R.E.M. Releases “Automatic For The People” 25th Anniversary Reissue
It’s been 25 years since R.E.M.’s iconic album Automatic For The People and Concord’s Craft Recordings is celebrating with a deluxe reissue. Available in three versions, the remastered album includes their hits “Nightswimming,” “Man on the Moon” and “Everybody Hurts.” While it’s a hugely important record to so many people, the band members didn’t necessarily set out to make it...
Acoustic Amplification Introduces B410C Bass Cabinet
Acoustic Amplification expanded their bass amplification lineup with the B410C bass cabinet. Featuring a 4×10-inch speaker configuration, the cab handles up to 400 watts at 8 ohms. The cab’s traditional ferrite speakers are also accompanied by a defeatable high-frequency horn driver. “This great cab harkens back to the original bass speakers that consistently delivered amazing tone for serious bassists,” says...
Stories Behind the Songs: Kenny Passarelli
Kenny Passarelli’s place in music history was cemented when he co-wrote Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” but that just scratches the surface of his career. He also worked with Elton John, Hall and Oates, Stephen Stills, Tommy Bolin, Dan Fogelberg, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), and more. Naturally, he has more than a few stories to tell. The bassist grew up...
Snarky Puppy Announces 2018 Tour, GroundUp Music Festival
Michael League and Snarky Puppy have announced a U.S. tour for 2018 with support from fellow GroundUP artists Forq, Alina Engibaryan, Sirintip, and Banda Magda. The Grammy-winning band will begin their trek in Atlanta, Georgia on February 14th before heading north to Maryland then west. It is currently slated to wrap up March 4th after a four-night residency at SF...
S.I.T. Strings Introduces the Foundations Bass Strings
S.I.T. Strings unveiled a new set of bass strings called the Foundations line at Bass Player Live this year. The new strings are built with a “state-of-the-art core material” that the company says makes them extremely responsive. “Designed to be the brightest and most flexible bass string available, The Foundations are sure to become the building blocks of your sound,”...
Metallica’s Remastered “Master of Puppets” Box Set Features Cliff Burton Interviews, Jason Newsted Auditions
31 years after its release, Metallica is paying tribute to their iconic Master of Puppets with an incredible reissue box set. The band’s third album has been remastered for sound quality in CD, vinyl, and digital formats. An expansive deluxe box set includes the album in several formats and much more with three vinyl records (with a MP3 Download Card),...
In Memoriam: Chad Hanks
American Head Charge bassist Chad Hanks has died after fighting a terminal disease. He was 46 years old. Hanks co-founded the Minneapolis-based band in 1997 and, along with frontman Cameron Heacock, was one of only two consistent members throughout the group’s history. He’s featured on the band’s self-released debut, Trepanation, as well as The War of Art, The Feeding, and...
Blasko To Join Ozzy Osbourne on Farewell World Tour
Just months after playing his final concert with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne has announced his own Farewell World Tour that’s slated to last into 2020. The metal pioneer may be finishing up his time on the road, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be done with music altogether. “People keep asking me when I’m retiring,” he says. “This will be my...
Bass of the Week: Frederiek de Vette Five-String Bolt-On Bass
Back in May we shared an incredible bass by Frederiek de Vette. Shockingly, it was her first ever build. Now she’s followed up with her second bass that looks just as stunning. We’ll let her tell you the story: “For this build, my second, I decided on a five string fretted bass with a bolt-on neck,” de Vette explains. “While...
Levy’s Leathers Introduces the Onyx Strap
Levy’s Leathers has expanded their line of guitar straps with the Onyx, a model they say offers deep, rich colors and comfort thanks to a special process. “The Onyx utilizes a unique process transforming firm veg-tan leather into a thick supple leather that needs no breaking in period – it’s super comfortable from day one,” they write. The strap comes...
OnkartGromt Introduces the Grompressor Pedal
Norway’s OnkartGromt has released a new compressor called the Grompressor, which the company describes as an advanced compressor that is very useful for bassists. “With options to control Input Level, Threshold, Attack, Release, Ratio, and Output Gain it is almost like a plugin in a DAW,” says pedal builder Øyvind Mjanger. “You can also save 3 presets for your favorites...
Oteil Burbridge’s “Water In The Desert” Now Available
Oteil Burbridge’s unique blend of funk, rock, jazz and more is crystallized in his new solo album, Water in the Desert. The album, which was 10 years in the making, revolves around the theme of love that is summed up in the title track. “[The song, “Water in the Desert”] is the central theme of the album. Obviously, it’s a...