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Favorite Audio Equipment (Headphones, Speakers, and Record Player)
When it comes to audio equipment my recommendation has always been to do your research, know what you’re looking for, know your budget, and then try and go test things out before making a purchase. People like different sounds in their music and I don’t think there’s a tried and true “best” out there for anyone. Some people prefer a more natural and accurate sound in their headphones, others actively are searching for a heavier bass sound. Only you will know which you prefer and how a specific set of headphones will sit on your ears and feel after a few hours of listening.
This list is what I consider my favorite audio equipment. This is based off of my personal judgment of sound accuracy, comfort, and relative price. I do not have the budget for or buy “audiophile” level audio equipment, but I do try and find what sounds the best to me, for the best price. If you’re looking for an in-depth review of a bunch of headphones in all price ranges, I recommend reading Steve Guttenberg and Marco Arment’s reviews. There are also recommendations at The Wirecutter and various internet forums that are far more in-depth.
Read More “Favorite Audio Equipment (Headphones, Speakers, and Record Player)”Favorite Books
Trying to keep track of my “favorite” books is next to impossible. However, this is a quick list of books that I would put into that category. It’s nowhere near complete. You can follow me on Goodreads for a running list and ratings of the books I read.
Read More “Favorite Books”Just Dive In (Episode 112)
On this week’s episode of Encore we look at the best stretches of three or more songs in albums, our preference of albums over playlists, bands going on hiatus, and if the internet has gotten more hostile lately. We then move into discussing the passing of David Bowie and how to get started on his massive catalog. The podcast ends with us talking about the new Kanye West song and Nielsen’s 2015 report (and of course a little Star Wars thrown in).
Sound of Sirens (Episode 111)
Welp, here we are with the first episode of this year’s Encore podcast. This week finds us giving a little follow-up on our past two episodes (Star Wars and End of the Year Lists), before diving into questions about albums we’re looking forward to in 2016, music predictions, the meaning of “production,” and what 10 year tours we’d like to see. We finish the episode giving our first impressions of the new Brian Fallon album, Painkillers, and talk about the new Kanye West song, and the possibilities for Green Day making a comeback this year.
AbsolutePunk.net’s Top Albums of 2015
This best of list was put together by the AbsolutePunk.net staff in 2015. It used an old system for ranking albums, but has been brought over to Chorus.fm for posterity.
Read More “AbsolutePunk.net’s Top Albums of 2015”Best of 2015 (Episode 110)
We hope everyone is having a great New Year’s eve – probably playing a lot of Death Cab for Cutie, right? This is officially the last episode of the Encore podcast for 2015. This week Thomas and I look at our favorite albums that came out during the year, discuss how we picked them, why we picked them, where we put them, and then also talk a little about other “favorites” in the year (movies, TV shows, etc.). I’d like to wish everyone a happy end of the year – stay safe out there! – and say thank you to everyone that checked out the podcast this year.
The Force Awakens (Episode 109)
With the holiday weekend coming up we wanted to make sure you had enough time to download this week’s episode of the Encore podcast early! So, we’re coming at you today. That way you can download the episode for any long flights, drives, or just needing a way to drown out some drunk relative. This week’s episode, as promised, is actually a special edition episode all about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It contains many, many, many spoilers. So, do not listen to this podcast if you haven’t seen the movie yet! We basically run down every character, every plot point, and discuss what we liked, why, what we didn’t like, what didn’t quite work, and if our expectations were met and what we think this means for the franchise going forward. Both Thomas and I would like to wish everyone a happy holidays and a warm thank you for listening to us each week. You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.
You Don’t Want Demoitis (Episode 108)
Today’s episode of Encore looks at the lead up to Star Wars (of course), before looking at this week’s topics: Brian Fallon’s new song, The 1975’s new song, Paramore losing a member, Cartel releasing an acoustic album, The Starting Line releasing a new song, and some weirdness in the Bad Timing Records camp related to Bonfires. You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.
Very Bowl of You (Episode 107)
This week’s episode of Encore has Thomas working in as many puns as possible to the show now. On this week’s episode we talk about the idea of banning cell-phones from shows using a new service called Yondr, our thoughts on the new versions of Brand New’s Leaked Demos 2006 (Note: This was recorded before #nobodymovesgate), speculation on why Sal Villanueva never produced more albums, Mailbox shutting down and what our email solution will be going forward, the semi-return of Set Your Goals, and Facebook selling concert tickets. There’s (of course) some basketball and Star Wars talk peppered throughout. You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.
Review: Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams
A year and a half ago, Coldplay released their best record. Let me stop you before you start trying to figure out how that warped timeline can get you back to 2008’s Viva la Vida or 2002’s A Rush of Blood to the Head. Sure, those records had big world-beating singles and a lot of ambition, but as an album, nothing in this band’s catalog touches Ghost Stories. A stark, spectral disc about a Chris Martin’s broken heart, Ghost Stories was great precisely because it played so against type for Coldplay. These guys were supposed to be stadium rockers! Where were the hooks? Where was the celebration? Where was the consummate hugeness that they’d been leveling up gradually for a decade? For most of their history, Coldplay have been a band about you and we, not a band about me. But on Ghost Stories, the key line was “Tell me you love me, if you don’t then lie.” It wasn’t a record that was meant for communal gatherings in stadiums or arenas; hell, it didn’t even sound like a record that was supposed to escape Chris Martin’s heartbroken, insomniac brain, so personal and intimate was the music within.
Read More “Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams”Never Ending Mashed Potatoes (Episode 106)
After a wonderful little holiday break, Encore is back with an episode spanning everything that’s happened over the past two weeks. We talk about our Thanksgivings, real vs fake Christmas trees, Adele flat out destroying sales records, Foo Fighters releasing a surprise EP, Thrice recording a new album, Brand New releasing their leaked demos on tape and the story about the first time I heard them, the rumor that Apple will kill the 3.5mm audio port, and all sorts of other goodness peppered throughout. You’ll find show notes, ways to subscribe, and links to stream and/or downloaded this episode in the replies.
Stream Punchline’s New Album ‘Thrilled’
After being gone for over three years, Punchline are back with their new album Thrilled. From classic pop-punk jams to contemporary pop tunes, from electronic flourishes to indie influences, this is the ever-evolving group’s most eclectic effort yet. The album drops on Friday, December 4th via InVogue Records. Stream it by clicking read more.
Interview: William Beckett of The Academy Is…
I recently spoke with William Beckett. The Academy Is… have recently just gotten back together for RIOT Fest and are now ready to kick off their Ten Year Anniversary tour of Almost Here.
Was coming together for RIOT Fest the only reason the band started to talk again, or was it something that was in the back of your mind?
Well; RIOT Fest was always a bucket list goal being from the Chicago area. It’s potentially our favorite festival and I’m not sure if our band was cool enough to get it in the past. But the offer came up and we all got on the phone; Adam, Mike, and I, and we discussed it. The consensus was we really want to do this for the right reasons. Our tour with Jack’s Mannequin, we cancelled and that was not the ideal circumstance. When the RIOT Fest email came in we talked it over and always wanted to, it was like a festival in Chicago, where were celebrating Almost Here ten year anniversary and it just felt right.
Read More “William Beckett of The Academy Is…”Review: Adele – 25
Here’s a monster of an unenviable task: following up an album that sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, spawned multiple ubiquitous singles, won a truckload of Grammys, spent 24 nonconsecutive weeks at number one, and was labeled by Billboard as “the Greatest Album of All Time”—whatever that means. Adele’s 21 was the kind of phenomenon that doesn’t happen in the music world anymore. Albums are obsolete for the average listener, right? Digital track sales are plummeting? Monoculture is dead? Adele defied every expectation and turned her sophomore album into a cultural sensation that was probably as close as our generation will ever get to having a Thriller. No wonder the British songstress took the better part of five years to drop the follow-up.
Unsurprisingly, 25 has arrived to endless comparisons to its predecessor—many of them unflattering. The reviews are mixed, and while the album will undoubtedly be a juggernaut that breaks sales records and single-handedly keeps the record business on life support for another few years, it’s already pretty clear that 25 is not going to have the legacy of adoration that its world-beating predecessor did.
Read More “Adele – 25”