Dr. Dog Returns with “Critical Equation”
Dr. Dog has released their 10th studio album, Critical Equation. And although the psychedelic pop band has been at it for quite some time, that doesn’t mean they aren’t finding new music in themselves. “This band has been at work a long time and this record is about a concerted effort to push ourselves to grow with courage and confidence...
Leland Sklar To Join Phil Collins for North American Tour
Bass legend Leland Sklar will once again lay down the low end for Phil Collins on a new North American tour scheduled for this fall. The outing will mark the former Genesis member’s first tour on the continent in eight years. It will be a continuation of his “Not Dead Yet Live!” tour, which Sklar also anchored last year. The...
Mesa/Boogie Announces Switch-Track and Head-Track Pedals
Mesa/Boogie has expanded their product lineup with two new signal management devices: the Switch-Track and the Head-Track. Aimed at controlling dual amps, the Switch-Track allows for an “either-or-both ABY scenario,” which the company says lets users switch between two different amps, two identical amps with different settings, or combining amps for a fuller sound. Its input is buffered to prevent...
Yamaha Acquires Ampeg
There’s been another big shift in the music industry. Iconic bass amplification company Ampeg has been acquired by the Yamaha Guitar Group. The news was shared in a press release from Loud Audio, LLC, which sold Ampeg from its portfolio. “While saying goodbye to the Ampeg brand is like saying goodbye to an old friend, we are really excited by...
Fishbone Announce Tour With Classic Lineup
Fishbone has been been through it’s fair share of members, but they’re throwing it back to their classic lineup for their upcoming tour. They made the announcement on their Facebook page. “Fishbone is back to all original members minus Kendall Jones,” they wrote. “In the last year, drummer Fish and guitarist John Bigham returned and this month vocalist/keyboardist and trombone...
Stacks FX Announces Thsee Anomaly Delay Pedal
Stacks FX has unveiled their first delay pedal called the Thsee Anomaly. The optically controlled delay centers around a robust LFO section with tap tempo and six multipliers. “The LFO allows for a whole host of inspiring pitch swinging delays, from lush chorus and vibrato to wild rising swells and falling star-like tones,” Stacks writes. It has eight waveforms to...
Anthrax Releases “Kings Among Scotland” Live DVD/CD
An Anthrax concert is one of the highest energy live shows you’ll ever see. Now one of their performances has been released on a new DVD called Kings of Scotland. The February 2017 show was captured at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow where bassist Frank Bello says they always have a good time. “Playing for our friends at the Barrowlands...
A Perfect Circle Releases “Eat The Elephant”
Fourteen years after their last studio album, A Perfect Circle has returned with Eat the Elephant. The album has been in the works since at least 2008, though main songwriters Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel have kept busy with other projects. Even with the hiatus, it continues the band’s evolution toward a more melancholy and introspective tone, but that...
Accugroove Introduces the Inception Tube Bass Preamp
Accugroove has announced the Inception, a tube bass preamp that offers a wide range of tones. “Traditional bass preamps use a single dual-triode tube – and even then the signal might only pass through a single triode in most modes of the preamp,” they write. “Our design implements two balanced 12AX7 tubes that deliver four triode stages for maximum flexibility.”...
Original Meshuggah Bassist Peter Nordin Joins PDP for New Album
Original Meshuggah bassist Peter Nordin has come out of musical retirement to join PDP for their upcoming album. PDP, whose last release was 2011’s Mass Delusions, made the announcement on Metal Injection. “It’s truly amazing! Those guys [Meshuggah] have been our heroes since we were kids. It’s a dream come true situation,” they wrote. “Peter messaged me several months ago...
Bass of the Week: The Bace
One of my favorite movie quotes has always been a bit of a thorn, as well: In the School of Rock scene where Jack Black converts the cellist into a bassist, he says, “It’s the exact same thing, but instead of playing it like this, you tip it on the side… ‘cello’, you got a bass.” Of course, that’s not...
Lake Street Dive’s “Free Yourself Up” Now Available
Groove master Bridget Kearney and Lake Street Dive have released Free Yourself Up, a 10-song album described as their most intimate and collaborative record to date. The band self-produced it at Goosehead Palace Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. “This album is based in the realities in our time, which have inevitably become part of everyone’s daily life,” Kearney states. “It’s something...