The Wrestler (Blu-ray), Slumdog Millionaire (Blu-ray), Marley & Me (Blu-ray), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) (Blu-ray), Valkyrie (SD DVD), Frost/Nixon (Blu-ray), Punisher: War Zone (Blu-ray), Sin City (Blu-ray), What Doesn't Kill You (Blu-ray)
Dan Auerbach's new album is called "Keep It Hid." It starts out quietly enough, but anyone that is familiar with Auerbach's work with the Black Keys should know that this wouldn't last. The man is capable of beautiful melody and quiet interludes, but he can groove too and this is best done loudly. All of his most obvious talents are on full display on "Keep It Hid," and the results are intoxicating.
The Sundance festival is very much an industry festival compared to most others that I've attended. Films are selected with the expectation that there will be some interest from film distributer and it seems like most of the attendees are somehow in 'the business'.
This is fantastic stuff. Play the first track, Horace Silver's “Strollin',†and you're immediately catapulted into the bebop past, where movies are as black and white as the album cover. Mostly recorded on April 30, 2001, during the Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette Trio's historic gig in Metropolitan Festival Hall in Tokyo, pianist Keith Jarrett, double bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Jack DeJohnette are in swinging form. Listen to them cut loose for nine minutes on Charlie Parker's “Scrapple from the Apple.†The occasional verbal exclamations are hardly gratuitous â€" these boys are flying. Presumably they were just high on life.
On February 8, 2009, the Pacifica Quartet snared a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance for their Naxos recording of Elliot Carter's first and fifth string quartets. Three days later, I was on the phone, interviewing the quartet second violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson for a series of articles.
The Midnight Meat Train (Blu-ray), Donnie Darko (Blu-ray), Milk (Blu-ray), What Just Happened (Blu-ray), Australia (Blu-ray), JCVD (Blu-ray), In the Electric Mist (Blu-ray), The Robe (Blu-ray), Transporter 3 (Blu-ray), Quantum of Solace (Blu-ray)
Neil Young has been making music for well past 40 years now. His catalog is extensive. His disdain for his labels' expectations is legendary. The man was sued by his own company for making records that didn't sound like Neil Young. His live setlists are frequently populated by songs that the casual fan has never heard. His concept albums have been brilliant (see "Tonight's the Night") & confusing (witness "Greendale"). His next release is rumored to be an album about an electric car. I'm serious.
Those of you that follow our show coverage, like CEDIA or CES will know the name Cinepro and its' President and Vice President Michael J. Panicci and Gus Cossifos respectively. Cinepro's dynamic demonstrations are very much talked about during the show. Although many of demonstrations are loud, what sets Cinepro apart is their commitment to playing back at "Dolby Digital Reference Levels", which cannot be done accurately without tons of power. So with their ever increasing “how about another 10dB?†volume adjustments, if Gus & Michael were chefs, they'd be saying BAM as they added more spice!
Builder's Showcase Home featuring Paradigm and other vendors just added......
More from Piero Gabucci.......
Another CES has come and gone. Although attendance was down, some would say that the people who did come really had business to conduct and that the quality of meetings being conducted was of a higher caliber for all manufacturers.
The primary buzz at the show centered on HDTV and the advent of 240 Hz refresh rates from all the majors, Sony, LG, Toshiba and Samsung in their new LCD and plasma sets. The 240 Hz refresh rate is demonstrable in the ability to produce a picture that is clearer and more defined when fast motion objects and very detailed still frames such as a test pattern are panned across the screen. Samsung had an excellent display of three monitors comparing 60, 120 and 240 Hz refresh rates and it is clear this technology works.
So I guess I jumped the gun when I said CES was packed. (For my personal taste, more then 5 people in a room is enough) It was only packed according to who had the latest model of whatever was on display. CES 2009 will definitely show lower numbers of attendees than in the past. But one thing is for sure. Home Theater and the latest electronics have a niche in the economy.
We are taking a different approach on our CES 2009 Show Report. We have asked our team to spend their time on overall impressions of the developments in hometheater and audio technology, take pictures along the way, and identify the best products for our review team over the next few months.
Hancock (Blu-ray), Swing Vote (Blu-ray), The Bourne Trilogy (Blu-ray), The Express (The Ernie Davis Story) (Blu-ray), King Kong (2005) (Blu-ray), Universal Soldier (Blu-ray), My Best Friend's Girl (Blu-ray), Max Payne (Blu-ray), Saw V (Blu-ray), Space Buddies (Blu-ray), Bangkok Dangerous (Blu-ray), Righteous Kill (Blu-ray), Dexter: The First Season (Blu-ray)
The Secrets Best of 2008 Product Awards, featuring the following categories: High End Turntables, High End Complete Turntable Package, Video Switching Technology, Best Wireless Music Transmitter/Receiver, Best High Definition Digital Video Cameras, Best Value Monoblock Power Amplifier, Best Mid-level 7.1 A/V Receiver, Flat Panel Speakers, Best Value Stereo Power Amplifiers, High End Two-Channel Speakers, Best Value 1080p Digital Projectors, Compact Subwoofers, Power Conditioners, Entry Level Turntable, Best Value Speakers, Full Size Subwoofers, Entry Level Bookshelf Speakers, Surround Sound Processors, High End 5.1 Speaker System, Most Innovative Bookshelf Speaker Design.
Gloom is banished with this delightful collection of Leroy Anderson's holiday music. While some dismiss the American composer's achievements as second-rate, there's no question that classics such as “Sleigh Ride†and “Suite of Carols for Brass Choir†speak with irresistible color and sonority.
What is there to say about Bob Dylan that hasn't been said already? His fans pore over his every word, dissect every couplet, and assign their own meaning to an artist that has made a career out of evading definition. Every release is studied and reported upon in chat rooms, barrooms, and living rooms.
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