Maurizio Mariani: Solo Bass Arrangement of Elliott Smith’s “Everything Means Nothing To Me”
“Everything Means Nothing to Me” is one of the most haunting and equally infectious tracks from the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith’s album Figure 8. It’s one of those songs that just sticks with you for a while after you hear it, due in part to a repeated theme. Check out this solo bass version that Maurizio Mariani worked up. He...
Höfner Unveils Limited Edition Black Violin Bass
As part of their 125th anniversary celebrations, Höfner has unveiled a limited edition Black Violin Bass. The new bass shares many of the specs of the company’s ‘61 Cavern bass but utilizes closely spaced single coil “Toaster” pickups that were only used in 1960. Finished in a sleek thin coat gloss black, its dark motif is complimented with a black...
Lee Rocker: “Rockabilly Boogie” Animated Video
Slick back your pompadour, get your leather jacket and check out former Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker’s new animated music video for the song “Rockabilly Boogie.”
Chris Minh Doky and The Nomads Announce Worldwide Fall Tour
Bassist Chris Minh Doky has announced a Fall tour with his group the Nomads, which includes drummer Dave Weckl, guitarist Dean Brown and keyboardist George Whitty. Starting October 1st at the Iridium in New York City, the tour will take the quartet across the world with further stops in the U.S., Mexico, Denmark, Norway, and Italy. Doky lays it down...
Electro-Harmonix Adds Utility Pedals to Next Step Series
Electro-Harmonix has added to their Next Step Effects series with three new utility pedals. Similar to the rest of the line, the new volume, expression and pan pedals have no moving parts and feature a smooth rocking chassis to control the effect. The Next Step Volume Pedal controls the volume of an instrument. Powered by either a 9V battery or...
The Bad Plus Release “Made Possible”
The Bad Plus have released their eighth studio album, Made Possible, on the Entertainment One Music label. The effort may mark a new era for the band as they chose to include electronic percussion and synthesizers, which is a first for their traditionally acoustic sonic palette. The new layer was brought in mostly by bassist Reid Anderson, who played synthesizer...
Bass of the Week: Aural II by Meridian Guitars
Based in Avezzano, Italy, the luthiers at Meridian Guitars know a thing or two about style. That’s evidenced in their Aural II bass, and though each one is built to order, this particular Aural II really struck me. The pickups include a pair of Meridian’s magnetic pickups as well as a Roland GK-3 MIDI controller. The control layout, which looks...
Tom Tom Club Releases “Downtown Rockers”
Tom Tom Club has returned with their first new material in 12 years, entitled Downtown Rockers. Founded by the husband-wife team of bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz, the Talking Heads shoot-off group’s latest offering stays true to their quirky, danceable style while paying homage to the music scene of downtown New York in the ’70s. “The reason why...
Gibson Unveils Midtown Standard Bass
Taking elements of their semi-acoustic EB basses and their Midtown guitar line, Gibson has unveiled the Midtown Standard Bass, a new semi-hollow design with a full 34? scale. The chambered body sports a pair of f-holes for a classic look, but the body is actually made of routed solid woods rather than a laminated top, back and sides. Gibson says...
Raise Up: An Interview with Larry Graham
It’s not often a musician can lay claim to changing the way their instrument is played, but Larry Graham is definitely one of those musicians. His story is the stuff of legends – Graham played guitar in his mother’s band. He also sang and played the bass pedals of an organ to fill the bottom end. The organ broke, so...
Marco Panascia with Dado Moroni and Peter Erskine: Body and Soul
Marco Panascia is one of those bassists you can’t help but be impressed with. He’s got an incredible command of the instrument and impeccable taste to match. Here he takes the lead on the classic jazz ballad “Body and Soul” with a little help from pianist Dado Moroni and drummer extraordinaire Peter Erskine. The clip comes from an outtake from...
No Doubt Returns With “Push and Shove”
After a lengthy hiatus, No Doubt has released Push and Shove, their first studio album since 2001. While still heavily influenced by Jamaican music, the band took a turn towards the synth-pop bands of the ’70s and ’80s. The writing process also proved to be a new direction, especially for bassist Tony Kanal, who took a page out of Peter...