Living the Dream: An Interview with Bryan Beller
The last time we got to chat with Bryan Beller, it was several months before his freakishly good power trio The Aristocrats released their debut album. With just under two years since the band’s inception, the group has gone from an incredible lineup to a perfect storm of musical minds. Beller and cohorts drummer Marco Minneman and guitarist Guthrie Govan...
CAD Audio Now Shipping GXL Wireless Systems
CAD Audio is now shipping their new GXL Wireless Systems, available in VHF and UHF versions. Each of the sets feature two discrete channels with separate RF and AF indicator lights to indicated connectivity. They offer three output options with 1/4-inch and XLR connectors as discrete outputs as well as an XLR mix output. The GXL-V VHF and GXL-U UHF...
Detroit Bass Day 2013 Taking Place This Weekend
The bassists in Detroit have a great tradition of getting together every year in front of the Motown Museum for a photo shoot to get the most bass players together in a single picture. As if that’s not cool enough, the event has been expanded with the introduction of Detroit Bass Day, a day-long celebration honoring the legendary Motown bassist...
Mike Semesky: Bass Playthrough of Intervals’ “Mata Hari”
Here’s an awesome video of bassist Mike Semesky running through “Mata Hari” by his band Intervals. He does it all, from filling out the low end to matching the guitars on crushing unison riffs.
Phish Announces Fall Tour
Phish has announced a fall tour that will cover the East Coast, including a pair of three-night residencies in Virginia and New Jersey. The trek begins October 18th through the 20th at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia before heading north and wrapping up in Atlantic City. Anchored by bassist Mike Gordon, the iconic jam band has recently revealed that...
Ruokangas Expands Steambass Series with 5-String Model
Finnish manufacturer Ruokangas Guitars has announced the Steambass 5, a new 5-string version of their flagship bass model. Similar to its predecessor, the Steambass 5 comes in Classic and Deluxe models, which differ in body construction. The Classic is built with an alder body, while the Deluxe offers a Spanish Cedar body and Arctic Birch top. Common features include a...
David Friesen Pays Homage to Son with “Brilliant Heart”
When renowned jazz bassist David Friesen’s son Scott passed away in 2010, he knew he wanted to honor his life with a memorial CD, and after some time the opportunity arose at the end of a tour with his trio. The resulting album, Brilliant Heart, is a 13-track collection of songs Friesen composed for his son. “My son Scott loved...
Lesser Key, Featuring Paul D’Amour, Announce Debut EP
Former and founding Tool bassist Paul D’Amour is gearing up on new project called Lesser Key. The group also includes Andrew Zamudio, Brett Fanger and Justin Hanson. The group describes themselves as “[representing] an exploration into personal artistic freedom,” and their sound centers around D’Amour’s steely bass tone and hard hitting lines. The Los Angeles based rockers have just announced...
Laszlo Demeter: Acoustic Bass Arrangement of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop”
We love to see it when bassist get creative to tackle their favorite songs. Here’s Laszlo Demeter playing Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” using only his six-string acoustic bass. The bassist covers every part of the tune, from using the bass’s body for percussion to using the strings above the nut for sound effects. And of course, he lays down that sweet,...
SAM, Featuring Julie Slick, Releases Debut Album and EP
Bassist Julie Slick has teamed up with guitarist Peter Alexius and Chapman Stick player Marc Mennigmann to form SAM, a progressive-rock trio that bases all their music on improvisation. They’ve just released their first album, Another Life, and an accompanying EP entitled Yet Another Life. “This record contains some of the essence of one week in the studio,” the band...
Fodera Announces Monarch 4 Fretless Standard Bass
Fodera has once again added to their Standard line of basses with the Monarch 4 Fretless Standard. Initially limited to 15 pieces, the new model is the first fretless in the series, which offers batches of basses built in a single configuration with no options to keep wait time and prices to a minimum. The new bass features a walnut...
Victor Wooten Announces Two Day Music Theory Camp
Victor Wooten has added a Music Theory camp to his VixCamps schedule at the Wooten Woods Retreat in Only, Tennessee. Scheduled for September 23rd and 24th, the educational event offers classes for beginning, intermediate, and advanced players in addition to full group classes. The scheduled instructors are Victor Wooten, Anthony Wellington and Bob Franceschini, with more to be announced. Subjects...