Archive for February, 2010

I’m New Here: Gil Scott-Heron

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

There is a proper procedure for taking advantage of any investment.
Music, for example. Buying music is an investment.
To get the maximum you must

LISTEN TO IT FOR THE FIRST TIME UNDER OPTIMUM CONDITIONS

Not in your car or on a portable player through a headset.
Take it home.
Get rid of all distractions, (even her or him)
Turn off your cell phone.
Turn off everything that rings or beeps or rattles or whistles.
Make yourself comfortable.
Play your LP.
LISTEN all the way through.
Think about what you got.
Think about who would appreciate this investment.
Decide if there is someone to share this with.
Turn it on again.
Enjoy Yourself.

Gil Scott-Heron
Photo-of-Gil-Scott-Heron-001

Freak Folk!

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

It took awhile but the UK Factory Tours Page is up. Check it out!

Snowing in Austin!

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

26781_1367820997721_1297573855_1099051_841709_nIt’s weird to look outside and see it dumping in Texas! All we need are a few weeks of this and some mountains! I still have my skis!

Victory Grill gets Historical Marker!

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Unknown

During World War II, segregation prevented African American servicemen from enjoying most civilian restaurants and recreational facilities. In an effort to address this issue, Austin civic leaders urged the city to provide recreational sites for servicemen on leave from military posts. By war’s end, African American servicemen had added but limited “R&R” sites in Austin. Johnny Holmes responded to this need when he opened the original Victory Grill on VJ day (Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 16, 1945) in a converted icehouse on east 11th street. Holmes created a venue in east Austin that provided returning African American servicemen with both an accessible dining establishment and blues and jazz entertainment.
Victory Grill Website

KUDOS X2 In the house!

Friday, February 12th, 2010

DHL came by today with the new Kudos X2 loudspeakers! (breaking them in with some Radio Birdman as I write this) The small floor standing X2’s along with the Naim Uniti, are a simple solution to covering all your bases. The X2 are $2495 a pair. Something this small shouldn’t sound this big! Come have a listen!

Kudos C-10 and X2  ROCK!

New York New York!

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Scroll over pics for info…
Brooklyn L Train
"Saw you at Rudy's, you were very high YOU WERE HIGH" Steely Dan (Black Cow)   Hell's Kitchen
Donna in the Brooklyn Navy Yard
DeVore Fidelity
Monkeyhaus!!!!  Time to rage!
John DeVore in the sweet floating demo room inside his factory
Part of John's collection of vintage Hi-Fi goodness!
Freaking out on how killer a 78 can sound
Herb Reichert one of the few good audio reviewers.  I miss Listener!!
In Living Stereo's Steve Mishoe & Jonathan Halpern of Tone Imports
Hank Williams 78 on the Shindo / Garrard 301, EMT mono cart... W O W ! I didn't know a 78 possessed so much info. in those moldy oldie grooves
SCHWIIIING... Did I mention the beer was a flowin'?
David Wang of Trippy Amp fame.  He graciously drove me back to our friends house somewhere in Brooklyn.  I owe him one!
Shindo all the way baby!
Box Furniture.  Tony makes all DeVore speaker cabinets and their own excellent line of Hi-Fi shelves.  Located right next door to DeVore
Acoustic Plan Transformer MagAmp.  $18,500.  Ferrari in a little blue box...
I wish it was hooked up!
I couldn't resist.. The beers were kicking in... real good!
Easily the best shop on the East Coast!
Inside ILS, Well Tempered Amadeus, Shindo 300B amps, 47 Labs and the Tannoy Kensingtons.
joe Strummer Memorial Mural in East Village across Tompkins Park from Bird's house.
Charlie Parker's house, East Village
Strawberry Fields, Central Park
The Dakota were John Lennon lived.  Yoko still does.
I picked up a couple records at Good Records.  Sweet shop!
Back of a van, Lower East Side
Tim Burton Exhibit, MOMA
MOMA... Max Ernst?  Can't Remember...
On a roof in Brooklyn with some Graf
$15 Pastrami sandwiches!  Worth it!
Inside the former CBGB's, Now a overpriced clothing store selling $5 records for $95... so sad... I decided to leave a sticker for good luck.
McSorley's.  Oldest pub in NY! East Village
They serve you two beers at a time.  Nice!
Are the urinals there sweet or what?  For some reason they had a modern one on the opposite wall.  Who uses it when you have these bad boys!?
Some kid playing handball with a "Keep Austin Weird" shirt.
Little bronze people in the subway. 8th Ave.
Charlie Parker's club
My wife and I hit the Russian Baths to de-tox from the insane amounts of booze we were consuming. It worked!

A great set of Monkeyhaus pics