Body Shop: Grand Auditorium
In my last post I gave some love to the mighty Dreadnought style of acoustic guitar, but this time we’re going to be scaling the size down to talk about the Grand Auditorium. This style is an incredibly popular choice for many good reasons, most of which I’ll be covering here. After all, Taylor Guitars refers […]
Ask zZounds: Active and Passive Basses
Active vs. Passive Basses: What’s the Difference? Bass pickups fall into one of two categories: active and passive. This distinction in pickups is such a fundamental part of electric bass construction that most bass amps have separate inputs for active and passive basses. Of course, electric basses can be broken up by a number of criteria, like number […]
Jazmine Sullivan – Reality Show
Here at zZounds we try to keep it 100. At least I do. Up top, or in the post, you’ll see an embedded link to audio for Philly-born Jazmine Sullivan’s album Reality Show released early this year. What you’re going to miss by hearing this clean version of her album is what makes it an unqualified success. It’s […]
QUITAPENAS (self-titled)
A thumping bass line, hand percussion, vicious guitar and chanting vocals? When I first heard “Valle Moreno,” the intense opening cut from self-titled LP QUITAPENAS, I was almost convinced I was listening to a B-side from another latin rock group’s self-titled debut, though that one was released in 1969… Each song off this record introduces a new facet of QUITAPENAS’ […]
Episode 27 – Brian Whelan
Los Angeles-based Seattle native Brian Whelan walks us through his journey coming up through the LA roots scene, joining Dwight Yoakam's band, and committing full time as a solo artist.
Atsuko Chiba’s Guitar and Bass Rigs
Meet Atsuko Chiba. Not only is this 5-piece from Montreal, QC one of the most talented, hard-working bands I’ve ever come across, but they’re also serious gearheads (I had to stop counting their pedals when I got to 40 because my head hurt). If you ever find yourself at an Atsuko Chiba show, you’ll also find […]
PRS 30th Anniversary Celebration
30 years is a long time for anything, but especially long in the musical gear industry — a realm where players (cough, guitarists, cough) tend to be quite wary of new brands or products. The fact that Paul Reed Smith Guitars has not only survived, but has actually become known as one of the top guitar manufacturers […]
The Bad Plus – Suspicious Activity?
The Bad Plus cemented their reputation as giants of the modern jazz world with their 2005 release, Suspicious Activity? At first glance The Bad Plus looks like a traditional piano trio, however looks are deceiving in their case. Rather than being driven by one person with interchangeable personnel, they are a true musical collective. By […]
The Cinematic Orchestra – Every Day
For years, The Cinematic Orchestra have been a highly respected and beloved group dominating the UK scene with their fusion of jazz, hip-hop and electronic music and it’s about time they get the love they deserve over here in the US of A. Every Day is one of those rare albums that really showcases their at […]
