Scott Dolan

Title track from the Dälek album I got the other day. What a beautiful outro.

Is it functional?

Exactly what I thought when I heard those two albums...

Wasn't all that high in the few things I heard from Death Grips, but haven't heard Shabazz yet. Even though their name has popped up multiple times. Any good starting points for either of those groups?

Having grown up in the 80's, I listened to the original Rap and Hip Hop artists and had absolutely no stomach for any of the more contemporary artists. That was until two days ago when I heard a phenomenal album from a group named clipping. called Splendor & Misery. No average Rap album, it's essentially a space opera about an escaped slave and a sentient ship computer. Discernible beats are mostly absent, but the sounds used really enhance the mood and story. That was so incredible that I stumbled upon another group called Dälek while researching the genre. I picked up their album, Abandoned Language, and it's easily just as good. Anyone else into this genre? Any suggestions?

My phone mostly plays podcasts, about 98% of the time. The only time I use it for music is when I'm cleaning the house and plan to be moving around enough to where any one shelf system isn't going to get it done. Oh! And I use it for music in my truck since I'm not keen on carrying CDs around anymore.

Yes! Right there with you on that one, Paul. It's just as bad as trying to have a conversation and the other person is more intent on watching tv. That's always been a huge pet peeve of mine.

If you think living in NYC is cheaper than living in the country, you've been listening to all the wrong real estate agents. I'd bet your cost of living is at least twice what ours is. And we're not even truly in the country (even though we have nothing but farmland behind us).

Wow... Seriously? I'm thinking a nice home in the country should be in your future...

Rod has a point. I can point specifically to people who ride bicycles around town while wearing earbuds. That is a very dangerous activity that could easily end up being more than just crampy.

Aw, hell. I'm sure we've all gotten something for nothing at some point in our lives. Maybe it wasn't a,fist full of dollars, but something...

Interesting. Monetary value on art! Sounds almost commerce-like.

At least you have your standards.

Are your gigs pro bono?

Are all your gigs pro bono?

According to what you just said, yes. Also, if you're going to use your "sittin' here strummin' my geetar" argument as proof that art is not commerce, fine. We'll compromise and say that art can be either personal, or for commerical gain. But me doing a paint-by-numbers doesn't actually make me an artist. Oh, and jam sessions with friends? Yeah, everybody has to practice to hone their skills. But why are they practicing?

Couldn't agree more, MG. That's why I said earlier, in response to Jim's art vs commerce statement, that art IS commerce. I think there tends to be a little too much high-mindedness, especially in Jazz and its many offshoot genre's, dictating that they are making art. Whereas any mass consumption Pop music is akin to a cheap plastic throaway toy found in the bottom of a box of Cracker Jacks. Wearing the label of starving artist as some kind of badge of honor while sneering at the more successful as imposters who never paid their dues. I find the concept sad, and born from conceit and envy. It's not as those Pop artists are selling a fraudulent product. A pseudo art, as it were. No, they just decided to pursue more fruitful endeavors rather than wallow in the self-flagelation some refer to as "suffering for their art".

Thanks for the explanation, MG. I read what he was saying slightly different, hence my initial confusion to your response.

Right, but that's what you mentioned above when you said an archeologist doesn't throw out his old vinyl just because he found a better format. I disagree. And as far as the want/have/need dynamic, art isn't a need. So it's not art vs commerce, it's art for commerce. I'll continue to be a consumer, but everything will be filtered through my archeologist side. That's involuntary.

So be a pack rat? Even though I own these movies on Blu-ray, I shouldn't throw away my VHS copies? And for what reason, again? Are we truly talking archeology here, or redundancy? I'm fine with being wrong, but I'm not sure where you are coming from? I'm not seeing the connective tissue between my statement and yours. Can you boil it down for me?

How can they be deployed separately? It's not like you can be a consumer in a vacuum. Unless there's a way to wipe all history from your brain as one would wipe a hard drive. Until man figures out a way to do that (and why would they?), then the consumer and the archeologist are destined to remain one and the same.

Ah, OK. I actually do, too. But considering the topic at hand, I thought you were referring to LPs. But, I gotcha now. See, I don't look at it that way. I think the sonics are secondary when it comes to placing a recording in a given "era/age". For example, if I hear Rockabilly, I'm already thinking 1950's. If I hear Psychedelic Rock, I'm thinking 1960's. Now, of course there are contemporary bands playing this music, but I still never associate it with the sonic quality (or lack thereof) of the recording. Is that basically what you're saying? Sure, reverse engineer the sound and make The Soundtrack Of Our Lives sound like they recorded their albums in the 60's. But, you'll still know otherwise, right? Those genres and the artists were a product of their era, not the recording equipment they were able to use. At least in my opinion, anyway. There was a style, a popular modern culture those artist all worked within. I don't know that a modern artist replicate that simply through sonics. Perhaps they could, but I'm not sure if they could fool anyone that was listening intently. There would just be too many other factors, whether it be culture, politics, and/or the many other musical influences that have entered their universe since those styles were popular. I think that's one of the reasons why much of Wynton Marsalis' music seems so watered down to many. Try as he might to simulate '50's and '60's Bop/Post Bop/whatever, there are simply too many factors and influences he's absorbed to allow him to fully place himself in that era/pantheon/whatever...

If 24bit can rival analog in "sonic warmth" then someone is adding harmonics/distortion in the mastering phase.

I don't. Are you saying it sounds older on an LP than it does on a CD?

"The biggest distorter is the LP it­self." -RVG So no, he's not saying he can make records sound better. And Kevin, digital facilitated the loudness wars which have created some really awful sounding music, but the digital realm itself is GREATLY improved over where it once was. Compressed digital has caught up to CD in quality. Do you remember how awful those old 96k MP3's sounded?