing...what gives?!". If this happens you need to take a deep breath, step away from your computer, and realize that what you just thought was flat out wrong. I suggest you take a minute...an hour...a day, and step away from your computer. Whatever it takes really. Take this time to reflect on the qualities that make music awesome and listenable.
After you have done this, come back to my blog and listen again. Do you hear it now? Yes you do! The music is just plain amazing isn't it? Yes, I knew you'd come around...
For this first installment, I'd like to focus on music of the electronic persuasion. This genre is exceptionally vast, and well, it's the type of music that yours truly makes. Seems fitting to kick things off here...
I believe this was one of the first song I ever heard from these Scottish powerhouses, and I've had a love affair with them ever since. When you hear a good BOC song, you can tell that every drum, click, synth, and bassline was the product of very specific and intentional processes, and although it's become a cliched musical description, the word "organic" fits no artist better then Boards. 1969 is a song that showcases all of the above quite beautifully, plus, it's monster bass line is oh-so-fun to demo the Bravus subs with. You feel it in your loins!
Maybe one of these days I'll do a top 10 underrated artists blog, and if I do Odd Nosdam a la Dave Madson will be on it. His music fits on my "electronic" list, but could just as easily rear it's head on a hip hop, indie, downtempo, experimental, cut and paste boom bap list. In my mind, the song Hollow Me really is the epitome of this Anticon veteran's signature sound. Uber lo-fi drums that leave you no choice but to move your head...a synth line that sounds like it has been dragged through the gutter...chopped, sliced, and rearranged "bridges" and breakdowns...it's all there. Also, realizing that Lee "Scratch" Perry is one of his greatest influences provides a unique insight to the Nosdam sound. I have to say that he certainly is on a level all his own, like Scratch himself.
I can honestly say that my music wouldn't be the same had I not been introduced to the wonderful wonderland of sound known as Casino Versus Japan. One of my favorites, Summer Clip starts off with a fast paced arpeggio and then gets right into some nice, bouncy, head cracking drums. This song also contains 2 of the elements that I believe make CVJ a unique and important creative figure in electronic music. Patience, and exceptional choice of sounds. I love the way that Casino will slowly bring in a huge, sweeping synth...one that builds up over a few bars, and just fills the track with mounds of sonic awesomeness...and just when you feel like you can handle no more, you get 3 more synths. All beautiful, lush, and perfect...heck I'm gonna say it...Casino is just the prettiest electronic music around!
There are two types of people in the world...People who realize that Stars of the Lid is one of the greatest bands to create sound in the space time continuum, and those who don't. For the latter, it's probably best that we keep some distance between us. SOTL is simply incredible. In a time where a a great deal of music is rushed, contrived, obvious, copy catting, pop nonsense with no sense of the artists own personal discovery or creativity, SOTL shine with a unique sound and style all their own. Apreludes (in C Sharp Major) absolutely rocks my world. It starts off with a very delicate horn or organ section (not quite sure) and dances around in C sharp for a few minutes...and then...oh then...comes the 1:52 mark. A massive swelling synth bass that makes you feel glad to be alive so you can feel it in your chest. Real men love beautiful, ambient music...I think I might make a tee shirt. Hmm...
One of the things I love most about electronic music, is that it just seems like great soundtrack music for life in general. I suggest you try it sometime...throw some really well produced electronic music in the old iPod, and go about your day. Take a song like Blumenthal by German legend Ulrich Schnuass for instance. Load it up, press play, and then go for a bike ride or take a walk. You'll notice nature scenes seem so much more vivid and ethereal. Your every move seems so much more epic and surreal. It's like there's a group of keyboard trolls in your head, watching your every move, and then documenting it in live sound that fits the situation. Maybe that's why I like electronic music so much...because of the keyboard trolls...GET OUT OF MY HEAD KEYBOARD TROLLS! God I love Ulrich Schnauss...
I think 5 may be the magic number for Davey Gravy's Definitely Awesome Music...Definitively blog. It's enough for you to get your whistle wet, but not soaked, and who wants a soaked whistle? Not I, stay tuned for the next Definitely Awesome Music...Definitively installation, where I believe we shall visit the wonderful world of indie rock (whatever that genre means anymore). It will not be the blog to miss...more anticipated then Season 5 of Lost starting. Woah!!!
So, it looks like this delay just might make it through. Yesterday, I read that the Senate passed the proposal for a delay to the Digital TV transition from the current planned date of February 17th to June 12th, 2009. The house still has to approve it, but with backing from the new administration, I have a feeling this delay proposal is in the bag.
I understand the motiviation here. I can just imagine my grandma, sitting down at home to enjoy her daily dose of Matlock (hey.. she really does like Matlock.. and so do I, but only with Tuna sammiches. Um, I digress.) only to find out that her TV doesn't work. She'll probably think that the TV is broken and might start calling relatives to help out. There aren't that many TV repairman that still make house calls, but grandson Caleb is into all that electronical stuff, so let's call him and see what he thinks. Uncle Harry could probably help too and he lives just around the corner!
So, the troops get mobilized and eventually she learns that she needs a box to watch TV now. But, she's on a fixed income and those boxes cost anywhere from $40.00 -$60.00! Fortunately there are coupons out there, only you CAN'T GET ONE right now because they have all been distributed and they need to expire before they can be reissued. THE INSANITY!!!!!! What in the world is grammy gonna do? How will she live without TV for days on end?
The previous story has been fictionalized and the names changed to protect the innocent (except mine, since I'm clearly not innocent) but I think you get the idea here. Has TV really become so important that a plan, already in motion with plenty of inertia, stands to be threatened by the fear of a few million Americans going without TV for a couple of days? Hmmm... when you say it like that, it does sound a bit scary.
Somewhat by default, the Brooklyn via Baltimore group Animal Collective find themselves as one of the premier indie rock bands on the planet. With Modest Mouse too mainstream, My Morning Jacket's last record a bit of a disappointment and Arcade Fire dormant for the majority of 2008, all eyes are on the experimental/psychedelic group to deliver the goods with their eighth proper album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Interest in the band has been increasing since they toned down some of the weirdness and jarring aspects of their music with 2004's Sung Tongs, but fanboy obsession with the group has been off the charts in the months leading up to Merriweather's release. Of course we can place no small share of the blame squarely on the shoulders of infamous hipster website Pitchfork, which added fuel to the fire by giving us incessant updates on minutiae such as its cover and the tracklisting several months before the album's release.
So with the waiting over, the question remains; have Animal Collective shouldered the weight of the world's expectations and given us an album worthy of the hype? The answer is a resounding yes, and while the album may be among their most accessible to date, it's still unlikely that your Shins listening mom will be rocking this one anytime soon. While the best tunes on the album like "My Girls" and "Summertime Clothes" have catchy choruses resembling hooks, there's still plenty of patented Animal Collective eccentricity on display, from the piercing synth organ on "Daily Routine" to the vocals layered to the point of unintelligibility on many tracks. Underneath all of the effects and off kilter loops, at their heart these songs are really about the beauty of the human voice and all of the feelings that it can convey.
The shadow of vocalist/guitarist Panda Bear's acclaimed 2007 album Person Pitch looms large, as the Brian Wilson vibe that permeated that record runs strong here too. In particular the lullaby-like "Don't Stop Running" sounds a bit like the Beach Boys classic "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" seen through a 21st century prism. As unlikely as it seems for a group that on the surface is as bizarre as Animal Collective, the main focus of these songs is on melody and vocal harmony. While 2007's Strawberry Jam showcasedvocalist/guitarist Avey Tare's compositions, it seems that Panda Bear takes the lead on a majority of the songs here, which is a wise move considering the success he enjoyed with the aforementioned Person Pitch. Of course the record is much more than just a glorified Panda Bear solo effort, Avey Tare does kick off things off with "In the Flowers", but to continue the Beach Boys analogy Avey Tare serves as more of a Mike Love type foil to Panda Bear's Brian Wilson.
Even though it may not be the most difficult or challenging Animal Collective album, there is still plenty of nuance to digest here. The vocal layering is quite dense and repeated listens reveal all kinds of electronic burbles and swirling backdrops in the mix. Another notable theme is the use of African rhythms and Afropop style melodies, which reaches its apex with the dazzling album closer "Brother Sport", which should serve as an example to the overrated Vampire Weekend on how to turn Afropop into true indie rock brilliance. Much of the album's palette is solely electronic sounds and voices, with guitars and pianos cropping up, at least at perceivable volumes, only occasionally. By taking chirping keyboard sounds, chugging synths and managing to come up with songs that could be called "poppy" or at the very least melodic, Merriweather feels like a genuine achievement in reaching out to a larger audience without sacrificing the overall aesthetic of the band. Only time will tell, but if Animal Collective do manage to increase their sphere of influence, which is already considerable in certain music circles, Merriweather could end up being one of those records that plays a role in the progression of music as a whole by redefining what can fit within the confines of popular music.
In the meantime, to quote former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic; "Let all the analysis fall away like yellow, aged newsprint. Crank this record up and realize the bliss, power and passion . . ."
Lots of new Blu ray goodness, courtesy of the annual CES that took place last week: Samsung took the opportunity to debut a honey of player, the BD-P4600. This hi-res spinner checks all the boxes: 1 GB onboard memory for Netflix and Pandora Streaming, Wi-Fi compatibility (w00t!), onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and BD-Live profile 2.0 compatibility. But no doubt the Samsung's coolest features are its sleek, svelte form and slot-loading tray that enable this spinner to be hung from the wall, just like your flat screen TV. Respect. Pricing for the BD-P4600 is still TBD; expect to see this unit somewhere in the first half of '09.
Also in the mix was JVC who debuted their first Blu ray deck, the XV-BP1. JVC's value-priced movie machine seems to have done right by Blu ray with some great features, like Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA decoding, and BD-Live 2.0 compatibility. What's more, the XV-BP1's plays nice with AVCHD, the HD format of choice for most camcorders. Dropping in March at $299.95.
Last but not least was this sleek n' sexy number from Sharp, the Aquos BD-HP22U ($299, Available in May). Of course, the Aquos includes an alphabet soup of features that seems de rigeur for Blu ray nowadays: HDMI 1.3, DD/DTS HD, BD-Live 2.0. But the BD-HP22U also includes 2GB of storage and a USB port for upping your storage capacity and firmware updates, Word. If it performs anywhere near as good as it looks, then Sharp should be a stunner.
Movie Releases for Next Week.
DVD: The Express; City of Ember; Max Payne; Saw V; The Children of Huang Shi; Henry Poole is Here; This American Life: Second Season; The Deal; The Great Polar Bear Adventure; Ninja Vixens: Complete Box Set.
Blu-ray: The Express; Max Payne; Saw V; King Kong; Henry Poole is Here; The Notebook (Limited Edition Gift Set); Unfaithful; 13 going on 30; Domino; The Pink Panther; Election; The Machinist; Antwone Fisher.
Just when you were starting to get a handle on the difference between 5.1 and 7.1, here comes Dolby and DTS labs with the next best thing.
They call them "Height" speakers and they are intended to improve the depth of sound in the Vertical plane to make a more convincing and immersive experience. Each lab has it's own way of going about it, but they essentially provide the same benefit. They want you to feel like rain is falling on your roof or a helocoptor is hovering overhead.
Soon we should see receivers coming out with ProLogicz and DTS Neo Z. You'll add a pair of speakers well above your front left and right speakers and, in some cases, another set further back on the horizontal plane. This should add height as well as depth to the soundstage. This is not to be confused with Yamaha's proprietary processing for "presence" speakers.
Such an advance in surround technology would improve surround effects for Movie Buffs, Gamers and Multi-Channel music enthusiasts alike. I'm thinking that the use of in-wall and/or in-ceiling speakers could allow some of us to add to our systems without adding more clunky boxes to the room. Still, at what point are you just trying to replicate an Imax theater in your home?
Wow. I'm rather surprised that this topic has garnered so much attention. You'd think it would be ok to give folks a little more time to prepare for the DTV transition but, according to Gary Shapiro, CEA's CEO, donchaknow, it would NOT be a good idea. He has some pretty good rationale, too.
In a letter sent to Presidnet-Elect Obama, Shapiro speculates that pushing the date out could incite mass hysteria. OK.. he didn't put it THAT way, exactly, but you get the idea. People will become skepitcal and lose trust in the whole process. He's also concerned that pushing the date out could leave retailers holding gads of those converter boxes with no place to store them.
Instead, Shapiro suggests fixing accounting rules, ditching the expiration date on the coupons already issued and resuming the coupon program to start getting them into the hands of consumers. He also had some other, perhaps less clever ideas about using the coupon as credit toward the purchase of other devices like feature-less digital televisons.
We'll see what Obama has to say about all of this. Still, I can't help thinking: With all of the really nasty, serious issues that Obama has to confront within the first few days in his new office, just how high on the totem pole is American TV going to live? Hmmm... develop a plan to deal with Iran, plan an exit strategy from Iraq, deal with Genocide in the Republic of Congo or..... American TV- To go digital now or later?
Whew.. glad I'm not President. Imagine the pressure involved here!
Currently, Feb 17th is D-Day for the great TV digital transition but that could soon change.
Since it was announced that no more coupons were available through the Fed's subsidy program, Consumer's Union, a consumer advocacy group, has taken action in the form of letters sent to President Bush, President-Elect Obama as well as House and Senate committe chairmen to urge a push-back on the current date.
Some feel that this transition has been poorly planned and poorly implemented. While I don't fall into the pack of targeted TV watches (in that I have Satellite TV) I can say that there is NO WAY I could possibly have gone without hearing of the transition and the need to get a box and soon. Perhaps there are just far more people enjoying free TV than was once thought. Someone needs to get on the stick!
If you've been slacking off on getting that Digital Converter box for your old analog TV and antannae, then you will be waiting a while if you want to get your $40.00 out of Unlce Sam.
The NTIA announced that, as of Sunday, Jan 4. those who want their $40.00 coupon will have to be placed on a waiting list. Customers will get issued a coupon on a first come first served basis but will have to wait as older coupons expire to free up funds. Apparently, the program has reached its $1.34 BILLION legal obligation limit already. Wow. That's over 33.5 Million coupons. Guess there are a lot of folks still using analog TVs and antannae.
If you've been living in seclusion, or just don't watch much TV, there's a big change happening next month. As of 2/1/09, all current analog TV broadcast signals will stop. If you have an older TV and watch free, over the air TV, all you'll be seeing is snow. That is, unless, you get one of these converter boxes that the government has been subsidising for the last year or so.
If you have Satellite or Cable television, you will not be affected.
Followers of my blog know that I've been (somewhat annoyingly, perhaps) forecasting the end of Blu-Ray ever since its battle against HD DVD. "It's all about downloads!" As storage space gets less and less expensive, the reality of downloaded and streamed media pushing physical media (discs) out of the picture draws closer and closer. Now it looks like LG is about to put another nail in the coffin.
LG announced recently that it plans to unveil the new sets in a joint display with Netflix at this year's CES show in Las Vegas. The new TVs will have the necessary components built in so that no additional equipment is necessary to view Netflix's ever growing library of instant-watch media. These TVs, due to hit the streets sometime this Spring, will be joined by 8 Blu-Ray disc players that offer the steaming features.
I already use my Xbox 360 to turn my TV into a digital picture frame, music server and video server, but I can imagine that there is a huge market out there for TVs that bundle these capabilities within the panel. It won't be long until our TVs are 37" wall hanging multimedia computers in their own right.
This is also a big break for Netlix, as it has managed to all but eclipse rival services with its expanding presence. I say: "Well Done!"
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