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Arturo Perez Reverte - Not a weak book among any of his I've read, though the transalations vary in quality. Martin Cruz Smith - Another author whose output is remarkably consistant in a genre that rarely is. Robert Harris - Historical fiction at its finest. Richard Laymon - The most prolific dead author I've ever heard of, but his books are guaranteed to be fast and fun. Dougles Preston & Lincoln Child - With characters connected through any and all of their books, it's alway fun to see who pops up. Iain Pears - Historical fiction or the Rome Art Theft Squad series are always enjoyable. Stepen King - I don't feel I need to qualify this one at all... Max Barry - Corporate and cultural satire that's often laugh-out-loud funny. Dan Simmons - Can't get into his fantasy stuff, but the rest of it, especailly Summer of Night, is great. Matthew Pearl - Wasn't sure the debut could be matched, but after two great historical novels, I'm hooked. Mark Z. Danielewski - Sure, there's only House of Leaves, but I can't wait to see what might be next. Elizabeth Kostova - Another one with only one book out there, but The Historian was very engaging. Unfortunately I read she wrote it over 10 years, so I'm guessing a follow-up isn't right around the corner. Many of the hardcovers and all of the paperbacks are 2-deep, as well...

I used to buy a lot of books, but I've gotten better lately. As a rule, I prefer owning to borrowing from a library. But there are a number of books I've bought that I've realized I will never revisit, so I've definitely scaled back my buying. There are definitely a few authors whose releases I'll buy with no questions asked, and if something is strongly recommended by a friend whose opinion I trust, I'll often give that a go. Occasionally I'll pick something up on a whim, but that's been happening less and less. Some of it is that my bookcase is pretty full, so I'd probably need to thin the collection before adding much more to it. But I do love it when someone gets me a GC for B&N for a gift... Guilt-free spending is always so much fun!

I really enjoyed both, and I think it's kind of a shame they came out so close to one another. I think it hurt both of their chances at being really successful. "Oh yeah, another 'magic' movie." While "The Prestige" was obviously more ambitious, there's definitely an understated charm to "The Illusionist." I also thought David Bowie was great in "The Prestige." I didn't even realize it was him the first time I watched it. And if you're talking about Biel & Johansson, don't forget Piper Perabo in "The Prestige!" Mmmmmm, Piper...

I got to 222 before it was time for bed.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and Purina One Healthy Weight Management cat food for Koshka & Zoe.

Pretty much the Unter Null catalog... The Failure Epiphany Sick Fuck EP Sacrament EP Absolution EP It's all sorts of fucked up, and I like it!

All I know is that the Pumpkins new bass player is cute as hell!

What can I say? I like what I like, and I definitely gush about what I like! I really enjoyed putting together some thoughts on each album. While I could've been a little more critical about some of them, that would've been considerably less fun. And if something connects with me for whatever reason, I tend not to look for the warts. That said, I really can't imagine listening to something that I honestly think deserves a C... If I really think it's average, it's just not worth my time. Thinking back, there are a number of '07 releases I checked out, either through online samples or downloading, that were probably deserving of a C or worse but were purged from my memory and my HD.

I just paid to get my '62 CJ-5 inspected. Wuhoo!

It's leaked... Not out 'til August, so I guess I'm cheating a bit. I am looking forward to the official release. As for seeing Neko, consider me very jealous.

It was actually a lot of fun to put together, even if it did take a while. I was surprised how much new music I had picked up this year. Definitely follow up and let us know what you think of the stuff you pick up.

Considering this is a report card, I guess I'll give out letter grades. And I know... Nothing here is below a B-, meaning I'm easy to please or I've just been lucky so far. But I guess it makes sense, in this day and age when you can try out almost anything before you buy it, that most purchases will be worth it. And the stuff I've tried out that I didn't like didn't get enough attention for me to really give it a grade. Anyway, my report card, alphabetically per grade, descending... A | Catherine Anne Davies - The Piano EP Another haunting collection of songs from Ms. Davies. Nothing groundbreaking here, but the simple and straight-forward songs and her voice create a haunting atmosphere that's difficult to describe but not easily forgotten. A | Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band EP I love "Colleen," and her touring bands contributions to the reworks of "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" and "Cosmia" are welcome additions to her catalog. After listening to the bootleg "Live at Bottletree" so much, I've really grown to love what her band brings to the table. A | The New Pornographers - Challengers I'm admittedly a late-comer to TNP, and only checked them out because I knew Neko Case (who can do no wrong in my eyes) contributes vocals on a number of tracks. And while "Challengers" and "Go Places," the two tracks she sings on are my favorites, the rest of the album is pretty spectacular from start to finish. I'm not familiar with their discography enough to rank it, but from what I've heard, it's another near-flawless release. A | Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero I can understand the issues people have taken with this album... Short on hooks, high on repetition. But to me it's probably strikes the best balance of angst and accessibility of all of the NIN albums. I find it very listenable, with a number of memorable songs. The mood and tone are just right, and as always, the layering of textures and sounds always keeps things interesting. A | Rasputina - Oh Perilous World I'm a huge fan of Melora Crager's Neo-Victorian Chamber Rock, and have loved pretty much everything she's put together. But losing Zoe Keating and the prospect of a concept album had me a little worried. And I have to admit, after the first listen, I was less than impressed. But a few more listens has revealed an album that while less accessible, is just as enjoyable as the rest of their albums. A- | Feist - The Reminder I was a little late to the game on this album. After reading so much praise in so many places, I was hesitant to buy in. But I'm sure glad I did, because this is a great collections of songs. I've since picked up Let It Die, and this has been one of my favorite finds of '07 thus far. A- | Norah Jones - Not Too Late I'm glad she decided to take a chance and contribute more to songwriting. The mood is definitely darker here, and the album is better for it. Not as immediately accessible as her first two albums, but I think it's the strongest of the three. A- | Moonsorrow - V-Havitetty A full-length album with 2 tracks usually screams of pretentious, self-absorbed musicians whose ambition exceeds their abilities. This is not the case on this album... Not at all. The 2 tracks actually feel like 4, and the balance of folk metal, viking metal and black metal make for an amazing musical journey. I think I still prefer Verisakeet, if only for "Jotunheim," but V-Havitetty is stunning. A- | Tristania - Illumination To my ears, this is their best album since Widow's Weeds. I know World of Glass is often referred to as their best, but it never did much for me. Illumination is pretty straight forward, but they have the best post-Morten male vocals and it's probably the best Vibke has ever sounded... Which will only make me miss her more. A- | Virgin Black - Requiem - Mezzo Forte While I've enjoyed parts of their previous albums, this is their first release that really works for me as a whole. The male vocals are much improved, the addition of classical female vocals really fleshes out the sound, and the guitar sound is still to die for. I'm really looking forward to the other two parts of the Requiem project. B+ | Tori Amos - American Doll Posse I really wanted to give this a higher grade. There are some songs on here that are the most enjoyable she's written in ages. But it's a little too uneven to move it up, and after listening to A Piano a lot recently, I realize that just because it's the best she's done in a while doesn't mean it's among the best she's done. Still an enjoyable album, and it gives me hope for what's to come. B+ | Emilie Autumn - Laced/Unlaced While she is a classically-trained violinist, her music has strayed away from that more and more. This double album is an interesting work... The first disc, Laced is a collection of recordings of straight forward violin pieces. Some are your standards you'd expect someone to record, while others are original compositions. Unlaced, however, is the collision of her classical training and the "Victoriandustrial" direction she's exploring. Electric violin, noise, distortion and no vocals makes the 2nd disc a lot to swallow, but there are some very enjoyable moments to be found here. B+ | Kelly Clarkson - My December Yeah, I know... It looks a little out of place on this list. But I'm a big fan of her voice and the stand she took wanting to release songs she co-wrote instead of just continuing to record songs from hit factories. While nothing is as catchy as "Since U Been Gone," and there's definitely nothing that would be considered complex or groundbreaking, it's definitely a well put together album that I've really enjoyed. B+ | Dean & Britta - Back Numbers I don't know how else to describe this album other than just striking me as cool, hip and fun. The lush arrangements and Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham's detached vocals really work well to create an atmosphere I enjoy. B+ | Lumsk - Det Vilde Kor After discovering this band last year, I was really looking forward to hearing what they came up with next. This album sounds little like their first two releases, with no metal influences at all. But what's left is a beautiful folk sound with stunning female vocals. B+ | Swallow The Sun - Hope The balance of the heavy and melodic reminds me a lot of Opeth, as do the clean vocals. However the sound is a bit different, with deeper growls and a sound that's more doom than death metal. The songwriting is great, production is strong and everything sounds just as it should. B | Callisto - Noir What should sound like a pale imitation of Isis really holds its own with a better sense of atmosphere than any of the Isis releases and some interesting choices in instrumentation and song structure keeps you on your toes. B | Patty Griffin - Children Running Through To be honest, this probably deserves a higher grade. I've just been listening to other stuff, and this just hasn't grabbed me like her previous releases. If anything, she's just the victim of her own consistancy, where everything she puts out is great. I'm hoping to spend more time with this soon. B | Sleepytime Gorilla Musuem - In Glorious Times This sounds to me like a pretty big step forward. I enjoyed Grand Opening and Closing, but it's a pretty challenging listen and wasn't something I reached for often. This is much more accessible, and an album I've really been enjoying. B | Maria Taylor - Lynn Teeter Flower This is another album that doesn't have any real flaws, but just hasn't connected with me. I still love her voice, and there are some great tracks on here. But it's another one that's just not the kind of stuff I've been listening to lately. B- | Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55 I really like this album when it's on... Her voice is beautiful, the songs are pleasant enough and there's nothing wrong with it. It's just that other than the chorus of the title track, I've found it kind of forgettable. It strikes me as background music... Excellent background music, but background music none the less. So the B- might be a little tough, but until something from this album really clicks with me, here is where it stays. INC | Blonde Redhead - 23 I really like what I've heard so far, but I'm new to the band and just don't have a good enough feel for what I think of them. INC | Pelican - City of Echoes I'd like to think of myself as a pretty big fan of Australasia and The Fire In Our Throats..., but I haven't listened to this much since picking it up. Knowing how much I've enjoyed their other stuff, I'm looking forward to giving it some more spins. I just haven't been in the mood to listen to it much. I know there's a lot there, but I've really enjoy a lot of great music so far this year. And this isn't even counting some strong '06 albums that I didn't discover until this year. There's defnitely no shortage of great music out there if you're willing to make a bit of an effort looking for it.

I just got Rasputina's new release, Oh Perilous World in the mail yesterday. I got the deluxe double-CD and LP. As always, it's entertaining as hell, and will likely take more than a few listens for Melora's true "vision" to sink in. Damn, I love this band.

My last two purchases have been: Tori Amos - A Piano: The Collection Tori Amos - The Original Bootlegs That's a whole lot of Tori in two purchases!

Well, no audio-related projects, but Nate was a huge help in the wiring part of my current project... Saturday we installed the wiring harness for the whole thing in about 8 hours. Pics are the only way to do the project justice... Starting from last October through this weekend: I still have a few odds and ends to wrap up, but I'm hoping to have it back on the road in another week or two.

Agreed... My favorite classical piece by far.

For anyone who cares, both "Flying Dutchman" and "Sugar" are available on A Piano, as are a number of other worthy b-sides. Before "Playboy Mommy" came around, "Sugar" was my favorite of all her tracks. As for my choice for torturing gear, there are a number of tracks I like to use... Tori Amos - "Doughnut Song" (from Boys for Pele Very well-recorded track that has great dynamics (vocals tend to break up on gear near its limits) and the layering of vocals and textures throughout tend to get lost if something in the chain isn't right. Ivy - "Keep Moving" (from In the Clear) There are a number of aspects of this track that make me use it, but the biggest reason is the bassline... It's very strong and hits a number of notes, and should be pretty constant in volume. It really exposes one-note bass as whichever frequency the headphones can handle is nice and loud and full and the rest sound weak and rolled off. Opeth - "When" (from My Arms, Your Hears) This might surprise anyone familiar with this album because it's often referred to as the worst-produced of their catalog. I actually love the production, and what initially sounded murky and muddled actually a very demanding sound that requires a system that is capable of reproducing the atmosphere and complexity without losing the details. There's a whole assortment of tracks I'll listen to, primarily ones with female vocals. So much of what I lieten to is female-fronted, so any problem in the reproduction of female vocals will really drive me crazy. Many systems I've heard yield either thin and uninvolving female vocals or they sound artificially full and rich. Striking that natural balance seems to be difficult to acheive. I do hate when complex passages get muddled and lose their clarity and impact, but so much of what I've been listening to lately hasn't been that demanding... Even the heavier stuff I listen to is slow. And I've been more about atmosphere and not the details, so I've been far less discerning with my equipment lately, especially when it comes to soundstage. But the one thing I can't handle at all is graininess, harshness or sibilance. My ears are very sensitive to high frequencies, and problems there almost always keep me from being able to enjoy the music. I'd rather have a sound that errs on the side of smooth of accurate than the harsh side of accurate.

Have I been out of the loop, or is it also news that the good doctor's avatar is now preceeded by this:

I think he was talking about the same DAC w/ different transports... transports with different jitter specs. So if the source in question is changed with the same DAC, then yes, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the jitter would be the cause of an audible difference. If that's not what he was saying, my bad...

I love my DA-500 - Lunchbox - HD-600 combo at work. Tough to beat the bang-for-the-buck of that combo. I'd definitely be curious to hear what they came up with for low-z cans, though that's not the route I'm planning on going when its time for the Grados to get a new amp.

Timbaland is the fucking devil incarnate, and I hope he doesn't manage to fuck this up, too.

I finally had a chance to sit down with Nate's Beta22 last night, and this has to be the best SS amp I've ever heard with Grados. The amp is sublime. At no point did I feel it was doing anything to the music, and it just made me grin ear to ear. If you have a chance to hear one, I'd definitely suggest doing so, and maybe you cand find a competent DIYer to build one. The bang-for-the-buck on this amp is incredible, though it's certainly not cheap.

Hey, go easy on the Denon! :'(

When I'm in the right mood, I really enjoy The Grand Opening and Closing, but I haven't heard any of their other stuff. I can only imagine what their live show must be like.

Well, I just figured I'd post a quick follow up... I couldn't be happier with the DA-500. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now at the office, and it sounds great. While it sucks that work's a little slow right now, it's given me a good opportunity to do some more critical listening, even if it's while I'm on the clock. The improvements from the AlienDAC are not subtle, and what's surprising is how big a difference this can make with -vbr .mp3 files. I still haven't hooked the 2nd one up at home because I've been listening so much at work and I'm usually just looking to crash to some TV or a movie when I get home. But at some point I do want to compare it to the updated ALPHA in my Denon universal player. But for now, I seem to do a majority of my listening with the computer at work, and that's where the Denon has really been able to shine. I'll say it again... it's so nice to have that sound signature I know and love with my computer. It seems like a great solution for a mid-fi rig if you can find one, especially at their current going rate.