Archive for September 2016
The Dillinger Escape Plan Announce Fall Tour
Earlier this month, the Dillinger Escape Plan announced they will be taking an indefinite hiatus after the release of their upcoming album, Dissociation, and its accompanying tour cycle. Now the band has revealed the list of seemingly final tour dates that will take them across the U.S. from coast to coast and back. Anchored by bassist Liam Wilson, the band...
The Lightbulb Moment: Small Adjustments, Big Results
We’re all looking for ways to get more bang for our buck, especially when it comes to practicing. We watch videos, scroll through forums, and read columns about how to establish a better practice routine (you may be doing this right now). So, for what it’s worth, here are my two cents. Frankly, most of us don’t like to practice...
Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals: Put Me Thru
This one just knocked me out. Anderson .Paak took his band, The Free Nationals, into the Rock Revival Showroom to do a live session. Here’s the group performing “Put Me Thru,” – from the album – with some added crunchy goodness. Bassist Kelsey Gonzalez lays it down on this one.
Aidan Hampson Releases Diva Bass Line Transcriptions
Top bass transcriber Aidan Hampson has turned his attention to the divas, releasing a book, “The Best Diva Basslines,” devoted to the bass lines the have supported the work of some of popular music’s most celebrated female singers. The track list spans more than 50 years and range from Etta James’ jazz classic “At Last” to Adele’s “Set Fire to...
Tal Wilkenfeld Embarks on Fall Tour
Tal Wilkenfeld will be hitting the road this fall for a tour that will take her up the West Coast. Starting at Phoenix, Arizona’s Musical Instrument Museum, the trek will snake up California before heading through Oregon and Washington. Wilkenfeld and her band will wrap up on October 13th at the Biltmore in Vancouver, British Columbia. Part of the tour...
Nordstrand Pickups Announces Big J-Blades
Nordstrand Pickups has announced the Big J-Blade, a jazz-style single coil pickup that’s built with a continuous sensing blade. The new model will come in two versions with different winds to provide two unique tones. “One wind provides a ‘warm and wooly’ tone, while an alternate wind provides a ‘clean and clear’ tone,” the company writes. “Plus, as proven by...
Metallica: Moth Into Flame
Metallica has given another preview of their upcoming album Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, due out November 18th. Similar to “Hardwired“, “Moth Into Flame” is another thrasher anchored by bassist Robert Trujillo, who also handles backup vocals. Trujillo recently said that the albums sounds crushing. “Sound-wise, it’s got a lot of firepower,” he said. “I’m excited about the songs, but I’m also...
No Treble Founder Featured on Contrabass Conversations Podcast
Ever wonder how No Treble came to be? Founder Corey Brown shared the details in the latest episode of the Contrabass Conversations podcast, hosted by Jason Heath. Starting with his beginnings in music, Corey chronicles his journeys with the bass and the web. Get the scoop on his work with the Jaco Pastorius website, No Treble, and more by listening...
Steve Harris’ British Lion Announces European Tour and Live Album
Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris is taking his band British Lion on a European tour throughout November and December. The trek, which is their most extensive outing to date, will focus on the club circuit while visiting countries they’ve yet to play. It will also include new music from the band. “It’s been great fun taking British Lion out on...
Preparing for a College Bass Audition
Q: I am thinking about entering a music program when I get to college. How should I prepare for playing bass in a college program? What will I need to know? How good do I need to be? A: Whenever I speak with younger players getting ready to enter a collegiate music program, my first instinct is usually to tell...
The Bassmonsters: Live in Prague
The 2016 BASSEUROPE convention just wrapped up, and it was quite a week of bass goodness. Held in Prague, the event included tons of double bass performances and clinics. Here’s a clip of The Bassmonsters performing during the convention. The song is the group’s theme song, written by the talented bassist and composer Simón Garcia. This lineup of the Bassmonsters...
Pickpocket’s “Sojourn” Was a Long Time Coming
Craig Strain’s band Pickpocket has released its debut album, Sojourn, after a decade’s worth of work. Strain, who is the band’s leader, primary songwriter and bassist, first began playing bass at age 14. He’s worked in a variety of genres throughout his career, including jazz, hip hop, folk, pop, rock, country, rnb, soul and funk. And now, he’s celebrating the...