Twittering Machines

But why just American homes. Why not all homes. Come to think of it, why just homes.
I want to see phonographs everywhere. I’m certain everthing would be better.

Last Exit
Cassette Recordings 87

Of Last Exit’s 7 releases, only one – Iron Fist – is a studio record. Everything else is very live. Cassette Recordings 87 from ’87 recorded in Copenhagen and Allentown, PA on cassette is another sonic blister-er and may be a tad funnier than their first. Falling into blues riffs coming across here as a knowing wink but just momentarily until someone, usually Peter Brotzmann or Sonny Sharrock rip the roof off over the top of the bedrock Ronald Shannon Jackson and Bill Laswell pound and pour out.

I feel like I’ve written about Last Exit more than I have but I haven’t. Everything they did you want (Stephen).

Who do you think thought up the titles?

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Houndog
S/T

Houndog is David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Mike Halby of Canned Heat and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Together they make some of the most low-down, low-fi, crawlin nearly dyin king snake blues this side of your favorite Howlin Wolf single played at 33 1/3. Halby’s voice goes from a guttural growl to a sleepy snarl accompanied by Hildago’s fuzzy, reverb-soaked tremolo’d guitar, electric violin and other various and sundry stomps.  Released in 1999 on Sony (go figure) on CD only (see below). The story goes after hearing this Bonny Rait said “This is great! But is he gonna be all right?”

I was reminded of this gem from the excellent feature on The Guardian where “artists reveal their favourite records”. This one was from Tom Waits writes about his 20 most cherished albums of all time (thanks for the heads up on this one Stephen!). Here’s a tasty Waits morsel on Houndog:

… the whole record is a dusty road. Dark and burnished and mostly unfurnished. Superb texture and reverb. Lo fi and its highest level. Songs of depth and atmosphere. It ain’t nothin’ but a…

And Now for the New Feature

OK so it’s really a just new Category – “Wannabe LPs” which seems self-explanatory and Houndog as good a place as any to start.

(January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010)

I was born in Chicago in 1949. I was a skinny feminine nerdy kid that couldn’t sit still. I didn’t talk. I was a ‘rocker’. I called it “bouncing”. Whenever I sat in a chair, I rocked back-and-forth. My parents were embarrassed and none of the kids wanted to be near me. I felt like an alien. That is the bad news.

The good news is; by the time I was ten, the simple singular processes of enjoying music, of buying and playing records, and talking to people about my musical discoveries had made it possible for me to have a few cool friends. Sort of like Ghost World. Playing LPs helped me go from nobody to play with to hanging with the Marko brothers to traveling all over the world.

I bought my first record in 1957. It was an LP by Elvis, entitled, “Loving You”. I would sit in the dark in my living room and bounce on the sofa, dreaming of going to school with a skinny white belt and my collar up. When the teacher told me to stop rocking; I’d jump up, pull out my guitar and shout, “I’ll show you rocking!” Then I’d be Elvis.

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Monkeyhaus turned one today, I raise a glass. I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon this thing–I suppose I owe a great deal to little Leo, for kicking me out of my own livingroom and forcing me to finish a listening room project started eight years ago. The room was built as a tool, and as a shelter from the bombast that the factory will often hurl.

The first Monkeyhaus event formed fairly organically, friends gathering together to listen to music. A fairly neutral territory, big enough for everyone. Yet professional or just important enough to warrant repeat visits and special occasion whisky, cigars, LPs, even master tapes. Open doors and friendly, but also a sense of truly belonging, membership, family.
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Nico
The Marble Index

Recorded 1968, released 1969 Nico’s The Marble Index is the archetype siren song LP. Nico belts out some incessant medieval carny-nightmare lullaby music on harmonium as she sings with a voice as lovely as it is melancholy, cold  and seductive. John Cale arranged Nico’s words and music on this her 2nd post-Velvet Underground LP.

I don’t know why I haven’t thought about The Marble Index sooner especially in light of my fairly recent Zola Jesus fixation and Marlene Dietrich references (probably because this record is so difficult to listen to I don’t listen to or even think about it too often).  Here’s a nice quote from Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian:

“The Marble Index is a remarkable record, one with the annihilating beauty of a late Rothko painting”

A truly beautifully haunting record – sparse, saturated and throbbing with a blood-stained inner glow. Makes Nick’s scary piano music sound like nursery rhymes.

If you were to perform a Google search on “michael lavorgna” (I know, why would you) you’d find a multitude of search results relating to the first Sony Playstation (model SCPH-1001). Of all the things I’ve written about that can be found on the www, how did it come to pass that a thing I barely mentioned in an August 2006 review of loudspeakers “especially when coupled with an original Sony Playstation…” has become my most relevant and frequently related Key Word, not to mention fodder for my harshest critics?

There are a few reasons – Google (since they’ve redefined relevance), other writer’s reviews that mention me by name and most important of all those audiophiles who spend an inordinate (unhealthy?) amount of time on hi-fi forums writing about and quoting what other people wrote. I’s this latter group that picked up on Gary Krakow’s article on the Sony Playstation on the MSNBC website way back in November 2006 and turned it viral. Gary was kind enough to credit me with helping him on his Playstation journey. He also refers to me as an “audio guru” which is the hi-fi forum equivalent of the playground taped-to-your-back “kick me” sign. Here’s my favorite quote from the thousands of forum posts Gary’s article generated: “Oh, my dear God…”

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From the About Stereomojo page – “…Neither will we deal with ultra-luxury components whose prices resemble phone numbers. We believe those appeal to a limited number of extreme audiophiles who are willing and able to spend outrageous sums for small incremental improvements. We think hi-end sound need not cost as much as a house.”

Now it’s on to Vegas…

“Also, in response to our readers, we particularly sought out those companies that make less expensive products…We do listen to our readers!…Please note that, despite what other publications may say, it is nigh impossible to do critical and accurate sound evaluations at shows like this…”

“The room was crowded with several people standing outside the door, peering in as if something cool was happening. When they saw our Stereomojo badges, they eventually ushered Darby to the center chair…

“We’re not even going to try to describe the sound. All we can say is that this was not just the best sound at this show, it was the best sound at ANY show we’ve EVER heard. In fact, we can state that it’s the best stereo reproduction we have ever heard…period. And that friends, is saying a lot.”

images courtesy Stereomojo

“Usually we go home and cogitate on our Best of Show Awards, but this experience was so compelling that we told Jonathan Tinn that he and DarTzeel had just won our overall Best Sound at Show Award for 2010.”

darTZeel NHB-458 monoblocks = $135,000/pair
darTZeel NHB-18 NS reference preamplifier with MC phono section = $29,000
System price = $233,595

“I hate cogitating!” Mojo Jojo

…I might not suck at.

Quiz: Bob and ______ ?
(hint – there’s 1 other muy famoso persona)

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