Sometimes, musicians come together at a specific moment in time and capture lightning in a pop bottle. Such was the case with Tinted Windows, the unfortunately short-lived post-punk power-pop foursome that came together in 2009 and was comprised of the late, great bassist/composer Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne), guitarist James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins), lead vocalist Taylor Hanson (Hanson), and drummer Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick). In honor of the self-titled album’s 15th anniversary, BMG is releasing Tinted Windows on vinyl for the first time on April 20, 2024, as a Record Store Day Exclusive in a limited edition of 1,800 copies. In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Hanson discussed how rewarding it’s been to finally have Tinted Windows available on vinyl, how the “bliss” of record listening is inevitably intertwined with the vinyl experience, and how the very existence of music helps further the tenets of human connection. . .
Our in-depth AXPONA coverage continues! In today’s installment, AP’s chief product reviewer Ken Micallef shares video footage of as many turntables that he could get on camera, including cool new offerings from the likes of Audio Note, TriangleArt, EMT, MoFi, Garrard, and many, many more. . .
Now that we’ve all pretty much returned to our respective home listening labs after having an exhilarating four-day AXPONA experience at the Schaumburg Convention Center just outside of Chicago last week, we’re ready to do some deeper-dive show coverage here on AP, starting with this Luxman PD-191A turntable and Acoustic Sounds Atlantic 75 listening session combo. . .
AXPONA Day 1 is officially in the books! We’ll have our first full in-depth report up in a day or so, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here are more than a few in-the-room photos to whet your analog whistle, including cool new gear from Luxman, Thorens, Vertere, SAT, and Manley. . .
We are officially on our way to AXPONA, and we’ll be bringing you a number of firsthand reports during and/or after the course of the big show, so stay tuned!
One day closer to AXPONA means we still have time for at least one more product preview, and today’s subject is the noted Lithuanian company Aidas and their Mammoth Gold Tusk Limited Edition cartridge — a.k.a., the Tusk. Read on to see more about this fine-looking and truly limited edition cart. . .
With AXPONA now only just a few days away, we’re continuing onward with our new-gear preview series, right up until we arrive at the show itself. Today, we zero in on some exciting news from the Poland-based company J.Sikora, who have announced the unveiling of the 15th Anniversary Edition of their Standard Max turntable as a “worldwide premiere” at AXPONA. Read on to see what to expect from this limited-edition anniversary table. . .
Continuing with our AXPONA gear preview, we next turn our inquiring eyes and ears toward the Belleson Brilliance phono preamp, a product the company had been developing for a number of years. Read on to see what the Greer, South Carolina-based company known for their high-performance voltage regulators have finally brought to fruition with the Brilliance . . .
With AXPONA a little over a week away, we wanted to get an early jump on looking at some of the cool new products we expect to be checking out firsthand at the show. First up, we’re already quite intrigued by French manufacturer Analog Audio Design’s TP-1000 reel-to-reel player, which is finally making its stateside debut after being introduced in Munich last year. Read on to see all the cool features and specs of the TP-1000. . .
Every now and then, we come across a product that truly defies description — and today’s special featured piece of gear is the ever-loving, AI-living proof. Please welcome the triumphant return of the always estimable Dr. Loof Lirpa, who has given AP exclusive access to his brand-spanking-new Lirpa Labs Noah’s Arc turntable. Read on to see what the M&M team — Mettler and Micallef, that is — think of this one-of-a-kind AAA (as in, absolutely amazing analog) marvel. . .