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Vahagn Stepanyan: One Day
I discovered Vahagn Stepanyan’s video on Facebook, and I really dig what he’s doing. This is Vahagn’s original tune, “One Day”, which features a nice groove, terrific musicianship and great tone.
Evan Marien Releases Five-Song EP
The genesis of bassist/multi-instrumentalist Evan Marien’s new EP comes from a slightly unusual place. The instrumental electronic hip hop record, simply titled EP1, is inspired by 8-bit Nintendo music, according to the website for Marien, whose work is regularly featured in No Treble. EP1 is available at Bandcamp. Preview EP1: EP1 by EMAR EP1 Track List: Knives Dungeon Lines Decode...
Robert Trujillo Says New Metallica Sounds Crushing
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo has shared a little more insight into the band’s upcoming album Hardwired… to Self Destruct, due November 18th. The first single, entitled “Hardwired”, was released to fans and Trujillo says its a good indicator of what’s to come. “‘Hardwired’ is the perfect statement to lead into this body of music. I think this album sounds crushing,”...
Franklin Peredo: The Mystery Of The Flaptopus
Franklin Peredo is back with another mind-bending bass tune. “The Mystery of the Flaptopus” features a creative groove and other-worldly effects to evoke a sense of wonder in musical form. Watching Peredo’s insane bass playing will evoke a sense of wonder, too.
The Bad Plus Releases All-Covers Album
Iconoclastic bass-piano-drums jazz trio The Bad Plus – known for its unexpected cover versions of songs – has released its 11th album, It’s Hard, an album exclusively composed of covers. The record, featuring Reid Anderson on bass, showcases the trio’s take on a wide variety of pop, prog rock, country, and alt-rock tunes. According to NPR’s First Listen, the band’s...
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in August 2016
Another month ends, and another begins. So that means it is time to look back at the most popular bass gear stories on No Treble for the month of August. Here are the top 10 reader favorites for the month. Thanks for reading! 1. Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Version 2 Tech 21 has announced a new version of...
Funk-Minimalist MonoNeon Releases Two New Songs
Bass phenom MonoNeon has dropped two new original songs on Bandcamp. “Strawberry Fields” and “Love Game Ain’t Free” showcase the bassist’s signature funk-minimalism and low fidelity composition/production style. He played all the instruments and even sang the lyrics. “For some reason the inspiration for the new songs came from watching the classic 1976 film ‘Car Wash’ and having surrealistic feelings...
The Lightbulb Moment: Support Your Local Economy, Part 3
The world is a big place. Thankfully, no matter where you go, there’s a good chance that you’ll run into some pretty talented people. Every now and then, these gifted individuals muster up the courage to put their money where their mouth is; they take a leap of faith and invest in their own abilities, skills, and marketable traits. Rather...
Adrian Belew Power Trio: Dinosaur
Our first ever interview (way back in 2009) was with Julie Slick, after seeing a video with her performing in the Adrian Belew Power Trio. Here’s a clip from their 2008 performance of Rockpalast. The tune is “Dinosaur”, and the bass tone is flat out killer.
Ron Carter on Trombonist Turre’s Latest
Legendary jazz double bassist Ron Carter remains busy as he approaches 80, playing on trombonist Steve Turre’s latest, Colors for the Masters. The album has already netted a glowing review at All About Jazz, which called it one of Turre’s “best releases in years.” It also acknowledges the iconic bassist, noting “if you can’t pick out a Ron Carter bass...
Contest: Win a “Lords of the Low End” Bass Gear Prize Pack from La Bella, Sadowsky, Kala, SimS, Xotic and Hipshot
Update: Thanks to everyone who entered! We’re thrilled to announce the winners: Austin S. (1st prize), Anthony C. (2nd prize) and Jeff D. (third prize). A huge thanks to Sadowsky, Kala, Hipshot, Xotic, SimS Pickups and La Bella. Be sure to check out the Lords of the Low End event. Kala Brand Music, Sadowsky, SimS Pickups, Xotic Guitars, Hipshot, La...
Groove – Episode #21: Tim Lefebvre
There are bass players who are able to cross musical genres, but few do it as well as Tim Lefebvre. His playing consistently demonstrates an uncanny ability to adapt to a wide range of different styles. It may well be the exact reason why David Bowie chose Tim to play on his final studio album, Blackstar, which was released two...