Words and Photos by Paul Ashby Niecy Blues Exit Simulation (Kranky US) I can’t recall ever calling anything “Album of the Year.” It’s a new thing with me. Although potential competition may have seemed significant, […]
The Crux of the Biscuit: Nelson Pass’s Listening Grist by Paul Ashby Nelson Pass: he of Pass Labs, First Watt, Burning Amp, D.I.Y., Adcom, Threshold, ESS…. Nelson Pass: the guy whose company built the unit […]
I awoke on the morning of April 2 to learn of the passing of Ryuichi Sakamoto. I’m writing this the following evening, still in shock, and feeling sad. And brimming with gratitude for the music […]
While I haven’t written about music for a while, I’ve liked a good many musical things since I last scribbled for this fair outlet in March 2020 (!). Reflections regarding 2022/21’s favored and favorite 2021 […]
by Paul Ashby In 2011, Stars of the Lid founder Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie collaborated with Dustin O’Halloran for a project called A Winged Victory for the Sullen. Its debut album was released on the Kranky […]
Following Heather Woods Broderick I first encountered Heather Woods Broderick on the Broderick and Broderick 10″ EP in 2013. When I heard her harmonize with herself on the second verse of “Let Me Love You […]
Loscil Lifelike Available as a FLAC download I am not one for video games. I bring this up because recent spurious rumors have surfaced that I was, at one point, known to stay up until […]
Thin White Rope As an expatriate of the People’s Republic of Davis, CA [1984-1993], I must first acknowledge the appearance, at least, of a conflict of interest in reviewing these albums. Full disclosure: I saw Thin […]
–by Paul Ashby Steve Tibbets, Life Of (ECM) Steve Tibbetts takes his time between albums. Life Of (Amazon) is the Minnesota guitarist’s first release since 2011’s Natural Causes. Causes was, and remains, a wonderment, even by […]
by Paul Ashby After the piece had been running for about a week, I decided to do a bit of customer research and I went to the park with a translator and asked the old […]
by Paul Ashby It’s okay to feel nostalgia for the period that produced the Beatles’ White Album. (isn’t it?) Or maybe I’m searching for a word other than “nostalgia” — it connotes positive memories. But I […]
Welcome to the evolution. The Occasional Part-Time Audiophile is a new thing. Another experiment. And while it may be new to us, it’s not exactly new. The history of our hobby is as much a story […]
You’ll note that we’re not calling this the Best Albums of 2017. There are plenty of those lists out there, and they are pretty much dominated by this year’s critical darlings with some heavily promoted […]
by Paul Ashby Sometimes I’m vexed by the strangest things. Like this: my unforgivable inattention to the initial release of remarkable albums. Unaccustomed, as I am, to Being Late To The Musical Party– well…I gotta […]
by Paul Ashby In late September Parlophone and Rhino partnered for release of a Tony Visconti-remastered box set of Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy” (and beyond) albums, and the project’s been getting a lot of press — […]
Picking the best audio component of the year is kind of like pondering your ultimate list of girls to ask to the high school prom. There are many very attractive choices, but probably a much […]
By Paul Ashby In 1980 I was working at a Long Beach record store called Music Plus. One day a colleague pulled me aside and flashed a copy of Morton Subotnick’s A Sky Of Cloudless […]
Music. The lifeblood of audiophiles. Or is it? I’ve had this conversation several times with friends, a number of whom have thrown their head back and laughed in derision. “No way,” they snort, “it’s all […]
— by Paul Ashby Janet Feder is from Boulder, Colorado. She’s a songwriter, a singer, and plays a custom-made nylon string baritone guitar. Sometimes she treats the strings with thread and metal objects. Her orbit […]
by Paul Ashby Following founder Edgar Froese’s sudden passing earlier this year, fans new and old are examining, re-examining, and appreciating Tangerine Dream’s catalog. For the newcomer, or those wanting a refresher, there are several […]
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