New Albums - Page 105

London-based music producer Gaudi has tapped a wealth of bassists for his latest album, entitled Magnetic. Drawing inspiration from the RareNoise Records catalog, the composer blends electronica, rock, jazz, and ambient music for a tapestry of sounds. “It is not a departure from the Gaudi we know and love,” a press release states, “however, Magnetic is a celebration of bass...

Mr. Big is back with a new album, entitled Defying Gravity. Their ninth album features the band’s original lineup of Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan, and Pat Torpey as well as further drum work by Matt Starr. It is also the return of them working with producer Kevin Elson. While the album includes a song called “1992” that recounts...

After 15 studio and live albums, Gov’t Mule has returned with Revolution Come… Revolution Go. The band, anchored by Jorgen Carlsson, proves their staying power in the release, which blends several genres to create their unique sound. “The main thing for us is to always have our personalities shining through,” frontman Warren Haynes explains. “When someone has an idea, we...

Legendary punk band Rancid has returned with their ninth album, Trouble Maker. Anchored by bass freak Matt Freeman, the 19-song collection runs from blistering riffs to ska-infused jams. Freeman’s lines continue to be rooted in driving the song while bringing a melodic element to the grooves. For proof, check out the band playing the album (in the video below). Trouble...

In 2012, Paul Simon reunited with his Graceland musicians to perform special concert at the Hard Rock Calling Festival in London. Held at Hyde Park, the concert also featured special appearances by Hugh Masekela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Jimmy Cliff. The whole cast was anchored by the unshakeable bass grooves of Bakithi Kumalo. Luckily, it’s been released on DVD. Kumalo,...

Peter Dominguez has released Groove Dreams, an intimate and jaw-droppingly beautiful new solo double bass album. While the 10-song collection varies in content from jazz standards to new compositions to pop ballads, there is one common thread throughout: the late, great jazz legend Milt Hinton. Dominguez, who is a professor of jazz studies and double bass at Oberlin Conservatory, first...

Bassist Simon Sammut has released his sophomore solo album called Crossing. Following up on 2011’s Bassic Attitude, the effort is an evolution of his sound, which he describes as “fluid in texture and inspiration.” “The musical score and complimentary paintings are based on a common theme of ‘crossing,'” he writes. “Essentially it is about crossing barriers or boundaries whether they...

Former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters is back with his fifth solo album, entitled Is This The Life We Really Want? It’s his first studio album since 1992’s Amused to Death. As one might expect from the songwriter’s past and present stances, the album is politically-charged. Although he regularly expresses his opinions on the current administration, Is This The Life...

Composer John Zorn has released the sixth album with his 21st-century ensemble Simulacrum, called The Garden of Earthly Delights. The powerhouse band is comprised of bassist Trevor Dunn, keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Kenny Grohowski, guitarist Matt Hollenberg, and vocalist Sara Serpa. The exploratory album celebrates the 500th anniversary of the death of renowned painter Hieronymus Bosch. “A visionary of unparalleled...

Asia has released a 2-CD/DVD live set called Symfonia – Live In Bulgaria 2013. The release captures the band in a concert at a second-century Roman theater in Plovdiv, Bulgaria with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. It also features the lineup of original Asia members John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes with guitarist Sam Coulson. After Wetton passed away two...

Thundercat’s long awaited full-length followup to 2015 EP The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam is finally out. Drunk is a 23-track exploration of the bassist/vocalist’s dark humor marked by shorter, more intense musical vignettes. As always, his unique six-string chordal playing creates a dream-like sonic playground punctuated by funky licks and quirky lyrics. Thudercat, aka Stephen Bruner, enlisted a...

Drum legend Peter Erskine has worked with a slew of the world’s best bass players, and that’s once again documented on two new albums from his projects. First up, Erskine’s “Dr. Um” band has followed up their successful debut album with Second Opinion. Where the original album featured Janek Gwizdala, the former Weather Report drummer tapped bassist Benjamin Shepherd to...