In case you didn’t know it the Dave Matthews Band has a new album out.  But based on the latest Billboard 200 numbers you probably already know about the band’s latest offering called Away From The World.  Dave and company have a pretty good thing going when it comes to releasing their new studio albums.  This is the sixth (yeah…sixth) straight DMB studio album that has hit the charts at Number 1. Its really no surprise.  When they aren’t on…

Aerosmith is touring to pimp their new album, Music From Another Dimension.  In addition to the original tour dates, they have now announced an extension including no less than 14 additional cities starting November 8th and ending just over a month later, December 13th.

Canada’s current affairs magazine, Maclean’s, poses the question – in the eyes of today’s bands and pop music, is the guitar solo effectively dead?  A number of so-called rock musicians and guitarists are alleging that if you play one in a rock song right now, it’s almost laughable and taboo – very different to the rock anthems of the 80’s and 90’s when the guitar solo was almost what “made” the song. The reasons for this are manifold, ranging from…

I’m always on the lookout for new music to inspire my guitar playing.  It’s also nice to hear something fresh now and again, but how do you sort out the wheat from the chaff – especially when services such as iTunes puts millions of songs at your fingertips? Enter StumbleAudio, a streaming service designed to help listeners discover new music, rather than find their old favorites.  The concept is simple – you choose a song or band that you already like,…

One of my good friends actually camped out in the freezing winter cold for the launch of the 3G iPhone in Australia, and managed to obtain the dubious title of the first person in the city of Melbourne to get a 3G iPhone.  For his efforts, his mug was plastered all over the newspapers, interviewed by radio and TV networks, and was even harassed by some drunk guys complaining about their phone carrier. Being the inquisitive lad I am, I…

Ah, a classic scene from This is Spinal Tap (1984) – a half docu/mocumentary about the comeback of heavy metal band Spinal Tap, who were infamous as the world’s loudest band.  But how do they earn this title?  By turning their amps up to 11 of course, when everyone else is at 10.

One of my favourite guitarists/artists of late has been John Mayer with his easy, bluesy tunes and riffs.  As part of Rolling Stone’s Secrets of the Guitar Heroes series, they chat briefly with the man himself.  According to him, the perfect guitar tone sounds like this: There’s so many clichés about this, which I hate, like “molten glass.” But I want it to sound like a voice. That’s all. And you want that voice to speak back to you in…

Not to be outdone by Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time, Yahoo have published a list of their own, of the 25 Most Rockin’ Guitar Riffs. List of the Day undertook the task of picking out 25 infamous guitar riffs that depending on your era were among the ones you mangled when you joined your first band. I often got stuck on the organ, so I was always pushing for a little “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” action. Because, believe…

Everything is happening on the internet these days, and the music industry is no exception.  BandFind.com is a new site that aims to promote a social network for musicians and those in the industry, to help them meet others and advance their careers. BandFind.com is a social utility that provides the music industry with an outlet to aid all artists in every way possible. Starting a band? Need a great photographer for a photo shoot? This site is for you….

I think every guitarist has tried to play a rendition of Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla‘ or Led Zepplin’s ‘Stairway To Heaven‘ at some point in their musical lives; it’s no surprise that they’re on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. This is what makes a great rock & roll guitar sound: an irresistible riff; a solo or jam that takes you higher every time you hear it; the final power chord that pins you to the…