Posts tagged with "March/April 2010"

GEORGE THOROGOOD

GEORGE THOROGOOD Still rocking, still laughing and still b-b-b-b-bad to the bone Guitarist, singer and songwriter George Thorogood’s raucous brand of bluesy rock ’n’ roll has been steadily satisfying fans for more than three decades through hits like “Bad to the Bone,” “You Talk Too Much” and “Get a Haircut.” Thorogood and his band, the Destroyers, have just returned to the road in support of last year’s The Dirty Dozen, a mix... 

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO A notorious perfectionist tries her hand at keeping it simple She’s sung with MadonnA and John Mellencamp, played bass with the Rolling Stones and Alanis Morissette, but Meshell Ndegeocello’s primary focus has always been her own solo work. Since getting her start playing in go-go bands in Washington, D.C., in the late ’80s, the singer, bassist and bandleader has rolled through pop, soul, funk, jazz and R&B. She made... 

WARREN HAYNES

WARREN HAYNES Gov’t Mule’s fearless leader adapts and survives By Chris Neal If playing in a rock ’n’ roll band is a full-time job, Warren Haynes is successfully holding down three full-time jobs at once. He has fronted his own band, Gov’t Mule, for the last 16 years; he continues to bring his virtuoso lead guitar work to the Allman Brothers Band; and since 2004 he has performed alongside several former members of the Grateful Dead in... 

DON WAS

DON WAS For one of rock’s best-known producers, it all comes down to the song By Howard Massey Don Was insists that the magic touch he brings to his production projects—albums by some of rock’s biggest names, many of which have sold in the multimillions—comes through him, not from him. “It requires lightning to strike in order for something amazing to happen,” he says. “Hopefully, it eventually dawns on you that you’re not the source.” Wherever... 

SLASH

SLASH He’s back with a few new friends—and one very special old one By Chris Neal As recording progressed on Guns N’ Roses’ first album in 1986, the up-and-coming hard-rock band’s lead guitarist was getting anxious. He was OK recording basic tracks with the three guitars he had on hand—a BC Rich and two Jacksons, for the record—but he didn’t feel confident using any of them to lay down his leads. He couldn’t afford to buy a new... 

PETER FRAMPTON

PETER FRAMPTON A charismatic guitar superstar comes alive once again for an unforgettable moment in the mid- to late-1970s, no artist was more ubiquitous than singer and guitar virtuoso Peter Frampton. His 1976 breakthrough solo album, Frampton Comes Alive!, sold six million copies and elevated him to rock superstardom. It also raised expectations that no one could have met. “It was a blessing and a curse,” he acknowledges. Beginning with an... 

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS One of soul’s leading ladies brings the boys back home The master funkateers in the Dap-Kings have earned mainstream attention over the last several years for their work with big-name artists like Amy Winehouse and Jay-Z, but their one true leader is soul singer extraordinaire Sharon Jones. Their new album together as Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, I Learned the Hard Way, is the fourth of their almost decade-long... 

KAKI KING

KAKI KING This “musician’s musician” intends to go where the music takes her Kaki King may be the world’s most reluctant guitar hero. While she has been compared in the press to such fingerstyle giants as Michael Hedges, Alex De Grassi and Leo Kottke, King modestly brushes aside her reputation as a six-string virtuoso. “Critics have been more interested in how I play,” she says, “whereas my fans are more interested in the music I make... 

JAKOB DYLAN

JAKOB DYLAN Chasing new sounds with an old friend Women and Country, the second solo album from Wallflowers frontman Jakob Dylan, came together in the studio within days. But that doesn’t worry him. “I’ve done records that have taken eight months, and I don’t know what happened in all that time,” he says with a laugh. Perhaps credit for that efficiency should go to the crack team of professionals he assembled for the record, including... 

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS Their latest is a “straight-up rock record” with a few unexpected twists Drive-By Truckers’ brand of rock ’n’ roll is characterized by a full-on sonic assault led by a three-person guitar attack in the front ranks. It’s no surprise, therefore, that a guitar-drenched song titled “Drag the Lake Charlie” set the tone for the band’s latest album. “That was the first song we tracked,” says Patterson Hood, singer,... 

TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS

TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS How a lack of inspiration helped at least one band avoid disaster If things had gone as planned, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists would have released a new record last year just weeks before their label at the time folded—which would likely have doomed the album to failure. Fortunately, things didn’t go as planned. “We actually started recording and wound up feeling like it just wasn’t coming together,” Leo says.... 

CYPRESS HILL

CYPRESS HILL The hip-hop pioneers are back in business and ready to rock Cypress Hill didn’t intend to wait so long between albums, but the pioneering Los Angeles rap group had some business to attend to between 2004’s Till Death Do Us Part and the new Rise Up. Among other things, the foursome toured abroad, worked on solo projects, changed management and switched record labels. “We revamped everything, and it took longer than we thought it... 

THE CHIEFTAINS

THE CHIEFTAINS Finding a vivid common ground between Ireland and Mexico The Irish are deservedly proud of their talent for telling tall tales. But even Chieftains founder Paddy Moloney had a hard time believing the story behind his group’s ambitious new album, San Patricio, based on the story of a battalion of Irish expatriates who fought against Americans in the Mexican War. “There’s a Catholic Irishman, John Riley, who came from Galway to... 

JAMIE CULLUM

JAMIE CULLUM In pursuit of diversity, he finds an explosion of creativity You can’t miss the symbolism in the cover of Jamie Cullum’s new CD, The Pursuit, even if you try. In the foreground stands the artist, nattily attired, his facial expression somewhere between anger and mischief. Behind him, occupying roughly two-thirds of the cover’s real estate, is a grand piano in mid-explosion, wood splinters and ivory keys flying through the air with... 

MOSE ALLISON

MOSE ALLISON A jazz and blues veteran changes things up—just a little It makes perfect sense that The Way of the World, Mose Allison’s first new studio album in 12 years, is released on the Anti- label. After all, he has always been an anti- kind of artist: anti-pigeonholing, anti-convention, anti-mainstream. His idiosyncratic songcraft and performance style may have kept Allison from reaching the level of fame enjoyed by many of his peers over... 

ANGELS & AIRWAVES

ANGELS & AIRWAVES Giving away music for free is only part of the plan While the record industry busied itself suing consumers for illegally downloading music, Angels & Airwaves came up with an alternate idea: Give away the songs for free. No strings attached. That’s exactly what the band did with its third album, Love, which the group first made available for download in February. “We felt in our heart that’s the way music is going,”... 

The Doors

The Doors had neither a title nor a cover concept for their upcoming fifth album when they met with photographer Henry Diltz and graphic designer Gary Burden in December 1969. Keyboardist Ray Manzarek mentioned that he and his wife had seen a skid-row establishment in downtown Los Angeles called the Morrison Hotel—which they found amusing, as the group’s singer happened to be named Jim Morrison. Diltz, Burden and the band traveled to the location... 

Sonia & Disappear Fear

Sonia & Disappear Fear A vision of equality and peace fuels a restless musical spirit Sonia Rutstein has never had trouble adapting to her surroundings. She leads the band disappear fear, and also records solo as simply SONiA. She’s gone from operating as a DIY artist to a successful stint with Rounder Records,  then back to managing her own independent record label. And even as she has advocated feminism, gay activism and other expressions... 

GEAR – VOICE OF EXPERIENCE

Getting a great vocal take involves both technical and personal skills “THAT’S A LITTLE OFF-PITCH.” “STAND up straight.” “Don’t cut the phrase here, try it there.” “Remember to breathe!” It actually takes a lot of coaching, encouragement and collaboration to make the most of one’s “natural” instrument. To better understand working with singers in the studio, we consulted Raz Kennedy, who has recorded backing vocals for... 

Kate Miller-Heidke

WHO’S NEXT: KATE MILLER-HEIDKE Kate Miller-Heidke HOMETOWN: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia INFLUENCES: Joni Mitchell, Queen,  Regina Spektor ALBUM: Curiouser, out now WEBSITE: katemillerheidke.com ESTABLISHED AS A POP STAR IN HER NATIVE AUSTRALIA since 2007, singer and keyboardist Kate Miller-Heidke is poised to make a similar splash in the u.s. she recorded Curiouser over more than two months in Los Angeles, collaborating with guitarist... 

Paper Tongues

WHO’S NEXT: PAPER TONGUES Paper Tongues HOMETOWN: Charlotte, N.C. MEMBERS: Aswan North (vocals), Devin Forbes (guitar), Joey Signa (guitar), Cody Blackler (keyboards), Clayton Simon (keyboards), Danny Santell (bass), Jordan Hardee (drums) ALBUM: Self-titled debut out this summer; Ride to California digital EP out now WEBSITE: papertongues.com PAPER TONGUES’ MEMBERS GREW UP IN NORTH Carolina listening to rock, electronica... 

Imelda May

WHO’S NEXT: IMELDA MAY Imelda May HOMETOWN: Dublin, Ireland INFLUENCES: Billie Holiday, Luke Kelly, Gene Vincent ALBUM: Love Tattoo, out now WEBSITE: imeldamay.com MANY WHO TUNED IN DURING JEFF BECK’S TRIBUTE TO the late Les Paul on the Grammy Awards earlier this year found themselves wondering about the identity of the intriguing young woman singing “How High the Moon” alongside the guitar great. Those listeners were getting their fi... 

BOSE L1 COMPACT SYSTEM

One of the most powerful personal monitor/PA systems has become even more portable. The L1 Compact can bump tunes on the street corner and in the boardroom. FOR: Soloists, duos, mobile DJs and public speakers. Transport and setup are much speedier with the L1 Compact than its predecessors, the L1 Model I and Model II. The functionality is simple: two channels equipped with Bose ToneMatch presets tailored to acoustic guitar and handheld mic. NOT FOR: High... 

M-AUDIO SBX10

Pulse-disrupting, sternum-shaking bass! You know you crave it. M-Audio can help. FOR: Enjoying or mixing 2.1 and surround audio. Cleverly designed with a variable crossover and a bypass footswitch, the SBX10 can handle all the bass duties below 200Hz or simply reinforce the rumble beneath 50Hz. For the price (just under $400 at online retailers), it will be hard to find another sub that reaches all the way down to 20Hz. NOT FOR: Plug and play.... 

SIERRA GUITARS SEQUOIA ACOUSTIC DREADNOUGHT

The cedar top and mahogany back and sides project great tone on Sierra Guitars’ SDS43 Sequoia Acoustic Dreadnought. FOR: Acoustic guitarists one and all. The Sequoia has a familiar body shape, a modest price tag and a classic, no-frills design. Attractive natural wood bindings and inlay are the flashiest visual points. We found the tone especially warm and thoroughly loud when called upon. NOT FOR: Plugging in. A reasonable alternative might... 

LEVY’S LEATHERS NO. 1 STRETCH

Even a Les Paul feels light as air when suspended by this resilient rubber and polyester weave. FOR: Lead players with heavy axes. The arm of the fretting hand has more freedom to swivel, because the shoulder and elbow are never fighting to keep the neck up. A subtle bungee-bounce as the strap gives and snaps back is more noticeable as you move up in guitar weight, but even solid body guitars and basses feel buoyant with the No. 1 Stretch. NOT FOR: Costume... 

SONY SOUND FORGE PRO 10

Sound Forge Pro 10 is an audio mastering suite with integrated CD creation, top-shelf processors and exciting new editing capabilities. FOR: Audio editing, mastering and sound design. Editors get up to 32 channels of mono, stereo and multichannel audio in a land of safe, non-destructive editing. The key commands are familiar, and a new “Event” tool makes a multitrack producer feel more at home in the mastering environment. Sound Forge now has... 
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