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Contrasting players set to soar above the instrumental masses Instrumental rock is constantly building in popularity, but without lyrics, one of the key differentiators between good and bad instrumentals is whether it tells a story. Songs need a narrative, a sense of direction, purpose and structure. Fortunately, Northern Irish post-rockers Psychojet have one hell of … Continue reading
It’s been five years in the making, but Led Zeppelin’s 2007 O2 Arena gig is finally seeing a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray release in the form of Celebration Day. This is exciting news, since anyone who was there (myself included) will tell you that the band were on phenomenal form. Guitarist Jimmy Page, in particular, was certainly playing … Continue reading
So far, EDGG has only featured those gritty, dirty, penny-pinching “songwriting in bands” guitarists. But let us not ignore the session players, who, although playing with the stars of tomorrow, have enough pressures of their own. Sure, they may play less of a hand in composition, but they’re expected to come up with the goods, … Continue reading
Church: a place of community, spiritual worship and WOLVES?!? Get ready for a whole new kind of religious education as North Carolina’s finest sledgehammer you in the face with an unholy trinity of groove-laden sludge, heavyweight rhythms and inebriating structures at the hands of Church of Wolves and axe-wielder Alex Kokawski. “I want to punch … Continue reading
No one band has done more for the blues within mainstream music in the last decade than The Black Keys and that’s partly down to Dan Auerbach’s superb feel and guitar tone. Following the release of last year’s well-received El Camino, the Ohio duo have been announced as headliners for this year’s Coachella festival in … Continue reading
Post-rock is becoming a bit of a dirty word these days; bands left, right and centre are claiming to be the next Mogwai or Explosions in the Sky. However, if there’s one group set to buck the trend, it’s Leeds-based instrumentalists Richard Parker. Their melodies are poignant without delving into cliché and the whole package … Continue reading
And the cradle will rock once more: Van Halen are back. Yes indeed, Thursday evening saw the band play an intimate show at New York City’s 250-capacity Cafe Wha? ahead of the release of new album A Different Kind of Truth in February. Whether Roth and the Van Halen family (now including Eddie’s son Wolfgang … Continue reading
If nothing else, Canadian duo Quaternin deserve an award for best genre classification: guitarist Will Ballantyne describes their sound as “new instrumental music”. Personally, I’d place their musical traits somewhere in the realms of the avant-garde or jazz but to pigeonhole it would be to do the duo a disservice. You can certainly hear elements … Continue reading
How’s this for timeliness: Mogwai have two songs which feature references to the holiday season, namely Christmas Song and Christmas/Xmas Steps (yes, I know the latter is named after a street in Bristol but shush). These compositions run the gamut of the Mogwai canon, aptly demonstrating the subtlety and noise which they contrast so well … Continue reading
For some, this post probably doesn’t qualify for the famous guitar gear category. To them, I say listen to Oceansize. If there was ever a band who deserved more recognition, here it was, but sadly the Manchester five-piece went their separate ways in February of 2011. However, Oceansize still hold an enviable position in my heart, … Continue reading
everyday guitar gear 