All I Want For Christmas
"You know what I want for Christmas, mom."
"What?"
"I'm not asking you if you know; I'm telling you that you do know."
"What?"
"What do you mean, 'What'?" You know, right?"
"How would I know?"
"Mom, you always know."
"Not this year, Stephen. This year I don't know. Tell me."
"I don't want to tell you. I want you to just know."
"Stephen, I'm telling you: I. Don't. Know."
"Yes, you do."
"Stephen!"
"Mom!"
"Just tell me, boy."
"Nope."
"That's it."
"What?"
"You're getting socks."
"What?"
"I'm not asking you if you know; I'm telling you that you do know."
"What?"
"What do you mean, 'What'?" You know, right?"
"How would I know?"
"Mom, you always know."
"Not this year, Stephen. This year I don't know. Tell me."
"I don't want to tell you. I want you to just know."
"Stephen, I'm telling you: I. Don't. Know."
"Yes, you do."
"Stephen!"
"Mom!"
"Just tell me, boy."
"Nope."
"That's it."
"What?"
"You're getting socks."
All in Bands
Sometimes, I feel as though I use a lot of words to say nothing at all.
All of the Good Ones
Are taken, yes they are.
This video is just like my life. Sing it, brother.
This video is just like my life. Sing it, brother.
All Schmutzed Up and I Don’t Know Why
It gets extremely cold in my apartment. Each winter, I curse and shiver and seal my windows with plastic and tape. The kitchen is coldest. I place a small electric heater on top of my refrigerator and turn it to high. I can hear the whirring sound from my living room, but it’s not loud enough to disturb my listening.
All Sorts of Awesome
A couple of months ago, I heard an">http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/128092">an interesting segment on NPR about Sam Hillmer's Representing">http://www.myspace.com/representingnyc">Representing NYC project. Hillmer, a NYC school teacher, partners his students with indie-rock musicians to create hip-hop albums. The children are given an opportunity to express themselves and gain real experience in the art of commerce, while the musicians get to contribute to the working-class communities they've recently moved into.
All Tape Guide
Photo: Teen River, a cassette-only label.
I’ve discussed my (apparently controversial) attraction to cassettes. Besides being affordable, fun, pretty, and filled with interesting sounds and art, cassettes provide a direct and meaningful connection between artist and audience: The person releasing cassettes in 2012 is likely doing so out of passion, with a spirit for adventure, perhaps even a with a distaste for modern technologies and conveniences; the person purchasing cassettes in 2012 probably has similar motivations and interests.
I like cassettes. Almarro A205A for Your iPod
Imagine HiFi's Paul Lim redirected my attention to Almarro's cute A205A amplifier in sassy iPod white finish. The price of this amp with iPod input has yet to be determined, but the standard version goes for $800.
Almost Forgetting
Along the Rocky Coast
I was in California last week, spending time with Jon Iverson and working on our “Recommended Components” feature for the April 2010 issue. Jon and Corrina made me feel very much at home, made me feel like a king, made me feel very spoiled and very fortunate. California made me feel very connected to the earth, surrounded me with beauty, reminded me that the most wonderful moments in life are made more beautiful when you’ve got someone to share them with.
Ambidextrous, It Seems
Jon Iverson remembers when Moscode amps came equipped with a diaper. "The instructions," he reminisces, "suggested the listener put it on before firing up the amp for the first time."