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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tony Iommi Talks About The New Heaven And Hell Album
How heavy is the playing of Mr. Tony Iommi? Researchers have found that it's so heavy that just one tea spoon of it would sink an aircraft carrier... Now that's heavy my friend!
billboard.com "There were loads of ideas," Iommi tells Billboard.com. "We've got enough to make another album if we wanted. We probably wouldn't use that stuff again, but we had more than enough" for "The Devil You Know." Iommi says the remaining material are "ideas -- a verse or a riff, lots of bits, really." But he adds that with "The Devil You Know" just coming out Tuesday, Heaven and Hell isn't close to thinking about a next album.
"We're gonna be pretty tied up in touring for a bit," Iommi says, "and then when it comes to what we're gonna do afterwards, I don't know -- but I'm sure we'll sort that out."
Heaven and Hell -- which features Sabbath founders Iommi and bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler, frontman Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinnie Appice -- re-formed under the new moniker in 2006 to record some new songs for a greatest hits album, "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years."
That led to nearly two years of touring and the decision to record again for the first time since 1992's "Dehumanizer" -- ironically in the same place as 17 years earlier, Rockfield Studios in Wales -- after a pair of writing sessions at Dio's home studio in Los Angeles.
"It was very different," Iommi says. "We had a lot of pre-production time. When we'd done previous stuff like the "Dehumanizer" album, we went into a room and just started from scratch with no ideas, so everybody would just be jamming around until we'd come up with something. This time it was just a lot easier 'cause we already had a lot of ideas we could start off with."
Heaven and Hell hits the road to promote "The Devil You Know" on May 5 in Bogota, Colombia, touring South America before moving on to Europe in late May. Iommi says North American dates will follow in August.
The group has also released a video for the album's first single, "Bible Black" -- which is the only part of the reunion that's rubbed the guitarist the wrong way.
"I think it' bloody awful, to be honest," Iommi says. "It looks like Casper the Ghost or something. We didn't have anything to do with it; that was sort of just presented to us, really. I'd have thought it could be done better than that, but that's just my opinion, and I'm just one of four."
jam.canoe.ca Pop superstar Prince has spoken out for the first time about his battle with epilepsy - crediting the seizure disorder with inspiring his eccentric musical persona.
The Purple Rain hitmaker was tortured by fits as a young boy, terrifying his mother and father who struggled to cope with how to care for him.
He tells PBS, "I've never spoken about this before but I was born epileptic. I used to have seizures when I was young. My mother and father didn't know what to do or how to handle it but they did the best they could with what little they had."
The pop star began picking up instruments as a means to escape his painful struggle, and credits a divine intervention with helping him get over the illness.
He adds, "Early in my career I tried to compensate by being as flashy as I could and as noisy as I could... My mother told me one day I walked in to her and said, 'Mom, I'm not going to be sick anymore,' and she said 'Why?' and I said 'Because an angel told me so.' Now, I don't remember saying it, that's just what she told me."
Who Would Win In a Fight, Axl Rose Or Scott Weiland ?
I know you have been laying awake at night trying to figure this one out!
jam.canoe.ca Rockers Duff McKagan and Slash would go back to playing with Axl Rose before re teaming with former Velvet Revolver front man Scott Weiland.
The duo are still looking for Weiland's replacement a year after sacking the singer following a much-publicized bust-up - but there's no way they'd consider recalling the rock star and trying to work through their differences.
McKagan and Slash would rather reconcile with their hot-headed former Guns N' Roses front man, Rose, first - despite the fact that their fall-out with the singer remains one of the rock world's most legendary.
Bassist McKagan insists he and Slash would work with Rose again if they had to pick between the two temperamental singers.
McKagan says, "Some bad s**t happened at the end of the last Velvet Revolver tour. It was brutal.
"There were late gigs... I just wanted it to be over."
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Lorie Hand was blown away when she saw the 20-foot-tall guitar the Bristol Tennessee-Virginia Chamber of Commerce put in its front yard.
"It's awesome," said Hand, a Piney Flats, Tenn., resident who was walking through downtown Wednesday with some friends from New York. "It fits right in to the area."
Chamber executives and local businessmen unveiled the guitar statue Wednesday to mark the group's 100th anniversary. Made of aluminum and fiberglass components attached to a steel frame, the statue weighs 1,100 pounds, said Snyder Signs owner Dan Synder. His company built the statue, which was designed by Thompson and Litton engineer Scott Wilson.
"It's beautiful," said Jim Fleischman, one of Hand's friends from New York.
Fleischman and Hand said they wanted to return to the sign with a camera so they could get their pictures taken in front of the structure. Fleischman also said that when he saw the sign, he wanted to learn more about Bristol's musical heritage.
That's just the reaction Chamber President and CEO Lisa Meadows hoped the new sign would produce.
"There's only one Birthplace of Country Music," Meadows said, adding that the chamber spent $43,000 of its own money designing and building the statue.
The city is known as the "Birthplace of Country Music" because of the Bristol Sessions, music recordings that took place here in 1927. During these sessions, New York talent scout Ralph Peer produced the first commercially successful country music album.
Wilson said he was thinking about that legacy when the chamber hired him to design a statue to commemorate its 100th anniversary. He also thought about using the city's stock-car racing history at the Bristol Motor Speedway as a theme for the statue. But chamber officials said they went with the country music theme because it had the potential to attract tourists year-round rather than for just one or two events a year.
"Music can sustain Bristol as an economic driver," said speedway President and General Manager Jeff Byrd, who chairs the chamber's 100th Anniversary Committee.
Meadows said unveiling the statue is the first in a series of events commemorating the chamber's anniversary. Others include building a commemorative brick pathway and a 10-panel sundial with photographic prints highlighting events in the city's history. Meadows said she'd also like to make over-sized guitar picks that chamber visitors can take home as souvenirs to mark their trip to see the giant guitar.
"Pick Bristol," Meadows said while contemplating her guitar pick idea. "That's such a great marketing plan. I wonder who thought of it."
MONTREAL - At a time when the current economic downturn has consumers singing the blues, a small Montreal company is making a product that symbolizes the resourcefulness often needed in lean times.
Daddy Mojo builds handcrafted guitars from cedar and mahogany cigar boxes.
The instruments, which are smaller and lighter than standard guitars, sell for between $265 and $735 and have found a following among blues aficionados who can't get enough of the warm sound they provide.
"It has a very unique tone that you can't find in most other instruments," said Toronto musician Arthur Renwick, who owns two. "Most people can't believe just how great it sounds coming from a homemade cigar box."
The guitars originated as a form of "do-it-yourself" instrument and were used by soldiers during the American Civil War. The practice carried through to the 20th century with poor blues musicians in the Deep South making their own guitars out of discarded cigar boxes and fish wire because they couldn't afford any other kind.
Daddy Mojo's present-day incarnation is of better quality than its bare-bones forerunner, but company co-founder Lenny Piroth-Robert says the irony of making an instrument that was born in hard times isn't lost on him.
"It wouldn't surprise me if it's something that makes its mark these days, because it's really something that came out of a time when people didn't have much money and had to be creative," Piroth-Robert said.
"Theoretically the movement would be to make your own (cigar box guitar) in a recession. Mind you, I think we offer a nice, cheaper alternative to most of the guitars out there."
Andrew Whiteman, a guitarist with Broken Social Scene and Apostle of Hustle, has purchased two custom-made Daddy Mojo guitars. The first was a Moroccan-inspired gimbri that incorporated a cigar-box body, the second a four-string model that was a Christmas gift for Whiteman's girlfriend.
"He has all these beautiful old decals and prints of old decals from the 1910s and the '20s," Whiteman said of the vintage images Piroth-Robert uses to adorn the guitars. "He picked a couple of those and made the most beautiful instrument for my girlfriend."
Whiteman, who rebels against what he calls the overpricing of vintage guitars by playing only models that cost less than $500, wants to return to the Daddy Mojo workshop for another guitar because the final product is "expertly done, esthetically amazing."
"(Piroth-Robert) is specifically going against that trend which isn't about music; it's about collecting and hoarding and driving the price up."
Since its inception in 2006, Daddy Mojo has made more than 1,000 cigar box guitars which have been shipped all over the world or sold through retailers in Canada and the United States.
But despite international demand and exposure, Daddy Mojo has had to restructure to survive the decline in the economy. A section of the workshop has been sublet to cut down on rent, its workforce has been reduced to three from four, and more time is dedicated to finding the cheapest prices for materials.
"We feel like we're still dependent on the (economic) situation so we don't really have control of the direction of the company in the long term," Piroth-Robert said.
Still, plans are in the works for new prototypes for traditional guitars as well as a future collaboration with Canadian artists whose work will decorate the instruments.
A visual artist by trade, Piroth-Robert has always loved music, the blues in particular. When he saw an old cigar box guitar, he fell in love with the sound and started making the guitars himself at home, eventually expanding to a sprawling workshop.
"This just happened," Piroth-Robert said. "It was going to be a three-month stint and it's been three years. It took on a life of its own."
We saw this amp at NAMM and dug it. Now it's your turn to see it.
April 28, 2009, PEAVEY INT'L. HEADQUARTERS - The Peavey VYPYR Tube 120 and VYPYR Tube 60 combos, a pair of tube-powered modeling guitar amplifiers in the award-winning Peavey VYPYR Series, are now available from Peavey retailers.
The VYPYR Tube 120 2x12 and VYPYR Tube 60 1x12 combo amplifiers feature 24 amp channel models - two channels each of 12 popular amps for the first time anywhere - plus 11 editable preamp "stomp box" effects and 11 editable post-amp "rack" effects with dual-parameter control, global reverb and global delay. The VYPYR Tube 120 and Tube 60 utilize a 6L6GC tube power amp styled after the Peavey 6505 and a preamp that combines 12AX7 tube and patented TransTube tone.
With twice the processing power, models and effects of competitive modeling amplifiers, the VYPYR Series dramatically redefines the power and scope of modern guitar amplification. VYPYR amplifiers are based on powerful 32-bit, floating-point SHARC processors that enable highly detailed, accurate modeling as well as vastly enhanced flexibility and features than ever before available in guitar amplification.
Music-product retailers from across the U.S. voted the Peavey VYPYR Series their Product of the Year in the annual Music & Sound Awards, produced by industry journal Music & Sound Retailer. The Peavey VYPYR Series also won the Instrument Amplifier of the Year award in the Music & Sound Awards, and the Amplifier Line of the Year award from retailers who voted in Musical Merchandise Review (MMR) magazine's annual survey. Peavey VYPYR amps are endorsed by hard rock's top guitar players, including Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu of Trivium, Matt Tuck of Bullet For My Valentine and Phil Demmel of Machine Head.
Amplifier models included in the VYPYR Tube models include Peavey 6505, JSX, Triple XXX and Classic Series models, as well as B-Kat, Brit, Plxi, Dlx, Twn, Dzl, K-Stein and Rec models. Preamp stomp-box models include TubeScrm, XR Wild, X Boost, Fuzz, BC Chorus, Analog Phase, Analog Phase, Auto Wah, Squeeze, MOG and Ring Modulator, while rack effect models include Tremolo, Chorus, Envelope Filter, Slap Back, Flanger, Octaver, Phaser, Rotary Speaker, Reverse, Pitch Shifter and Looper.
Players can add the optional Peavey Sanpera foot controllers to activate the on-board looper and expand the amp's 12 built-in presets to up to 400 programmable, with five simultaneous effects. The VYPYR also acts as its own computer audio interface, with a built-in studio-quality USB 2.0 output that is recognized by computers as an audio device.
Peavey introduced the VYPYR Tube 120H Head and matching VYPYR 412 loudspeaker enclosure at the NAMM trade show in January 2009, and plans to ship those models to authorized Peavey retailers in Q2 2009.
VYPYR Tube Features
120 watts on VYPYR Tube 120; 60 watts on VYPYR Tube 60
2 x 12" loudspeakers on VYPYR Tube 120; 1 x 12" loudspeaker on VYPYR Tube 60
24 amp channel models
Three-band EQ, master volume and pre- and post-gain controls
4 x 6L6GC tube power amp styled after the renowned Peavey 6505 (2 x 6L6GC on VYPYR Tube 60)
One 12AX7 preamp tube
Patented TransTube technology in the preamp
11 editable rack effects
11 editable stomp-box effects
Global reverb and delay
On-board looper
On-board chromatic tuner
Up to 5 effects simultaneously and 400 presets with optional Sanpera II footswitch
Studio-quality USB computer interface
MIDI In/Out
Tap tempo button
Studio-quality headphone/record output
MP3/CD/Aux input
U.S. MSRP $799.99 for VYPYR Tube 120; $599.99 for VYPYR Tube 60
Founded in 1965, Peavey is one of the world's largest manufacturers of musical instruments and professional sound equipment. Peavey has earned more than 180 patents and produces more than 2,000 products, which are distributed throughout the United States and to 136 other countries. Peavey and its MediaMatrix, Architectural Acoustics, PVDJ, Crest Audio and Trace Elliot brands and affiliates can be found on concert stages and in more than 5,000 airports, stadiums, theme parks and other venues around the world. To find out more, visit www.peavey.com.
Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa has to be one of the coolest Guitar Nerd double headers we've heard of in a long time. See the story from Blabbermouth.net below.
New York progressive metal veterans DREAM THEATER will take their Progressive Nation tour back on the road for its second incarnation with a run through America and Canada in July/August 2009.
In addition to a headlining set by DREAM THEATER, this year's package will feature the outstanding musicianship of ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA as well as two incredibly talented imports from Sweden: PAIN OF SALVATION and BEARDFISH.
Aug. 16 - The Burton Cummings Theater - Winnipeg, MAN
Aug. 18 - MacEwan Hall - Calgary, AB
Aug. 19 - Shaw Conference Center - Edmonton, AB
Aug. 21 - The Orpheum Theater - Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 22 - Riverside Theater - Milwaukee, WI
Aug. 23 - Chicago Theater - Chicago, IL
Aug. 25 - Temple Hoyne Buell Theater - Denver, CO
Aug. 29 - The Greek Theater - Los Angeles, CA
* With special guests QUEENSRYCHE (a special one-off five-band Progressive Nation bill)
Progressive Nation was created by DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and its successful inaugural run in 2008 also featured OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and THREE.
Portnoy once again hand-picked all of the bands for the 2009 bill based on their diversity and musicality. He comments: "This year's lineup is so exciting for me. Every band is bringing something very unique to the package to create an incredibly well rounded musical experience. I am just as excited to be watching all the bands from the side of the stage as I am to be performing with mine in the center of it!"
Fresh on the heels of his Grammy win, Dweezil Zappa is pleased to announce his plans to join forces with DREAM THEATER as part of the Progressive Nation 2009 tour: "It's no secret that I started ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA with the intention to diversify and expand the audience for my father's music. I figured I'd probably have to do it one concert at a time. Playing with DREAM THEATER on the Progressive Nation tour is a great way to accomplish that goal. Music fans who are seeking something to challenge their senses should definitely consider attending this great bill."
Portnoy adds: "It is an absolute honor for me to have ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA on board. Frank Zappa is one of my all-time biggest heroes and his music practically invented the term 'progressive.' Dweezil is doing an amazing job carrying on the tradition of his father's daring spirit and like his dad, has surrounded himself with a band of jaw-dropping, incredible musicians."
Sweden's PAIN OF SALVATION will bring their unique brand of cutting-edge progressive metal to Progressive Nation. Vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlow comments: "We are truly very happy to be part of the Progressive Nation tour, and to be back in the States again and bring all the sweat and flesh to our music and our well deserving American fans. We feel honored to have been asked."
Gildenlow also joked: "Actually, Mike has been on our backs now for two years in what we believe to be a personal campaign, bordering on harassment, to make us come over. So when he asked us about Progressive Nation, it was a joy to finally be able to say yes. And if Mike didn't give up on us, then hopefully America hasn't either."
Vocalist/keyboardist Rikard Sjoblom of BEARDFISH is equally excited: "When we read on a website that Mike Portnoy had our album 'Sleeping in Traffic Part 1' among his favorite releases of 2007, we just couldn't believe it and we were really happy about it! And now we once again gasp for air since we've been asked to join Progressive Nation 2009 together with DREAM THEATER (one of the biggest bands in this genre today!), PAIN OF SALVATION (hey, fellow Swedes!!!) and ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (being a HUGE Zappa fan myself, I think this is really cool!). Since we've only played the U.S. once before we simply can't wait to come over and rock out!"
Progressive Nation will be the first North American tour for DREAM THEATER in support of the band's newest Roadrunner Records CD, which is slated for a June release.
This past weekend, engineering students descended upon Lubbock for the IEEE Region 5 Conference, presenting papers on wind farms and medical technology.
Some were self-admitted nerds. Some had probably seen "Star Wars" a few too many times.
But Lanston Fults of Bridge City, and his project, were in keeping with Lubbock's most famous resident, Buddy Holly. Fults didn't think about it at the time.
"It didn't occur to me," says Fults, 24. "And our conference was real close to the Holly Memorial."
Out of 1,000 papers, Fults was ranked as a place winner, and although he didn't make the top three, his idea has a shot at getting a patent and making its way to you.
He calls it tGuitar, or "Touch Guitar," which features a multi-touch interface for the fret board instead of the traditional strings and frets.
It is also capable of storing songs, guitar scales and chords.
"Instead of having strings go down the neck, it has sensors to tell you what you're playing," Fults says. "You touch it where the strings would be."
Self-teaching is accomplished when the LCD screen illuminates specific points on the fret board, showing the user exactly where to put his or her fingers when learning songs, scales or chords. tGuitar allows the user to play individual strings, finger pick or strum the same as a standard guitar.
Strumming and picking is done with the use of magnetic pickups that sense vibration and are connected to actual guitar strings.
A 32-bit ARM chip processes the instruction / software programs for the guitar, and can be powered by AC current or a rechargeable lithium battery.
Fults is a Lamar University candidate for graduation in May, and the son of David and Donna Fults of Bridge City. He works at Honeywell in Beaumont, which specializes in aerospace and transportation products, among others.
"Downloading programs to the memory is accomplished by directly connecting the guitar to a computer using a standard USB connection or by docking an iPod into an iPod docking station," Fults says. "The iPod docking station allows the user to load the programs, games or songs without having to be close to a personal computer."
When choosing between music or engineering, he chose the later for "job security," he says, seeing how the economy is. He still enjoys music, listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan " ... and Jason Mraz for the more modern stuff."
Fults and his family were among the many in Bridge City affected by Hurricane Ike, and at present stay in an apartment in Port Arthur.
"They just bulldozed our house the other day," he says.
Fults' next move is to talk with a patent lawyer.
"If the tGuitar application sold only one eighth of the four billion songs sold on iTunes since 2003, Apple would have another $500 million sales," he says. "Apple could not only have software applications for tGuitar but could use this idea for all musical instruments. Pianos, drums, bass guitars and other musical instruments could all have self-teaching lessons, games and music sheets downloadable from iTunes."
Oxford University Press In the nearly eight decades since his death from tuberculosis at age thirty-five, singer-songwriter Jimmie Rodgers has been an inspiration for numerous top performers-from Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Bill Monroe and Hank Williams to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, and Beck. How did this Mississippi-born vaudevillian, a former railroad worker who performed so briefly so long ago, produce tones, tunes, and themes that have had such broad influence and made him the model for the way American roots music stars could become popular heroes?
In Meeting Jimmie Rodgers , the first book to explore the deep legacy of "The Singing Brakeman" from a twenty-first century perspective, Barry Mazor offers a lively look at Rodgers' career, tracing his rise from working-class obscurity to the pinnacle of renown that came with such hits as "Blue Yodel" and "In the Jailhouse Now." As Mazor shows, Rodgers brought emotional clarity and a unique sense of narrative drama to every song he performed, whether tough or sentimental, comic or sad. His wistful singing, falsetto yodels, bold flat-picking guitar style, and sometimes censorable themes-sex, crime, and other edgy topics-set him apart from most of his contemporaries. But more than anything else, Mazor suggests, it was Rodgers' shape-shifting ability to assume many public personas-working stiff, decked-out cowboy, suave ladies' man-that connected him to such a broad public and set the stage for the stars who followed him.
Mazor goes beyond Rodgers's own life to map the varied places his music has gone, forever changing not just country music but also rock and roll, blues, jazz, bluegrass, Western, commercial folk, and much more. In reconstructing this far-flung legacy, Mazor enables readers to meet Rodgers and his music anew--not as an historical figure, but as a vibrant, immediate force.
Legendary pickup maker Jason Lollar single handedly launched an entire generation of boutique pickup makers with his book. "For the Guitar Enthusiast, Basic Pickup Winding & Complete Guide to Making Your Own Pickup Winder". The book was only in print for a few years and has subsequently become the Holy Grail to those looking to break into the pickup making world. Since then old copies of the book have gone way up in value. However, Jason has recently noticed a rash of folks selling forged and fake copies of the book on line for hundreds of dollars. "I am sick of chasing down people selling bogus copies of my book," says Jason Lollar who has worked hard to combat the rip-off artists. "So I am going to re-release it on CD in the next couple months". Jason asks that those who are interested in the book-turned-CD not contact him about it. Instead you can keep an eye on his website where the new CD version of the book will be announced. In the meantime DO NOT pay big bucks for the old book as it might not be real and you will be kicking your self in a few months.
After ten amazing years behind the drum kit for Social Distortion, Charlie "Chalo" Quintana has announced he's moving on to explore other musical opportunities. Charlie had this to say about his departure, "Playing with Social D for ten years was a good time in my life. I was lucky to play on two Social D records and the second solo album, and I am proud to have been part of the band. We hit some spectacular heights which I will never forget - adios amigos!"
Filling Charlie's big shoes is none other than Atom Willard. You've probably seen Atom wailing on the skins with Rocket From The Crypt, The Offspring, or his most recent band Angels & Airwaves. We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome such a great talent and individual into the band. Atom's first show with Social D will be the Jay Thomas benefit on May 18 at the House Of Blues Anaheim.
Jack Schwarz, Fender's Vice President of Global Customer Service will be performing electric guitar bench checks at the Old Town School Music Store. Bring in $5- $10 worth of canned food to help support the Greater Chicago Food Depository and get a basic setup on your electric.The Bench Check includes a new set of Fender guitar strings, action, neck, bridge and pickup adjustment and an intonation check. All brands of six-string electric guitar are welcome, but please remember one guitar per customer.No Drop-offs customer must be present during bench check. No rainchecks will be accepted, and guitars will be handled on a first come - first served basis. Food Donations should be nutritious, nonperishable canned and packaged foods that have yet to expire (no glass, please). Plus get a 10% instant cash rebate direct from Fender for any Squier or Fender purchase over $100.
If you're going to choose someone to model your life after, you could do better than the late James "Rebel" O'Leary.
Rebel was well known in these parts for his family's musical extravaganzas. For years, Rebel and his band, The Rebelettes, performed on the back of a flat-bed truck in York's Halloween Parades. Later, when, perhaps, the flat-bed wasn't available, Rebel would promenade in his Econoline van - the red one emblazoned with a Confederate flag and his self-bestowed title, "King of Country Music."
He was a character. His music was described, in some parts, as queasy listening. One reviewer once described the pedal steel on one of his recordings as "sounding like a space ship landing." Which is cool, if you're into that kind of thing.
Shane Speal is into that kind of thing.
He likes the rebels and the outsiders. And it shows in his music. Unlike Rebel's stylings - which featured out-of-tune instruments and a band that couldn't find the time of a song with Big Ben - Speal's music is intentionally strange. The best way to describe it is to take blues and gospel and country and Hawaiian and ragtime and put it through a meat grinder that's missing some teeth - all recorded in the basement of Speal's Shiloh home on a Zoom digital recorder he inherited from a now-deceased friend.
It's pretty cool stuff.
And it's all played, for the most part, on homemade guitars, cigar box guitars that Speal made himself with Macanudo boxes, mailboxes and other
stuff you'd find during a late-night, large-item-pickup scavenging trip through a bad neighborhood.
He is among the country's leading evangelists for cigar box guitars. So when he thought it was appropriate, he followed the lead of Rebel, bestowing upon himself the title of "King of the Cigar Box Guitar."
"Yeah, I was inspired by Rebel," he said. "Nobody else claimed to be the 'King of the Cigar Box Guitar,' so I took it. It was the stupidest title I could think of. Who would want to be 'King of the Cigar Box Guitar'?"
It's an honorary title, to be sure, as Speal is not the progeny of cigar box guitar royalty. The title, you could argue, has been earned. Speal has almost single-handedly been leading the cigar box guitar revolution in this country. He started a Yahoo discussion group about the instruments years ago. He's posted instructions on how to make them. He's reviewed music made by them. He's researched the history, discovering that cigar box guitars were a featured joke of Yiddish vaudeville acts.
"These guys would play classical music on cigar box guitars, the absurdity of such beautiful music coming from such a primitive instrument," Speal said. "Larry Fine of the 'Three Stooges' played one before hooking with the Howards." He is the street corner preacher of the cigar box guitar, converting the masses to the beauty and simplicity and weirdness of making your own music on an instrument you can make for a couple of bucks.
His evangelism brought him to the attention of Max Shores, a documentary filmmaker from Tuscaloosa, Ala. Shores had done a documentary about Richard Johnston, a Memphis street musician who, at times, plays a cigar box guitar.
Speal saw the documentary and e-mailed Shores to compliment him on his work.
Shores was intrigued by cigar box guitars and the music produced on them - and the passion of pickers whose instruments bear "Corona" or "Panatela" instead of "Fender" or "Gibson." They had gotten under his skin while working with Johnston. Corresponding with Speal turned it into a full-blown infection.
After a few e-mail exchanges, Speal met Shores at the Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza in Huntsville, Ala. Shores was there to film the concert and conduct interviews with the musicians for what would turn out to be "Songs Inside The Box," an hour-long exploration of cigar box guitars and the music created on them. Speal became one of the film's main characters. When he performed for the cameras and the then-sparse audience - he took the stage in the single-digit hours of the morning - he said, "I got up there and started jumping up and down and whooping and hollering. It's just me being a complete dumbass."
Shores said, "Shane appears eccentric at times."
A lot of the performers are. Shores mentions one, a scientist who works for a pharmaceutical company in Philadelphia who goes by the moniker "One String Willie." Off-stage, "One String Willie" is David Williams, a soft-spoken guy. On-stage, Shores said, he becomes a completely different person.
"These instruments and the music they produce bring a lot of joy into the lives of these musicians," Shores said. "Sometimes, it comes out in unusual ways."
You can say that again.
The film is not the crowning achievement of Speal's performing life. That came a few weeks ago at the White Rose Bar & Grill, downtown. The performer scheduled to play one night was forced to cancel at the last minute because of some pending legal difficulties, and someone from the bar called Speal to ask whether he'd like to fill in.
He set up his rig, consisting of an old guitar amp with a grill cloth made from a flour sack that bears the slogan, "Kill Eric Clapton!" (Speal doesn't have much good to say about the British guitar god and his smooth take on American blues. He describes Clapton as "the Celine Dion of the blues.")
He played one set, doing his one-man band thing, singing through a harmonica mic, which distorts his voice and makes everything sound like it was recorded in 1932 in a Memphis flophouse.
He finished his first set and was asked to leave.
He was too loud and too weird.
"They just shut me down," he said. "I wasn't trying to get kicked out. It just happened."
And the outsider artist wound up, yes, outside.
IF YOU GO
The documentary, "Songs Inside the Box," will be screened next Friday, part of downtown York's First Friday series, at YorkArts in the first block of South Beaver Street at 7 p.m. A cigar box guitar concert will follow at 8 p.m.
Video: To see video of Shane Speal playing his guitars at York´ arts, visit inyork.com/ydr. Click on "more video" and choose "Raw guitar."
CD: Shane Speal's new eponymous CD can be purchased at www.insurrectionrecords.com. His official Web site is www.cigarboxguitar.com, and people looking to build their own instrument can find all the help they need at www.cigarboxnation.com.
For the 40th collection, we chose to recreate the first four original electric guitar designs out of the innovative minds of Bernie Rico and his staff of designers. Each feature specifications that closely mimic those appearing in the earliest B.C. Rich catalogs from the 70s; neck-through construction, solid Koa bodies and exclusive electronics. It's your turn to own a piece of history, B.C. Richistory.
Defleppard.com Last week Def Leppard, one of a handful of select groups including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd that have been awarded the R.I.A.A.'s prestigious Diamond Award more than once, received three first round CMT Award nominations. Today they were named as performers, along with Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Toby Keith, for the "2009 CMT MUSIC AWARDS," which will premiere LIVE on Tuesday, June 16 at 8:00 PM (ET) on CMT and
Ace Frehley And Alice Cooper Rehearse For Upcoming Show
right-turn.org Ace Frehely and Alice Cooper have begun rehearsals for Right Turn's 2nd Annual Rock and Roll Supergroup Benefit Concert at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The show, to be held Sunday April 26th, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. will feature Ace Frehley, Alice Cooper, Simon Kirke (Bad Company), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Ricky Byrd (formerly of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts), Teddy "Zig Zag" Andreadis (Guns 'n Roses), Damon Johnson (Alice Cooper), Will Lee (CBS Orchestra from "Late Show with David Letterman"), Barry Goudreau (formerly of Boston), Scruffy Wallace (Dropkick Murphys), James Montgomery (James Montgomery Blues Band) and Kate Taylor. Lynn Hoffman from A&E's "Private Sessions" will host the event, along with comedian Chris Zito. Local favorites Ernie and the Automatics and Bryan McPherson will open the show.
The event, which will benefit the Arlington-based recovery center for artists and entertainers, will be hosted by Lynn Hoffman of A&E's "Private Sessions" and comedian Chris Zito.
Nachtmystium guitarist Jeff Wilson finds himself in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting.
"Last Friday (April 17) at about 5:30 - 6:00 p.m., Jeff Wilson left his apartment building here in Chicago (that Blake also has an apartment in) to head two blocks away to our neighborhood grocery store.
"On his way out, walking back down the small side street right near our building….an SUV comes flying around the corner of a small side street just south of where he was walking, two men hung out of the window and opened fire in Jeff's general direction (and many other people, including children…) towards someone located behind where Jeff was walking.
"Fortunately, Jeff's amazing ninja-style, bullet-dodging skills kicked in, instinctively, and he some how managed to escape what became a crossfire of bullets and made it home safely with his smokes and a 2 liter of Diet Coke. Although the Diet Coke was tempting to Jeff, as he was out of breath and parched with thirst after running his ass off from the onslaught of violence, Jeff opted for a can (or twelve) of High Life that he found in the fridge….and then enjoyed one of his cigarettes, which he fought for his life to have. This, dear fans, is just one more example — smoking kills!!" - Now that he has a new lease on life he and the band are hitting the road, find out with who.
Tree Poachers Plunder Conservation Area For High-End Guitar Wood
The Canadian Press VANCOUVER, B.C. Poachers have chopped down five trees and slashed at least 25 more within the mountain's conservation area in search of a specific grain used in high-end guitars. "It just makes you sick," said Henry deJong, a design technician for Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. "It's frustrating to walk into a pristine area and you expect to enjoy the flora and fauna and you find these giants cut down. Some of them are not even reaching half their lifespan." Const. Kevin Hamilton with the RCMP's three-man Forest Crime Investigation Unit says those taking the wood are looking for a grain commonly known as curly maple. "They're looking for compression marks within the wood, commonly used for manufacturing musical instruments," he said. "These trees with these compression marks, once they're sanded and finished they have a beautiful marble look that's very esthetically pleasing." Hamilton said the wood is also renowned for its acoustic features. Police and park staff believe those doing the tree poaching are entering the remote areas armed with chainsaws. "It seems that these thieves have kind of zeroed in on these isolated areas where they know that they're not going to be seen. They'll go in secretly and start cutting the trees down once they find what they want," deJong said. But finding what they want isn't all that easy. "They'll typically cut a chunk of bark off at the trunk of the tree," Hamilton said. "You can feel a rippling effect on the cambian layer. That's the wet, whitish layer just under the bark." Only 10 per cent of the maple trees have this characteristic. And of those that do, just five to 10 per cent of the tree gets used. But even trees that just get slashed and don't get chopped down aren't out of the woods. "If they've poked the holes in it and haven't found what they're looking for, the tree will then be susceptible to infection, like fungus and insect infestation," Hamilton said. The wood is typically chopped into pieces about 60 centimetres in length and 15 to 20 centimetres in width. Hamilton said a block can fetch between 20 and 200 dollars at sawmills. The tree poaching investigation is being led by Burnaby RCMP and the detachment's Cpl. Jane Baptista says those involved face potential jail terms of six months and a $2,000 fine. "There is some danger. One of the trees that was cut down actually covered a fire rescue route," she said. Baptista conceded that those doing the poaching won't be easy to catch. Hamilton said much the same, stressing the reliance on tips from not only the public but also those running sawmills. "A good analogy I use is it's very similar to the salvagers who take in the stolen metal. We try to enforce it in the same manner. We rely upon the integrity of the mills and the public," he said. DeJong just wants to make sure the ancient trees are protected."It seems like the poachers are getting more brazen all the time."
John 5 Shows Off Some Riffs With His New Squier Signature J5 Telecaster
Here is a little home video of guitar God John 5 just bustin' it with his new Squier Signature J5 Telecaster
If you dig this you should check out Six String Bliss Episode 105 for the fantastic interview P.T. and Pipes did with him on their weekly guitar podcast.
New Steve Morse Band Album To Be Release In September
davelarue.com Dave LaRue, the unbelievable bassist for the Steve Morse Band has posted the fallowing news on his web site. "The new Steve Morse Band CD is done, and management advises me that it should be out in September, if all goes according to plan. We hope to do dates around the time of the release."
vanromaine.com To go along with that we have this comment from godlike Steve Morse Band drummer Van Romaine's website. "The new Steve Morse Band CD is done and I'm very excited about touring behind it. The band arranged the music together at Steve's studio, then I tracked all of the drums at my studio (Live Wire) in NYC."
Seems the only guy not talking about the new CD is Steve himself. I'm stoked!!
The Chicago metal band whose current tour includes a music and tattoo festival to be held May 17 in the plaza directly outside the Resch Center says it is offended that some local veterans don't think the event belongs near the Brown County Veterans Memorial on Armed Forces Drive.
"There is no band on the face of this planet that has been more supportive of our troops than Disturbed - period," frontman David Draiman said in a phone interview from the road. "For this level of ignorance - and I don't even know what else to call it but ignorance - to be exhibited by the veterans, it's almost like a direct slap in the face to us."
Some veterans have expressed concern that the Music as a Weapon Tour IV, which includes an afternoon festival with extreme sports, tattooing and a secondary stage before the main concert in the arena that night, will mock the memorial, which is further west on Armed Forces Drive at the corner of South Oneida Street.
Draiman called that notion "very, very offensive and completely preposterous." Disturbed has a long history of connecting with the troops through its music and outreach, he said, citing a meet-and-greet specifically for military personnel during a tour stop Friday in Fayetteville, N.C., and an interview with The Pentagon Channel earlier this month.
The band played to troops in Kuwait last year as part of Operation MySpace, frequently does autograph sessions on military bases and often admits members of the military into its concerts at no charge and with backstage access, Draiman said. The title track off the group's current album, "Indestructible," was written as an anthem of empowerment for the troops, he said.
He thinks Disturbed's visit is getting a bad rap from veterans because the band plays metal music.
"None of the material in our songs is about anything that has to do with Satanism or devil worship or any of the nonsense or stereotypes that get associated with heavy metal in general, nor does any single band on the tour or lineup have such lyrics or lyrical content," Draiman said.
"I guarantee you that if it were Travis Tritt or somebody like that playing next door to the memorial, they'd have no issue with it. But because of the connotations that are given to this genre... and perhaps there's a generational gap, they don't understand what this music means to so many of the current serving officers in the military."
This is the second time in the past year veterans have expressed displeasure with events near the memorial. Last summer, they were upset a miniature golf course was set up near the base of the memorial during Packers training camp. PMI Entertainment Group, which manages the Resch Center and Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, shut down the golf course.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Gibson Guitar is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of a 10-foot guitar sculpture missing in Orlando.
The company said Friday the sculpture was supposed to be part of a charity auction. Gibson says no charges will be pressed if the sculpture is returned by midnight on Saturday to either the restaurant from which it was stolen or a Gibson showroom.
The company says the guitar would have been auctioned for thousands of dollars, with the proceeds going to a local charity.
Gibson intends to press charges if the guitar isn't returned on time.
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has revealed that work on their new album 21st Centrury Breakdown nearly put him in hospital.
In an interview with The Sun, Armstrong said: "We had set the bar so high with American Idiot. We all became sick as dogs. I was close to being hospitalised but they caught me in time. I had the boogie woogie flu."
Armstrong added that the bulk of the album's ideas was stored on his phone.
"I got a BlackBerry and started to write down every idea for a lyric on it," said Armstrong. "I had many a sleepless night where I'd get something and have to get up and tap it into my BlackBerry."
21st Century will be released on May 15 through Warners. The band's new single, Know Your Enemy, is released on April 27.
Beyond our expectations, the public onsales for the 9 Road Test shows sold out all tickets in record time. The band was blown away by your response and can't wait to take the show on the road!
Please remember that all shows require photo ID to enter the venue, so we advise you to NOT buy tickets from online ticket brokers.
Chickenfoot will be back in August and September to play a major North American tour and there will be sufficient tickets to meet your demands. Due to the size of the venues for these shows, we do not forsee any issues with presale availability.
Fans who joined the fan club and were unable to get a Road Test presale ticket, we hope you keep your membership in expectation of the upcoming tour announcement.
if you have any questions or concerns about your membership, please contact ORDERHELP@FANFIRE.COM.
The boys are in rehearsal this week, and we'll see you on the road!
Jet returns to form with their long awaited third album, 'Shaka Rock' which is set to hit stores on August 25th. Here a little bit their PR sent over about the album:
After almost four million albums sold worldwide and four Top Ten (Modern Rock) hits, the Australian rockers have returned to form with an album that parallels their smash debut, Get Born, which produced hits like "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and "Cold Hard Bitch." The new album closes the gap between the raw roots of Get Born and the grace and melody of Shine On (recorded just after the passing of Nic and Chris Cester's father), which together went on to make Jet an international band of style and substance. Shaka Rock captures the charisma and energy of classic rock and roll with just enough punk swagger and contemporary flair to create something uniquely Jet.
When speaking about the new album Chris Cester states, "I think Shaka Rock is like when TV went color. It's our musical equivalent. There are moments on this record that are just pure...and moments that just rock harder than we ever have before."
The album is highlighted by tracks like "Black Hearts (On Fire)" about which Cester observes, "Greed and power are fascinating things...in some ways, "Black Hearts." "Start the Show" is easily the heaviest song we've ever committed to tape. "K.I.A" has the drama of film, in a three-minute song. There's also some story telling that's come back again, like "Goodbye Hollywood." I like to think of it as our kiss-off to our past personally, and it really sums up the forward thinking...go-go, don't think twice attitude that we had making this album." The first single off the album, 'She's A Genius', is as catchy and memorable a song as you'd care to hear coming out of a radio or sound system on a summer's day - a true return to the great rock and roll that made us fall in love with Jet when we first heard them in 2003.
For the first time in over 25 years, last night recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Jeff Beck was joined by former band mate and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart, on-stage at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles for the first of two sold-out shows. The duo performed their 80's hit remake "People Get Ready" and "I Ain't Superstitious" originally recorded in 1968 during Stewart's tenure as the vocalist in The Jeff Beck Band.
Epiphone announces the release of the new limited edition "Oh, Pretty Woman" 12-string acoustic guitar. Produced in close cooperation with the legendary singer/songwriter Roy Orbison's estate, this signature guitar is based upon Roy's own 1962 Epiphone "Bard" 12-string acoustic guitar. Orbison used his Epiphone acoustic to write and perform many of his most well-known songs, including his biggest hit "Oh, Pretty Woman."
"As a young, brilliant guitar player growing up in West Texas, Roy would have never dreamt that he would one day have his own Epiphone signature guitar named after him," says Roy's widow Barbara Orbison. "Roy wrote 'Oh Pretty Woman' on his Epiphone 12-string acoustic guitar, which features one of the most instantly recognizable rock and roll guitar riffs and has remained iconic and fresh to this day. I hope the next generation of artists will feel inspired to write another great rock and roll song thanks to the Epiphone signature Roy Orbison 12-string acoustic guitar."
The new Epiphone "Oh, Pretty Woman" is a faithful reproduction of the 1962 original and features a solid spruce top, a solid mahogany back, a rosewood 12-string bridge and vintage tuners. For this limited edition release, the back of the guitar’s headstock includes a replica of Roy Orbison's signature and the notation for the first measure of the world famous "Oh, Pretty Woman" introduction riff. Also included in this limited edition offer is a hard case with Roy's signature and "sunglass" icon on it, a certificate of authenticity hand-signed by Roy's widow, Barbara Orbison and Roy's son, Roy Orbison, Jr., a black and white photo of Roy with his original Epiphone Bard 12-string, a "sunglass" lapel pin and a copy of the "Oh, Pretty Woman" sheet music. The certificate and photo come in a leatherette presentation binder.
The Epiphone limited edition "Oh, Pretty Woman" 12-string Bard outfit will be officially unveiled on Roy's birthday, April 23rd, at the Gibson Guitar Studio in London, England. The Roy Orbison limited edition 12-string package has a U.S. MSRP of $1,332 and will be available at authorized Epiphone retailers in September 2009.
According to The Pulse of Radio, SMASHING PUMPKINS founder Billy Corgan has announced that he is launching a subscription service at the band's official web site that will allow fans to track the progress of new PUMPKINS music as Corgan writes and records it in the studio. Fans would receive video diary entries, photos, lyrics and inside looks at the recording process during a 12-week period, all for a price tag of $40.
Corgan said in a statement, "The goal is to create a working model that is not profit motivated but rather information and access motivated. In exchange for a fixed resource base fans will be let inside in an unprecedented way to the creative process of preparing to make the next (SMASHING PUMPKINS) album while also inspiring an interactive dialogue that will help shape the work."
Corgan promises at least five studio updates a week for subscribers, with each lasting at least five minutes.
The video updates will eventually be collected into a film at the end of the recording process. Fans will not get access to any completed music.
The site says that "the project will be set aside for a future time" if there is not enough subscriber demand.
Corgan recently said that the next PUMPKINS albums could contain as many as 44 tracks, with segments of it released online over a two-year period.
Corgan recently auditioned drummers - including SYSTEM OF A DOWN's John Dolmayan - to replace Jimmy Chamberlin in the band.
Kid Rock, Dwight Yoakam, Kenny Wayne Shepherd to appear on new Timothy B. Schmit album
Kid Rock and Dwight Yoakam will appear together on a track on an upcoming album by the Eagles' bassist and singer, Timothy B. Schmit, according to Billboard. The album, titled Expando, is expected to be released in the fall and will feature all original material. Schmit recorded the project, his first solo album in eight years, in his home studio. Other guests will include Graham Nash, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Keb' Mo', Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Van Dyke Parks and The Band's Garth Hudson.
Legendary rock guitar icon Eddie Van Halen and partner FEA Merchandising are proud to announce the release of EVH Brand Signature Striped Sneakers.
For nearly 2 decades, EVH fans have been attending Van Halen shows wearing homemade versions of the striped sneakers that Eddie wears onstage, modeled after his infamous red white and black striped Frankenstein guitar.
Eddie Van Halen Launches EVH Brand Signature Striped Sneakers
"So many people would ask me, where can I get a pair of those? After hearing that for about 15 years, I figured they were something that people obviously wanted, so making them available and official seemed like a natural progression," Eddie said.
In addition to the red Frankenstein theme, the shoes are also available in White with Black stripe theme, which pays tribute to the guitar Eddie rewrote the rules with in 1978 and Black with Yellow stripes, which pays homage to the guitar that Eddie displays on the back cover of Van Halen II. All 3 color themes are available in high and low top versions, with the familiar "5150" tag adorning the spine.
Available now online at www.EVHGear.com and at department and specialty stores worldwide, EVH signature striped sneakers follow in the footsteps of other EVH signature items like Wolfgang guitars, 5150 amplifiers, and EVH accessories. These classic canvas style sneakers have been "road tested" by Eddie over the course of several tours and were most recently seen on the sold out 2007 / 2008 North American arena tour with his band Van Halen.
Study Says Music Pirates Are Also the Biggest Music Buyers
arstechnica.com Study: pirates biggest music buyers. Labels: yeah, right Those who download "free" music from P2P networks are more likely to spend money on legit downloads than those who are squeaky clean, according to a new report out of Norway. The music labels, however, aren't quite buying that data. By Jacqui Cheng Last updated April 20, 2009 10:31 PM CT Those who download illegal copies of music over P2P networks are the biggest consumers of legal music options, according to a new study by the BI Norwegian School of Management. Researchers examined the music downloading habits of more than 1,900 Internet users over the age of 15, and found that illegal music connoisseurs are significantly more likely to purchase music than the average, non-P2P-loving user. Unsurprisingly, BI found that those between 15 and 20 are more likely to buy music via paid download than on a physical CD, though most still purchased at least one CD in the last six months. However, when it comes to P2P, it seems that those who wave the pirate flag are the most click-happy on services like the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3. BI said that those who said they download illegal music for "free" bought ten times as much legal music as those who never download music illegally. "The most surprising is that the proportion of paid download is so high," the Google-translated Audun Molde from the Norwegian School of Management told Aftenposten. Record label EMI doesn't quite buy into BI's stats, though. EMI's Bjorn Rogstad told Aftenposten that the results make it seem like free downloads stimulate pay downloads, but there's no way to know for sure. "There is one thing we are not going away, and it is the consumption of music increases, while revenue declines. It can not be explained in any way other than that the illegal downloading is over the legal sale of music," Rogstad said. Rogstad's dismissal of the findings don't take into account that the online music model has dramatically changed how consumers buy music. Instead of selling a huge volume of full albums-the physical media model-the record labels are now selling a huge volume of individual, cherry-picked tracks. It's no secret that the old album format is in dire straits thanks to online music, which is a large part of why overall music revenue is going down. BI's report corroborates data that the Canadian branch of the RIAA, the Canadian Record Industry Association, released in 2006. At that time, the organization acknowledged that P2P users do indeed buy more music than the industry wants to admit, and that P2P isn't the primary reason why other people aren't buying music. 73 percent of of respondents to the CRIA's survey said that they bought music after they downloaded it illegally, while the primary reason from the non-P2P camp for not buying music was attributed to plain old apathy.
Perhaps, like us, you've long been intrigued by tales of Billy Gibbons playing guitar with a peso, but you prefer your pick a little more pick-shaped. Fear not, dear reader, the Royal Canadian Mint has a really cool answer for you!
Read the Royal Canadian Mint's offical description below:
Our second-ever triangular coin features a selective hologram!
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we currently expect delays in the shipment of this coin.
This coin will strike a chord with all Canadians. Music lovers will quickly notice how it's shaped like a guitar pick-the perfect tie-in to the Six String Nation Guitar.
The brainchild of broadcaster Jowi Taylor, this one-of-a-kind instrument is made of wood, bone, metal and stone from across the country. Indeed, to hold the guitar is to hold Canada's amazing history, cultures and stories in one's hands-an amazing sense of nationhood that countless musicians and spectators have experienced since the guitar was first played on Parliament Hill during the Canada Day celebrations in 2006.
Highlights: With its unique shape and theme, this coin promises to be as popular as previous irregular-shaped coins that quickly sold out. Crafted with the distinctive specimen finish, its design evokes the beauty of a hand-crafted guitar, complete with guitar strings "resonating" inside the selective hologram.
Reverse: The inlaid maple leaf and intricately crafted representation of the Six String Nation Guitar with a selective hologram of the logo used to symbolize its six strings.
Neal Moser, legendary guitar builder of Moser Custom Shop guitars and builder behind many of the now famous, original B.C. Rich guitars, is opening his doors to teach aspiring guitar builders the craft, trade and best kept secrets of building top notch instruments
April 21, 2009 Los Angeles , CA - The dream of Neal Moser has always been to offer personalized service, quality hand made guitars and new designs for players who truly want unique instruments. Now Neal Moser has taken his dream one step further by offering personal and class instruction on how to build the guitars of your dreams. Space is limited for each of the classes to insure that the attendees receive the proper experience and knowledge of guitar luthiery.
The "Garage Guitar Building 101" two week seminar we will be teaching the basics of bolt-on neck guitar building. For those who have always wanted to build their own guitar, this seminar will teach you what you need to know. There are many different levels of guitar building. Some just want to be able to assemble a "kit guitar", while others want to be able to build a guitar from scratch. In "Garage Guitar Building 101", we will teach you both.
In the " Custom Neck-through Guitar Building " two week seminar we will be teaching the advanced methods of neck-through guitar building. We will also instruct in the use of basic small production guitar building power tools such as band saws/re-saws, jointers, surface planers and hand routers. After this seminar the students will have the knowledge to build a neck-through guitar in their shop using the least amount of power tools possible. What they can build will only be limited to their own personal imagination and skill level.
Each two week seminar will host 2 to 4 students. Classes will be held between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM Monday through Thursday. For students attending from outside the local area, "dorm" style housing is available at no extra charge.
In additional to the two week seminars, we are also offering single weekend classes on Saturday and Sundays in fret work and final setup. It will be open to up to 4 students per weekend. Personal "one on one" weekends for those who already build guitars but have specific questions about specific areas of guitar building are also available.
Pricing for the two week seminars is $1500 per student.
Pricing for the weekend class is $500 per student.
Pricing for 'one on one' weekends is $700.
About Moser Custom Shop
Neal Moser began his career with guitars in 1964 at Warwick Electronics, VOX Guitar Division. By 1969, Neal was working at West Coast Organ and Amp repairing instruments for some of the biggest names in the music industry. After coming to the attention of Bernardo Rico in 1974, Neal joined the team at B.C. Rich Guitars and his legacy quickly rose. Neal has since started his own line of Moser Custom Shop guitars where his desire has been to offer personalized service, quality hand made guitars and new designs for players who truly want unique instruments. For more information, please visit them online at www.mosercustomshop.com
From King Crimson to the Bears to the Adrian Belew Trio, few men have expanded the sonic boundries of the guitar as much as Adrian Belew. He stops by the Bliss to talk about experimentation, Nine Inch Nails and his new Parker Fly.
Gibson Guitars gave a custom acoustic axe to William Shatner, who obviously can score anything (as claimed in the movie "Fanboys"). The occasion was a screening of Shatner's film "Gonzo Ballet" at the 2009 Nashville Film Festival,held on Friday, April 17, 2009.
Croatian Times reports that more than 8,000 AC/DC fans have been conned in a ticket scam on the band's world tour.
Organizers raked in 300,000 GBP (approximately $437,000) in ticket sales for a bogus show in Bucharest, Romania, next month before the con was rumbled.
If they'd managed to sell all the tickets, organizers would have walked off with millions, local media reported.
It was only when the Anglo-Australian rockers posted a warning on their official web site that the scam was revealed.
Organizers have apparently fled to Israel and their company is no longer trading.
In conjunction with Record Store Day, QUEEN fans are in for a rare treat as Hollywood Records releases "Queen's First EP", a little-known gem from the great British band. Never before released in America, the four-song CD EP consists of singles culled from four early QUEEN albums, and released on vinyl in 1977 exclusively in the U.K. A numbered, limited edition of "Queen's First EP" arrives in stores April 18, for the suggested list price of $6.98.
QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor said of the EP back in 1977, "We wanted to give people a taste of our first four albums." Included on the EP: "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy", a QUEEN-produced Top 20 U.K. hit from the album "A Day at the Races" (released in December 1976); "Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…)" from "A Night at the Opera" (released in November 1975); "Tenement Funster" from "Sheer Heart Attack" (released November 1974); and the extremely rare stand-alone single version of "White Queen (As It Began)", a track from "Queen II" (released February 1974). QUEEN and Roy Thomas Baker produced the latter three tracks.
QUEEN chose to re-release the EP on Record Store Day, an annual event saluting small independent record stores in the U.K. and the USA, held the third Saturday of April. In addition, QUEEN guitarist Brian May has donated one of his signed custom guitars to be the grand prize in a Record Store Day contest. It's a Brian May-designed White Special used in the German production of the hit stage show "We Will Rock You".
In other exciting QUEEN news, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced the upcoming North American release of SingStar Queen for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems. Available on August 18, SingStar Queen features 25 chart-topping QUEEN tracks, including "Another One Bites the Dust", "We Are The Champions", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Under Pressure" and many more. Players can choose songs to create their own personalized party playlists, providing a truly interactive singing experience.
We can't help it. We love it when guitar criminals get what's coming to them. Stories like this are just fun to read. This coming from Tennessean.com:
A local musician who had two electric guitars stolen last week was sure he would never see his beloved instruments again, but in a strange twist, he got them back a day later.
The guitars were stolen sometime April 5 when he left his truck overnight at The Boro Bar and Grill, after his band, Cuttlefish, performed there.
When he returned the next day the, guitars were gone.
"My logic told me they were gone for good," Casey Strength said.
Strength and Jim Elrod, a guitar player in the band, work at Chambers Guitars on Memorial Boulevard. Elrod was at work Monday morning when a man came into the store to sell some guitars.
When Elrod asked what type of guitars, the man first told him he had a Fender Stratocaster.
"No flags were going off in my head," Elrod said. "It's a pretty common guitar."
The man then asked the value of a Wilson Brothers Ventures Model guitar, which Elrod said is very rare.
"The whole time I had to bite my tongue," Elrod said, adding that he knew he was talking to the man who had stolen his friend's guitars.
Elrod called Strength and said he should come down to the store.
"I knew what was going on," Strength said.
When he arrived at the store, Strength said the man was walking down the road away from the store. Strength trailed the man in his car and called Murfreesboro Police Detective Kerry Thorpe to inform him of the situation.
After Thorpe conducted an investigation, Timothy R. McDonald, 32, of 7406 Appomattox Drive was charged with the theft of the guitars, valued at more than $1,000.
The guitars were then recovered and returned to Strength, who said he was relieved to have them back.
"Those are instruments I had the chance to figure out and really bond with," Strength said. "It was a big sigh of relief, more than I can describe."
The Boise Philharmonic explores the rich musical culture of Spain and the Basque Country in "Iberia!" with guest conductor Jose Luis Egiluz and classical guitarist Jason Vieaux, who will play the Concierto de Aranjuez by 20th century composer Joaquin Rodrigo.
"It's an achingly beautiful piece," Vieaux said.
The concerto contains one of the most beautiful classical melodies that also has been covered by Miles Davis. It is very challenging to play.
"I never get tired of it. There is always more to find and new challenges to unlock every time," he said.
Vieaux is one of the leading classical guitarists working today. He will sign copies of his "Bach Vol. 1 Works for Lute" after the concert.
Guitars For Vets is one of those great organizations that make you happy they exist. Great people doing great work. They have a big benefit coming up tomorrow night. If you are in the Milwaukee area, check it out. Steve Benford, luthier, Square Wave guitarist and Guitars For Vets guru explains:
Good People of Earth,
I wanted to tell you about a cool event coming up this weekend April 18th and 19th at Discovery World by the lake. Sat & Sun 10-5pm Discovery World along with Les Pauls House Of Sound will host the 1st annual Les Paul Guitar show. The show is being put on by Cream City Music. Rick Neilson of Cheap trick will be there Sat showing 12 of his vintage Les Paul guitars. Gibson will also be on hand doing demos of some new models they have out. The show is $10.00
Guitars For Vets will have a booth there both days. We will be selling merch and spreading the love.
Sat night of the 18th will be the More and Les Guitars For Vets fund-raiser also at Discovery World. There will be 3 stages with a variety of bands playing. My band Square Wave will be playing from 8:30-9:30 at The Hall Of Justice Rock Stage. This will be the first full on gig we've played in a while so we're pretty fired up. There will also be the Trip The Light Fantastic Rave zone with a couple of killer local DJ's. Laser Bob will there with his unreal laser light show. Downstairs will be the Dry Hootch Coffee House stage with a bunch of acoustic artists. This event is $15 or $10 w/ a student ID. If you attended the guitar show earlier entrance fee is only $5.00. Food and beverages (including the adult kind) will be available. Event runs from 7-11pm. All proceeds will benefit Guitar For Vets.
www.guitarsforvets.org
This is going to be a great evening. Event coordinator, G4V Vice Pres and my bandmate Pat Nettesheim put a TON of blood sweat and tears into this even. If you can attend please do!
We will be having great deals on our G4V merch.
For more details and directions visit the Guitars For Vets website and click EVENTS!
Heavy Metal Records ARE selling this year... and We Mean ACTUAL Records
Happy Record Store Day Eve! In celebration of this event, Heavy Metal Examiner held a round-table discussion with movers and shakers at various labels about Heavy Metal Vinyl, among other things. Enjoy, and go buy a record!
To commemorate this year's Record Store Day (April 18), Mark Morton of Heavy Metal Examiner coordinated a round-table discussion with several record label executives and got their opinions on the resurgence and collectability of heavy metal vinyl. Participating in this discussion were Paula Hogan (General Manager, Candlelight Records USA), Austin Stephens (Director of Sales, Roadrunner Records), Pat Egan (Director of Sales, Relapse Records), Tracy Vera (Senior VP, Metal Blade Records), and Simon Füllemann (General Manager, Metal Blade Records GmbH). An excerpt follows below.
Heavy Metal Examiner: What do you think of the resurgence in the interest in metal vinyl?
Paula Hogan: Vinyl and metal I feel is a "taste" fans never lose interest in. Metal is, for the most part, always a genre that is a consistent seller regardless of fashion or trends. Sure, it has its peaks and lulls, but it is always there. With vinyl, the packaging, oftentimes special artwork is something that feels so much more personal and unique in your hands versus a CD and the unphysical nature of the mp3. I think the resurgence in vinyl popularity is a combination of elements. First, as noted, is the uniqueness and the natural excitability factor of having a special/limited-edition piece of your favorite band, but second, the continued argument of labels and artists about the accessibility CDs give to illegal downloading, which for vinyl is far more limited.
Austin Stephens: Vinyl, in general, has made a huge comeback, relatively, compared to other physical formats. As far as metal as a genre for the format, I think there is something to be said for the level of musicianship that complements the genre, and though vinyl is still a product line that appeals to a much defined niche consumer, its growth is undeniable.
Pat Egan: The renewed interest in vinyl may be a passing trend, but in the metal world, it has never gone away. At Relapse, we never stopped pressing vinyl (unlike most of our peers). We knew all along that the metal fans loved the packaging that you can't get from a digital download or even a CD. There's something to be said about pouring over the liner notes inside a record, or how awesome that new BARONESS cover that John Baizley did. The major labels are already starting to screw up the vinyl format again, by over charging fans for a standard record. I mean $29.99 for the new Paul McCartney "Fireman" LP? Way to f*** the people who are actually willing to PAY for music. Sure there are 2 LPs in it and it may be 180-gram, but that is just pure major label greed.
Tracy Vera: It excites me and I love it.
Simon Fullerman: It is cool again to collect vinyl and, since you can buy record players with USB connection everywhere, this is an easy tool to put vinyl on your portable players.
Heavy Metal Examiner: When choosing what albums to offer on vinyl, what criteria do you look for?
Paula Hogan: Obviously, sales potential, but as well the artist itself, the artwork available and how it will work for the format.
Austin Stephens: We look at what genres / artists mean something to this consumer. The audiophile that leans more towards progressive metal is definite vinyl consideration and pretty much a no-brainer for artists like DREAM THEATER and OPETH within our roster. Specialty retailers like the Omega mail-order, Interpunk.com, and the Vinyl Collective are big voices for specific artists and genres, and we look to their trends as well when deciding what makes sense to release or re-issue. Any artist with a rabid and loyal fan base is in consideration for the format, though, as we don't want to limit ourselves or our artists in what their fans may want.
Pat Egan: For the most part, every new band that puts out new music will see it released on vinyl from us. It's not a fad for us. For bands on their second and third releases, it will depend on how well the previous record did. If we're sitting on a few hundred LPs in the warehouse, chances are we are not going to put out the new one. In that case, we will usually license that release on vinyl to another label. In many instances, those small labels are run by Relapse employees who care about the band and the packaging and just want to own a copy of that release on vinyl.
Tracy Vera: Hipness or coolness, like in the case of a new band like BISON, classic bands with a classic release, or releases like SLAYER, a visual quality like CATTLE DECAPITATION, and/or bands with really rabid fans like CANNIBAL CORPSE.
Simon Fullerman: Metal records. Bands that have been in it for a long time or bands that have big hype.
HOLLYWOOD (April 14, 2009) - After almost a decade has passed, the much anticipated Vinnie Moore solo release is about to invade the world - TO THE CORE releases May 26th on Mascot Records U.S.A.
Moore's spent the last several years out on tour with British rock/metal band UFO. Once off tour, Moore spent time orchestrating his new album meticulously laying down the tracks to his newest guitar instrumental masterpiece.
Choosing a very retro-contemporary rock style mixed with many other styles and influences, Moore decided he would make it a good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll instrumental album. It's just Vinnie Moore, his guitar, and his raw guitar talent - all the ingredients that make's this album a work of art.
TO THE CORE boasts such tracks as "Fly", "Panic Attack" and "Off The Hook." All the songs take on unique tones has Moore takes you on a journey track after track. "The only plan I had when making this record was to do some things I have never done before," explains Moore. "I am into many types of music and wanted to make a record where I could just let it all pour out without limitations. I am basically a rock guy but all these other influences that filter into my music. You can hear many styles from an R&B/Hip Hop vibe to one that is heavy but has an indian vibe with lots of exotic percussion. I even have a couple tunes with techno elements, some funk, some blues and some bepop. Hell, there is even some motorcycles on it and I even played slide guitar on "Jigsaw" which is fairly new for me. The common thread that ties it all together is probably the fact that it's me playing guitar through it all."
TO THE CORE was recorded at The Core. John "JD" Deservio (Black Label Society/Bass) plays bass, Van Romaine on drums and Tim Lehner on keyboards.
For more information please go to www.vinniemoore.com or www.mascotrecordsusa.com
Neil Young has always been a one-man rock and roll yin and yang, ricocheting between cathedrals of distortion like "Cortez the Killer" and "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" and serene acoustics like "Sugar Mountain" and "Prairie Wind." But fans of Young's most dynamic and brutal Les Paul flogging - think of his epic solos in classics like "Cinnamon Girl" and "Down By the River" - can find plenty on organist Booker T. Jones' solo debut Potato Hole, which hits the street April 21.
Young rarely guests on albums by other artists. This is payback. Jones and his famed original band, Stax Records A-team Booker T. & the MG's, backed Young on his 1993 world tour after Young became infatuated with their support during his set at Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden in 1992. The group served as house band for that mega-concert, which also found them backing Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cashand Dylan himself.
The two legends have clearly defined roles on Potato Hole. Jones is the composer and melodist; Young is the noisemaking badass and riff grinder. Young gets into character from the first few notes, making the title of opening cut "Pound It Out" literal with his brash six-string braying.
Young plays on nine of the disc's 10 instrumentals, with his guitar OldBlack snarling at the fore. Young makes a rare leap into funk with his angular, jutting lines on "Potato Hole," and grants Jones the airspace he needs to sail through the more subtle numbers like the sweet "Nan" and the aptly named "Space City" with his Hammond B-3.
The godfather of grunge plays at his most ferocious when inspired by a great backing band. That's why Young's fans are always excited when he groups with the muscular Crazy Horse, who debuted as his supporters on 1969's Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, minting "Cinnamon Girl," the 10-minute "Cowgirl in the Sand" and other classics during those sessions.
On Potato Hole, Young's sonic springboard are Atlantagarage-soul powerhouses the Drive-By Truckers, who also lent their lean, '60s-derived sound to soul diva Bettye LaVette's edgy Scene of the Crime in 2007.
Here the sextet mostly lays back to let Young thunder through the tracks, tossing off rumbling single-note leads, chopping out chords like a demented woodsman and letting his fat tone whistle off into smoggy clouds of feedback.
And the whole affair - already rippling with muscular playing from Young and Jones - ratchets up to a nasty peak when the Truckers also start rattling away, delivering a version of Tom Waits' gritty "Get Behind the Mule”"that buzzes and shakes like a beehive on a rickshaw.
It's all proof that despite his continuing acoustic forays and his approaching 64th birthday, Young and his battered '53 Goldtop with the nasty paint job remain one of rock's most potent duos.
Gibson has unveiled three new instruments for those of you looking to branch out into smaller stringed instruments.
Gibson Original proudly unveils three new instruments - the new Inspired By Sam Bush Limited Edition '34 Fern mandolin, the 75th Anniversary F-10 mandolin and the Limited Edition Vintage Granada "Hearts and Flowers" banjo.
The Inspired By Sam Bush Limited Edition '34 Fern Mandolin
The new Inspired By Sam Bush Limited Edition '34 Fern Mandolin is based on an artist's rendering of a Fern mandolin from Gibson's 1934 catalog. Astonishingly enough, the mandolin was never produced, but that didn't stop legendary American bluegrass artist Sam Bush from falling in love with its design. Now, with the help of Gibson master luthier Dave Harvey, and the resources and tradition of Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments, the Bush-inspired Limited Edition '34 Fern Mandolin comes to life. It is now offered in a very limited number of only 25 instruments.
This mandolin features many of the same appointments as the instrument depicted in the 1934 catalog, including the figured maple body chassis, the mother of pearl block fingerboard inlays and the Fern peghead inlay made from genuine abalone pearl. The instrument's stunning nitro-cellulose lacquer finish - painted in a '30s Iced Tea burst color - is also faithfully recreated, giving the instrument its alluring vintage patina.
But it wouldn't be a Sam Bush Inspired By model if it didn't have Bush's personal touch. Starting with its figured maple neck, the new Inspired By Sam Bush '34 Fern features the wider, radiused fingerboard favored by Bush, along with the large fret wire that is his personal preference - all honed to Bush's exact specs. The ebony fingerboard also features a jazz "bird's beak" fingerboard end that ensures proper pick clearance.
Each Inspired By '34 Fern Mandolin has been personally inspected, played and autographed by Bush to ensure his individual approval of every instrument. His signature also graces the back of each peghead, and each instrument is accompanied by a special certificate of authenticity.
The 75th Anniversary F-10 Mandolin
The new 75th Anniversary F-10 Mandolin from Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments was designed in the same vein as the new Bush Inspired By model, taking its cue from a classic F-10 pattern first advertised and produced 75 years ago, and featured as new in the 1934 Gibson catalog.
The 75th Anniversary F-10 Mandolin features the same hand-cut urn inlay on the peghead, exactly as found on the original, and sculpted from genuine mother of pearl. Gibson's classic leaves and flowers fingerboard inlay graces the instrument's ebony board, and is also sculpted from genuine mother of pearl.
In order to meet the demands of the modern player, the period-correct mahogany neck has been joined to the body at the 15th fret for maximum accessibility and optimum bridge placement, ensuring the instrument's superior resonance and tone. Additionally, the tuning pegs have been drilled and splayed, and the pickguard has been appropriately resized.
Each 75th Anniversary F-10 Mandolin comes with a special certificate of authenticity, and a custom hardshell case.
The Limited Edition Vintage Granada "Hearts and Flowers" Banjo
The Limited Edition Vintage Granada "Hearts and Flowers" banjo draws on the beloved and legendary pre-War Gibson Granada banjos. The Vintage Granada "Hearts and Flowers" is handcrafted in Nashville, Tenn., by some of the finest banjo makers in the world.
Working from the original Gibson Granada specs, the Vintage Granada "Hearts and Flowers" features a classic Gibson flathead pot assembly and tone, with a traditional hearts and flowers inlay pattern. With all the beauty and aesthetics of the standard Granada Hearts and Flowers, the "Vintage" Granada also offers copper-flashed hardware and an RB-75 tone ring for an extremely warm yet focused tone.
This banjo will be released in a very limited run of only 20, complete with Certificate of Authenticity and a Gibson hardshell case.
Ever Wonder What Bob Dylan Thinks of the Rolling Stones?
Bob discusses that, and much else in this great interview with The Telegraph. Here's an snippet:
BF: What do you think of the Stones?
BD: What do I think of them? They're pretty much finished, aren't they?
BF: They had a gigantic tour last year. You call that finished?
BD: Oh yeah, you mean Steel Wheels. I'm not saying they don't keep going, but they need Bill. Without him they're a funk band. They'll be the real Rolling Stones when they get Bill back.
BF: Bob, you're stuck in the 80's.
BD: I know. I'm trying to break free.
BF: Do you really think the Stones are finished?
BD: Of course not, They're far from finished. The Rolling Stones are truly the greatest rock and roll band in the world and always will be. The last too. Everything that came after them, metal, rap, punk, new wave, pop-rock, you name it... you can trace it all back to the Rolling Stones. They were the first and the last and no one's ever done it better.
America's first-ever hard rock and heavy metal music award show, the Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards, was held Tuesday night (April 7) at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles.
The winners who were honored at the show were as follows:
* Most Awesomely Good Drummer: Vinnie Paul Abbott (HELLYEAH, PANTERA)
* Best Underground Metal Band: ISIS
* Metal Industry Award: Rainbow Bar & Grill
* Best Album: METALLICA
* Honorary Headbanger: Kat Von D
* Golden God: Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH)
* Best Riff: SLIPKNOT
* Most Viral Video: PROTEST THE HERO
* Most Metal Athlete: Shaun White
* Best Live Band: SLIPKNOT
* Best New Talent: SUICIDE SILENCE
* Lifetime Achievement: Ozzy Osbourne
* Best International Band: DETHKLOK
* MySpace Readers' Choice Award: THE ACACIA STRAIN
* Most Mind-Blowing Guitarist: Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King (SLAYER)
* Hottest Chick In Metal: Marta Peterson (BLEEDING THROUGH)
Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards will be broadcast on MTV2 as a one-hour special debuting Saturday, May 2. The ultimate evening of heavy music dfeature performances from MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, HATEBREED, ALL THAT REMAINS and SUICIDE SILENCE, along with a very special DJ set from SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor to kick off the event. The night culminated with rock legend Ozzy Osbourne being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hosted by actor/comic Brian Posehn ("The Sarah Silverman Program"), the night - a celebration of one of rock's most enduring and fan-supported genres - also featured special appearances by MOTORHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister, Glenn Danzig, Maynard James Keenan of TOOL and PUSCIFER, Jonathan Davis of KORN, ALICE IN CHAINS, Vinnie Paul, Scott Ian, Olympic gold-medalist Shaun White, Chuck Billy of TESTAMENT, PROTEST THE HERO, Marta Peterson from BLEEDING THROUGH, ISIS, Ken Susi and Trevor Phipps of UNEARTH, Brendon Small from DETHKLOK, STEEL PANTHER, WWE wrestler CM Punk, Sirius XM radio host Jose Mangin, "Chaos" radio host Full Metal Jackie and many more.
Pearl Jam will play live dates in the U.S. later this year, including the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco Aug. 28-30, Billboard has confirmed. The band has also completed 14 songs for a new album and is working on a film with director Cameron Crowe, guitarist Mike McCready said in a radio interview late last month.
McCready told Seattle's "Ron & Don Show" that the band is about halfway finished with its next album, which is being recorded in California with producer Brendan O'Brien. McCready said the band is expecting to have the album out before the end of this year. As previously reported, the band will self-release the album, its ninth.
As for touring, the band is doing a "little thing in the States," and is looking to play South America in 2010, McCready said.
Pearl Jam is widely expected to be one of the headliners of this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas. The promoters, C3 Presents, declined to comment to Billboard about the lineup, but the Austin Chronicle is calling it "the worst-kept secret since Metallica's SXSW showcase." Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys and Kings of Leon are also expected to be announced as headliners on April 28. Early bird passes for Austin City Limits are on sale at aclfestival.com.
Pearl Jam is also planning to tape an appearance on the Austin City Limits television show, producer Terry Lickona told a pbs.org questioner in March.
Pearl Jam have long been courted by C3 Presents for the Austin festival, especially after the promoters convinced the band to play Lollapalooza in 2007, its first large festival show in the U.S. since the mid-1990s. Pearl Jam played Bonnaroo in 2008.
"We're building up to our big 20th anniversary," McCready said. "We're trying to have a little campaign of building rereleases with new mixes and new outtakes up until that time. We're trying to do a movie with Cameron Crowe with all of our existing footage."
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
7:40 PM
Monday, April 13, 2009
Paul Gilbert to Release New Album with Freddie Nelson
HOLLYWOOD, CA (April 13, 2009) - UNITED STATES is the first collaboration of Paul Gilbert and Freddie Nelson. The album features 10 new songs which they wrote, performed, and produced together in the summer of 2008. UNITED STATES will be released May 12th, 2009 on Mascot Records U.S.A.
Gilbert and Nelson share many musical and cultural roots. Both artists grew up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both were born the same year and started playing guitar around the same time. Both played in Pittsburgh bands, and even shared some of the same band members.
Gilbert moved to Los Angeles, and Nelson stayed in Pittsburgh, so they never met until now.
On first listen, Nelson's stunning vocals reminds many listeners of the legendary Freddie Mercury. But listen again, and you will be introduced to a singer, performer, and writer with a unique sound and character all his own.
Gilbert could easily rest on his "Guitar Hero" reputation, but being raised on The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Van Halen,Gilbert craves great rock singing and songs.
Paul Gilbert began his career with the legendary shred-metal band RACER X in 1986. Since then, his guitar playing has brought him number one hits with the band MR. BIG, and a devoted following of guitar and music lovers all over the world. Gilbert's recent foray into instrumental guitar music brought him even more attention, and has resulted in extensive touring with Joe Satriani's "G3" tour in North America and over 100 shows as a headliner in Europe, Japan, and South America.
UNITED STATES is one Paul Gilbert album you must add to your collection.
Tracklisting:
1.The Last Rock'n Roll Star
2. Hideway
3. Waste of Time
4. Bad Times Good
5. Paris Hilton Look-alike
6. The Answer
7. I'm Free
8. Pulsar
9. Girl from Omaha
10. I'm Not Addicted
For more information go to www.paulgilbert.com or www.mascotrecordsusa.com
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
7:13 PM
Fender Wants to Give You a Shirt For Playing An Amp
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (April 8, 2009) - Fender is proud to announce the new "Soul of Tone" promotion, designed to highlight the attributes of Fender amplification while engaging consumers and drive traffic into retail stores. Fender amplifiers are known worldwide as the soul of great live and recorded guitar tone, regardless of musical genre.
The "Soul of Tone" campaign invites guitar and bass players to go to their local authorized Fender dealer, play through any Fender amplifier and receive a high-style "Soul of Tone" T-shirt. The Fender "Soul of Tone" promotion begins April 2, 2009 and runs through June 30, 2009 and includes all new Fender amplifiers for electric guitar and bass, as well as amplifiers for acoustic guitars.
To participate, musicians simply:
* Go to www.fender.com/souloftone
* Download and print the "Soul of Tone" coupon, and bring it into the store
* Test drive any Fender amplifier and have your dealer authorize your coupon
* Mail the form back to Fender and receive your free T-shirt
The "Soul of Tone" campaign also includes a "Tone Bucks" incentive program for sales floor staff and management at participating dealers. Interested dealers are encouraged to contact their Fender District Sales Manager for more details.
While some companies are known solely for their instruments, and others are known solely for their amps, Fender has a continuous history and fine heritage of innovation and acclaim for both. The 1950s-'60s development of Fender's most famous electric guitars proceeded hand-in-hand with the development of the great Fender amps that allowed them to be heard loud and clear. Today, more than 60 years after they were first heard, Fender guitar amplifiers continue to embody that pioneering spirit, technical excellence and define the "Soul of Tone."
Available in the United States only. The Fender "Soul of Tone" test drive offer is for a limited time only.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
4:02 PM
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The New York State Music Fund Wants To Give You 5000 Free Songs!
The New York State Music Fund has launched a great new site called The Free Music Archive The site is a database of rarities, live performances and other good stuff pulled from the libraries of the best Independent radio stations in the U.S. In other words, this is free music you will want to listen to!
The site is in Beta, but everything appears to be functioning fine. So download away.
We have no idea what the New York State Music Fund is, but we fully endorse it!
"If you didn't see them signed yourself, your METALLICA autographs probably aren't real," says Autograph publisher Steven Cyrkin. Already one of the most forged bands of all time, with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, METALLICA forgeries have hit an all-time high. On eBay, on fan and dealer web sites, and in many of the fancy galleries in tourist spots, criminals are preying on METALLICA's unsuspecting fans.
"You can find out if your METALLICA autographs, or ones you're thinking of buying, are suspect in a 10-page feature in the May issue of Autograph magazine that traces the band's autographs from 1982 to today," says Cyrkin.
"The number of METALLICA forgeries being offered rivals the number of forged Barack Obama autographs peddled after he was elected president," continues Cyrkin. "It's so bad that we asked the chief authenticator of the largest autograph authentication service, PSA/DNA, to write an article that shows how to identify genuine METALLICA signatures."
The authenticator is Steve Grad, a rabid METALLICA fan with one of the largest METALLICA autograph collections in the world. There are photographs of 28 genuine METALLICA-signed items in the article, including an autographed flyer from 1982 — the earliest band-signed piece Grad and the magazine have seen.
"My favorite piece is an autographed 8x10 photo from 1983 that we show life-size in the article. The band signed only 100 of them, which they sent to the first 100 members of the METALLICA fan club. Only a few have surfaced over the years," Cyrkin says.
The article gives details on the history of the band's signing habits throughout their career. And fans and collectors can compare their METALLICA autographs to the ones in the article to determine if they are likely real.
"Two factors make rock attractive to forgers," Cyrkin says. "First, rock stars that have been around for decades have more fans who can afford to buy rare and expensive items. For many bands, like THE BEATLES and LED ZEPPELIN, genuine signed items like albums and guitars are extremely rare or do not exist. Most are not available at any price from legitimate dealers and auction houses, but the sellers of forgeries are happy to meet the demand. Second, in the case of hot, touring bands like METALLICA, members stop signing as much as they see their autographs being offered all over the Internet."
Autograph's May METALLICA Hall of Fame issue is $8.95. It is only available through their website by advance order, or with a subscription ordered by April 17. The issue mails the last week of April. The magazine is a niche publication that is not available in stores.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
6:50 AM
Hey UK Readers: Wanna See Mick Jones' Collection of Rock History?
Mick Jones has turned from punk rock to museum curation, opening his collection of vintage music memorabilia to the public. Temporarily on display at London's Chelsea Space gallery, the former Clash guitarist said he hopes to find a permanent site for his archive.
"I started collecting things when I was very young and I did not really know why," Jones told Reuters. "Then at the millennium, the change of the century, it started to become clear. I realised I wanted to share it."
The co-founder of one of the UK's greatest bands has been collecting music magazines, books and posters since choosing punk rock over football. "If you are ... a young working-class boy in London, you have to make a choice between sport or music," he said. "I made the choice for music."
"I have kept everything, if it exists it's probably there somewhere."
The display includes hundreds of items, from Frank Sinatra albums to Big Audio Dynamite lyric sheets, including stage clothes, plane tickets, access badges and a hastily scribbled note from the Clash's late frontman, Joe Strummer. Early issues of magazines Creem and Rock Scene, sent to the young Jones by his mother, bring back particular memories. "I was really up on that stuff while not many people here were," he said. "[Lester] Bangs was one of [Creem's] main writers. So it was such a joy to get to know him when he came to write about [the Clash]." That article was published in 1977.
For the 53-year-old art-school graduate, the music collection is "one big living artwork" that is still growing. "Ultimately, I'd like to have a permanent place to exhibit the whole collection like a museum, like a library where you can come and see the stuff and maybe get a copy or sit there and read it."
Rock and Roll Public Library runs at the Chelsea Space until 18 April.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
6:46 AM
Friday, April 10, 2009
Fender Denied the Trademark to the Strat, Tele and P-Bass Body Shapes!
There is no question that the guitar universe owes Fender a huge debt of gratitude. Without Leo, we wouldn't be where we are today. At the same time, many smaller luthiers and guitar manufacturers live in fear of the big F. Fender has been known to take manufacturers to court over guitars that appear too Strat or Tele like. A huge ruling has just been handed down by the courts that Fender cannot trademark the Stratocaster, Telecaster or Precision Bass body shapes. Read the article on the matter from examiner.com below.
Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton and others have made their names slinging sleek-looking solid-body guitars made by Fender. Amid that success, the largest guitar manufacturer in the world quietly applied to trademark three guitar body shapes that have been a major part of popular music for more than 50 years.
Enter Ron Bienstock (left), law partner in a North Jersey firm -- and a top-notch bassist who plays in a band called The Suits.
His "David v. Goliath" fight ended in victory when the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board agreed with 17 large and small guitar manufacturers -- represented by Bienstock -- that the designs have become generic.
The precedent-setting decision protected the livelihoods of countless luthiers.
"If Fender would have been granted the trademarks, thousands of guitar makers would have been out of work," Bienstock said.
Fender argued that the two-dimensional angles and lines of three of its axes -- the Stratocaster, Telecaster and Precision Bass electric bass -- were unique to its brand.
But Bienstock, an adjunct professor at NYU and a frequent contributor to national music media, said that was like trademarking round watches. Fender wasn't entitled to such a competitive edge, especially since it waited until 2003 to seek the trademark, the four-stringed lawyer argued.
Bienstock & Michael, P.C. is a full-service intellectual property and entertainment law firm with offices in New Jersey and New York.
Before founding the firm, Bienstock was editor-in-chief and publisher of International Musician & Recording World. He also was general counsel to Hoshino, U.S.A., which makes Ibanez Guitars.
Now-defunct BAM magazine voted him one of the top 100 "Most Influential People In The Music Business" in 1991.
Despite the grand histories of its electric guitars, Fender failed to promote or police the outlines as trademarks, the Appeal Board said.
"While it may be that the more knowledgeable consumers are familiar with the history and origin of these shapes..." the 75-page decision says, "this record does not support a finding that consumers with varying degrees of knowledge would or could identify the source of a particular guitar based solely on the outline of these body configurations."
The outline of the Strat, in particular, was common enough to be depicted as "a generic electric guitar in a dictionary," the 75-page decision says.
As one music aficionado quipped on musicradar.com: "Indeed, the courts are rarely favorable to companies who attempt to close the barn door long after the horse has run off. In this case, the horse has been on a world tour and retired to China."
Indeed, more than the manufacturer itself, Strats and Telecasters have become synonymous with their owners.
Clapton five years ago donated his sleek "Blackie" Strat for for a charity auction -- and raised $1 million. Springsteen's photos for the "Born to Run" album are as known for his Telecaster as for his floppy cap and leather jacket.
Few people may know that the Strat wasn't even designed for rock and roll.
Musical visionary Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender invented it in the early 1950s for one of his favorite players: Eldon Shamblin of the Texas Playboys. The band played behind Bob Wills, a visionary of his own, whose style of western swing is still reprised today. Fender had invented the Telecaster (originally called "the Broadcaster") several years earlier.
Before long, Gibson got into the solid-body game, bringing on Les Paul to produce a similar product.
Other manufacturers followed suit over the last half-century.
"Retrospective copyright rarely works," another poster to musicradar wrote. "If they were that worried about their design being copied, they should have gone through the whole legal bit before they even released the guitar."
"This is an important victory, not only for our clients, but for the guitar industry as a whole," Bienstock said. "[It] affirms what our clients, and everyone else in the industry, have known all along: These body shapes are generic and belong to everyone."
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
7:19 AM
NOFX to release 10-inch Cover Album
We are all about obsure hardcore, so we couldn't help but get excited about this statement NOFX singer 'Fat' Mike Burkett made in a recent interview with Groud Control:
"We're putting out is a ten-song ten-inch of ten cover songs of old hardcore bands," says Burkett. "They're all from the US and that's all kind of what we grew up on. That's already recorded and mostly they're bands that no one ever heard of and most of their records never made it to CD. It's pretty obscure - a couple of the bigger bands would be The Necros and Social Unrest and Stretch Marks. We're just going to put it out and we're not going to put any information on it; no credits, no song titles, no nothing - just a blank disc - so if you don't know who it is, you won't know who it is.
"That will come later though - I'm not sure exactly when."
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
7:07 AM
Coldplay has denied in federal court that it copied parts of Joe Satriani's music for its hit song, "Viva La Vida."
In a response filed in Los Angeles on Monday, attorneys for Coldplay's band members also argued that any similarities between "Viva La Vida" and Satriani's "If I Could Fly" weren't enough to warrant damages.
Satriani's song "lacks originality," Coldplay's response claims, and shouldn't receive copyright protection.
Satriani sued Coldplay in December, claiming the British band used "substantial, original portions" of Satriani's "If I Could Fly," which was released in 2004.
Satriani's lawyer, Howard E. King, said Coldplay's response was typical for copyright infringement cases and he reiterated that he thought the matter could have been resolved without a lawsuit.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
7:03 AM
PETA asks Pet Shop Boys to Change Their Name... 20 Years After Anyone Cares
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Just because they named their new CD "Yes," does not mean that British electro-pop duo, the Pet Shop Boys, will agree to just about anything.
PETA has asked the Pet Shop Boys to change the band's name to Rescue Shelter Boys.
The band has turned down a request from an animal rights group to rename itself the Rescue Shelter Boys.
The organization, the People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA), sent a letter to Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe acknowledging that its request, at first blush, might appear "bizarre."
But, by changing its name, the band could raise awareness at every tour stop of the "cramped, filthy conditions" that breeders keep animals in before selling them to pet stores, PETA said in its letter.
The duo, which has performed under its current name for more than 20 years, reproduced PETA's written request in full on its Web site.
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Pet Shop Boys come back with a lot of 'love, etc.'
The musicians said they were "unable to agree" to the request "but nonetheless think (it) raises an issue worth thinking about."
The animal rights group said it was pleased the Pet Shop Boys had drawn attention to the issue by posting its letter so prominently on the band's site. Talking about its campaign on a blog entry, a PETA staffer wrote:
"I think I may have to stick "West End Girls" on my iPod right now to celebrate."
"West End Girls" is one of the many hits the group has had in its long career.
PETA is no stranger to oddball campaigns. A recent one was aimed to re-christen fish as "sea kittens" because "who could possibly want to put a hook through a sea kitten?"
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
6:54 AM
Harmonix and MTV Games announced today that "Chinese Democracy", the sixth and most recent album from GUNS N' ROSES, will be released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14.
Next week's Rock Band Music Store lineup will feature 13 songs from "Chinese Democracy".
The tracks will be available for purchase as an album or individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system. The tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.
Release Dates:
* Tuesday, April 14 - Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and in-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii
* Thursday, April 16 - PlayStation Store
Price:
* $1.99 or 160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 per track
* $2.00 or 200 Wii Points for Wii per track
* $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for album[2]
Locations:
* Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360
* PlayStation Network
* In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii
"Chinese Democracy" — which was released on November 23, 2008 as a Best Buy exclusive after a wait of more than 15 years — sold 1,750 copies in the United States in the seven days ending April 5.
Aside from Billboard and Spinner interviews and answering a number of fan questions at a GUNS N' ROSES message board, singer Axl Rose has done no promotion of any kind for "Chinese Democracy".
"Chinese Democracy" was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the CD has sold 571,000 copies in the U.S. so far.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
6:50 AM
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Guitar IS a Weapon
Coming out of the Shelby Star in Cleveland County, North Carolina, it's guitar crime!
Wednesday, Apr 8 2009, 4:05 pm
David Allen
SHELBY - A Live Oak Street resident stands accused of snatching $120 from a man's hands before taking off on a moped.
Shelby Police reports indicate Byron Clifford Davis, 40, also of Live Oak Street, reported the incident at 8:40 p.m. Monday, just minutes after the crime allegedly oc-curred.
The suspect was reportedly in Davis' storage shed when he grabbed the cash.
"Mr. Davis stated at first he thought (the suspect) was just messing with him but soon realized after (the suspect) refused to give him his money back that he was not just playing," read a report by Officer D.K. Gemes.
Davis told authorities he unplugged his guitar to defend himself.
The suspect then hit the road in a blue moped traveling north on Live Oak Street, the report read.
No witnesses were listed in the report.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: Why do these stories never mention the make of the guitar in question? It is something to consider when buying your next axe. Do you want the Samurai sword-like lightness and balance of a Parker Fly? The Broadsword-like heft of a Les Paul? Or maybe the near-serrated edge of a B.C. Rich Warlock?
It is also kinda awesome that "Davis told authorities he unplugged his guitar to defend himself", as if the crime occured mid-strum.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
11:32 AM
Conor Oberst Makes Free Movies
Hey, Conor Oberst is releasing a free behind the scenes documentary of his last 18 months on tour. Why should you care?
1) Every Indie music loving chick we work with has a crush on Conor Oberst. It can't hurt for you to know a little about him.
2) The documentary is free.
3) It was directed by his guitar tech. No word on if the tech got paid extra for this.
Before Omaha indie boy wonder Conor Oberst releases Outer South, his second album with the Mystic Valley Band (out May 5), he will drop a behind-the-scenes film (out April 15), which follows him and his band over the past 18 months. The best part? It's totally free!
One of My Kind was directed by Oberst's guitar-tech, Phil Schaffart, and follows the group from the recording of their debut in Tepoztlán, Mexico, to the end of their tour at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, TX, where the six-piece tracked the bulk of Outer South. It will be available as a free stream or HD download, courtesy of social networking/charity website Causecast. Fans are urged to donate to one of Causecast's numerous charities. The 60-minute doc will also be hosted onConoroberst.com and IFC.com, as well as the singer/songwriter's U.S. labelMerge and U.K. label Wichita.
Outtakes and live acoustic performances from One of My Kind will be available via Causecast partner sites IFC.com, The Huffington Post, and MySpace.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
11:26 AM
Courtney Love plans to file a lawsuit within the next month in an effort to recoup the millions of dollars “looted” from her late husband’ Kurt Cobain’s estate, E! reports. The suit will be filed on behalf of Courtney and Frances Bean Cobain, and targets the “former assistants, former managers, CPAs, lawyers and a couple of banks” who Love says bilked roughly $30 million in cash and another $500 million in false real estate ventures from Cobain’s fortune. Cobain’s mother and siblings are also listed as plaintiffs. TheNirvana singer-guitarist was discovered dead in his Washington home this week 15 years ago.
“Courtney’s main interest is ensuring that her daughter gets the assets back that were stolen,” San Diego attorney Rhonda Holmes told E!. Holmes alleges that many of the people named in the lawsuit took advantage of Love’s blasé monitoring of Cobain’s estate — fortunately, approximately 100 boxes of the rocker’s personal belongings are safely locked away in an undisclosed storage facility, biographer Charles Cross told Rolling Stone (see a gallery of Kurt’s archives here). According to Holmes, one scheme included real estate being purchased with Kurt, Courtney or Frances’ social security numbers and faked power of attorney forms, with the name on the purchase slightly altered.
“They would sell a piece of property to a related entity, to someone they know, and they would keep selling to make a profit,” Holmes said of the scam. “There are now Kurts and Courtneys and Franceses spelled different ways that allegedly own properties all over the country that were bought by Kurt’s assets.” Not only is Love seeking to reclaim the money, she’s also pursuing criminal charges, working with prosecutors to find the perpetrators. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Holmes said of the legal battle ahead.
This isn’t the first time Love has informed the press she was robbed by former associates. In 2005 she told the U.K.’s Times that $20 million was nabbed by a former boyfriend and two assistants. In March 2008, the New York Postreported that Love left hysterical phone calls to inform them that Cobain’s social security number had been stolen by con artists who were racking up real estate purchases on his name — a situation that evidently led to the most recent legal action. In June 2008, Love reportedly saidher late husband’s ashes had been stolen from her L.A. home, as well.
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
11:16 AM
Aerosmith to Tour with ZZ Top, New Album Delayed
Billboard.com April 04, 2009 10:44 AM ET Gary Graff, Cleveland
Health issues and touring commitments have combined to postpone Aerosmith's next album, according to guitarist Joe Perry.
Perry tells Billboard.com that the record sessions -- for the group's first album since 2004's "Honkin' on Bobo" and first of all-original material since 2001's "Just Push Play," were delayed when he had to have surgery earlier this year to clear out an infection in his knee replacement.
Then, last month, singer Steven Tyler came down with pneumonia, after which the veteran Boston rockers "realized there wasn't any chance of getting it finished before we hit the road for the summer. So basically we had to push (the album) back, and when the band gets off the road, that's when we'll pick up the Aerosmith record."
Aerosmith's tour, the group's first since 2007, starts in June with ZZ Top. Perry says about 40 dates are set so far for North America, with South America, Europe and Japan also under consideration. The itinerary should be announced soon.
Perry -- who was in Cleveland to attend Saturday's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and perform the Yardbirds' "Train Kept A Rollin'" with Metallica, Ron Wood and inductee Jeff Beck -- says Aerosmith has "probably two or three (songs) that could be mixed right now, maybe even more. But there's a long way between two or three and doing the 12 or 14 that you have to have to do a whole project." He says what's been done so far at his home studio with producer Brendan O'Brien "sounds like 'Rocks'" and hews closer to the rougher sound of "Honkin' on Bobo" than the more polished production of "Just Push Play." "It's everybody in the room with a producer cracking the whip," Perry notes, "laying the tracks down and getting a good take without having to (edit) too much."
The silver lining in the Aerosmith delay, Perry adds, is that he's been able to go "full blast" on his next solo album, the follow-up to 2005's Grammy-nominated "Joe Perry." He has 10-12 songs ready -- three of which, including a cover, he played for Billboard.com -- which he'll record with "an A-list producer I can't name, but will very soon." David Hull from the Joe Perry Project is playing on some tracks, along with Ben Tileston, who plays drums with two of Perry's sons in TAB the Band. He's also considering using other players and possibly guest vocalists.
"I have a big chunk of time before the tour, so I'm gonna try to get the solo record done as soon as I can," Perry says. "Chances are you're gonna be hearing that before you hear an Aerosmith record...'cause I expect the Aerosmith tour, God willing. to continue through the fall."
posted by Six String Bliss :: Guitar News Daily at
11:03 AM
