While Black Sabbath may have left the name Earth in the dust, Olympia Washington’s Dylan Carlson dug it up and erected something totally new out of it. Though near-constant lineup changes, drug problems, jail time and long hiatuses plagued the band, Earth is still going strong after 26 years. Starting in the late ’80s, Earth […]
When it comes to iconic music-making gear, the Akai MPC sequencer/sampler/groovebox is definitely high on the list. Akai’s newest version of this classic beat-making machine is the MPC Touch — which pairs a 7″ color multi-touchscreen with the familiar grid of pads and step sequencer. The Touch works as a USB controller and audio interface with […]
“How can I ever find peace/When I let my mind over-analyze things/Should be more focused on the present/Life can be a hater, please enjoy it while it’s pleasant,” Lamar “JusLove” Smith raps on “Everything,” a track that shines light on Grown’s steady balancing of life’s everyday struggles and joys. Smith and his partner Nate “Illuminate Mics” Marshall form Daily Lyrical Product, […]
Where do I begin? This is one of my favorite bands. I’ve been jamming their music ever since my band played a show with them near their hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. I didn’t know them at all at the time so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But when I saw them setting up the […]
If you visited Novation’s website in the past couple of weeks, you may have seen a teaser image like this: Well, Oct. 1 is here, and so is Circuit. What is Circuit? The literal answer is a comprehensive grid-based synth, drum machine and groovebox all in one. Novation sees it as the answer to musician’s eternal […]
Moog’s latest synth, the fully-analog, semi-modular Mother-32, is here! Ideal for synth neophytes, the Mother-32 requires no patching, but has that functionality if desired. Its 32-step sequencer can be instantly shifted in octaves or steps, and there are a slew of tonal and rhythmic adjustments to make via the low- and high-pass ladder filters, attack, decay, pulse […]
Asheville, North Carolina is a mecca for artists and musicians of all stripes — but it’s especially dear to the hearts of analog synthesizer enthusiasts. That’s because Asheville is home to the Moog synthesizer factory, where 61 full-time Moog Music employees work to carry on the legacy of the company’s famous founder, Dr. Bob Moog. […]
Synth-heavy bass chords, each ending abruptly and eerily, open Chelsea Wolfe’s 2015 album Abyss. You’d almost think you were listening to some resurfaced soundtrack for 1997’s cult sci-fi epic Event Horizon if it weren’t for the eventual build-up of industrial doom metal and Wolfe’s haunting voice crooning like some kind of space siren. Maybe this […]
Chris has coffee with Jim Lauderdale in a Nashville hotel room and gets the story on his incredible life and career. Be sure to listen until the episode's end to hear a stripped down acoustic version of Jim's classic tune, "The King of Broken Hearts."