New Gear Report: Akai Advance Controllers, Shure PG ALTA Mics & Cakewalk SONAR
Akai Advance MIDI Keyboard Controllers Last year, we got Native Instruments’ Komplete Kontrol S MIDI controller keyboards. Building on the theme of rainbow-candy-colored USB MIDI controller boards, the Akai Advance MIDI controller series has arrived. What makes the Advance controllers really special is the software they come with — AKAI calls it VIP, which stands […]
Interviewing John Scofield
When I first got the news we’d be hosting an interview with John Scofield for his upcoming Ibanez signature guitar releases, I had a mild freakout…and that’s putting it lightly. Scofield has been one of my major influences on guitar and has certainly shaped my own improvisations and compositions (plenty of hours were spent by candlelight […]
Martin’s Picks: Warwick GPS Streamer & Radial Bassbone V2
Warwick GPS German Pro Series Streamer Stage I 4 Electric Bass As a Warwick fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the new Pro Series line. I was not disappointed in the German Pro Series basses — they are made in the same factory in Germany as Warwick’s higher-end basses, using the same high-quality woods and manufacturing […]
Celine Neon – Getcha Good
After listening to this track for the first time, I was making weird mouth noises for the rest of the day. I also began moving in a way that could only be described as “spazmatic bobble head doll”. “Getcha Good” is the kind of song that lodges itself in your brain because of its energetic […]
Darryl Jones on Playing with The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, and More
This Thursday, we’re throwing back to our 2013 interview with Darryl Jones, touring bassist with the Rolling Stones. In case you haven’t heard, the Stones are kicking off their 2015 ZIP CODE tour on Sunday in San Diego. If you’re lucky enough to get tickets, you’ll probably spot Darryl onstage, keeping the groove as he has since […]
Gear Picks: a Catalinbread Pedal Suite
We’re now carrying a heaping helping of Catalinbread stompboxes! These pedals have been on my board for years, but not available from zZ ’til now. I can’t praise these pedals enough with our customers and my local pedal junkies here in our scene. Chances are they’ve got a flavor for you, from soft-clipping ’60s fuzz, […]
My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall
Over the course of a decade-and-a-half, My Morning Jacket has developed its signature blend of alt-country, soul, electronica, and roots rock — a seemingly self-contradictory concoction that has earned them their status as outdoor-festival gods. Their latest album, The Waterfall, runneth over with that classic sound, yet ventures into new sonic territory as well. Nature imagery and soundscapes abound, and the album has […]
Episode 25 – Bloodshot Records
Chris sits down with Rob and Nan, owners of Chicago-based insurgent country record label Bloodshot Records.
Clifford T. Ward – Mantle Pieces
Back in the early ’70s, there was a songwriter who penned some of the loveliest, smartest, and knowing odes to quotidian life and its people. He wrote forgotten hits like “Gaye” and “Home Thoughts from Abroad” that struck British audiences with their perfect memorable mixture of literate lyricism and timeless Orchestral Pop arrangements. Now, for sure, […]
