David Ellefson Brings Back Combat Records
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is reviving the legendary thrash label Combat Records through his EMP Label Group. Combat was founded in 1983 and was known for representing bands like Exodus, Circle Jerks, Death, Agnostic Front, and more. It also signed Megadeth and released the band’s debut album, Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!, in 1985. “So excited and...
Seymour Duncan Unveils La Super Rica Fuzz Pedal
Seymour Duncan has a new pedal called La Super Rica. Translated to mean “super rich,” the silicon fuzz pedal is “inspired by iconic fuzz sounds” with a classic parametric midrange for versatility. “First we brought [the classic fuzz circuit] up to modern standards by adding a true-bypass switch, an LED, and a standard 9v power connection,” the company explains. “We...
Julian Lage Trio Announces 2018 Tour Dates
Modern jazz bass master Scott Colley will be joining guitarist Julian Lage for his upcoming European and North American tour dates. Lage’s trio, filled out by drummer Kenny Wollesen, will be trekking in support of their new album, Modern Lore, due out next year. The group will begin the year in Italy, winding through Europe until January 20th. They’ll hit...
GHS Strings Announces Pressurewound Bronze Bass Strings
GHS Strings has introduced a new line of strings called the Pressurewound Bronze Bass for acoustic/electric bass. The newly designed strings aim at eliminating harsh tones associated with bronze strings. “Many acoustic/electric bass players know that the traditional bronze strings that come standard on these basses have harsh overtones and a lot of string noise,” the company writes. “GHS created...
Elevator Man: An Interview with Lorenzo Feliciati
Like much of his music, Italian bassist and composer Lorenzo Feliciati’s new album, , blends his loves of jazz and rock together in an amazing and eclectic way. However, the new release has a decidedly prog-rock flavor that evokes the likes of King Crimson and Allan Holdsworth while remaining entirely fresh. That’s not an accident. “While a varied stylistic approach...
Sting: Message In A Bottle, Live in Paris
Sting recently released a new concert video called Live at the Olympia Paris, and it’s just more proof that he’s still on top of the game. Filmed in April 2017, the performance includes plenty from his latest release, 57th and 9th, but it also goes back to the hits. “Message In A Bottle” has always been a great song –...
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Returns with “Who Built The Moon?”
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds has released their third studio album, entitled Who Built the Moon? The release is anchored by two bassists: Samuel Dixon and Jason Falkner. Each lays down muscular, driving bass lines to make the rock album danceable. That makes sense especially for Dixon, who has also played for and produced artists like Adele, Sia, Christina Aguilera...
Neunaber Audio Effects Unveils the Inspire Tri-Chorus Plus Pedal
Neunaber Audio has introduced the Inspire Tri-Chorus Plus, a pedal that offers eight stereo chorus effects. Featuring true bypass and mono or stereo i/o, the pedal ranges from classic to modern sounds. “Some of Inspire’s effects are my take on the classic effects that come to mind when you think of tri-chorus, while others are new and unique combinations,” says...
Frescia Belmar: Gracias a la Vida
Frescia Belmar paid tribute to Chilean songwriter Violeta Parra in October with this incredible solo version of the song “Gracias a la Vida”, which translates to “Thanks to Life.” Celebrating what would have been Parra’s 100th birthday, Belmar wrote, “Happy Bday Violeta! Grateful for such a beautiful legacy you’ve left to the world!” She captures the beauty of the song...
In Memoriam: Robert “Pops” Popwell
Robert “Pops” Popwell, who played with The Young Rascals and The Crusaders, has passed away. He was 70 years old. Born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1946, Popwell started his career in the ’60s. He quickly got work in the jazz and R&B worlds. In 1970 alone, he recorded with Doris Duke, Hubert Laws, Deryll Inman, The Atlanta Disco Band,...
KAE Systems Unveils the MIDI Ant Foot Controller
KAE Systems has released the MIDI Ant, a compact MIDI foot controller designed for versatility. The pedal can activate any program or patch in any existing MIDI device in a chain of up to nine devices. Sporting a bright 3-digit LED display, it offers a fully customizable view of the program/patch number and can generate precise MIDI Clock between 20...
Yes Releases “Topographic Drama: Live Across America”
Yes has released a new live album, Topographic Drama: Live Across America, taken from the legendary prog band’s U.S. tour in 2016 and 2017. The album title is a play on the songs from the tour which included their 1980 album Drama in its entirety plus the first and fourth sides of the 1973 release Tales From Topographic Oceans. Besides...