Calling alternative music audiophiles!

[Charles Darwin]

Didn't watch the whole thing but I do agree with John on Green Day:"They really, really, really f***ing stink!".

[Progger58]

Well, I will play the game.

These are some of the best sounding Alt-Rock recordings I have ever heard:

=> ELECTRELANE - Axes, The Power Out & No Shouts No Calls

=> ANDREW BIRD - Armchair Apocrypha

=> MOONBABIES - The Orange Billboard

=> THE NOTWIS - Neon Golden

=> WAYNE ROBBINS - The Lonesome Sea

[SY]

From Austin, the Capital of Alt: The Lovely Sparrows (they have some nice vinyl- check out Year of the Dog on YouTube).

And, of course, Southpaw Jones, who is alter than alt.

[banginon]

Originally Posted by bleachershane

I've just started myself a blog called "The Alternative Audiophile" and fancied coming on here to see if there's any out there, hi-fi fans into alternative music that is! I personally have never met or talked to one myself, of course they exist but where are they! Show yourselves

I'd love some feedback on the blog, suggestions, things to feature! Anything would be much appreciated to be honest... it's in it's very early stages!

The Alternative Audiophile

Drop by and give me a shout if you have anything nice to say

[Peckerwood]

Not sure exactly what "alternative" music is.

I don't like the term 'alternative' myself, but it's an easy term to use as a starting point to describe NOT chart pop, chart dance, chart R'n'B/Rap etc (the music that has the least appeal to me and which seems to be all 'everyone else' listens to...!)

If that is the definition then most of what I listen to is alternative (by that definition most bands others have mentioned are not alternative because they are or were on the charts) but that still leaves the question what is a true audiophile and am I in fact one of them? I am very particular about what I think sounds good but not sure if that qualifies me as an audiophile or not.

Don't know if this makes any difference or not but I own 7 1/4 inch reel to reel players (not one of which will run at 16 inches per second like I need to play some of the tapes I have) and I love them as much or more than I love turntables and analog media in general. I don't think anybody has made a good cassette deck since the 70s and even then few did. The top or near top of the line Pioneer decks from the 70s are the best ever made IMO. I am talking about the CT-F950 and a couple of others. Not sure if that makes me an audiophile or not. BTW you don't have to use your ears to appreciate that because they have a better frequency response than any other decks according to the specs. If I remember correctly they have a better frequency response than most CD players too. It is true that most CD players will arguably sound better than most cassette decks (because few decks are properly maintained) that you will run across but a Pioneer CT-F950 and one or two other Pioneer model cassette decks that are regularly cleaned (the heads and all other parts that touch the tape) and demagnetized (most are not I admit) and never had tapes played on them that have been played on decks that have not been regularly cleaned and demagnetized do sound better than CD players although they are not quieter. IMO. But quiet and good sound quality are not necessarily the same thing.

Does that make me an audiophile? I know it makes me wrong according to many of you probably. But IMO digital has many advantages but good sound is not one of them. 24 bit 192 Khz sample rate comes the closest to the quality of analog sound but does not equal it. Even if it did you can't put it on a CD anyway. I am aware that recording at that bit rate and sample rate still makes much better quality sound even after downsampling to 16 bit 44.1 KHz to put on a CD than recording at 16 bit 44.1 KHz does. However quiet (not sound quality) is one of the advantages digital has over analog and CDs over records and tape. And when recording, price, ease of use, and flexibility (the amount of possibilities) are too but not sound quality.

Given all of the above am I an audiophile or not? I don't know.

[Peckerwood]

syn08, I like Gang Of Four a lot. Especially the album with Damaged Goods and Ether and all those songs. I can't remember the name of the album. It might be "Entertainment" (the title of the album).

[Peckerwood]

And while my stereo has a replacement value of £20k+ I think valve amps and expensive cables are a total rip off. My room is acoustically treated though.

Charles Darwin, are tube amps a ripoff because they sound the same as SS amps? Or because you prefer the sound of SS amps? I wouldn't think anybody who thinks they sound the same would acoustically treat a room. I can see where somebody who thinks they sound the same or somebody who prefers the sound of SS would think tube amps are a ripoff. I would agree that expensive cables are not any better than any other cables because of the price. But high quality cables are better than low quality cables whether they cost more or less.

Oh and for the record Bad Brains kick butt! They were here last month but I couldn't go. I do not like their regge or whatever you call that kind of music songs at all but their other stuff rocks! One of the greatest punk bands as well as one of the greatest bands period of all time.

[paba]

I can't believe no one has mentioned The The (Matt Johnson) or maybe I missed it in the thread...

Yeah, I'm big on 80's stuff but wish some it was better mastered and recorded now 25 years later that I'm grown up into an audiophile. Seriously, some re-releases so called remastered were just louder.

the problem is most of the original analog tapes have dissolved or the artists to own the rights to their music so a proper remastering (K2HD for example) will never happen for some.

compliments to Depeche Mode for doing SACD... and Dead Can Dance for doing MoFI SACD/CD.

some others I listen too..
cockteau twins
dead can dance
the cure
stone roses
frankie goes to hollywood
anne clark
talk talk
anna domino
omd
new order
trisomie 21
chris and cosey
the art of noise
early sinead o'connor
the housemartins
tears for fears
the sundays
curve
lush
propaganda

to the alternative audiophile blog, you should start list of well recorded good sounding issues.

if music like this or modern equivalents came to hi rez flac then I would move to files and DAC.
What's on hi rez today just doesn't do it for me.. I rather listen to Jazz and World music off a good FM tuner/antenna combo from a station that cares about sound quality and doesn't over process the signal.


cheers
paba

[banginon]

all of your list is good stuff i saw the the at manchester appollo just afer johnny marr joined them they finished with infected it took the roof off. try the fixx phantoms &reach the beach remastered both excellent,also soul coughing terrific bass,just got plants band of joy for xmas superb album, good listening&happy new year!!

[oLjud]

2010 best Alternative album are, according to me, Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise


listen here: youtube