Music

" Digital downloads had a short run as the top-selling format in the music industry. It took until 2011, a decade after the original iPod came out, for their sales surpass those of CDs and vinyl records, and they were overtaken by music streaming services just a few years later. Now, digital downloads are once again being outsold by CDs and vinyl, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA released its 2017 year-end revenue report on Thursday, showing that revenue from digital downloads plummeted 25 percent to $1.3 billion over the previous year. Revenue from physical products, by contrast, fell 4 percent to $1.5 billion. …

It's that time of the year again. One of these days I plan to attend but I'm happy enough to get my yearly wake up call of what's happening in the music world outside of my own melon. Here's a link to NPR's Austin 100. I usually use it to jot down artists I want to try and find streams of and hopefully shamelessly copy! https://www.npr.org/2018/03/01/585356494/the-austin-100-a-2018-sxsw-mixtape

1. The claim: sadder and slower 2. The claim: simpler and louder 3. The claim: antisocial and angry 4. The claim: just not as good as it used to be 5. The claim: more repetitive https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/fb84bf19-29c9-4ed3-b6b6-953e8a083334 In my day ... e.g. "Gucci Gang"

https://www.avclub.com/and-of-course-anal-trump-the-year-in-band-names-2017-1820336004 Much Names. So Win. This needs it's own thread

I was just listening to J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (a delayed reaction to Hallowe'en) when I had a bit of an epiphany... why do people send their kids to take piano lessons when they could be learning the pipe organ (common sense answer: because pipe organs are crazy big and complex and expensive and rare)? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toccata_and_Fugue_in_D_minor,_BWV_565 The Wikipedia article suggests that Bach may have composed the piece to test pipe organs... do people use pipe organ repertoire to test their music systems? Listening to this piece on my computer speakers, I can understand why pipe organs are used for liturgical purpose…

I hope most of us have seen the doc of Sound City if not, shame on you! Well, I guess I'm a little biased when it comes to the golden age of recording studios and the like. The good news is that they've cleaned and preened the old place and it's now open for business once again! Complete with a full compliment of Ampex and 3M tape machines and a legendary Helios console. Check it out! https://www.soundcitystudios.com/

I was watching a TV show in a scene a guy was giving a rare, collectible vinyl album to another. The album cover was brown or very dark orange with regularly distributed, about 5x5 or 6x6, white circles. In four of the circles, in the same line, starting next to the left rim, the word JAZZ spelled one single letter into one single circle. That's all, no names, no label, no artist mentioned or music sounding. I've tried looking for that cover on Discogs, Google, etc, but nothing came out. Any cues?

I was really interested in this at first and held off, having listened to the Tidal stream of the record I am generally impressed. It fucks with a masterpiece but is a really goo modern take IMO. Anyone here own the record or the ridiculous deluxe $100+ version with DVD and Blu ray? I am interested in any gains with the 24/96 but not sure I want to spend the cash on it unheard.

I bought Cosmogramma a few years ago and I noticed it is recorded at a deafening level. Other people seemed to have picked up on this as well. Does anyone else think his albums are too loud? I have to turn the volume to nearly zero just to listen to the CD. Some people think the clipping is intentional...

So I'm looking for Purple Rain and 1999 in high resolution. qobuz has them for download at 96\24 Any thoughts on those? 1. can I download them in the US 2. can I play it with any player 3. how do they sound

I've got three dual discs that have enhanced stereo tracks on the DVD side of the disc. They don't show up using DVDA Explorer, but DVDA Extractor will list them just not extract them. Anybody have any luck getting the tracks off these types of discs?

Many times I have wanted to ask someone to listen to a recording and compare a few notes, mostly around system "voicing" and dialing things in. So, we will see if there is interest to help. First request is Bill Evans "Waltz for Debbie" APJ 009 (vinyl). If you have a different format or mastering, then that could be interesting as well.

What's wrong with him?! That's a lot of money!

Here's a short Stereophile blurb on the classical music download site Primetone. It seems like a nice alternative to the label stores although the article seems to indicate that they are trying to retain some control of their holds. Anyway, I kind of like the way that Primetone includes news and interviews so visiting the site is a quick way to see what's hot. This is in contrast to ClassicsOnline that seems to be a more traditional online music store. Be sure and note how different sites vary in price and formats. BTW, looks like most of these sites have streaming in the making. http://www.stereophile.com/content/primephonics-hi-rez-classical-downlo…

I'm a little late posting this. The sale started a few days ago but you lucky New Yorkers should check this out. I've been following ARC music archives since they picked themselves up after 9/11 and they have grown in leaps and bounds. So, even if you can't make it to the record sale, spend a little time checking out the great work they are doing to preserve the less formal music that gets overlooked by folks like the Library of Congress and the British Library. http://arcmusic.org/support/record-sale/

One of my favorite holidays of the year. Is anyone going? Anything worth picking up? http://recordstoreday.com/ Flaming Lips - Heady Nuggs Vol 2 is tempting I kinda want Skrillex & Diplo ft Justin Bieber - Where Are You Now? Across The Universe OST. If this was the deluxe edition, I'd be incredibly tempted. As it is, it doesn't have "If I Fell" by Evan Rachel Wood. She got better at singing as the filming progressed, or she was autotuned, or both, but I much prefer her version in the movie to the Beatles' version. Monster a Go-Go Volume 1. A friend of mine would go nuts over this, and there are only 1000 copies, so if I find it, may grab it for him. …

If it's time to spring ahead, it's time for SXSW. I'm getting an early start at listening to the featured bands on their YouTube channel.

Just found out Cassette Store Day is coming up October 17th. Who's participating? http://cassettestoreday.com/ [For those wondering National Eight-Track Day was April 11]

So, I have accumulated a good amount of Opera over the years and have decided to take a systematic approach to listening through it. Some of the stuff has decent libretti and notes included, but I am looking for some additional external sources. I definitely would like a compendium that includes English translations, as I have a lot of Euro releases without any English, but also looking for reviews of performances and what not. Any recommendations of some things I can grab on Amazon? My goal is to do headphone (audio-only) listen-through and then BluRay / move theater / live and then back to a speaker rig (audio-only, probably) over say the next 3 years.

I know from posts in the Listening thread there are members that still subscribe to B&W's Society of Sound, but it's been many years since it's been discussed and a few since an album has been released I cared much about (to be fair that's coupled with the raise of streaming services). Anyway, my subscription is about to expire and curious if others are still excited about their 24-bit releases?

Desktop experience very iffy due to the anvil of iTunes integration but mobile looks pretty good. Sound quality not so great to my ear?

I'm a huge fan. Own every one old and new, vinyl and CD. But the more I listen to "Back on Top" can't stop thinking to me its the the best record hes made. That's among 5-6 killers. If your out and about and see the CD used, grab it! The slow ballads are freaking killer. Listening now, track 5, when the leaves come falling down. GREAT MUSIC!!

I need help identifying a song in Cheech & Chongs next movie. When Chong and Red (Cheech) leave the record store and jump in the Jag driven by Gloria (Riki Marin) it pulls into the driveway of a nice mansion. What is the song that is playing in the car when it pulls in?

SXSW is happening next week (along with the beginning of the F1 season!) and considering how freakin many great sounds will be happening there, NPR has done us a fantastic service and given us a sampler of what to keep any ear open for. (Full disclosure, I haven't actually listened to this but I plan to soon) http://apps.npr.org/austin/

I've been getting some free concerts (streaming, not download) from Qello, and I know there's at least one other Styx fan (Mikey?) so thought I'd share -- doesn't even require signing up (they're trying to promote the snot out of it, so they're actually releasing some entirely for free. Styx Peter Gabriel If you follow them on Facebook, there are others -- Michael McDonald doing Motown, Waylon Jennings being Waylon Jennings, etc. Highly recommended. Feel free to share other services. What you got? There was a place in Amsterdam that used to stream every show they ever had come through their doors, saw The Gathering perform the entirety of Black Li…