Puma is Oystein Moen on keyboards and electronics, Stian Westerhus on guitar and electronics, and Gard Nilssen (also of <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/bushmans_revenge_jitterbug/">…’s Revenge</a>) on drums. <i>Half Nelson Courtship</i>, an often unsettling piece of work and one that refuses to be ignored, is the band’s third album, and their first for the excellent <a href="http://www.runegrammofon.com/">Rune Grammofon</a> label.
Each year, while proofing the data which makes up the <i>Stereophile Buyer’s Guide</i>, I come across new and interesting components. At this point in the proofing process, we’re deep into the analog gear, which of course comprises my favorite section of the book. So, while the task can be tedious and draining, it’s fun to discover new products. Here are just a couple that have caught my eye:
Today Klipsch announced the launch of their new Synergy Series loudspeakers. If recent reviews by Wes Phillips (of <a href="http://www.stereophile.com/audaciousaudio/klipsch_palladium_p-39f_louds… $20,000/pair P-39F</a>) and Erick Lichte (of <a href="http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/klipsch_palladium_p-17b_lo… $4000/pair P-17B</a>) can offer any indication of what to expect from this new Synergy line, we are in for a treat.
The September 2010 issue of <i>Stereophile</i> is now on newsstands. The cover shows an extreme close-up of the Audio Research VSi60 integrated amplifier, highlighting its beautiful tubes. I was very impressed by this amplifier’s looks, as well as what I (perhaps fancifully) perceived to be its contributions to a very fine <i>system</i> <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/ssi2009/audio_research_vsi60/">at the 2009 SSI</a>, so I was happy to learn we’d be featuring the VSi60 on our cover.
<a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/moving/">The move</a> is going fairly well. I’m almost completely settled in. I didn’t feel like waiting for the movers, so I just moved myself. Because all Source Interlink employees at 261 Madison Avenue will now be on a single floor, some people lost their private offices. While some are now sharing offices, I took a cubicle. So I no longer have a view onto sunny decks, no redbrick walls, no green trees; the only thing I can see from my seat is a gray cloth partition.
<a href="http://www.audyssey.com/">Audyssey</a>, a company specializing in room equalization technologies (ask <a href="http://www.stereophile.com/musicintheround/music_in_the_round_40/index1…;), has launched a sweepstakes for fans of high-quality sound. There are some cool prizes, including a Marantz NR1601 slimline home theater receiver and an 8GB iPod Touch. To participate, become a fan of Audyssey <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Audyssey">on Facebook</a> and fill out a short questionnaire. For complete details, click <a href="http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/52020">here</a>.
I’m so much more impressed by good, <i>affordable</i> systems than I am by those costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. I find it difficult to concentrate on music when I’m overwhelmed by the high prices of the gear delivering it. Price should never be the most impressive aspect of hi-fi.
For just a few days now I’ve been receiving mysterious e-mails from “Jazz on the Tube.” At first I wondered if they were spam, and I was afraid to click on the links inside. But they all seemed harmless enough: A few kind and thoughtful words, a passion for jazz, a hand held out in friendship, a smile. So I clicked the link and was taken to a simple page with a narrow, white field against a black border and a YouTube video at the center.
Just like me, Belle and Sebastian write about love. The band’s new album is due out here in the States on October 12. It will be mine. You can listen to a clip on <a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/2010/08/16/belle-sebastian-write… Matablog</a>. The song, “I Want the World to Stop,” sounds just as dark and groovy and infectious as you might imagine. I’ve listened to it about 69 times already.
The October issue of <i>Stereophile</i> shipped to press yesterday afternoon. (Hallelujah.) We are already deep into the November issue, while our new editorial assistant, <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/the_young_guy/">Ariel Bitran</a>, is tackling the <i>2011 Buyer’s Guide</i>. In addition to all of that, and on top of the regular stuff, the entire office is in <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/boltz_cd_rack/">the process of moving</a> onto the 6th floor of our 261 Madison Avenue location. Construction crews are tearing down walls and building new cubicles, painters are turning white and gray into blue and cream, movers are carrying tables and desks up flights of stairs. My office is cramped with <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/buried/">boxes</a>, but this time they’re moving boxes.