Big Drum Thump

Well, shit. TRAPS magazine, the very sexy and sophisticated sister mag of DRUM!, has ceased publication, an unfortunate casualty of the current economic crisis. The final issue, which features Tony Williams as the cover story, is still in stores and will be on sale until March. Grab it while you can.

[Press Release]

Enter Music Publishing, Inc. today announced that TRAPS magazine is merging with its sister publication, DRUM! Published quarterly since 2007, TRAPS has been widely hailed for its innovative editorial content, including book-length interviews, top writers and photographers, annotated transcriptions and a focus on jazz and rock drumming history. It will suspend publishing immediately. Current subscribers will receive DRUM! magazine subscriptions and be invited to join an upcoming TRAPS web community.

According to publisher Phil Hood, “In this recession it is imperative for us to focus our efforts our flagship product, DRUM! magazine. TRAPS is incredibly popular with its readership, but the downturn, particularly in advertising, makes it impossible for TRAPS to reach its goals in the near term. We are not immune to the forces impacting our advertisers and other publishers.”

TRAPS launched a test issue, featuring drumming great Max Roach on the cover in 2006. It published three issues in 2007, four in 2008 and one in 2009. Other cover stories featured John Bonham, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Haynes, Terry Bozzio, Lenny White, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and Steve Gadd.

“We learned a tremendous amount from the TRAPS experience,” says editor Andy Doerschuk, “and we want to incorporate some of that TRAPS approach in DRUM! as we go forward.”

The final issue of TRAPS, featuring Tony Williams, remains on sale until March.

Now you can kinda’, sorta’ do so courtesy of DRUM! magazine. Peart will be the cover story for DRUM!‘s June 2009 issue, and instead of having the Professor interviewed by a regular old drumming journo, the magazine is turning over the question-asking to you, Neil Peart’s rabid fans. Just send your favorite to the following email address: neilpeart@drumlink.com. Fans whose questions are chosen will receive their names and pictures in the article. You got until March 15 to think of a good one. Check out the full details below:

[Press Release]

Enter Music Publishing, publishers of hip percussion mags worldwide, will feature Neil Peart on the cover of DRUM! magazine in June. However, instead of having one of its staff writers interview Neil, the company is inviting Neil Peart fans to conduct the interviews via email. In fact, the company has set up a special email address, neilpeart@drumlink.com, so the Neil Peart population can have their say. (Readers can also go online or access a question page on DRUM!’s YouTube site.)

Those fans who want to participate simply email their questions, and if chosen by editor Andy Doerschuk, they will have their names and pictures included in the story. “We’ve done this once before and it was a great success,” said Phil Hood, publisher of Enter Music Publishing. “With Neil’s fans it will be even better. We’re very curious to see what the results will be of our email story campaign.”

After receiving all of the interview questions, which are due by March 15, Doerschuk will then weave them into an integrated interview. “Neil Peart seemed like a great pick for this kind of story,” Doerschuk said. “After all, he has won DRUM! magazine’s “drummie” of the year for two straight years. Our fan base, regardless of age, obviously respects him and that did play into our decision to try this with him.”

DRUM! magazine expects a great response from Peart fans to this opportunity. The company just hopes that its drumlink.com server will not explode due to the amount of incoming email.

[Press Release]

Taye Drums is excited to introduce a place that drummers from all over the world can call their own!

MyTaye gives you (yes, you!) your own voice. Post video, pictures, blog (if you already have one, create another—why not have your opinion out there more than once?). You can even post audio files so we can hear your band and hear its progress. This is a place for you to write about your day, your experiences at a show, how your lessons are going or when you get a brand new drum set (even if it’s not a Taye!).

Come let us know who your favorite drummer is and what drumheads you use. Also ask for help, or find a sub or a teacher. It can all be done at one place…MyTaye.com.

Your questions can be answered at http://www.mytaye.com, http://www.tayedrums.com, http://twitter.com/tayedrums, or http://www.myspace.com/usatayedrums.

Come one, come all, join the newest drumming community!

Remember that Dixon drum contest we reported on way back in July? Lou Mars came out on top, and besides getting a new Demon drum kit from Dixon, he won the chance to play for a panel of music insiders and pros. The entire event was taped for the A&R channel and will be showing until January 31, 2009. If you don’t have OnDemand, we’ve embedded a video of the program below, courtesy of Dixon’s blog. It’s fun watching Lou get his groove on (and it’s even more fun watching his leg spasms), but frankly the video is most notable for whipping out some of the best homespun drumming advice we’ve heard in quite a while. Near the beginning, producer Ken Deans says this in response to the question, “What does it take to be a great drummer?”:

You just want to play honest. If you’re a great Ringo Starr-type player, don’t try and be Neil Peart. And if you’re a Neil Peart player, don’t pretend that you’re going to be Charlie Watts. Do what you do.

Shit fire and save the matches! Benny Greb, the drummer dude we here at BDT have a big-time groove crush on, is coming out with a DVD in January 2009. Titled The Language of Drumming, it will be a two-disc set produced by Hudson Music (i.e., the production values are going to be top-notch).

Yeah, okay, it’s true: BDT loves Top Chef. And now we’re no longer ashamed to admit it because the Foo Fighters love the show too. The band appeared on this evening’s episode, a Thanksgiving special where the competing chefs divided into two teams to whip up a holiday feast for the Foos. Dave, of course, got a lot of face time and did most of the talking, but Taylor busted out with some heretofore hidden culinary wisdom as well:

I love the mac and cheese with the bacon bits.

I don’t like pumpkin foam.

The mashed potatoes were slightly al dente—meaning not cooked all the way.

I just don’t like figs and stuff in stuffing.

That crumble is outrageous.