Mastodon Releases “Cold Dark Place” EP
Hot on the heels of Emperor of Sand, Mastodon has returned with a new EP entitled Cold Dark Place. Anchored by bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, the four-song album is compiled from previously unreleased tracks. Three of the four songs are from the album were recorded during the sessions for 2014’s Once More ’Round the Sun while the fourth track, “To to...
D’Addario Introduces Bass Tool Kit
Bassists looking to take care of their own instrument have a new set of tools to choose from. The D’Addario Bass Maintenance Kit includes a set of tools and cleaning equipment to keep your bass in shape. The case itself contains individual component compartments with pockets for extra strings and a magnet to hold loose screws, nuts, or washers. Inside...
Bass of the Week: Crom Custom Shop Romantic Warrior
Matias Crom sent us photos of his Romantic Warrior model, and I dropped everything I was doing. The 34-year-old, Italian-Argentinian luthier has been making baroque instruments like lutes and viols for the past 10 years, but he started making basses when he was 18 after hearing Primus. His unique influences are melded together in the bass, which features a beautifully...
Etienne M’Bappe Anchors New John McLaughlin Live Album
In March of 2017, John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension played two nights of sold-out shows at the world-renowned London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s. It was a special occasion for McLaughlin, whose history with the club goes as far back as the 1960’s when he was a member of the house band. He and his band performed works from early...
Prophets Of Rage, Featuring Tim Commerford, Releases Debut Album
Last year, fans of heavy music that grooves were elated at the formation of Prophets of Rage. The rap-rock supergroup includes three members of Rage Against the Machine (guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilks, and bassist Tim Commerford), two members of Public Enemy (DJ Lord and Chuck D), and one member of Cypress Hill (B-Real). Created in reaction to the...
The Foo Fighters Return with “Concrete And Gold”
The Foo Fighters are back with their ninth studio album, Concrete and Gold. The album features an eclectic array of styles that came to leader Dave Grohl in a burst of inspiration, standing in stark contrast to 2014’s Sonic Highways. Bassist Nate Mendel holds it all together, no matter the writing arrangements. “It’s really been pretty consistent over the years,”...
Rob van den Broek Dives Deep in “The Gibson Bass Book”
Rob van den Broek is a bassist and a luthier. He’s also a huge fan of Gibson’s basses, which led him to publish The Gibson Bass Book. The 180-page book documents over 80 Gibson basses and 70 Epiphone basses with more than 400 pictures. The story begins in the late 1930’s with the company’s first upright electric bass before jumping...
Ringo Starr Recruits Paul McCartney and All-Star Bassists For “Give More Love”
It’s safe to say that in the 60 years he’s been playing drums, Ringo Starr has made a few friends. So for his new release, Give More Love, he’s getting by with a little help from them – including a few of the top bass players in the world. The former Beatle’s 19th solo album reunites him with his fellow...
Bass of the Week: Schack Guitars Unique V
This week we’re checking out gorgeous Unique V bass from Schack Guitars. Built with a flamed ash body, the instrument features a striking top and matching headstock of spalted quilted bubinga. Similarly, its flamed maple neck is topped with a beautiful marbled ebony fretboard and bubinga binding. “The neck is connected to the body with our unique Covered Neck Fixing-System...
Scott Whitley: Bass Cover of Level 42’s “Mr. Pink”
Level 42 always has sick bass lines thanks to Mark King. That’s not lost on Scott Whitley, who whipped up this killer bass version of the tune utilizing his signature bass and a piccolo bass for the melody lines. This one is sure to get you in gear!
Hal Leonard Publishes Second Edition of The Rickenbacker Electric Bass Book
If you’re a fan of classic basses, you’ll want to check out the new edition of The Rickenbacker Electric Bass: 50 Years as Rock’s Bottom. Updating on the first edition released 2013, the new version adds 16 bonus pages with up-to-date information on the latest models plus more photos of artists and custom-built Rickenbacker basses. “With the introduction of the...
Video Premiere: Petros Klampanis “Footprints”
We’re proud to premiere the first video in bassist Petros Klampanis’s new Rooftop Stories series with this awesome version of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints”. “Rooftops and music – music and rooftops. There’s nothing not to love with that combination, plus having a sky full of stars makes is even more unique,” Klampanis writes. “?llow me to share the first part of...