New Albums - Page 107

The supremely funky and delightfully avant-garde MonoNeon has returned with a brand new album entitled A Place Called Fantasy. The 11-song record features the artist on multiple instruments, including his unbelievable grooves on the bass. “The album is weird, Lo-Fi, funny, raunchy, minimalistic, lackadaisical, and introspective,” a press release explains. “Even with all the strange things that are happening throughout...

After much anticipation, former Pantera bassist Rex Brown’s solo album is finally. Smoke On This… showcases the musician’s many sides. He plays bass and guitar as well as taking lead vocals. While his past with heavy metal shines through, the album is also heavily influenced by classic rock acts ranging from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin. “For me, it’s about...

After releasing a long-awaited studio album last year, Violent Femmes have returned with a follow-up live album. Two Mics & The Truth: Unplugged & Unhinged In America captures the band over the past year at sessions for radio stations across the country. Anchored by bassist Brian Ritchie, the album is filled with songs from their entire catalog, including past hits...

The music world was shocked in January when Tower of Power bassist Marc Van Wageningen and drummer David Garibaldi were struck by a train on their way to a gig at Yoshi’s Night Club in Oakland, California. Thankfully, they both survived, though Van Wageningen (aka Marc VW) was put in the hospital in serious condition. One week after the accident,...

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...