Buzz

Umphrey’s McGee: Puppet String

Here’s a great clip of Umphrey’s McGee in the studio performing “Puppet String” from their latest release, Similar Skin. The band builds an atmosphere before bassist Ryan Stasik comes in at the 1:14 mark with a cool slap line that becomes the centerpiece of the song. The band goes on to groove hard on unison lines with huge drums provided...

Deep Purple Releases Full Graz Concert on “Graz 1975”

Fans of Glenn Hughes and Deep Purple (Mark III) can hear the band’s full April 3, 1975 concert at the Liebenauer ice rink in Graz, Austria on , another installment in the The Official Deep Purple (Overseas) Live Series. It’s the first time the show has been released in its entirety. The show was one of the last for the...

Rush to Release 40th Anniversary DVD Collector’s Set

If you can’t get enough of watching Geddy Lee and Rush play live, then a DVD collector’s set of the trio’s performances being released on Nov. 11 should inspire extraordinary glee as it collects some of the legendary band’s best live moments in one place. The R40 – 40th Anniversary Collector’s Box Set features live performances from all four decades...

Intonation or Feel? Practicing Scales Purposefully

Q: I was wondering what I need to pay attention to when practicing. It’s easy to learn a scale, or to play chord tones, but what should I really pay attention to hearing more? Should that be a focus on the tones, or the difference in intonation or the “feel” between them? A: The short answer is this: You have...

Postmodern Jukebox with Kate Davis: All About That [Upright] Bass

Ever since Meghan Trainor released her single “All About That Bass,” we’ve been getting tons of email and Facebook messages about it. We can certainly appreciate the song’s chorus, “You know I’m all about that bass, no treble.” It has a nice ring to it. Postmodern Jukebox took things a step further with this swing version of the song with...

Reunion Blues Introduces RBX Double Bass Guitar Gig Bag

Reunion Blues is doubling down on their RBX series with the introduction of the RBX Double Bass Guitar Gig Bag. Designed to carry two bass guitars, the new bag features the company’s RBX protection system that includes a multi-layer foam surround, a strategically placed impact panels, a multilayer foam neck cradle and end-pin rest. An interior padded wall separates the...

Reader Spotlight: Sean Fairchild

Meet Sean Fairchild, a well-traveled bassist who says he didn’t decide to play bass, rather the bass decided on him. Sean keeps busy playing in bands, including “funkifying the clave” in one of them. He is No Treble’s reader in the spotlight for the week of September 22, 2014. Bio: Born and raised overseas before settling in Seattle, I’ve always...

Jensen Adds Punch and Smooth to Bass-Series Speaker Line

Jensen has added two new types of bass speakers to their product lineup with the Jensen Punch Sound series and the Jensen Smooth Sound series. Each style of speaker comes in 8, 10, 12, and 15-inch diameters with wattages ranging between 150 and 350 watts. The company describes the Punch Sound series as focusing on dynamics with a fast response....

Miles Mosley Trio: The Comeback

Mojave Audio brought Miles Mosley and his trio into the studio to demo their mics, and magic happened. The trio, which also includes drummer Tony Austin and pianist Cameron Graves performed “The Comeback”. Miles is the man.

Death from Above 1979 Returns with First Album in a Decade

Death from Above 1979 has returned after a decade-long absence. arrives 10 years after the dance/punk duo released its debut LP, 2004’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. The music is the first to appear from the Canadian pair (bassist/synth player/backup vocalist Jesse F. Keeler and drummer/vocalist Sebastien Grainger) since it reunited in 2011, following a 2006 breakup. There’s not...

Bass of the Week: Matteo Rufini Precision IV Custom Vintage Series

A few months ago, Jordan Brown sent us some pictures of a bass he was having made. I knew even before it was finished that it was going to be a killer bass, and it looks like I was right. Brown, who is an active player in London, reached out to Italian luthier Matteo Rufini to build an instrument that...

Getting Back in the Practice Room: Regaining Inspiration

Everyone who stays at this music thing for a time will likely find themselves lacking in motivation at some point or another. If practicing has become a chore, or if you can’t even bring yourself to pick up the instrument, perhaps some of these strategies might bring some fire back into your musical life. Take a break Sometimes we are...