The Black Crowes’ new album might be pretty mediocre (or at least the four songs that Maxim heard were), but the band has always been a great live act. Long-time drummer Steve Gorman will be throning up again for the tour that starts this Sunday.
Month: February 2008
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The Hammerax Whipcrash
Cymbal maker (or rather “sound maker”) Hammerax produces some way creative instruments—the Boomywang, the Dustbowl, and the Meanie, just to name a few. The latest member of the funky family is the Whipcrash, a heavy crash cymbal branded with an “S-shaped array of hammered microcups” that can be raked with a stick for various sound effects. You can check out how it and Hammerax’s other products sound here [2022 update: alas, Hammerax’s site is down or kaput].
You just know Terry Bozzio is creaming his jeans over these things….Wonder when that Sabian endorsement is up?….
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Chad Smith Is Taking a Break
But only from the Chili Peppers. After getting a fistful of Grammy nominations for Stadium Arcadium and touring over 18 months to support the album, the Pepper guys decided to take a well-deserved year off. Smith, though, is keeping busy by jamming with Chickenfoot, recording with Glenn Hughes, and hanging with Dick Van Dyke.
Presumably he’ll also have some time now to learn his cymbal setup before doing another promo video.
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Lenny White Returns With Return to Forever
Return to Forever—one of fusion’s iconic, most influential groups—is getting back together for a U.S. tour this summer. Mid-’70s lineup, dudes! Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, and drummer Lenny White. All four musicians have kept ridiculously busy since RTF disbanded in 1978, and it never quite seemed like they would play together as that band again. White says:
We had gone through so many questions…of people asking, “When is it going to happen?” and it would get to a certain point and it wouldn’t go any further. Then things began to change, and people started listening to different kinds of music—to the point where I just said, Man, I just don’t think it is going to happen.” But then we started talking. And I felt that maybe the time had finally become right musically for something like this to happen.
Hey, musically “right” or not, we are jazzed (and fusioned) and are getting in line now to be ass raped by Ticketmaster. Until then:
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Morgan Rose Lost His iPhone…
And almost leaked his band’s new album. He had loaded Sevendust’s soon-to-be-released disc on his iPhone to play for a select few at the recent NAMM show in Los Angeles. All was going well until he forgot the sexy little Apple in a cab. But instead of falling into the claws of some BitTorrent junkie, the phone was found by a Randall employee who got it back to Rose with nary a note missing. Looks like we’ll have to wait until April 1st after all.
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John Bonham Outtakes
We don’t know where the bloody hell these Bonham outtakes came from or how this guy got his hands on them, but download all 23 while you can. They are from Zep’s In Through the Out Door sessions. Also check out the cool Bonham-related links, especially the list of cymbals he received from Paiste.
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Get Stewart Copeland’s Drum Set…
For, oh, $15,500. Stewart’s Tama signature set is a 14-piece Starclassic maple kit in a “Police Blue Sparkle” finish. Only 50 kits will be made available worldwide…and Stewart’s grandmother is buying 49 of them, so get in line.
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Taylor Hawkins Has a Grammy
Congrats to Hawkins and the other Foos for picking up a Grammy tonight. Their CD Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace won for Best Rock Album, beating out discs by Daughtry (huh), Bruce Springsteen (surprise), John Fogarty (…is he still alive?), and Wilco.
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Cindy Blackman Loves Jazz
…Not really a news flash that, but it was apparently enough of a revelation to warrant an article in Canadian newspaper The Windsor Star. Blackman’s new jazz-oriented album, Music for the New Millennium, was released last month. We’re still waiting for our review copy (hint, hint publicity people), so until then, here‘s what allaboutjazz thought.
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Poogie Bell’s Grammy Nod
Poogie played on Angelique Kidjo’s latest record, Djin Djin, which is up for a Grammy this Sunday. But will he be going to the award show? Probably not:
Getting the invitation is not that hard, but everything that goes with it, the parties—it’s a rich guy’s sport. I just play drums.
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Neil Peart Hearts His Bass Drum
And he wants to tell you all about it on DW’s website. The man is almost as good with his pen as he is with his sticks. Almost.
Update: The transcript isn’t available on DW’s site any longer it appears, but you can still find it on Power Windows. Yay!
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Mikkey Dee and Motorhead
In an interview with Rockpages.gr, Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee talks about touring with Lemmy, clears up a King Diamond rumor, and says that Don Dokken is a great musician….
Damn. Dee’s one fuckin’ prince of dude. And as much as we love Philthy Animal Taylor, Dee is definitely the better drummer too. Check it out:
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