Randy Rhodes – “RR” (2011)
Recently, it was the 30th anniversary of Randy Rhodes’ untimely passing. Here is a short instrumental (discovered and released last year) showcasing his phenomenal playing… in rememberance of him.
Twin Berlin with Black Nash and The Suicide Dolls
Live at Cook’s Café, March 23rd
Despite the fact that I hadn’t been to a concert in years, due to the exorbitant prices most large-scale bands command these days, and the fact that there isn’t too much in the way of original local bands in the Waterbury, Conn. area, I took a trip to Cook’s Café in Naugatuck (a place so hidden away that it’s nearly impossible to find) last night to catch recent discovery and newfound friends, The Suicide Dolls, who have a big following in their native city, New London, as well as Northhampton, Mass. (where they’ll be playing this evening). It turned out to be an amazing night of live music – even more than I was expecting. Three bands, and they were all amazing in their own unique way.
Last night was their first time playing in the Waterbury area, and they were guests of a band called Twin Berlin, from Boston, who I had not heard of before and who were celebrating the release of their brand new 3-song EP, There Goes My Virtue.
First on the bill, though, was another band unknown to me – Black Nash. They tore into their opening number, “Guttermouth,” with a tightly controlled intensity that had the small crowd immediately paying attention. Lead singer Peter Sierks, who looks unassuming at first, has an interesting stage presence. His delivery combines the nervous, awkward energy of David Byrne with the Read the rest of this entry »
Owsley Stanley – “Analog vs. Digital”
An undated essay by the late Owsley “Bear” Stanley, sound man and LSD manufacturer for The Grateful Dead and the rest of the 1960s San Francisco counterculture scene. Taken from his website…
We commonly hear the remark that the digital sound on CD’s is inferior, or “inaccurate” to the sound of an analog vinyl LP which is made from a purely analog master tape.
What is said is partially true, the unplayed pressing of a “converted master”, that is, an acetate master cut on a mastering lathe, which is plated and that plating used to press the vinyl, and assuming that the vinyl is first quality virgin material, is very close to the master tape (note the phrase “very close”= not the same). Due to the mechanical reality of the process of making the disc, there are artifacts which aren’t in the original. That said, the real problem rears its ugly head: there isn’t any stylus which can accurately trace the grooves in the plastic record. The cutter uses a stylus which has very sharp corners (not surprising, since its job is to cut the plastic master), and therefore creates a groove which only a like-shaped stylus can trace perfectly. Unfortunately such a shape would simply reform (overcut) the groove into a straight furrow with no audio information remaining after its passing. Read the rest of this entry »
The Beat Patrol 