News - Page 260

Indie band Bastille has reappeared with a new mixtape, with a title reminiscent of its first two. This time out, the “tape” — actually a CD — is . However, the album marks the fist time the “mixtape” has featured exclusively original content, rather than a combination of originals and cover versions of songs. The album does feature extensive collaboration...

Romanian artist, Bass Battle (also known as one person, Bogdan Diaconeasa), has released an EP’s worth of ambient solo bass songs called Play. Recorded over the course of three years, just for fun, the album features only Diaconeasa’s bass and a looper. “I will say that this album is the declaration of my love for this beautiful instrument – the...

You may already be aware of many ways to use an iPad for making music. However, Hal Leonard Corp. has put together an book — — that covers the device’s “connectivity to the professional, project, and home music studios.” Written by music technology authors Vincent Leonard and Thomas Rudolph, the book in the Hal Leonard Quick Pro Guides series, the...

2014 has been a good year for sneak albums, but R&B master D’Angelo may have taken the cake by releasing over the course of a weekend. The album, which is his first in fourteen years, is a tremendous return that pushes his art forward while keeping true to his voice. D’Angelo took a more serious approach for Black Messiah with...

Looking for a book that teaches you how to play some classic and new rock hits? Hal Leonard’s latest, could help. The paperback in the “Tab +” series not only includes tab for some bass classics, it also offers info on the gear you need to have, recording techniques, historical info, and playing tips (including right-and-left hand technique). Songs featured...

Six-string bass is one of the building blocks of drone artist Whote’s (Thomas Watkiss) latest album, Whote II: Moons. Watkiss is the performer on and producer of the record, creating songs with not only the bass, but also distorted guitar, field recordings, and minimal keyboards. Whote is noted for its experimental music, and Moons continues in this vein, with live...

Six years ago on Halloween, Gov’t Mule dressed up in another band’s music. The jam band/Allman Brothers offshoot, featuring Jorgen Carlsson on bass, performed Pink Floyd covers from albums including Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here. The 2008 show at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, was recorded and is now available on CD...

Although Megadeth’s drummer and guitarist have left the band, band bassist and co-founder David Ellefson is assuring fans that the band isn’t over. He recently talked with the Megadeth Cyber Army (the band’s fans) online, and noted that his presence on the fan forum should reveal that the band is still together. He then added, “As of right now, we...

It looks like at least one Grammy category is a bass-ic affair this year. Superstar session bassist/sideman Nathan East has received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Nathan East, his self-titled solo album debut. East has worked with a wide variety of artists in his long career, from Eric Clapton to Stevie Wonder to Michael McDonald. His...

The Foo Fighters’ tour supporting the album/show Sonic Highways will hit North America in July, opening with a spectacular show at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The tour also marks the 20th anniversary of the band’s first album release. D.C. is one of the cities featured in the Foo’s Sonic Highways television show on HBO, which documents the making of...

Do you know someone who would really love to play bass, but wants to learn in their own time and in their own way? Then DiY (Do It Yourself) Electric Bass: Learn to Play Anywhere and Anytime could be the book he or she needs. The book by Ron Manus and L. C. Harnsberger, is structured so that anyone —...

Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome, a 2 CD/DVD set Blu-ray disc, combines songs from two favorite Yes albums: 1971’s The Yes Album and 1977’s Going for the One, in one live package recorded during the band’s spring 2014 tour. “These are two bodies of music that many of the most devout Yes fans wanted to hear in...