Bostonian thrashers Revocation will release their new album, Deathless, October 14 via Metal Blade Records.
In anticipation, the band has teamed up with RevolverMag.com and GuitarWorld.com to premiere the entire album right here, right now!
Check it out below; the stream will be available until Monday, October 13, at midnight EST. As always, let us know what you think in the comments or on Facebook!
To get Deathless, visit Metal Blade's webstore. For more on Revocation, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the premiere of "Burn," a new song and music video by Australian guitar phenom Hamish Anderson.
The track is from his new EP, Restless, which will be released October 21. "Burn" is already available on iTunes.
“Burn” is an adrenaline-charged blues explosion, infused with classic riffs and dramatic drumbeats. Anderson, who was (and is) influenced by music from the Mississippi Delta, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and more, has used his vast musical knowledge to create a sound that's very much his own.
Before B.B. King's recent tour was cancelled to King's illness, Anderson was opening for the blues legend across the U.S. When recently asked by Revolt TV which guitarists under 30 interested him, Gary Clark Jr. named Anderson first.
2014 Hamish Anderson Shows:
Oct. 21: Stubbs, Austin, TX
Oct. 24-25: CMJ showcases NYC: The Bitter End & Drom
The Who will celebrate their 50-year legacy when they bring their “The Who Hits 50!” tour to North America in 2015.
“The Who Hits 50!” tour will kick off April 15 in Tampa, Florida, and include 20 stops throughout the east before wrapping up May 30 in Forest Hills, New York.
The fall leg will launch September 14 in San Diego and begin with West Coast dates throughout the U.S. and across Canada before concluding November 4 in Philadelphia. Tickets go on sale to the general public 10 a.m. October 17 (local time) at thewho.com. “The Who Hits 50!” tour is being presented by AEG Live.
Exclusive VIP packages for the “The Who Hits 50!” tour includes reserved tickets with amazing seats, special access to the Who’s VIP preshow soundcheck, pre-show VIP parties, autographed limited edition memorabilia and much more. Additional details on tickets and VIP packages can be found at thewho.com. In addition, $1 from each ticket sold on “The Who Hits 50!” tour will benefit Teen Cancer America.
The Who’s 2015 North American tour dates:
2015 Tour Dates - Leg 1
Wed 4/15 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
Fri 4/17 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
Sun 4/19 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Tue 4/21 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
*Thu 4/23 Duluth, GA The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Mon 4/27 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center
Wed 4/29 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sat 5/2 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Mon 5/11 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Wed 5/13 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
Fri 5/15 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
Sun 5/17 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Wed 5/20 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
Fri 5/22 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall
Sun 5/24 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Tue 5/26 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
Sat 5/30 Forest Hills, NY Forest Hills Stadium
*On sale Friday, October 17 at 9:00 AM
2015 Tour Dates - Leg 2
Mon 9/14 San Diego, CA Valley View Casino Center
Wed 9/16 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
Sat 9/19 Las Vegas, NV Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Mon 9/21 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
Wed 9/23 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
Fri 9/25 Portland, OR Moda Center
Sun 9/27 Seattle, WA KeyArena
Tue 9/29 Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
Thu 10/1 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
Sat 10/10 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Tue 10/13 Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Bradley Center
Thu 10/15 Chicago, IL United Center
Sat 10/17 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
Mon 10/19 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Wed 10/21 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Fri 10/23 Pittsburgh, PA CONSOL Energy Center
Sun 10/25 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Tue 10/27 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Thu 10/29 Boston, MA TD Garden
Sun 11/1 Washington, DC Verizon Center
Wed 11/4 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
In this episode of Monster Licks Unleashed (my brand-new series of lessons and videos), I'm using the Diminished 7th scale in the key of E minor.
This scale is one of my favorites to use in conjunction with the minor pentatonic in the relative key. It creates tonal space while giving your solos and runs a very intense element, which is essential for heavier styles of music.
The techniques used in this lick are legato and tapping. The tapping approach isn't the normal or traditional approach to tapping. Once I launch into the first tapped notes, I no longer pick notes with my right hand; everything is either hammered or tapped.
This is a very easy concept to understand, but it requires a lot of practice and attention to the hammered and tapping parts. As a general rule, I try to tap the notes with my right hand quite hard to pronounce them correctly. The higher up the neck you tap, the harder the it becomes, so it requires more force.
This can prove tricky when you're trying to bring the lick up to speed. But like anything, practice makes perfect!
I suggest practicing this lick with a clean sound slowly. As you start to get comfortable, add some gain.
You also will notice I have a string mute running across the fretboard. This is simply a shoelace. Any piece of material can do this. The idea is to have it tight enough to deaden the strings but not so tight that it bars the notes like a capo. This helps with the excess noise that can occur when applying this technique, especially with gain. The string mute is in no way a necessity. It just helps with the overall sound of the lick.
The Lick:
The main section to watch out for here is in the second bar of this lick, where I start to incorporate my right-hand tapping; from this point onwards, all notes — right- and left-hand — are hammered. Although hammering with your left hand would normally cause no real problems, in this case, as we are hammering all the notes with no picked notes, pronunciation becomes key. The goal should be to focus on sounding all of the notes as close to the same volume as possible. Focus on the slow demonstration of the lick to grasp exactly how the notes should be sounded.
Australia's Glenn Proudfoot has played and toured with major signed bands and artists in Europe and Australia, including progressive rockers Prazsky Vyber. Glenn released his first instrumental solo album, Lick Em, in 2010. It is available on iTunes and at glennproudfoot.com. His latest album — Ineffable— will be out soon and is available for pre-order through glennproudfoot.com and iTunes.
In support of the new disc, Obituary have announced a November tour with Carcass and Death (DTA), plus a European jaunt in early 2015 featuring support from Empire of Evil and Dustbolt. The Euro kicks off January 15 in Essen, Germany, and wraps up February 1 in London. You can see all the band's current tour dates below the Soundcloud player at the bottom of this story.
Check out "Inked in Blood" below. As always, be sure to tell us what you think of the song in the comments below or on Facebook!
For more about Obituary, follow them on Facebook. Inked in Blood is available for pre-order at relapse.com and through iTunes.
Oct 18 Tampa, FL Brass Mug (Album release party)
Oct 25 Mexico City, Mexico Heaven and Hell Festival
Oct 28 to Nov 09 with Carcass, Exhumed and Noisem
Oct 28 Tucson, AZ The Rock
Oct 29 El Paso, TX Tricky Falls
Oct 31 Colorado Springs, CO The Black Sheep
Nov 01 Lawrence, KS Granada
Nov 02 Sauget, IL Pops
Nov 04 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theater
Nov 05 Richmond, VA The Broadberry
Nov 06 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
Nov 07 Nashville, TN Exit/In
Nov 08 Louisville, KY Diamond Pub & Billiards
Nov 09 Cincinnati, OH The Madison Theater
Nov 11 Fort Worth, TX The Rail Club w/ Massacre and Rivers of Nihil
Nov 13 Las Vegas, NV LVCS w/ Massacre and Rivers of Nihil
***All Dates Nov 14 - Dec 07 w/ Death DTA, Massacre, Rivers of Nihil***
Nov 14 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
Nov 15 Ramona, CA Ramona Mainstage
Nov 16 San Francisco, CA DNA Lounge
Nov 18 Seattle, WA Studio Seven
Nov 19 Vancouver, BC The Rickshaw Theatre w/ Untimely Demise
Nov 21 Calgary, AB MacEwan Ballroom w/ Untimely Demise
Nov 22 Regina, SK Riddell Centre w/ Untimely Demise
Nov 23 Winnipeg, MB Park Theatre w/ Untimely Demise
Nov 24 Minneapolis, MN Amsterdam Bar & Hall w/ Untimely Demise
Nov 25 Chicago, IL Metro
Nov 26 Cleveland, OH Agora Theatre and Ballroom
Nov 27 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Hall
Nov 28 Montreal, QC Le National
Nov 29 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
Nov 30 New York, NY Best Buy Theatre
Dec 03 Springfield, VA Empire
Dec 04 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Dec 05 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Dec 06 Tampa, FL Orpheum
Dec 07 Miami, FL Grand Central
***Inked In Blood Euro Tour 2015 w/ Empire of Evil and Dustbolt***
Jan 15 Essen, Germany Turock
Jan 16 Alkmar, Holland Victory
Jan 17 Bremen, Germany Tivoli
Jan 18 Praha, Czech Republic Futurum
Jan 19 Krakow, Poland Fabryka
Jan 21 Budapest, Hungary Durer Kurt
Jan 22 Vienna, Austria Szene
Jan 23 Innsbruck, Austria Weekender Club
Jan 24 Romagnano, Italy R&R Area
Jan 25 Luzern, Switzerland Schuur
Jan 27 Barcelona, Spain Salamandra
Jan 28 Toulouse, France Metronum
Jan 29 Paris, France Divan du Monde
Jan 30 Enschede, Holland Atak
Jan 31 Antwerp, Belgium Zaal de Kuup/Horror Festival
Feb 01 London, England Underworld
May 22 Baltimore, MD Maryland Deathfest XIII (2015) @ Edison Lot
In honor of the band's new album, <em>Inked in Blood</em>, death metal legends Obituary and ESP Guitars have teamed up to give away an ESP LTD M-100FM guitar!
In honor of the band's new album, Inked in Blood, death metal legends Obituary have teamed up with and ESP Guitars to give away an autographed ESP LTD M-100FM guitar!
Just fill out the entry form below by November 30! NOTE: The contest is open only to residents of U.S. and Canada.
For more about Obituary, follow them on Facebook. Inked in Blood is available for pre-order at relapse.com and through iTunes. For more about ESP Guitars, visit espguitars.com.
The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) is thrilled to announce it will honor the Bangles as part of the 2015 She Rocks Awards. Recognizing women who stand out as role models in the music industry, the live awards event takes place on January 23, 2015, at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel during the NAMM Show.
Formed more than 30 years ago by guitarists Susanna Hoffs and Vicki Peterson and drummer Debbi Peterson in a Brentwood, California garage, the Bangles were the first all-female band to chart at Billboard's #1 for four weeks in a row. The band has been synonymous with hits like “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Manic Monday,” “Hazy Shade of Winter,” “Eternal Flame” and many more.
Reunited in 1999, the Bangles will be featured in a special tribute during the event as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first major label release, All Over the Place. “The She Rocks Awards shines a light on unique women working in every facet of the music industry,” commented guitarist Vicki Peterson. “We’re really honored to be a part of this year’s event.”
The 2015 She Rocks Awards will be co-hosted by platinum-selling guitarist and solo artist Orianthi and the Women’s International Music Network founder and writer/editor Laura B. Whitmore. Now in its third year, the She Rocks Awards pays tribute to women who display leadership and stand out within the music industry, and has become a standard at the NAMM Show.
Previous award recipients include female industry leaders such as Orianthi, Sheila E, Gaby Moreno, Malina Moye, Dinah Gretsch, Janie L. Hendrix, Mary Peavey, Tish Ciravolo and more. The event brings together industry professionals, music icons, artists, educators, fans and media to celebrate women in music.
The WiMN also recently announced it will honor saxophonist, singer and songwriter Mindi Abair as a 2015 She Rocks Award winner. One of the most dynamic and accomplished performers in music today, her latest album Wild Heart debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz and Contemporary Jazz chart. Abair was a featured saxophonist on the Late Show with David Letterman and American Idol, and has toured with rock legends Aerosmith. Additional award honorees will be announced soon.
The She Rocks Awards will take place on January 23, 2015 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm in the Pacific Ballroom at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 15. A NAMM badge is not required to attend the She Rocks Awards.
The She Rocks Awards would like to recognize media sponsors NewBay Media, and their publications Guitar World, Guitar Player, Acoustic Nation, Bass Player, Electronic Musician and Keyboard Magazine.
The Whisky a Go Go is a legendary Sunset Boulevard club with a deep-rooted musical history.
Everyone from Led Zeppelin to Van Halen has performed on its tiny stage. It also has served as the launching pad for bands like the Doors and Guns N’ Roses, to name just a few. In fact, one can argue that the Los Angeles rock scene began when the Whisky opened its doors in 1964.
The guys in Christian hard rock band Stryper also cut their teeth at the Whisky. The small, intimate setting was the starting point for the band’s musical journey, back when they were called Roxx Regime. So it’s no surprise Stryper’s new live CD/DVD package, Live at the Whisky pays homage to those early days.
Recorded at a sold-out November 2013 show, the 16-track collection documents the band’s first show in support of their latest album, 2013's No More Hell To Pay.Live at the Whisky features live performances of the some of the band’s classic hits, including “Calling On You,” “Free,” “Always There for You,” “Soldiers Under Command” and “To Hell with the Devil."
Included with the live album and DVD are music videos for “No More Hell to Pay” and “Sympathy,” plus an interview segment the band — Michael Sweet (vocals/guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Tim Gaines (bass) and Robert Sweet (drums) — recorded for Nashville All Access.
I recently spoke to Sweet about Live at the Whisky as well as Sweet & Lynch, Sweet's new side project with George Lynch, James Lomenzo and Brian Tichy.
GUITAR WORLD: Tell me a little about the band’s history at the Whisky.
We go way back with the Whisky. I’ll never forget the first time I played there when I was 16. I was with my brother, Robert, in the band Roxx Regime and we played there with Kevin Dubrow’s Quiet Riot, which was what it was called at the time. We had this small dressing room and I remember Kevin kicking the door open and screaming at us because we were using too much hairspray [laughs].
What do you like most about that venue?
Playing at the Whisky is such a unique experience. There’s a certain vibe there that’s hard to explain. You can actually feel the history when you walk through the doors. It’s a tiny kitty-corner stage with not much room to move around. You’re right in the corner bumping elbows all night long, but that’s part of the cool factor of performing there.
Were there any special concerns about recording the live album?
For as much as you try to beat down those nerves and stress, it’s still there. You always feel that little extra sense of urgency to deliver. But at the same time, it’s a little more fun because the crowd is also participating on a whole new level. It kicks things up a bit.
Some people might have questioned your guitar playing ability as it pertains to Stryper, but this package leaves no doubt that you know what you're doing.
I’m definitely a guitar player first. I actually started playing guitar before I even started singing. From the very beginning, we’ve always been a tag-team, dual-guitar band.
What would say is the secret to the band’s longevity?
I like to think it’s letting our faith do the talking and being the example. Sort of practicing what we preach and being able to work things out. It’s been a big help in getting us through these last 30 years.
What’s next for Stryper?
I’m getting into writing mode because we’re going to start work on a new all-original Stryper album in January. It will be the followup to our last album, No More Hell to Pay.
How did your side project, Sweet & Lynch, come together?
Frontiers Records sent me an email saying they were interested in doing “supergroup” albums and wanted me to be on one of the first. I had already done some previous dates with George. He’s a great guy and I think the world of him as a player. So I reached out to him and he immediately said yes. Then I reached out to James Lomenzo and Brian Tichy, because I knew they would make a great rhythm section. Everything just fell into place so easily.
How would you describe the sound of the Sweet & Lynch album?
I hear flavors of the Seventies. There are elements of Bad Company, Journey and Van Halen, and I certainly hear some Dokken there in spots. It’s kind of like George, Brian, James and I all got in a time capsule, went back to the late Seventies and made an album. It’s got a “take you back to that period” kind of sound to it, but with today’s modern production. The song styles, melody and vibe is more old school but in a really cool way. We all dug deep within ourselves to pull out the best of all of us. I can’t wait for people to hear it.
Can you tell me a few memorable moments from your career with Stryper?
The moment I always go back to is the whole To Hell with the Devil era. When we made that album, the videos and toured, it was so magical, fresh and unique. It was such a special time in our lives and I’ll never forget it. I’m really a thankful guy. I always try to give thanks to God and appreciate the fact that we’re still alive and breathing and are able to still perform and make music and do what we love to do after thirty years.
James Wood is a writer, musician and self-proclaimed metalhead who maintains his own website, GoJimmyGo.net. His articles and interviews are written on a variety of topics with passion and humor. You can follow him on Twitter @JimEWood.
It never fails. At every guitar clinic I attend, someone asks the artist, “How many hours a day do you practice?”
They ask it as though they’re considering becoming the next Stevie Ray Vaughan — as long as it doesn’t interfere with their Netflix-watching schedule.
For everyone else, there’s Guitar Fingers by Ashkan Mashhour. The book offers 200 in-depth exercises and 250 diagrams to help get guitarists of all skill levels into shape.
I’m hesitant to generalize this as a "technique" book, since many people assume technique books are for shredders and speed demons. While speed is discussed, you’ll also find chapters on posture, hand fitness, vibrato, muting, bending, alternate picking, sliding, etc.
As an example of the book’s depth, take a subject like legato. First the book describes the mechanics of the technique. Next it offers 15 exercises to strengthen your legato and help you add it to your playing. These aren’t just chromatic drills, but specific legato licks to play over ii-V-I, major/minor, country and fusion chord progressions. Finally the book suggests players like Greg Howe, Andy McKee and Allan Holdsworth to check out for more legato ideas.
Guitar Fingers can be read from start to finish or used to reference specific topics. The exercises are written in tab and standard notation. You can buy the book at the website below or through Amazon. The website also offers a link to CDbaby.com, where you can stream or buy audio examples from the book.
As guitarists, many of us are fans of the late, great Jimi Hendrix, who has influenced players in all genres of music, including jazz.
While Hendrix left a legacy as one of the greatest rock improvisers of all time, he also left his stamp on the harmonic side of the instrument, including a chord that bears his name.
Taken from the song “Purple Haze,” and spelling out an E7#9 voicing, this chord has become synonymous with Hendrix’s playing and is even referred to simply as the “Hendrix Chord” by many players.
In this lesson, we’ll be taking a look at how you can take the Hendrix Chord and apply it to your jazz guitar comping phrases, slightly altering this classic shape to give it a jazzy feel along the way.
Jazzy Jimmy Hendrix Chords
Here are four chord shapes to check out on your guitar, the first being the classic “Hendrix Chord,” E7#9, with the next three being jazzy variations of this important voicing. The first jazzy shape simply takes off the root, creating the commonly used “rootless” voicing for this chord.
The second shape keeps the root off and adds the 5th on the first string to produce a four-note rootless chord. Finally, the third shape uses the b13 note on top of the chord, producing an E7#9b13 rootless chord based on the original Hendrix Chord shape.
Try working these shapes out on the guitar first, to get your fingers around them, and then move on to the comping examples below where these shapes are applied to practical, musical situations.
Jazzy Hendrix Chord Example 1
To help you take these shapes off the page and onto the fretboard, here are three examples of minor ii-V-I progressions with the Hendrix chord used to outline the V7alt chord in each progression. The first example uses a common chord riff that works between the rootless 7#9 and 7b9 chords based off of the original Hendrix chord shape.
As well, there is an AmMaj7 shape, G#-C-E, used over Am7, another common jazz choice in this type of progression.
Jazzy Hendrix Chord Example 2
The next example brings the four-note shape to the same progression, with the 5th on top of the chord, using a common jazz rhythm pattern to solidify the changes.
Jazzy Hendrix Chord Example 3
Lastly, here is a cool sounding comping pattern that mixes both the four-note 7#9b13 and 7#9 shapes together, which provides movement to the line as you move from the V7alt to the Im7 chord in this minor ii-V-I progression.
Once you've worked out these three comping examples, try to come up with three or more examples of your own using the Hendrix chord and its variations as the basis for your V7alt chords.
From there, try comping over your favorite jazz tune and use the Hendrix chord and its variations every time you see a V7 chord in the changes, allowing you to bring these chord shapes to a jam situation in your studies.
What do you think of these jazzy Hendrix chords? Share your thoughts in the COMMENTS section below.
Matt Warnock is the owner of mattwarnockguitar.com, a free website that provides hundreds of lessons and resources designed to help guitarists of all experience levels meet their practice and performance goals. Matt lives in the U.K., where he teaches Skype guitar students all over the world, and is an examiner for the London College of Music (Registry of Guitar Tutors).
When a song gets stripped down to its basic elements, you can tell its true genius.
And that’s what comes to mind with this live acoustic version of “Sinners and Saints” by Chicago pop-folk-rock group, The Future Laureates.
Playfully performed in an intimate couch-filled setting, the boys deliver this clever song packed with multiple hooks.
The interplay of the guitars, ukulele and cajon along with the catchy melodic phrases make this a gem of a tune. Yes, it’s stuck in my head right now!
The original track appears on their recently released EP, Here and After
Lead guitarist Andrew Bockelman shares, "The challenge that I enjoyed for this song was translating the guitar from an already written electric part to an acoustic arrangement. The limitations of playing an acoustic force me to think more simply, in turn influencing my performance when I switch back to electric. The result is a continuously evolving guitar part, which can keep things interesting for the rest of the band and for myself.”
The band teamed up with Grammy-nominated producer Chris Grainger, best known for albums with Wilco, Switchfoot, and Sixpence None the Richer (including hits "Kiss Me" and "There She Goes").
To the band's co-frontman/ guitarist Danny Surico, Here and After represents the band's most honest form of music. "We feel like this record is a more accurate representation of our live sound," explains Surico. "The songwriting and our performance plays to our individual and collective strengths and pulls from varied influences like The Beatles, Otis Redding, and WALK THE MOON."
Along with Surico, The Future Laureates are Matthew Daigler (vocals and ukulele), James Hyde (bass and vocals), Andrew Bockelman(lead guitar and vocals) and Rob Durkee (drums).
On Here and After, the band delves into a variety of new subject matter, ranging from an apocalyptic escape, to modern love songs, to a eulogy of Don Quixote, told from the perspective of his loyal servant. They also flex some new musical muscles, pulling from their influences in modern rock, classic pop, rhythmic folk, and 60's soul.
The Future Laureates officially released Here and After today, September 23rd. For more information, visit thefuturelaureates.com.
Last night, David Letterman's Foo Fighters Week got off to an odd start when Zac Brown teamed up with Foo Fighters to cover Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" on The Late Show With David Letterman.
"Well there, you see, that's what we're talking about," Letterman said. "Zac Brown. Black Sabbath. Foo Fighters. I don't know, what do you kids want from me?"
Before the performance, Grohl sat down with Letterman to discuss his 8-year-old daughter's love of Amy Winehouse and rap, plus the music Grohl's parents played when he was his daughter's age.
"We would listen to Candide, then Neil Young, then Slayer," Grohl said. "It was all over the map, but what I got to appreciate was that music is such a beautiful art that you can't really judge it, you just have to let it ingratiate."
Anyway, check out their version of "War Pigs" and tell us what you think!
Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the worldwide premiere of another new recording and performance video by the Commander-In-Chief, a seven-string guitarist from Norway who lives in England, and classical guitarist Craig Ogden.
This time, the duo have collaborated on instrumental version of a well-known tango number, "Por una Cabeza," which was composed by Carlos Gardel (music) and Alfredo Le Pera (lyrics).
The video was filmed on top of Norway's most visited tourist attractions, the Holmenkollen ski-jumping hill, which is "on top of" Oslo, thus offering outstanding views of the city and the Oslo Fjord. The Commander is playing an Ibanez S5527.
"Por una Cabeza" is from 2 Guitars: The Classical Crossover Album, the new album by the duo. For more information on the release (and to pre-order the album), visit pledgemusic.com.
Last year, the Commander-In-Chief released her first "guitar duel" video — a version of Pablo de Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 she recorded with classical guitarist Thomas Valeur. It was one of GuitarWorld.com's most popular videos of the year. You can watch it here.
This year, the Commander has teamed up with Ogden, who recently was featured as one of the top 20 classical guitarists of all time by ClassicFM. He's also the principal lecturer on guitar at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and the visiting lecturer at London's Royal College of Music.
In this brand-new video, Guitar World's Paul Riario — armed with a Charvel Jake E. Lee signature model guitar — hits the gritty streets of New York City with D'Addario's new NYXL strings.
The goal? To put NYXL strings into the hands of New Yorkers (and a superhero impersonator or two) to see if the strings really do "allow you to strum harder, stay in tune better and bend further."
Several guest stars — from Testament's Alex Skolnick to the Naked Cowboy to Spiderman to guitarist Wayne Krantz — seem to agree the strings hold up to the test!
For more information about D'Addario's NYXL strings, visit nyxlstory.com.
Internationally renowned master acoustic guitarist Andy McKee has created “Andy McKee’s Musicarium.”
As his first ever music camp, the event will take place August 3 - 7, 2015 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY in the Catskill Mountains.
The 4-day experience will be an immersion in music, guitar playing and all things creative.
Led by Andy with his handpicked guests and instructors including top players like Antoine Dufour, Stephen Bennett and Billy McLaughlin, plus a special appearance by master guitar builder Michael Greenfield, the ‘Musicarium’ will be filled with workshops, breakout sessions, jamming, open mics, concerts, and music in every way, shape or form.
Additionally, camp sponsor Ernie Ball will be on hand to help set up participant’s guitars and also give a special presentation on the making of acoustic guitar strings.
“This is the first time I’ve put together a music camp and I’m really excited for it,” said Andy. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for us to all become better musicians.”
Registration for “Andy McKee’s Musicarium” is now open and packages can be purchased at the official website.
Andy has also teamed up with Ernie Ball for their “Acoustic Prodigy” contest to find the next great acoustic guitar player. One grand prize winner will win an all-expenses paid trip to Hollywood, CA to record an EP produced by Andy McKee himself at NRG Recording Studios.
Those interested can submit their best video of an original acoustic performance at the official contest site to be entered. The grand prize winner will also receive an opening performance slot at one of Andy’s 2015 tour dates (nearest city to the winner), a Taylor 414CE Acoustic Guitar, a feature with Acoustic Guitar Magazine on AcousticGuitar.com, and an Ernie Ball string endorsement.
The ever busy Andy McKee is currently in the middle of a 44-date U.S. tour in support of the recently-released Mythmaker, his first new music in four years.
ANDY MCKEE FALL 2014 TOUR DATES:
9/16/2014 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
9/17/2014 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
9/18/2014 - St. Louis, MO - The Old Rock House
9/19/2014 - Davenport, IA – Redstone Room
9/21/2014 – Evanston, IL - Space
9/22/2014 – Ames, IA – DG’s Taphouse
9/23/2014 - Springfield, MO - The Gillioz Theatre
9/24/2014 - Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room
9/25/2014 - Tulsa, OK - Vanguard Music Hall
9/26/2014 - Dallas, TX - The Kessler Theatre
9/27/2014 - Austin, TX - The Cactus Cafe
9/28/2014 - New Orleans, LA - The Parish
10/6/2014 - Nashville, TN - The Belcourt Theatre
10/14/2014 - Fairfield, CT - StageOne
10/15/2014 - Boston, MA - Regatta Bar
10/16/2014 - New York, NY - B.B. King's
10/17/2014 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live
10/18/2014 - Collinsville, CT - Bridge Street Live
10/19/2014 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere
10/21/2014 - Charlotte, NC - McGlohon Theater
10/22/2014 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic
10/23/2014 - Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
10/24/2014 - Largo, FL - Largo Cultural Center
10/25/2014 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Broward Center For Perf. Arts
10/26/2014 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Theater
10/28/2014 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall
10/29/2014 - Mobile, AL - Azalea Manor
11/5/2014 - Honolulu, HI - Anna O'Brien's
11/6/2014 - Maui, HI - Iao Theater
11/7/2014 - Kainaliu, HI - Aloha Theater
11/8/2014 - Honokaa, HI - Honokaa Peoples Theater
11/9/2014 - Volcano, HI - KMC Theater
11/12/2014 - Kamuela, HI - Blue Dragon
12/2/2014 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
12/3/2014 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
12/4/2014 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues
12/5/2014 - Livermore, CA - Livermore PAC
12/6/2014 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's
12/7/2014 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory
12/9/2014 - Grant's Pass, OR - Rogue Theater
12/10/2014 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
12/11/2014 - Seattle, WA – Benaroya Symphony Hall
12/12/2014 - Vancouver, BC - TBD
12/13/2014 - Canada TBD
Songwriting is pretty sporadic for me, its not something I can just sit down and do at any time, something has to inspire me first.
I pull a lot of my inspiration from relationships and personal insecurities, but it doesn't always form a song the same way. Sometimes I will hear a word or a phrase that triggers an idea for a metaphor that a whole song forms around.
A few of my songs were written when I was spending a lot of time alone and started personifying inanimate objects. I would stare at something like a vitamin and think to myself, "If this thing was talking to me what would it say?"
I know it sounds crazy, like I said, I was spending a lot of time alone.
But the first thing the vitamin said to me was, "You swallow me whole without even thinking now…” Then I built a whole song around that idea—which ended up being about so much more than just a single vitamin.
I take a lot of care with my lyric writing and then the melodies kind of just find the song. I will have several versions of the same song with different melodies and tempos, eventually one will just pop out and feel right to me.
Like I said it doesn't always happen the same, I also have songs that started with a catchy hook and then I just kept singing gibberish over it until something hit me the right way.
I don't really have a consistent formula to songwriting, I wish I did, because my brain is constantly all over the place searching for meaning in everything. Though, I don't think I would be able to write the same songs if gave myself any sort of boundaries.
Check out the video for Hemming’s “Hard on Myself” here:
HEMMING (Candice Martello) is an acoustic singer-songwriter hailing from Philadelphia, PA. After graduating from Drexel University, Hemming continued developing her sound and influence as a solo performer to the backdrop of the artist community in West Philadelphia, and as a member of Omar, the two-piece punk band she formed with close friend Nick Fanelli. While a part of Make or Break: The Linda Perry Project, she was praised for her talent as a solo artist, and split from Omar to further develop her own sound.
What happens when a guitar player runs out of (patience for) drummers? He creates the Beat Buddy—the love child of a guitar pedal and a drum machine.
Sleek, compact, easy to use right out of the box, the Beat Buddy is a MIDI-based pedal drum machine that enables musicians to easily control the beat hands-free.
Just by pressing a pedal, you can start a beat, insert fills, transition from verse to chorus, throw in drum breaks , trigger accent hits such as hand claps or cymbal crashes and a whole lot more.
It is a stand-alone performance tool, and can work with any instrument or array of instruments. Just plug it into your sound system and off you go.
Beat Buddy comes with an SD card loaded with 10 drum sets and over 200 songs styles to choose from, in more standard and even some less common time signatures. Mixing and matching is a great option for traditional AND off-beat sounds (think folksongs with a heavy metal drum kit). If you’re looking for a particular sound, you can find it here.
Beat Buddy’s beats are organized into ‘songs,’ each comprising ‘song parts’ (such as verse or chorus). Each song part has a main beat loop, an accent hit and multiple fills associated with it. When transitioning between song parts, the song parts are played in order until the last song part is played, and then it goes back to the first song part.
You can combine the songs, drum sets and settings any way you want, and store your project on the SD card. In addition to the pre-loaded content, you can download more content from their online library, create your own content with the included software, or share and discover user-generated content on their community forum.
However, because the Beat Buddy is not a traditional drum machine, you cannot create new beats with it. BUT, You can do that yourself with other software and load them into the Beat Buddy as MIDI files.
Beat Buddy makes it easy to keep track of where you are in your song, and what is currently playing. The easy-to-see display screen of the unit at your feet scrolls a “Beat Indicator,” which knows the time signature in which the Beat Buddy is playing, and displays a darkened bar moving across the screen in sync with the tempo, indicating where the beat is in the measure.
In addition, the background of the screen is a color-coded in accordance with what is playing: for example, fills are yellow, a transition beat is white. The display indicates the style, genre, time signature, what part of the preprogrammed song is playing, which drum set has been selected, volume and BPM.
The biggest complaint I’ve heard about drum machines is that the beats sound fake. The Beat Buddy folks say: “The included beats are non-quantized recordings of real drummers (not programmed) and the drum sets include the highest quality samples at up to 15 dynamic levels and polyphonic support, making the BeatBuddy sound natural and realistic. The BeatBuddy also solves another reason drum machines often sound fake: in most drum machines, when one drum loop follows another, the end of the first loop might conflict with the beginning of the second, eliciting a jarring beat a real drummer would never play. This never happens with the BeatBuddy because it can detect when such conflicting beats would occur and adjusts the loop transition accordingly, so no matter what you decide to play, the BeatBuddy plays continuously and naturally.”
I agree. Being a solo singer-songwriter, and a bit of a neophyte when it comes to electronic equipment, I appreciate that I can get some unobtrusive, natural sounding percussion support for my live shows, and that I can control all aspects of the beat RIGHT FROM WHERE I’M STANDING, with the touch of a toe.
Breaks, fills, tempo, and I can do it on the fly. Even for me, simple and straightforward.
The national retail release date is November 20, 2014. Projected price is $349, with free shipping in the U.S. Beat Buddy comes with a power adapter, SD card, and USB cable. The computer software will be a free download. the footswitch and MIDI cable can be purchased separately at the Beat Buddy website.
Singer-songwriter Laura Zucker wins audiences over with a hard-won perspective and a positive spin. The powerful imagery of her songs and stories ring so true you might think she’s read your diary – and you’ll find yourself humming her infectious melodies for days to come. She’s a two-time finalist in the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition in Texas, 2013 West Coast Songwriters Association Best Song of the Year, and has received numerous accolades and awards from the organizations around the world. She has released four CDs of original songs with the latest, Life Wide Open, released in late 2013. Find tour dates, music and more at LauraZucker.com
Hailing from El Paso, The Dirty River Boys are quintessentially Texas:
A bit rough around the edges but full of heart.
Yesterday the band releases their gnarly self-titled album, which is produced by Grammy-nominated Chris "Frenchie" Smith.
Inspired by 200,000 miles of cross-country touring and living between two culturally different worlds in the border town of El Paso, the album was recorded at Sonic Ranch, a spot that's appropriately bordered by the Rio Grande and Old Mexico.
The album calls to mind the band's eclectic musical influences; from the old-school storytelling of Hank Williams, to the snarl of the Rolling Stones and the punk ethos of Rancid.
Below, we catch up with DRB’s Marco Gutierrez and Nino Cooper to find out more.
The band has also graciously offered a full album stream of their release. If you’re a fan of whiskey-soaked acoustic fun, then this is surely up your alley. Take a listen and then be sure to pick it up the album at www.dirtyriverboys.com.
Describe what it's like to grow up in and start a band in El Paso.
Marco Gutierrez: I think growing up and starting a band in El Paso probably isn't much different than other cities. In high school you kinda realize you're a weirdo who likes rock and comic books and science fiction, so you find fellow weirdos who like rock and comic books and science fiction and all that and you hang out. You all realize that you kind of dig similar bands and everyone can kind of play an instrument, so you start a band. That's kind of how my early bands went.
The way The Dirty River Boys formed was a little different. I wanted to get more serious about playing music and Nino and Travis were pretty much making a living doing it. We jammed together and we fit well enough that almost five years later we are still at it.
Listen to a full album stream of the Dirty River Boys’ self-titled release below:
Can you discuss your songwriting process?
MG: There isn't really a set process for writing. “Down by the River” and “Thought I'd Let You Know” were co-writes, with Ray Wylie Hubbard for the first, and Cory Morrow for the second. For those two songs we just sat in a quiet room with a vague melodic idea and bounced lyrics off of each other until we all felt comfortable with them.
For the other songs on the album, CJ, Nino, Travis, or I would bring an idea to the table and we would try to work out the music to it around five minutes before a show. It is usually really throw-and-go like that. Pre-production with our producer and honorary 5th Dirty River Boy Frenchie Smith really brought the songs to life.
Speaking of Frenchie, what was it like to collaborate with him in the studio? How was your recording experience at Sonic Ranch?
Nino Cooper: Working with Frenchie was great. His enthusiasm and energy is second to none. Loved how he really truly cared about every sonic aspect of the record throughout production. I think he made me tune my guitar 1,012,119 times...but that's the kind of dedication we wanted. We wanted to make a great record. He's a great producer, and he and Sean Rolie (engineer) are an incredible team. Hopefully we will be able to work with them again on the next record.
Can you tell us about the acoustic guitars/banjos were used on the record?
NC: For acoustic guitars we used a Taylor 814ce Cocobolo Limited Edition, a Taylor 514ce and a Gibson Songwriter. The Banjo was a Deering.
One of the most important electric blues artists of the 20th century, Stevie Ray Vaughan revived blues rock and influenced guitarists across many genres with his fiery, soulful playing.
A new instructional DVD from Guitar World, In Deep with Stevie Ray Vaughan, will teach you everything you need to master his techniques and unlock the secrets of his indelible style.
You'll learn how to play in SRV's style using licks, patterns and tricks that will transform your blues playing overnight! In Deep with Stevie Ray Vaughan features more than 60 minutes of instruction!
Highlights include:
• Essential Licks & Phrases • Uptempo & Slow Blues • Mastering the "Stevie Shuffle" • Great SRV Turnarounds • Phrasing, Bending & Chords
Your instructor is Andy Aledort, a longtime contributor to Guitar World magazine and the author and producer of literally hundreds of artist transcriptions, books and instructional DVDs, Andy has influenced and inspired guitarists around the world for decades.
Note: This product includes a PDF booklet on the DVD and can be retrieved by opening the DVD on your computer.
This is an excerpt from the December 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the rest of this Joe Bonamassa story, plus features on Slipknot, Slash, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Gilbert, Motionless In White, Electric Wizard and more, including lessons, tabs and reviews of new gear from D'Angelico, Washburn, Boss, Morley, Lace Music and Carr Amps, check out the December 2014 issue at the Guitar World Online Store.
The House Is Rocking: To celebrate the release of his new album, Different Shades of Blue, Joe Bonamassa invites us over for a look at his ever-growing collection of vintage axes and amps.
“There’s nothing on my new album that’s going to outplay Clapton, Hendrix or the other greats,” says six-string roots-and-rock rabble-rouser Joe Bonamassa. “That’s not what I’m trying to do. My job in 2014 is to keep that kind of organic music alive.”
For Bonamassa, that means fanning the flames of the blues. So after recording his new Different Shades of Blue, he headed to Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheater in late August to build a bonfire—playing a sold-out concert with a set list culled from the catalogs of genre giants Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf that was shot for DVD.
“We had 10,000 people,” he says. “That’s what I call ‘proof of life.’ There’s always talk about the blues dying out, but it won’t. You just have to make it a little different. That’s where the Black Keys and Jack White have succeeded and I’ve failed. They’ve actually convinced college kids that they’re listening to hip music—but it’s just blues twisted a new way—while I’m playing for the college kid’s parents.”
That’s not entirely true. Bonamassa’s broadsword tone, conflagrant licks, dusted-soul singing and cinematic songs have sliced through the striations of demography with an efficiency unseen by any roots-based guitar slinger since Stevie Ray Vaughan. He’s a social-media darling who sells out auditoriums and amphitheaters in a flash. And despite putting out his own albums and DVDs, he’s hit Number One on the Billboard blues chart a record dozen times, sells more music than most major-label artists and was nominated for a Grammy in 2013. No wonder the guy owns one of every Gibson Les Paul made between 1952 and 1961, including the two 1959s—his beloved “Spot” and “Principal Skinner” Les Paul Standards—that he played on Different Shades of Blue.
Bonamassa’s fortunes turned north when he kicked the beer-and-barbecue circuit in favor of partnering with his producer, Kevin Shirley, a decade ago. Their alchemical mix of music and marketing smarts has resulted in gold. But Different Shades of Blue has a slightly different sheen, raising the already high bar of their studio craftsmanship a few more clicks.
There’s even an overture, signaling that something special is afoot, to set up the 10 original tunes. It’s an instrumental excerpt of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)” that does justice to the original’s sharp-tooted Strat tones. Bonamassa keeps moving like a single-coil shark into “Oh Beautiful,” tastefully coloring his howling expressionist solo with a patina of phase shifter.
The intro to “Never Give All Your Heart” recalls Pete Townshend’s Who’s Next–era high-wattage humbucker clangor as it takes Bonamassa back to his beloved Les Pauls. By the time the 37-year-old guitar slinger steps up to solo in that tune, his tone has shifted to a sophisticated-but-brass-knuckled distillation of British blues blasters, ranging from Jimmy Page to David Gilmour, yet his phrasing is the unique blend of elongated melody and textural grit that has become Bonamassa’s own trademark. As Different Shades of Blue ends with the ballad “So, What Would I Do,” it’s clear that in the two years since his previous studio recording Driving Toward the Daylight Bonamassa has revised his sound and refined his songwriting and vocal delivery to land on a new and very high creative plateau.
After 20-something studio recordings, live albums and DVDs, Bonamassa and Shirley went searching for new fuel for Different Shades of Blue. They found it in Nashville, where Bonamassa traveled five times in the past year for marathon songwriting sessions with ace tunesmiths James House, Jerry Flowers, Jonathan Cain, Jeffrey Steele and Gary Nicholson.
“Kevin suggested that I write all original songs for this album,” Bonamassa recounts. “I can write a decent song, but I’m also a touring musician and have a lot of other projects, so I needed help. These guys were brilliant, patient and inspiring, and, like it says in the title, they helped me make a different kind of blues album.
“Most blues guitar players don’t concentrate on singing and melodies. And forget about the bridge—the bridge doesn’t exist. They go straight for the solo. This was all about writing great songs and then playing solos that I believe in and that really speak for the songs, and putting it all on analog tape, which is great for warm lower and upper-midrange guitar tones and still has the right brightness and articulation.”
And Bonamassa’s guitars have never been more articulate, speaking throughout the tunes in big, clear, warm, perfectly burnished tones that covey the menu of joy, loss and hope in their lyrics. In part, that’s because he varied his usual Marshall, Dumble and Van Wheeldon Twinkleland amp diet for the sessions, adding new Dumbles—ultimately employing four Overdrive Specials—and, more important, a juicy main course of vintage Fenders including a 1965 Twin Reverb, a 1962 Vibroverb, a 1962 Deluxe, a 1958 Twin and a 1962 Reverb.
“The sound of the Fenders was so inspiring that, for the first time in 15 years, I’m changing up my road rig and going out with all Fenders,” Bonamassa says. “I’m going to have to work a little harder, but the warmth and the presence is worth forcing myself to make it work.
“Plus, every few years I feel like I need to throw a firecracker into my life, musically and otherwise,” he adds. “In the last year a lot has happened in my personal life, too. A relationship I was in for four years broke up, I moved house… I fear being complacent. If I feel like things are getting into a routine, I want them to be different. I need to keep improving and keep moving forward.”
Another change on Different Shades of Blue was the increased presence of Stratocasters—a 1956 blonde Strat, a 1963 sunburst and a 1965 in Lake Placid Blue. “I know people associate me with the Les Paul, and I am a Les Paul guy to the bone,” Bonamassa says. “I love my vintage Les Pauls, I love my signature models with Gibson, and I think Gibson is making some of the best guitars they’ve ever made right now. But I also love the sound of a great Strat. To me, that classic Les Paul tone and that classic Strat sound cover pretty much everything I could ever want to play.”
Photo: Angela Boatwright
This is an excerpt from the December 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the rest of this Joe Bonmassa story, plus features on Slipknot, Slash, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Gilbert, Motionless In White, Electric Wizard and more, including lessons, tabs and reviews of new gear from D'Angelico, Washburn, Boss, Morley, Lace Music and Carr Amps, check out the December 2014 issue at the Guitar World Online Store.
Beat Buddy makes it easy to keep track of where you are in your song, and what is currently playing. The easy-to-see display screen of the unit at your feet scrolls a “Beat Indicator,” which knows the time signature in which the Beat Buddy is playing, and displays a darkened bar moving across the screen in sync with the tempo, indicating where the beat is in the measure. 
