I find myself listening to fewer albums nowadays, and more play list and individual tracks. I used to listen to albums but like video as opposed to just hearing, unless I was working. After Christmas I am going to treat myself to a half decent pair of ear buds of some sort. I use them all day long with my lap top so they never last very long.
What I'm listening to/Watching at the moment
I find myself listening to music on Youtube nowdays, hardly ever listen on vinyl, although that could change. I find myself listening to music on Youtube nowdays, hardly ever listen on vinyl, although that could change. As @dfk41 says, it learns your tastes and offers playlists, I get Leonard Cohen, Dylan, Travelling Wilburys, Floyd, Beefheart and more. I’ve spent a lot of time recently listening to the Grateful Dead, there are lots of live performance vids on Youtube and they were a great live band, once some of those tunes get in my head they stay for weeks. Spent so much time listening to them I adopted the Ice Cream Kid cartoon (symbol of their 1972 european tour) as my avatar.
@DavecUK I completely agree on the autotune - it is massively overused. Loudness has become a real issue. You look at wave forms on modern CDs and they are clipping all over the place. Creates problems on my iPod when going from old CDs to new ones. If I had the time I’d go through and reduce the volume on the newer stuff, but that’s a luxury I do not have.
@Nightrider_1uk Mine is being protected from my 4yo and 18mo! Was meant to be until we had an extension, but the last couple of years have put paid to that for longer than expected. Having a turntable again will be immense.
@Gagaryn If you like Mark Lanegan, have you listened to The Gutter Twins? Only one album - Saturnalia - but brilliant. I saw them at the South Bank year after it was released, so good!
Growing up grunge was the big thing for me being the ‘current’ genre at the time. That was on top on all the classic rock/ motown/ blues/ soul/ jazz. I didn’t get into heavier music until late teens/ early twenties.
Leonard Cohen has been mentioned a couple of times - Popular Problems is my favourite album.
I usually try and stay clear of discussing music as it tends to be a personal subject with everyone having their own tastes, for me that’s usually anything under the very large umbrella of goth. One album I’ve been listening to a lot over the last few months is by Twin Temple https://www.twintemple.com/music (warning — explicit content and self described as Satanic Doo-Wop, so ignore if that’s definitely not your thing).
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PortafilterProcrastinator I completely agree on the autotune - it is massively overused. Loudness has become a real issue. You look at wave forms on modern CDs and they are clipping all over the place. Creates problems on my iPod when going from old CDs to new ones. If I had the time I’d go through and reduce the volume on the newer stuff, but that’s a luxury I do not have.
Ah, don’t even get me started on that, especially dynamic range. Some of those people with the hands on the controls of the sound mixing desks need a good slap, and Radio/TV need a few rules to cover dynamic range.
most movies, the dialogue is very unclear because of the very wide dynamic range used. The explosions make your eardrums bleed and the quieter parts including speech can hardly be heard. You end up turning the volume up and down constantly in some movies. A reduction in dynamic range used would help us all, not only in saving kids hearing, but I would no longer need earplugs in the movie theatre. Movies on TV would be watchable Without fiddling.
I know the adverts want to get noticed, with the Gentlemen we need to talk about Viagra, but not let the entire advert be as loud as the loudest sound your device can produce.
…..dynamic range misuse, another pet peeve of mine.
Oh, also enjoying the Travelling Wilburys and Tom Petty at the moment (Don’t back down, what a great song).
Apologies if everyone already knows or have tried this but some tips to help hear dialogue on your TV
try turning on dynamic range compression in sound settings
try turning on night mode (does much the same thing as above)
if using a 5.1 or 7.1 or other x.x sound system, boost the centre channel (or even better -reduce all channels except the centre)
try lowering bass and/or raising treble.
Some of these might help or might not - sound on a lot of stuff on TV is really poor.
TVs really need a smart way of reducing dynamic range, but without clipping. I can do it with Kodi when playing movies, but unfortunately I’m sensitive to the frame rate issue Kodi has. Too much dynamic range reduction and it can clip. TVs use clear voice and similar to do the same thing. really though, it needs something a lot cleverer. I did read about someone who built an electronic circuit to turn down the volume at the lout points and turn it up during the quiet times/dialogue.
This worked really well…I guess because it emulates what humans do, just much faster……no more waking up to adverts.
One of my favourite British bands below. Great dynamic range on the vinyl version of this release too.
Steven Wilson’s stereo remixes of a few Jethro Tull albums (Thick As Brick & Minstrel In The Gallery) also sound amazing on vinyl in my opinion with good dynamic range (average of 13 on my setup). Could talk for days about poor/good dynamic range in music, especially metal related music. Probably why I am still stuck in 80’s and 90’s death/black/classic metal…a large sum of albums were really well produced, with clear separation of instruments and no distortion. These days a lot of music to me sounds like a distorted mess.
What am I listening to? I’ll tell you what I’m bl***dy well listening to, it’s a Christmas mix cd made by my daughter. It’s been on repeat for the last week and there’s another three or so days to go. Some of the tracks aren’t so bad; Pogues, Slade, even John Lennon (except for the kids wailing in the background, or is it Yoko?) but others are awful, Cliff Richard, Shakin’ Stevens, Chris de Burgh. Arrrgh. There’s no respite, when we go out she puts the disc in the car cd. I’m not usually psychic but I predict that disc is going to have a bad accident sometime in the new year.
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Norvin The Chris De Durgh song, is that the one that sounds like a Eurovision entry "The baalls of Christmas? Similar to the Cliff Richard, let me guess “Muscle Toe and Vine”. Or the rather creepy “Mostly weirdness every one” from that gang leader Shakey.
Norvin It’s the one about the Spaceman came travelling.
The family call me a grumpy old git, they even gave me the tee shirt once, perhaps they have a point.
Oh my goodness…that was a terrible song, they got the idea from the Walking in the air thing with little Aled…and made something horrible instead. I need a grumpy old git Christmas Jumper
Just put the Sam Fender album ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ on to get a break from the Christmas Music.
This Geordie lad is going to go far! Best new music I’ve heard in a very long time. I’m a child of the 80’s and this just takes me back to that time. One hell of a song writer, power, emotion, he’s got the lot. He’s going to go Supernova soon - already started, you heard it here first.
Just been listening to a marvellous blues singer called Kyla Brox. Grew up listening mainly to rock which was influenced by my older brother who listened to Floyd, Purple, Cream etc. My favourite band as a teenager in the 70’s was Be-Bop Deluxe with Bill Nelson writer, lead singer and brilliant axeman. But over the years my taste has grown and I like many different styles and artists. At present my go to is blues. Joe Bonamassa, Larry McCray, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Beth Hart, Walter Trout, Grainne Duffy, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Leslie West ,the list is endless.
But, as it’s Christmas day, there will be the Ratpack, Buble and the like on. In fact, even some of the80’s and 90’s Christmas Classics… Driving home for Christmas by Chris Rea being one of my all time favourites.
Have been binge watching Money Heist during the last 2 weeks. We are on S4, Ep 1. Amazing.
5 days later
We thought Money Heist was brilliant…Well over the top, lots of clever nutty unbelievable ideas, but escapeism at its best.
Waiting for the final season of Ozark with anticipation and at the moment enjoying the new season of Dexter.
Pompeyexile We have another 3 episodes left on season 5. We keep our mind out while watching box sets like this.
DavecUK changed the title to What I'm listening to/Watching at the moment .
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I watched The Silent Sea, Glória and Better than Us, recently. On Netflix. All very good.
Eric Clapton’s The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions,the best sounding album from Eric after Unplugged ’92 :)