The Music Thread

[SwampD]

Aretha was somethin' special. She will be missed.

 

On another note, I learned of Steven Wilson from this very thread. He has since become one of my favorite artists and more importantly, one of my influences. I plan on coming back to Buffalo and seeing him on November 27th at the Town Ballroom, then coming back to NJ and seeing him on December 1st at the Starland Ballroom.

I would urge anyone to go see him who is able.

[LTS]

I am going to buying a ticket for Steven Wilson.  He's incredible... one of my favorite's period.

I'm just waiting to see if I am buying two tickets or not.

[That Aud Smell]

21 hours ago, darksabre said:

So sad. But she's a legend. One of the all time greats. I know a lot of people, if you asked them about the quintessential American musician, would say Springsteen, or Elvis, but the truth is that it's Aretha. There is no more American music than soul. 

Amen. The reason Aretha's rendition of so many songs was/is so definitive is because she exalted and dignified the songs with the beauty and virtuosity of her instrument, but then she also brought the sound of the awful wrongs and the imposed sufferings on which the country was undeniably built. She somehow ... fused (?) those elements together.

It's longer than a normal pop song, but ... her recording of Mary, Don't You Weep (which is before she went over to popular music?) is absolutely incredible. Listen to how it builds.

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by That Aud Smell

[darksabre]

Anyone here have a recommendation for some bookshelf speakers? Maybe powered ones with bluetooth connectivity?

I'm struggling to put any faith in online reviews for something that I think is extremely subjective: what sounds good. 

Swamp?

[pi2000]

1 hour ago, darksabre said:

Anyone here have a recommendation for some bookshelf speakers? Maybe powered ones with bluetooth connectivity?

I'm struggling to put any faith in online reviews for something that I think is extremely subjective: what sounds good. 

Swamp?

Seriously tho I have these and they're fantastic....

 Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Active Near-field Studio Monitors - Powered Speakers 2.0 Setup Wooden Enclosure - 66w RMS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016PATXSI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5kmHBbVY8EQF5

[SwampD]

2 hours ago, darksabre said:

Anyone here have a recommendation for some bookshelf speakers? Maybe powered ones with bluetooth connectivity?

I'm struggling to put any faith in online reviews for something that I think is extremely subjective: what sounds good. 

Swamp?

What's your price point?

I'm kind of a snob. Copper just sounds better. The only bluetooth speakers I would get are those Ultimate Ears Boom 2 speakers. I think they sound really good, but that's probably for a different use, like some throw down speakers out on the deck or camping.

I run the gamut here, from a soundbar w/ sub in the family room, to a pair of powered near fields ($1600 each), but I enjoy my garbage picked pioneer speakers powered by a garage sale Marantz receiver ($80) almost as much as anything else.

 

I think those speakers pi posted are intriguing. I'm just not sure a four inch driver is ever going to cut it with me, though. I am a bass player, after all.

[darksabre]

9 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Seriously tho I have these and they're fantastic....

 Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Active Near-field Studio Monitors - Powered Speakers 2.0 Setup Wooden Enclosure - 66w RMS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016PATXSI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5kmHBbVY8EQF5

Lots of glowing reviews out there for the R1700. I'm definitely looking at the Edifier brand/range. 

How would you say they sound? My impression from some review videos is that they're a little more muted on the high end and that the bass can get a little boomy. 

What kind of media are you playing on them? And at what volume? Do you find the EQ adjustments useful? 

8 hours ago, SwampD said:

What's your price point?

I'm kind of a snob. Copper just sounds better. The only bluetooth speakers I would get are those Ultimate Ears Boom 2 speakers. I think they sound really good, but that's probably for a different use, like some throw down speakers out on the deck or camping.

I run the gamut here, from a soundbar w/ sub in the family room, to a pair of powered near fields ($1600 each), but I enjoy my garbage picked pioneer speakers powered by a garage sale Marantz receiver ($80) almost as much as anything else.

 

I think those speakers pi posted are intriguing. I'm just not sure a four inch driver is ever going to cut it with me, though. I am a bass player, after all.

I'm trying to stay around $200. My goal is to get something that sounds better than all those stupid waterproof bluetooth pill things Sony and JBL and Beats are making. Those things seem focused on Bass and lack delicacy in the mids. 

[pi2000]

13 hours ago, darksabre said:

Lots of glowing reviews out there for the R1700. I'm definitely looking at the Edifier brand/range. 

How would you say they sound? My impression from some review videos is that they're a little more muted on the high end and that the bass can get a little boomy. 

What kind of media are you playing on them? And at what volume? Do you find the EQ adjustments useful? 

I'm trying to stay around $200. My goal is to get something that sounds better than all those stupid waterproof bluetooth pill things Sony and JBL and Beats are making. Those things seem focused on Bass and lack delicacy in the mids. 

I'm not a big audiophile and my hearing is a little off as I played in some bands in my late 20's and just getting older (I'll be 46 on Saturday).   

Anyway, I'm just really happy with the sound.   They sound much bigger than they look.    I don't monkey with the EQ too much.    Mostly play Spotify via bluetooth and my kids use them for their video games.     I listen to all kinds of music.     

[ubkev]

Eminem's new album.

He cuts down a bunch of mumbling scrubs that I've never heard of and wish I'd never looked up.

[darksabre]

For anyone interested, Aretha's funeral, which will probably last for many many hours longer than it is planned to, and will feature some solid musical performances, is being live streamed in both audio and video streams in various places. 

I recommend the NPR audio stream. https://www.npr.org/2018/08/29/642607996/how-to-stream-and-fully-appreciate-aretha-franklins-funeral

 

[jsb]

Speakers are so subjective, not only to the listener but what room/enviroment you have them in. I had some speakers I was impressed with in the store but wasn't when I had them at home for 2-3 years. Re-arranged some things at the house and moved them from a carpeted room to a room with hard wood floors and they sound amazing. Same thing happened for me with a sound bar and sub woofer. I'm not sure what's behind the science in this but I just know it was a startling discovery. 

[BagBoy]

My ipod on random mode threw this at me yesterday.  The James Gang (Joe Walsh).  Glorious power trio rock from the 70's!

 

Edited September 1, 2018 by BagBoy

[Weave]

Jame's Gang was awesome.

[MODO Hockey]

For us that are born in the hairband years !

 

 

[inkman]

On 8/31/2018 at 4:01 AM, ubkev said:

Eminem's new album.

He cuts down a bunch of mumbling scrubs that I've never heard of and wish I'd never looked up.

I got no use for Eminem in 2018

[WildCard]

On 8/31/2018 at 4:01 AM, ubkev said:

Eminem's new album.

He cuts down a bunch of mumbling scrubs that I've never heard of and wish I'd never looked up.

 

8 minutes ago, inkman said:

I got no use for Eminem in 2018

He's been awful for awhile now. Stuff all sounds the same, has no identity, just flips between trying too hard to be old Eminem and then some weird new version he has; both are sht

[ubkev]

5 hours ago, inkman said:

I got no use for Eminem in 2018

Yeah, basically

5 hours ago, WildCard said:

 

He's been awful for awhile now. Stuff all sounds the same, has no identity, just flips between trying too hard to be old Eminem and then some weird new version he has; both are sht

He has had a song or 2 here and there but hasn't released a complete album since Encore.

[ubkev]

Someone named Machine Gun Kelly just released an Eminem diss track called Rap Devil.

... actually, not bad.

NSFW

 

 

But nothing will ever touch this in terms of diss tracks...waaaayyyy NSFW

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by ubkev

[WildCard]

MGK is pretty good. His track is a lot better than anything in Kamikaze 

[inkman]

5 minutes ago, ubkev said:

Someone named Machine Gun Kelly just released an Eminem diss track called Rap Devil.

... actually, not bad.

But nothing will ever touch this in terms of diss tracks...waaaayyyy NSFW

 

My friend Nasir has something to say about that

 

[ubkev]

15 minutes ago, inkman said:

My friend Nasir has something to say about that

 

Nas will always top Jay Z to me. But they're both still top 10 all time. I'm more partial to Ice Cubes flows, but I prefer Gangsta Rap and the late 80's early 90's sounds. I've actually been thinking about my top 10 rappers lately. I'd be curious to hear yours. I'll see if I can make a list...

[inkman]

NWA was my . I always thought Ren had the best flow. Cube did write all the lyrics tho.

 

 

[ubkev]

1: 2Pac - favorite all time. thug poet, but not without his limits
space
space
2: Eminem - did it all without the n-bomb
3: Ice Cube - best lyricist ever!
4: Dr. Dre - 1.5 albums, but damn! Those beats!
5: NWA - groundbreaking, masters of group rap
6: Nas - mix of Pac's writing ability and Cubes rapping ability
7: Jay Z - Pure MC skill and maybe +1 on Dre's entrepreneurial(sp) ability
8: Wu Tang Clan - ain't nothing to f*** with!
9: DMX - Dude was bad! Great flows
10: Snoop Dogg - Such a great sound!
11: Beastie Boys - Come on, everyone loves them, right?
12: Notorious BIG - Deserves it. I'm biased towards the west coast, but the fat man had skills

 

worst rapper ever: Ja Rule!

[WildCard]

Dylan

Dylan

Dylan

Dylan

Dylan

Dylan

Dylan

Dylan

Dylan

He spits hot fire 

 

[ubkev]

5 minutes ago, inkman said:

NWA was my . I always thought Ren had the best flow. Cube did write all the lyrics tho.

 

 

Ren wrote a good deal of the lyrics, but Cube is the one who made Eazy E a rapper. Ren was the main lyricist on 100 Miles And Runnin' and the N*****4 Life albums, which weren't even close to Straight Outta Compton, but they lost one of the most powerful voices in rap. They still weren't bad by any means. I thought Ren was a great collaborator, but he took easy links for rhymes a little too often for me(verse in Straight Outta Compton better compared to F** tha Police).