Archive for April 2012 - Page 9

Progressive rock band The Mars Volta has made their return with the release of Noctourniquet, the band’s sixth studio album. Produced by guitarist/songwriter Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Noctourniquet features bassist Juan Alderete and drummer Deantoni Parks, who makes his first studio appearance with the band. This is the first album not to include long-time keyboardist Isaiah “Ikey” Owens and guitarist John Frusciante....

This week we take a look at Noguera Basses’ flagship model, the Expression. Designed to produce a “rich sound with accurate low end,” the bass is hand made in France. Available in 4-, 5- and 6-string models, the Expression features bolt-on construction with a bubinga body, maple neck, and wenge fingerboard. The elegant bridge is wood with individual brass saddles...

With a career spanning over 40 years, Vancouver-based Mike Kinal knows a thing or two about luthiery. Trained as a cabinetmaker, Mike got into building basses early in his musical career and has since made hundreds of instruments. His basses have evolved over the years from following the pattern of large manufacturers to creating his own unique style involving exotic...

Mike Flynn shared this video with us, showcasing his new “electronica-jazz project”. Mike said this is an early cut, also featuring Matt Telfer on sax and Rowan Porteous on trumpet. The group is hoping to get out on gigs together later this year.

Phil Lesh has announced that he’s bringing back together his Phil & Friends band for four nights, to perform at the bassist’s new Terrapin Crossroads venue this month. The band, known as the Quintet (or “Q” to many), is comprised of the “longest-tenured Phil & Friends band”, including Lesh, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, John Molo and Rob Barraco. This will...

Mykk's claim to fame: "Massive earth shaking low end that will disembowel the front three rows." Check out Mykk's story and say hi.

Q: I’ve just removed the frets from my first bass, and this is my first experience with a fretless bass. What advice do you have to start out? A: There are two areas of focus for making the switch. At a glance, these might seem to contradict each other, but one applies to practicing and one applies to performance. Fretless...

Bassist Ran Mussman, who goes by the moniker “Bass Orchestra”, paid tribute to the popular AMC television series “The Walking Dead” with this creative and hilarious video. “Have you ever wondered how AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ would act on Valentine’s day?” Mussman asks. “Zombies have feelings too, you know!” Except for the vocals, all the music in the clip is...

Bassist Reggie Washington has released, Freedom, his second album, on Jammin’ colorS Records. The album fuses a ton of genres, including jazz, funk, rock, blues, classical and World music. Sometimes up front and sometimes in the background, Washington’s rich tone and undeniable grooves glue all of the different elements together to make it a cohesive and attention-grabbing album. And even...

Genz Benz has expanded their Shuttle Max series of bass amps with the Shuttle Max 12.2 bass. The new amp features the company’s proprietary “3 Dimensional Power Management” circuitry (3DPM), which adds heft and girth to each note while increasing responsiveness and headroom. Weighing in at 6.75 pounds, the Shuttle Max 12.2 pumps out up to 1200 watts with a...

Facebook friend Andy Irvine shared this video, and we have to pay it forward. Andy said, “One the baddest bassists ever on the scene, and a great band leader, taking his group to the TOP 10 many times!! Show some respect to Robert ‘KOOL’ Bell one time!!” The band grooves on four classics, including “Ladies Night”, “Hollywood Swinging”, “Jungle Boogie”...

Bassist Alberto Rigoni has teamed up once again with vocalist Irene Ermolli, to release Groovy, a new album out now and available as a free download. The duo, known as Lady & The Bass, channels electronica combined with innovative bass playing to create their own unique brand of pop. “I would say it’s pop, with electro, funky and experimental influences,...