Mike Zabrin’s Funktastic: Here We Go Again
Funktastic is the perfect name for Mike Zabrin’s band, and this new video is just another example of why. “Here We Go Again” is the first single off of the band’s upcoming album Something In The Water, which is due out this spring. The track is full of slick bass lines, tight horns, and silky vocals. As if the band...
Sleep Announces Spring Tour
Sleep, anchored by bass heavyweight and vocalist Al Cisneros, has announced a spring 2017 tour. The trek will kick off January 27th with a pair of dates with The Melvins at the Fond Theater in Los Angeles, California before heading to Texas, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. After their U.S. leg, Sleep will fly across the Atlantic to participate in...
Bass of the Week: BNJ Guitars Hex 4
This week we’re taking a look at the Hex 4 by BNJ Guitars. The sleek, blacked-out, semi-hollow bass is built with a lime and mahogany body finished in a matte black and matched with an ebony fingerboard. It’s fitted with red strings that really pop against the black background. BNJ fits the Hex 4 with an MM/J pickup configuration by...
Aidan Hampson Releases Best of Nathan East Transcription Book
Aidan Hampson has released a new book of bass line transcriptions, this time focusing on the work of legendary session ace Nathan East. As one of the most recorded bassists in history, East played on recordings with Eric Clapton, Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, and more. “With such a wealth of material to choose from, selecting his best work was not...
Morley Announces Limited Edition Cliff Burton Tribute Power Fuzz Wah
Morley has announced a new limited edition of the Cliff Burton Tribute Power Fuzz Wah. The pedal, which has independent fuzz and wah effects, will come in a chrome finish similar to the original Tel-Ray Morley model. It will be limited to 500 units with some of those being signed by the late Metallica bassist’s father, Ray Burton. The mirror...
Michel “Labex” Labaki: PTSD
Bassist Michel “Labex” Labaki mixed his musical skills with his Masters in Music Therapy to create a song and video calling attention to post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD. “Shot in an asylum, the video shows a girl who is constantly haunting the minds of a group of musicians, reflecting the torment of patients affected by Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,”...
In Memoriam: Remembering the Bassists We Lost in 2016
2016 was a hard year for losses in entertainment, and it was no different for the bass community. Too many legends and lesser-known heroes of the bass passed away this year, but their memories will live on through the music they made and the lives they touched. Join us as we remember the lives and legacies of the bass players...
Ryan Martinie and Soften The Glare Ready Debut Album
Former Mudvayne bassist Ryan Martinie’s new band Soften the Glare is in the studio recording their debut album. Slated for a March release date, the band is currently crowdfunding the album through Pledge Music with rewards ranging from the album to a Skype conversation with Martinie all the way up to Executive Producer credit for the album. Soften the Glare...
Sadowsky Guitars Introduces Deluxe Satin Series Basses
After unveiling the Satin Series earlier this year, Sadowsky Guitars has announced the Deluxe Satin line. The basses are made in the company’s New York City shop in batch to keep costs down. The series will be available in their traditional vintage-styled 4-21 and 5-21 models as well as their more modern 4-24 and 5-24 models. The Deluxe Satin basses...
A/C Generator: Fire Farter
Alessandro Corsi’s band A/C Generator has released a new song called “Fire Farter”, which he describes as a funk-rock piece with a crazy drum solo and tricky bass grooves. The trio is rounded out by fellow bassist Alessandro Cianferoni and drummer Marco Calì.
Zorg Effects Introduces Oppressor Compressor
French pedal company Zorg Effects has unveiled the the Oppressor, an optical compressor they say packs tons of control into a small footprint. Alongside Volume, Gain, and Compression knobs, the pedal has a pair of three-way switches for attack and release to give up to nine combinations of values. It also has a “BAD” switch that offers up some grit...
Gary Willis Launches Groove A Day App
If you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution to start grooving more, bass master Gary Willis has you covered. He’s just released an app for iOS called “Groove A Day” that aims to help teach building grooves. The app includes grooves of various styles and difficulties performed by Willis and drummer Gergo Borlai. “In decades of teaching, Gary Willis has...