Feature Stories
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Andrew Forsman of The Fall Of Troy
The first thing you’ll notice on The Fall Of Troy’s Manipulator is that there’s a lot of sound happening, for a three-piece post-punk act. Carefully juggling the punishing rhythmic duties of this outfit is drummer Andrew Forsman. Forsman worked closely…
Jojo Mayer: Revealing the Secret
by Ken Micallef “Proving to the world that I can play drums really well is not a priority. I’m trying to create art that touches normal people.” For years, Jojo Mayer has been regarded as a drumming shaman, a man…
Bryan Hitt of REO Speedwagon
Eighteen-year REO Speedwagon drummer Bryan Hitt says that the band’s new album, Find Your Own Way Home, took a couple of years to make. Taking their time seems to have paid off for the band who are primarily known for…
Cora Coleman-Dunham: Rising To The Challenge
For the past two and a half years Cora Coleman-Dunham has been fulfilling her drumming dreams as part of Prince’s latest band–which also includes her husband Joshua Dunham on bass. (The couple has played together since high school.) Cora says…
George Hurley
George Hurley is best known for playing in a predominantly structured environment with punk pioneers The Minutemen in the ’80s, and later in fIREHOSE, which also featured MM bassist Mike Watt. But the San Pedro, California–based drummer has opted for…
Billy Amendola: Favorite Words & Music
MD Associate Editor Billy Amendola'sFavorite Words & Music There's been a fantastic wave of pop lately, so for you fellow pop-heads, I wanted to share some of what I've been diggin' on my iPod. I'll start with my favorite of…
Robert Wyatt: 2007 Web Exclusive Interview
by Adam Budofsky Since leaving the groundbreaking British psychedelic band Soft Machine in 1971, Robert Wyatt has released a succession of remarkable solo albums filled with artfulness and surprise. His latest, Comicopera, is a worldly, three-part meditation on modern profundities.…
Music Of Nat Pwe: Folk And Pop Music Of Myanmar Vol. 3
Burma (or Myanmar, depending on who you talk to) has been in the news lately, and the country's music is fascinating, especially from a percussion standpoint. Last week we posted a review of Princess Nicotine: Folk And Pop Music Of…
Ozomatli
Mario Calire, Jiro Yamaguchi, Justin “El Nino” Poree Ozomatli, the nine-piece multi-cultural LA rap-rock band that features a drummer and two percussionists, recently released, Don’t Mess With The Dragon, about which percussionist Jiro Yamaguchi proudly says, “I think it’s some…
Derek Roddy - Today's Most Extreme Drummer
by Mike Haid “Extreme metal is musician’s music, like fusion and jazz. That’s what has kept me in it for so long.” Blast Beats. If you’re into metal drumming, then you probably know all about ’em: blistering 16th- and/or 32nd-note…
Shawn Drover — Megadeth
When Shawn Drover joined Megadeth in October 2004, his biggest concern wasn’t learning the group’s head-spinning drum parts, but rather being accepted by long-time fans. “Fans of Megadeth are so proud of this band that I think if you weren’t…
Jon Moen of The Decemberists
It could be coincidence, but it bears mentioning that since Jon Moen began drumming for The Decemberists in 2005, the band’s stock has risen dramatically. When Moen joined for the tour behind their folk-pop masterpiece Picaresque, they were playing 800–1,000…
Max Roach
by Ken Micallef Simply put, Max Roach brought jazz drumming into the modern age. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell revolutionized jazz with new melodies and concepts; Max matched these musical geniuses with startling rhythms and reactive, action-packed drumming…
Felix "D'kat" Pollard
Felix Pollard’s drums weren’t the only thing pounding after he got a last-minute call to play for Lionel Richie’s 2004 performance on Oprah. The thought of performing for two legends in his hometown of Chicago with no rehearsal gave the…
