Tangents is the proverbial Indie needle in a haystack, and have created something so smart and crafted something so beautiful in their new record One Little Light Year that it is bound to make fans of any genre of music pay attention. TANGENTS’ sound is reminiscent of early Muse and Copeland, yet still has the distinctive qualities to separate itself from the pack.
South Carolina hard-rockers Crossfade have just released their third studio album, We All Bleed, after three years in the making. The record delves into lyrical themes of betrayal and isolation—a Crossfade trademark—but there’s also more than a hint of renewal and resolution. It’s the voice we remember with the dark songs brought by the arrival of co-writer and co-producer, guitarist Les Hall to the core.
Jazz, like many genres of music, is defined by its classifications. Is this artist a Beboper? Is this artist a Modern Jazz performer? Do they play Modal Jazz, or Latin Jazz, or Fusion? It seems that everyone from record companies to festivals to radio stations to fans are constantly trying to figure out how to categorize artists and their musical output. This is a great way to help fans figure out if they will like a new artist, being able to compare them to an artist they already know, but it also leads to problems because some artists just don’t seem to fit into any one category of classification with their music.
“Austin City Limits” has lovingly embraced every style of music and likewise opened its arms to an array of legends and stylists; the great Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Alison Krauss, and so many more. It has earned a world-class, legendary reputation for showcasing, above all, a monumental who’s who of guitar greats. The program has introduced and showcased a dazzling constellation of stars whose measure has more than placed them as glittering fixtures among the firmament. From rising unknowns receiving their first due and exposure to seasoned veterans, from international stars to influential mentors, the show has meant a lot to a great deal of artists, and they don’t hesitate to say so.
In May of 2000, I was deeply honored to interview in great detail and depth the venerable and esteemed producer, Terry Lickona of the prestigious, internationally televised, PBS, live music showcase “Austin City Limits”. ACL was celebrating its 25th Anniversary at the time, so we discussed the show’s fascinating and insightful musical history, which includes hosting and showcasing some of music’s most legendary guitar players and music artists. The show does that even more so to this day, highlighting and branching out to a wide international and far-reaching array of music artists and music styles.
It’s not uncommon for a musician to record more work than they release. In Steve Vai’s case, he has a digital ocean at his fingertip ranging from when he played the accordion at nine to something he recorded earlier today. In order to share his life’s work and experiences with the world, Steve has recently launched VaiTunes
Brad Richter is a rare bird. He is a classical guitarist, but you will never hear him playing a Bach piece or any Tarrega. Instead he performs solely his own compositions, utilizing techniques few other guitarists use, mostly because he made them up.
For many musicians, being given a 50 plus minute drum solo to listen to, then asked to write and record a duo track to accompany that drum solo, before devoting two years of one’s life (on and off) to the project would seem out of the question, if not a little crazy. But that is the scenario that Chapman Stick player Trey Gunn found himself in when he teamed up with percussionist Marco Minnemann on their duo album Modulator. The album features a pre-recorded drum track, which is almost an hour in length, that Gunn was then expected to work with as he composed, improvised and recorded his second part of the album. The result is not only thought provoking from a compositional and musical standpoint, it is an engaging work of avant-garde art that pushes one to break down their expectations and boundaries as they join these two world-class musicians for this hour-long epic ride.
There is something to be said for capturing music live, in the moment, with all the excitement of the band caught in the thrill of the song and the crowd cheering them on to new heights of inspiration. Blues guitarist Todd Wolfe is no stranger to the stage, and he recently brought that experience to a new live CD and DVD, aptly titled The Todd Wolfe Band Live. The album is a blues tour de force that features Wolfe’s powerhouse trio at the peak of their inspiration and technical facility.
Marty Friedman is one of the finest shredders to come out of the ’80s, and one of the survivors from that age. The two albums he released with Cacophony (also featuring the great Jason Becker) are still influencial today. After Megadeth, he became very popular in Japan working on TV and in the local “J-pop” music scene as producer and musician.
