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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Gordy Quist, Li’l Cap’n Travis

By Michael Barnes | Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 06:15 PM

Music: Two of my favorite Austin acts are releasing albums month. They couldn’t be more different. … Gordy Quist: Well, he’s all grown up. Quist, one part of the magnificent Band of Heathens, has recorded his first Nashville album, “Here Comes the Flood. The 11 songs deepen his unfeigned Texana with seams of adept arrangements. His songwriting has evolved, too, especially his alluvial lyrics, and this album includes a massive ballad about historical Australia. Quist launches the CD at Momo’s on Friday and Gruene Hall on Saturday. … Li’l Cap’n Travis: Is there a more Austin omnivorous act? Listening to “Twilight on Sometimes Island,” you can detect the Beatles, Beach Boys, progressive country, contempo pop, early rock, all in a cycle of personal songs that shine like the golden sun over Lake Travis. These are savvy musicians who know how to manipulate songs into supple pseudo-memories, as though you’d heard it all before. The Cap’n toasts the release July 7 at the Continental Club and July 21 at the Cactus Cafe.

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Smart advice on HDTV hunt

By Michael Barnes | Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 09:54 AM

Tech: Digital Savant Omar Gallaga has noted our quest for a new TV and offers the following advice (yours, too, is welcome):

“LCD and DLP are still good choices (DLP rear projection has a lot of bang-for-your-buck going), but some think plasma has deeper blacks than LCD. Some opt for a projector setup, but you should only consider that if you can completely block out light in the room, which isn’t convenient for most.

“I’d start by going to A&B TV and just asking some questions there based on your needs. We have a rear-projection 50” Toshiba that we bought about three years ago and has served us well. It’s not as fancy as an LCD or DLP or whatever. But A&B tends to stock higher-end stuff than your Best Buys or Circuit Citys and they have a very good five-year warranty for $99. Most HD devices now have HDMI outputs (HD-DVD players, Blu-Ray, etc.), so make sure you have at least one of those inputs.

“But I’d definitely say — get something that goes up to 1080p resolution and I’d probably stay away from plasma altogether. LCD and DLP seem to be good choices now. And don’t be fooled by how bright the display is in the showroom — they tend to set them a lot brighter than they’re supposed to be. Focus on the image quality itself and saturation of colors/clarity of darks. Even then, if you’re serious about the picture quality and settings, you’ll need to have someone come in and calibrate it a month or so after the picture has settled in. (About $300-$400; we never did it, but serious A/V geeks seem to think it’s an important step.)

“Also, if you don’t have a lot of windows or sunlight in your place, consider an HD projector. You can get a lot more size/bang for your buck if you don’t have a very bright room or have heavy curtains.”

Some sources: Wired, CNET, and AVS forum:

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