What makes a CD sound louder than others?

[Snowbunny]

I finally got Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn and when I put it in my CD player at work it just blasted out of the speakers even though the volume was at the same level on the previous CD. Not in a bad way, in a very good way! Is this compression or what? Some CD blare at high volume and some just sound great. Why is this?

This is a gorgeous album for anyone who likes indie-menstrals. Not quite as freaky as some of the other usual suspects like Godspeed. I could even play this as background in the Reading Room.

Packaging sucks, but it looks like the guys packaged these in their spare time at the back of the tour bus. Lots of loose pieces of cardstock and the CD is wedeged into a cardboards sleeve that is obviously not big enough for the disk. The cardboard case is interesting, but looks a little like a digital copy. But you forget all that crap once you turn on the music.

Winter Hymn, etc. is a hit with the critics and I'm sure Davey would love it, but other than than that, its hard to say who around these parts would enjoy it.

I'll talk some more about it once I give it some more listens. First couple of spins sound delicious!

Snowbuns

[Slosh]

Dynamic range = the difference between the softest and loudest sounds and when it's compressed it'll make the whole CD appear to be louder, even though the actual peak loudness is actually the same. Like the recent BSS CD where the cymbal crashes are just as loud as the kick drum. I really wish more engineers would take advantage of CD's potential and let the dynamic range of the master tape alone.

BTW, I just ordered what is supposed to be a great Canadian indie-pop CD yesterday and if it lives up to my expectations I'll send out mystery disc copies

[Finch Platte]

This is a gorgeous album for anyone who likes indie-menstrals. Not quite as freaky as some of the other usual suspects like Godspeed. I could even play this as background in the Reading Room.

Snowbuns

Sounds bloody good!

fp

[Davey.]

BTW, I just ordered what is supposed to be a great Canadian indie-pop CD yesterday and if it lives up to my expectations I'll send out mystery disc copies

Don't worry, I won't try to get back at you for spilling the beans on my British Sea Power mystery disc by telling everyone that yours is the Unicorns. Oops, did I just make a boo boo and let that slip out? Oh well, like who's gonna read this anyway, eh? I'll go back and cross it out so they can't tell what I said. Not sure if I would go into a store and buy a CD by a band named the Unicorns. Oops, I did it again. Thank goodness for the internet, huh?

[Dusty Chalk]

...indie-menstrals...

That is such a great term.

Winter Hymn, etc. is a hit with the critics and I'm sure Davey would love it, but other than than that, its hard to say who around these parts would enjoy it.

Hey now!

PS I like the other two DMST albums better, but that's not to say I don't like this one -- I do, very much.

[Slosh]

Don't worry, I won't try to get back at you for spilling the beans on my British Sea Power

Oh no! What do you know about the beans?

And my disc could be HHH (well, it could!)

Forget it, I don't want to play now!

BTW, I'm now spinning your excellent Califone comp. Gotta get me some of these albums soon.