Into the Heavens

Melancholy Circus takes the boiled-down essence of influences from a life lived and examined,from music, literature, history, and cinema and creates plains of dissimilar existence anddeep caves of thought that...

Nick Drake’s Albums in 24/96 Digital Sound

In Issue 162, I talked about Nick Drake, the artist and musician, and the myriad of mysteries surrounding his brief lifetime here on earth. This go-around, I’d like to touch on...

Countertenors: New Takes on an Old Tradition

“Countertenor” is one of those musical terms that has meant many different things over the centuries. These days, it normally refers to a man who uses falsetto or head voice...

Rallying With Lemons, Part Two

In the first half of this travelogue of the 2022 Rocky Mountain Breakdown Lemons Rally (see my article in Issue 163), we passed through Colorado and New Mexico, and arrived in...

Pilgrimage to Sturgis, Part 22

“I thought you were going to ride your bike home today?” I asked KP as he poured a Belgian ale from the garage fridge. “I will,” he replied, “but I...

Mary Gauthier: Songs in Motion

Mary Gauthier thinks the best songs are ones that contain “a little movie,” songs that don’t just have their own story but also a sense of motion. The veteran songwriter...

Around the World In 80 Lathes, Part 14

Previous installments discussed various design approaches to record lathe cutter heads, the history of Neumann and Scully lathes, and more. As a general rule, records cut on Neumann lathes using...

Bascom H. King: In Memoriam

With reminisces by Paul McGowan and Frank Doris The late Bascom H. King, who passed away last May at age 84 from complications of pneumonia, was not as well-known a...

Nothing Short of a Miracle

Written by Frank Doris Burmester Model 001 CD player. As a component that’s almost 20 years old, we’ll call it vintage now. It was a landmark upon its release, with...

Undercover Listening Devices

Styx: 50 Years and Still Going Strong

Last summer rock legends Styx came to Connecticut and headlined on a bill with REO Speedwagon, and opened a brand-new venue, the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport. It was a popular pairing...

How AXPONA Got Its Groove Back, Part Three

Part One and Part Two of this report appeared in Issue 162 and Issue 163. Once again, I’ll note my usual show report qualifiers: it was impossible to cover everything even in three days,...

Spending Time With the Grado RS1x Headphones

I’m willing to bet that most of us with big speakers, bulky amps, and dedicated listening rooms rarely use headphones. I’m not talking about the sweaty loud ones you use...

Octave Records’ New Releases: TIERRO Band with ...

Octave Records has two new releases for your musical and audiophile enjoyment: Everlasting Dance by the “Gypsy Grass” group TIERRO Band with Bridget Law, and Audiophile Masters, Volume VI, the latest in Octave’s series...

My Favorite Venues, Part One: Colorado

In my article, “My First Speakers” (Issue 158), I touched on the beginning of promoter Chuck Morris’ career as the booking agent at Tulagi. It’s now time to further develop that theme, as...

Offering Solace: An Interview With Held By Trees

For fans of bands like Talk Talk, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, and Blur, the trio of Martin Ditcham, David Joseph, and David Mau have got a surprise in the form...

How Does a Vinyl Record Even Sound Good at All?...

Have you ever wondered, just how does a vinyl record even sound good at all? Well, how does it in reality? The PVC vinyl that records are made from, and the record-manufacturing...

Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 16: Stalkin...

A slight departure this time, as a wonderful event – directly related to tape pursuits – took place on May 29th. After two years and three months, the Tonbridge AudioJumble...

Who are WE?

Arcade Fire: WE Jon Batiste: WE ARE If you asked me up until a few months ago what my favorite band of the 21st century is, I’d say “Arcade Fire.” But after...

The Secret History of Tribute Albums, Part One

Are there two Americas? Are they red versus blue, conservative vs. liberal, conspiracy-minded vs. reality-based? The answer is yes, but the divide is not along these lines. The two Americas...

The Joys of Monophonic Recordings, Part Two

In my previous article (Issue 162), I discussed the early monophonic recordings of the violinist Nathan Milstein. He was a very popular artist in his day, and his recordings are easy to...

Shelby Lynne – An American Original, Part Two

Part One (Issue 163) covered singer/songwriter Shelby Lynne’s career from her first release with George Jones in 1988 to her 2007 landmark, Just a Little Lovin’. Tears, Lies and Alibis (2010) was the...

A Pressing Decision