| Larry Martus | Transcendence
Solo recordings have to overcome extra hurdles in order to maintain listener interest. Single-line instruments like the saxophone tend to have the most difficulty because of their limited timbral range and inability to maintain an independent accompanying line. The piano is naturally the most flexible, allowing independent hands to work, but it also has timbral limitations. The guitar is in betweenit can fake true contrapuntal lines, but it also can change its sound through electronics. With Transcendence, Larry Martus has assembled a beautiful collection of original compositions for solo guitar. For the gearheads out there (meaning most electric guitar players of any stripe), a lot of different equipment was used in this recording. Martus lists a 1967 Gibson ES-335, a 1968 Fender Pro Reverb, and an old Fender Stratocaster (with modified electronics, of course) coupled with a 1956 (!) Fender Tremolux and a Roland JC-120 amplifier.
CA Metal Band Wins Bodog Contest, Gets Ripped Off
Laura McCutcheon of California's Ukiah Daily Journal reports that Ukiah, CA-based metal band DEFINITION UNKNOWN (MySpace) won round one in a national contest, but band members lost something near and dear to them in the process: their equipment. About the same time the announcer of "Boot Camp" — also known as round one of the Bodog Battle of the Bands, held earlier this month at the 12 Galaxies in San Francisco — informed the group they'd won first place, their van, parked around the corner with $10,000 worth of musical equipment inside, was stolen, drummer Tommy Shannon said. "We lost every single guitar, including the bass. We lost all of our guitar amplifiers, one speaker cabinet, my kick pedals, my snare drum, two snare stands, a Roland TD-6 drum machine, one drum pad trigger, two China cymbals, and two cymbal stands ...
The Murdered revitalize Atlanta hardcore scene
The Murdered, a five-piece hardcore band from Atlanta, might be the youngest band appearing at the Tribunal Records showcase. They range in age from 19 to 22, and Flying Anvil booker Andrew Dudek is having a hell of a time sorting out the members who are of drinking age from the young 'uns.
The Murdered have done pretty well for themselves. Earlier this year, on June 6, they released their album And the Maggots Shall Inherit the Earth on Tribunal Records.
The band formed two years ago from the dissolution of several Atlanta-area metal and hardcore bands, said guitarist Ryan Shea. The band received its members from the groups Shut the Fuck Up and Listen, Style Over Substance and Starsfade.
"We just came up here for this show," Shea said. "We played one down in Atlanta last night."
The Murdered play textbook hardcore that borrows metal's imagery of crushing violence.
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