Guitar Legend Adrian Belew Presents Newest Music In An App - FLUX by belew

Here is some pretty cool news. I first heard about this from Adrian Belew when I spoke to him at the 2015 Winter NAMM Show last month...

Guitar great Adrian Belew

Guitar Legend Adrian Belew Presents Newest Music In An App - FLUX by belew 

Nashville, TN - Guitar legend Adrian Belew has just released his newest music – and it’s like nothing you’ve experienced before. FLUX by belew™ is music that is never the same twice...think about that for a moment. This new revolution in music provides listeners with a mobile “listening experience” that blends music and art all in one accessible iOS application. Now you have access to hundreds of combinations of new Adrian Belew songs, snippets and sound bites that have been cut up, randomized and reassembled in a way that's surprising and unique. The app embodies the future of technology and taps into what we love most about the Internet and social media: it’s always changing and moving forward. Developed in Amsterdam by MOBGEN and recorded by Belew himself, the musical roulette engine within FLUX by belew randomly connects sounds and beautiful visuals together using different algorithms to produce endless variations.

“I wanted to involve art and nature in the recordings – not just songs and music but also the feeling of life itself, where things are different all the time,” says Belew. He intends to keep adding to FLUX to make it truly an ever-evolving experience.

Adrian’s newest music in the FLUX by belew app is currently available for iPhones and iPads through the iTunes store for $9.99.

For more information go to: http://bit.ly/flux_belew

FLUX:FX is a multi-effect audio processor app for the iPad that lets you ‘play’ your effects. Innovative, intuitive and exciting, FLUX:FX lets you manipulate any audio signal into something entirely new, and redefines the possibilities of audio design and live performance in an app with an almost unlimited range of effect options. FLUX:FX is a truly authentic digital platform for designing your sound. Featuring more than 30 modular effects blocks, a master Performance view with 1-touch interaction, an advanced Edit view with multi-touch and full assignment possibilities, and an innovative Sequencer view to bring motion to the audio signal, this app allows the user to easily create previously unheard sounds. Fully compatible with Audiobus, Inter-App Audio and MIDI, FLUX:FX is made to connect seamlessly with existing live rigs and studio workflows.

Full details on the FLUX:FX application can be found at flux.noii.se, and tutorial videos can be seen here.

ABOUT ADRIAN BELEW

Adrian Belew is the world’s greatest experimental whammy twang bar, czar rhino, stunt guitarist extraordinaire. With a resume that features some of the biggest names in music including David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Nine Inch Nails, King Crimson, Talking Heads, Paul Simon and Tori Amos, Adrian is famous for pushing the boundaries of the guitar in both technical and tonal exploration. Today, Adrian Belew lives in Nashville, TN, touring the world and focusing on music and visual art that expands into the digital world through his latest creations, FLUX by belew and FLUX:FX.

Adrian Belew's official website: http://www.adrianbelew.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdrianBelew

Ronnie Wood's 1965 handwritten diary to be published by Genesis Publications

Good morning everybody, does this sound great or what?!

Ronnie Wood and Genesis Publications announce the 2015 release of 'How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary' 

www.RonnieWoodBook.com

 

Published this May 2015: Genesis Publications announces a new, signed limited edition book by Ronnie Wood: ‘How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary.’

 

Ten years before he joined the Rolling Stones, Ronnie Wood’s musical apprenticeship with The Birds catapulted him onto the stage of swinging London’s music scene, aged just 17.

 

Featuring a cast of characters including Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Marianne Faithfull and many more, the story of Ronnie’s adventures was handwritten in his 1965 diary. Inspired by its discovery 50 years later, Ronnie Wood presents his journal for the first time, plus much more in a major new book for 2015.

 

“I suppose my own private world is in the diary.” – Ronnie Wood

 

Ronnie Wood’s 1965 handwritten diary has been produced in facsimile, down to its scuffs and scratches. Ronnie Wood reflects on the words he wrote 50 years ago and shares his memories in an extensive new manuscript.

 

He is creating a series of original and exclusive artworks to illustrate his words throughout the book. ‘How Can It Be? A Rock & Roll Diary’ also uncovers rare and unseen photographs and ephemera.

 

 “This diary shows what an amazing schedule I had. We’d be travelling the length and breadth of the country every day. With youth on our side, it was a continuing adventure. Our overspilling energy was enough to take care of work every night of the week. It was enough to chase the girls, enough to write songs, enough to rehearse and enough to travel. It was all go, all the time.” – Ronnie Wood

 

Released in a limited edition of just 1965 copies, each book is signed by Ronnie Wood. Available to pre-order now from www.RonnieWoodBook.com

Other Lives Announce 'Rituals' Out 5/5 on tbd records, Premiere New Track on NPR

When I caught Other Lives open for Radiohead in Arizona in March 2012 it was clear this experimental rock outfit out of Stillwater, Oklahoma was something special.

That feeling was more than confirmed when I caught them again at Coachella in April 2012, and at a headlining performance at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles in November 2012. 

Now today comes exciting news the band is back and set to release a new full-length album this spring. Here is the media release and I'll let you read that while I head over to the band's Web site and download a new song titled "Reconfiguration" posted there as of today...

OTHER LIVES ANNOUNCE NEW RECORD RITUALS

TO BE RELEASED ON TBD RECORDS MAY 5TH

NPR'S ALL SONGS CONSIDERED PREMIERE NEW TRACK TODAY

Photo credit: Emily Ulmer

Other Lives are returning with Rituals on tbd records May 5^th. The 14-song LP is their most lush, layered, and striking musical creation to date, as well as the band's third full-length album. The first track from the forthcoming record, "Reconfiguration" debuted via Zane Lowe and NPR today.

Listen to "Reconfiguration"

Other Lives is comprised of Josh Onstott, Jonathon Mooney and Jesse Tabish. Rituals is a pure encapsulation of the band's relentless drive for precision.The trio relocated to Portland, Oregon from their hometown of Stillwater, Oklahoma to record the album. Tabish says the relocation had a direct influence that can be heard through Rituals. 

"There was a spirit of change," Tabish offers. "We had done [2011's second LP]Tamer Animals, which was very close to us and about our home. So the next record was about the spontaneity of travel and being isolated. For the first times in our lives we were moving off on our own away from our families and kind of coming into our own. I wanted the songs to reflect that new spirit."

"This one was a real journey," Tabish says of the 18 months spent writing more than 60 songs for Rituals, a constant creative outlet for the relentless sonic architect amid a rigorous few years of touring their debut album.  "It was a long time spent searching for a new identity," the soft-spoken singer continues of the writing process, "still trying to retain the past of our musical palate but also really trying to stretch ourselves into a new type of music." The album was produced by Mooney, Tabish and Joey Waronker (Eels, Atoms for Peace, Beck, etc.).

While Rituals marks a new chapter in Other Lives' story, it's also a continuation of a decade-plus passage.  "I feel really lucky to be able to have a band and people around me that have been so supportive and we've stuck together all these years and still don't hate each other," Tabish says. "All three of us are like brothers. I don't think that will ever go away. I loved those kids then and I love them now. There's that mutual feeling. If I want to go have a beer with anyone it would be those two guys. That kind of says something."

Rituals Tracklisting

01. Fair Weather

02. Pattern

03. Reconfiguration

04. Easy Way Out

05. Beat Primal

06. New Fog

07. 2 Pyramids

08. Need A Line

09. English Summer

10. Untitled

11. No Trouble

12. For The Last

13. It's Not Magic

14. Ritual

Links

Official Website

Sights and Sounds: Leon Bridges, Ace Frehley tribute, Katy Perry

Here's a roundup of news and notes to land in my inbox today...

The two breakout tracks from soul revivalist and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, “Coming Home” and “Better Man”, have been added to digital retailers and can also now be streamed on VEVO.

Stream via VEVO: http://smarturl.it/ComingHomeStream

iTunes: http://smarturl.it/ComingHomeiT
 

Bridges' soul, R&B and gospel-influenced songs and clean, direct vocals have more than fairly earned him comparisons to Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge and landed him on NPRand NME’s Ones to Watch lists.

The two tracks, produced by Austin Jenkins and Josh Block of White Denim, have been riding multiple influencer media waves since making their debut last October. “Coming Home” specifically premiered on the influential site Gorilla Vs. Bear, which proclaimed, “…we can’t escape the promise of greatness we keep hearing in his timeless songs.”  Through word of mouth, fans quickly and organically gravitated to Bridges’s well-crafted songs and honeyed voice.

Bridges, a trained choreographer with a background in dance, is bringing his energetic live show to the stage with a series of sold-out live shows, including a show at NYC’s Mercury Lounge on February 17^th which sold out in less than one minute, and a show in Los Angeles at Hotel Café on February 24^th.

For more information, please visit http://www.leonbridges.com.  

Deadline Music Pays Tribute To Kiss Guitar Legend Ace Frehley With The Release Of 'Spacewalk – A Salute To Ace Freheley' – February 2, 2015

Features performances by metal giants Dimebag Darrell, Jeff Watson (ex-Night Ranger) plus members of Megadeth, Anthrax, L.A. Guns, Skid Row and more

Los Angeles - Deadline Music will be releasing a space-tacular salute to legendary KISS axeman Ace Frehley performed by the legions of rockstars he inspired on February 3, 2015! Spacewalk – A Salute To Ace Freheley features performances by metal giants Dimebag Darrell, Jeff Watson (ex-Night Ranger) plus members of Megadeth, Anthrax, L.A. Guns, Skid Row and more!

Ace Freheley is best known as the former lead guitarist and founding member of Kiss. He took on the persona of the “Spaceman” or “Space Ace”, and played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982. After leaving Kiss, Frehley embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a successful reunion tour. His second round with Kiss lasted until 2002. His most recent solo album Space Invader, was released on August 19, 2014. Guitar World magazine ranked him “14th Greatest Metal Guitarist of All Time”.

Packaged in a digipak, 'Spacewalk – A Salute To Ace Freheley' includes blistering versions of songs from Frehley’s platinum-selling debut solo album including “New York Groove” and “Snowblind” plus Frehley-penned KISS classics “Shock Me,” “Cold Gin” and more!

Track List:

1. Deuce - Marty Friedman

2. Shock Me - Gilby Clarke

3. Rip It Out - Scott Ian

4. Hard Luck Woman - Ron Young & Jeff Watson

5. Snowblind - Snake Sabo

6. Rock Bottom - Sebastian Bach

7. Parasite - Tracii Guns

8. Cold Gin - John Norum

9. New York Groove - Bruce Bouillet

10. Fractured Mirror - Dimebag Darrell

To purchase 'Spacewalk – A Salute To Ace Freheley': http://geni.us/2Gvi

Katy Perry's February 1, 2015 Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show is most-watched and highest-rated halftime show featuring entertainment in history Katy Generated Three Million Tweets During Event Her Performance Of "Firework" Was Top Shazamed Moment Of Game Katy Is Nominated For Two GRAMMY® Awards

Interest in global superstar Katy Perry skyrocketed across numerous platforms during and after her headline performance at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show. Seen on NBC by 118.5 million viewers, it was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show featuring entertainment ever (dating back to 1991). It earned a 48.2/72 household rating, making it the highest-rated halftime show featuring entertainment in history. Super Bowl XLIX was the most-watched television program in U.S. history and the highest-rated Super Bowl in 30 seasons. It was also the most-Tweeted Super Bowl ever - and Katygenerated more than three million Tweets during halftime. She was getting nearly 300,000 Tweets Per Minute (TPM) as her performance drew to a close with "Firework." Katy continues to be the most followed person in the world on Twitter, with more than 64 million followers. "Katy Perry" was No. 1 on Google Trends on game day. "Firework" was theTop Shazamed moment of the game overall (including the halftime show).Rolling Stone noted, "It was a natural choice for her closing number, and a fitting way to end a performance in which she inspired with both her theatricality and her endurance." Her career-spanning performance propelled PRISM, Teenage Dream and One of the Boysinto the Top 15 of the iTunes Album Chart. Released in October 2013, PRISM(Capitol Records) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, hit No. 1 on iTunes in more than 100 countries and has been certified quadruple Platinum. It is nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Pop Vocal Album while the 8x multi-Platinum single "Dark Horse" (feat. Juicy J) is up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Katy Perry's PRISMATIC WORLD TOUR is a hugely successful global spectacle, visiting 17 sold out arenas in the UK, 66 sold out arenas in North America and 25 sold out arenas in Australia/New Zealand in 2014. The next leg of the tour kicks off on February 16 and will take Katy throughout Europe, Asia and South America, where she will headline Rock In Rio in Brazil on September 25. Premium entertainment network EPIX will present the world television premiere of "KATY PERRY: THE PRISMATIC WORLD TOUR" on Saturday, March 28, at 8PM. The recently filmed, high-energy, two-hour concert special will air during the EPIX Free Preview Weekend (March 26-29) and features Katy performing her biggest hits from "I Kissed a Girl" to "Dark Horse."

Sir Paul McCartney, Rihanna and Kanye West set to take the stage in a world debut performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards

Breaking news. Paul McCartney "Tweeted" it out this morning and then I received the official media release from The Recording Academy^®...

RIHANNA, PAUL MCCARTNEY, AND KANYE WEST 
SET TO TAKE THE STAGE IN A WORLD DEBUT PERFORMANCE OF RIHANNA'S NEW SINGLE, "FOURFIVESECONDS," 
ON THE 57TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS^®

 Music's Biggest Night^® — Hosted By LL Cool J — Airs Live On CBS, Feb. 8, 2015

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Feb. 3, 2015) — Seven-time GRAMMY^® winner and current nominee Rihanna will deliver a world debut performance of her newly released single, "FourFiveSeconds," with fellow GRAMMY-winning collaborators Kanye West and PaulMcCartney on the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards^®. Making his return to the GRAMMY stage after six years, 21-time GRAMMY winner Kanye West holds two current nominations. The legendary Paul McCartney is an 18-time GRAMMY winner and a two-time recipient of The Recording Academy^®’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as a solo artist and as a member of the Beatles. Entertainment icon and two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J returns as host. Taking place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Music's Biggest Night^® will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). 

Seven-time GRAMMY winner Rihanna is up for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "The Monster" with Eminem.

Twenty-one-time GRAMMY winner Kanye West is up for two awards: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (with Charlie Wilson) and Best Rap Song for "Bound 2."

Previously announced performers are GRAMMY-winning band AC/DC; current nominees and GRAMMY winners Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga; nominee Eric Church; nominees and GRAMMY winners Common with John Legend; nominee Ariana Grande; nominee Hozierwith nominee and GRAMMY winner Annie Lennox; nominee Jessie J with GRAMMY winner Tom Jones; nominee and GRAMMY winner Miranda Lambert; GRAMMY winnersAdam Levine with Gwen Stefani; seven-time GRAMMY winner Madonna; nominee Ed Sheeran; nominee Sam Smith; nominee and eight-time GRAMMY winner Usher; and nominee and seven-time GRAMMY winner Pharrell Williams.

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy^® is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+,Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube.

The Amazing's 'Picture You' set for release on February 17

Over the weekend I was driving and while listening to NPR (KCRW 89.9 FM) heard an amazing song titled "Picture You" from The Amazing. I did some checking and the album is set for release on February 17. Based on the strength of that (no pun intended) amazing track and "Safe Island," I can't wait to hear the full disc upon its release...

Here is the media release on the album:

THE AMAZING (MEMBERS OF DUNGEN, GRANADA) SHARE NEW SONG "SAFE ISLAND" VIA DANGEROUS MINDS

ONE OF SPIN'S FIVE ARTISTS TO WATCH IN JANUARY 

PICTURE YOU OUT FEBRUARY 17 ON PARTISAN RECORDS 

LISTEN: "Safe Island," which Dangerous Minds calls "an expansive and wistful piece that turns on a dime from gorgeous dream pop into a brain-melting noise trip,"
via Soundcloud or Dangerous Minds

WATCH: In-studio documentary chronicling the making of Picture You at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm via Flavorwire or YouTube

WATCH: Official video for "Picture You," directed by London design firm Shilling & Shilling, via The FADER or YouTube 

"Spindly, isolated acoustic guitar and warm vocals that'll hit hard for anyone currently thirsting for a new Fleet Foxes album." -The FADER (7 Songs You Need In Your Life This Week)

  

"Super-chill tunes perfect for late night drives or winter meditations" -NPR

  "'Picture You'... is a generous two-songs-for-the-price-of-one deal, blurring dewy early-'70s soft-rock into Floydian prog pastorale (as to be expected from a band that features the guitarist from Dungen and counts Tame Impala as pals)." -Pitchfork

"The Amazing are one of the best-named bands I've encountered in a while, mainly because they're also one of the best...I am not being facetious when I say this is something you absolutely need to hear, so hear it." -Stereogum

"Beautiful, pastoral, come-down-gently-from-that-acid-trip sound" -Grantland

The Amazing inhabits an aural landscape that's all its own: a panoramic, constantly evolving spectacle marked by layers of intertwining guitars, richly textured keyboards and a rhythm section adept at skewed tempos and a tendency to veer off in unexpected directions. It would take a shelf full of thesauruses to describe the Swedish quintet's music, but one word that keeps reoccurring is "psychedelic," a characterization that Christoffer Gunrup, the band's singer, songwriter and guitarist, dislikes. "I hate the word," he says. "I have no relation to psychedelic music or prog rock. Reine (Fiske, one of the band's three guitar players, formerly of Dungen) likes that prog stuff, and he's very good with sounds, so he would be the one to blame for that."

The mid-tempo music on Picture You has its own unique texture and timbre, but Gunrup, an ironic perfectionist who is always slightly dissatisfied with his work, would rather play music than talk about it. "I have no idea how to describe the songs [on any of my records]. I like and hate them all equally. If you theorize about the songs, it ruins the tension and passion. Just shut the fuck up and play, but play good."

  

The music on Picture You is as compelling and enigmatic as expected. Atmospheric keyboards, twanging guitars, and Gunrup's anguished crooning float through the slowly intertwining melodies of "Broken," concluding in a hushed pastoral interlude of voice and chiming guitars. "Safe Island" floats on a sea of reverb drenched feedback, while meandering clouds of hypnotic lead guitar ebb and flow through a vast sonic space, finally colliding with an avalanche of distortion, highlighted by clusters of playful interstellar keyboard. "British guitar stuff," Grunrup says dryly. "Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain - not that this song is as good as theirs, but it evolved it that direction."

  

Stuttering James Brown-like guitar accents and a laid back funk beat drive "Fryshusfunk." It's a long meandering piece that moves from funk to jazzy prog rock, with classical organ inflections and the hiss of cymbal splashes, to a dramatic metal-like climax where everything falls into a whirlpool of distorted bass, guitar and organ. "The Headless Boy" drops a bit of folky Nick Drake-like melancholy into the mix. Autumnal keyboards, whispering slide guitar and lovely acoustic strumming compliment Gunrup's aching vocal harmonies.

  

"We've evolved our ability to play together," Gunrup says, "but I don't see that as a good thing. I think it's important to not know what's going on, to always be surprised. That's why we can't repeat ourselves, we need to change a bit, need to improve a bit - constantly - otherwise we will be bored to death."

  

Christoffer Gunrup has been playing music all his life, a serious musician, with a modest, self-effacing approach. "I've played drums, trumpet and guitar from an early age, not that I was any good. I had a band at University that released four albums as Granada." The band was known for its slow tempos, dreamy songwriting and the heartfelt vocals of Anna Järiven. They composed collectively, but Gunrup was also writing his own songs.

  

"When Granada was put in the ground, I started playing alone and realized that I needed to howl on the songs myself to get them to sound as I wanted." Gunrup enlisted former Dungen guitarist Reine Fiske and drummer Fredrik Björling and started playing dates. "I played guitar, Reine bass and I ended up with a microphone in my face. I had never sung before."

  

When the trio needed a name, Fiske offered The Amazing, England 1969! He imagined the band as an obscure trio playing some unknown festival in England in 1969. "All band names are rubbish," Gunrup says, "but if you like the music, any name is OK."

  

At an early gig, an engineer from the Fashionpolice studio discovered The Amazing. He helped them record their eponymous album. After a few personnel changes, they made their second record, Gentle Stream. The band for Picture You also includes Fiske on guitar; Fredrik Swahn on guitar and keys; bass player Alexis Benson and drummer Moussa Fadera. "We play because we're friends," Gunrup explains. "It's all about playing music and hanging out, recording songs and getting the songs into this thing we do, that we never speak about."

TRACK LISTING 

1. Broken  

2. Picture You 

3. Circles  

4. Safe Island  

5. To Keep It Going  

6. Fryshusfunk  

7. Tell Them You Can't Leave  

8. The Headless Boy  

9. Captured Light  

10. Winter Dress

THE AMAZING is: 

Reine Fiske - Guitar  

Christoffer Gunrup - Vocals, Guitar  

Fredrik Swahn - Guitar, Keys  

Alexis Benson - Bass  

Moussa Fadera - Drums

http://www.partisanrecords.com/artists/the-amazing/ 

https://www.facebook.com/theamazing.swe 

http://www.theamazing.se/ 

http://instagram.com/theamazing_swe

2015 Winter NAMM Show: Kenny Howes at Rickenbacker, DigiTech, MUSIC WORTH BUYING episodes, more!

As many of my regular readers know, I am often juggling my duties as co-host of MUSIC WORTH BUYING, while penning concert reviews for The Orange County Register as well as providing album reviews and other coverage for Music News Nashville, Desert Star Weekly and this site.

So it's no surprise while covering the 2015 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, a few interesting things somehow didn't get into either my print-bound or video coverage I was juggling over the course of the (National Association of Music Merchants) NAMM Show last month. Here is a final recap of my 2015 journey to NAMM…

In the past after covering Media Preview Day on Wednesdays and subsequently surviving 12-15 hour marathons on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, I tend to skip Sundays so I can work on writing and posting that day (while giving my feet a break too!). Because I felt I didn't actually get to get out on the floor and actually check out enough of the great gear and instruments this year, I I did spend about eight hours at NAMM on Sunday (Jan. 25).  So now, FINALLY, I will try to fully catch you up on some last-minute news and notes from the show that drew an estimated to the Anaheim Convention Center last weekend.

Kenny Howes at Rickenbacker
Photo: Robert Kinsler

While hanging out at Rickenbacker International Corp, I got to talk to talented singer-songwriter-guitarist Kenny Howes, who is also a substitute bassist for The Smithereens. Based in Atlanta, GA, Howes is one of the leading proponents of the current power-pop scene. I may well be in the minority of music critics, but I believe that The Smithereens were one of the best bands to emerge during the 1980s. Lead singer Pat DiNizio and company would get my vote for a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

In addition to playing part-time with the Smithereens and playing solo shows, Howes told me he is working on a new album too. His last album, 2012's wonderful Tornadoes Here & Past featured special guests Marty Willson-Piper of The Church (another band I love) and aforementioned DiNizio.

"I worked with Rickenbacker for so long and developed tons of friendships," Howes told me during our brief chat. "It's great to reconnect with all those people and see all the fun new stuff. And I make a mini-vacation out of it."

On the last day of NAMM, the day kicked off with the annual "Best in Show" event, and indeed, there was plenty to celebrate via a number of cool products highlighted. 

The DigiTech TRIO Band Creator pedal not only received a "Best In Show Award" but proved to be a lot of fun when I saw the device used up-close by my MUSIC WORTH BUYING co-host TJR on Sunday afternoon. It may sound crazy, but the device allows a guitarist to create the sound of playing along with a bassist and drummer. "Users simply need to plug a guitar into TRIO, press the footswitch to teach TRIO the chords and rhythm, then press the footswitch again to start playing with a customized personal band," according to the accurate description on a media release issued by US Music Corporation on Jan. 25, 2015.

“TRIO is like no pedal ever created – it’s an entirely new type of musical accompaniment device,” said Tom Cram, Marketing Manager, DigiTech. “With TRIO, one musician can now sound like a full band. It’s an incredibly creative and useful performance tool for solo artists, or just a great way to have fun while practicing and jamming.”

The TRIO Band Creator Pedal will be available in March 2015. No band? No problem...


Finally, a special thank you to the aforementioned TJR and Kathy Barrett for their work with me on our four episodes providing a pretty good tour of our NAMM experience. You can watch all episodes via the embedded links below!

credits