LATEST ADDITIONS

“You put the load right on me.” That’s a line from The Band’s seminal 1968 song “The Weight,” which never actually mentions its title by name in the lyrics — but that above-noted key phrase, which serves as the linchpin line of its chorus, could also be the first thought an LP has the moment you put a record weight on top of it for stabilization purposes. (Go with me on this one, folks, and don’t just call me Crazy Chester.) One such manufacturer, Origin Live, have just literally dropped their next record weight, rightly dubbed the Gravity Two. Read on to see the features and specs of the Gravity Two, and how it builds upon the success of its predecessor, the Gravity One. . .

To borrow a line from the late great Oscar Peterson, “We get requests.” What I mean by that is, we here at AP are constantly inundated with album review requests on a daily basis — and while we can’t cover them all (as much as we’d like to!), sometimes, that certain special LP makes it through to our tables and ears, reminding us why we do what we do. Case in point is NYC-based multi-instrumentalist Dawn Drake, who reached out to us via email to see if we would review Nightshade, a self-released LP credited to her full band, Dawn Drake & ZapOte. Read on to see why the worldbeat-meets-funk grooves of Nightshade are worth getting on your turntable ASAP. . .

Nestled in the lowlands of the Netherlands, Grimm Audio has carved out quite a nice niche for itself, one that resonates with precision engineering and well-reviewed sound quality. With that in mind, we were quite eager to get our respective hands on the Grimm Audio PW1 phono preamp. Read Ken Micallef and Mike Mettler’s combo review to see if the PW1 is able to deliver robust and precise handling of instruments and vocals as well as potent bass, and if it can also maintain a balanced tonal and frequency profile. . .

Talking Heads’ 1978 sophomore album More Songs About Buildings and Food — which was released 47 years ago this month on July 14, 1978 — marked the beginning of the burgeoning NYC band’s fertile association with visionary producer/artist Brian Eno. Sire/Rhino’s 4LP super deluxe edition of More Songs About Buildings and Food — which just dropped today, July 25, 2025 — is the latest entry in a much-anticipated series of remastered vinyl and expanded offerings that are being released in conjunction with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Talking Heads’ formation. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this most excellent Food box set belongs on your table — turntable, that is. . .