News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Drummers on Record: Current and Upcoming Releases of Note
Airto Seeds on the Ground Reissue (Airto) On July 31, Real Gone Records reissued legendary Brazilian percussionist Airto’s second album, 1971’s Seeds on the Ground. Airto brought back largely the same crew that appeared on his debut record, Natural Feelings…
Sabian Announces Two-Week Soundcheck Program
Sabian’s new Soundcheck program delivers cymbals to drummers to play for up to two weeks before deciding which ones they want to pay for and keep. “COVID-19 has made it difficult for all drummers to try out new gear,” says…
Gina Schock on the Go-Go’s’ Showtime Special and New Song
The Go-Go’s performed a farewell tour in 2016. In the four years since, they have launched a Broadway show (Head Over Heels, 2018), written their first new song in twenty years (“Club Zero,” out today, July 31), and completed The…
D.J. Bonebrake of X Discusses the Band’s First New Album in 25 Years, Alphabetland
Forty years after releasing its debut album—and twenty-seven since releasing its last studio album —the iconic L.A. punk band X sounds positively ageless on Alphabetland. We spoke to drummer D.J. Bonebrake all about it. MD: X had played with regularity…
Drummers on Record: Current and Upcoming Releases of Note
Kansas The Absence of Presence (Phil Ehart) This past July 17, Kansas released their new studio album,The Absence of Presence (Inside Out Music). The album was coproduced by drummer Phil Ehart—check out this early interview from 1977 Modern Drummer’s first…
Michael Bland Discusses Soul Asylum’s New Album, Hurry Up and Wait
Former Prince drummer Michael Bland has been playing with Soul Asylum since 2005. We tracked him down to talk about the making of Hurry Up and Wait, his fourth album with the beloved Minneapolis rock band. MD: These songs sound…
Dennis Chambers and Greg Grainger Partake in Virtual Music School for Aspiring Musicians
Maryland Hall and Paul Reed Smith will present the second-annual Music School for Aspiring Musicians four-day live event virtually from August 10 through 13. This unique online experience is open to musicians and enthusiasts of all ages around the world.…
Drummers on Record: Current and Upcoming Releases of Note
The Killers Imploding the Mirage (Ronnie Vannucci) The Killers’ forthcoming album, Imploding the Mirage, is due to be released August 21 on Island Records, and will once again feature longtime drummer Ronnie Vannucci The Killers’ sixth studio album, and their first since…
Legendary Eric Clapton Drummer Jamie Oldaker Passes
Jamie Oldaker, who for years toured with Eric Clapton and played on some of the legendary guitarist’s most iconic albums, passed away on Thursday, July 16. He was sixty-eight. Remarkably, Clapton is only one of the musical icons the drummer…
Spooky-J on the Cross-Cultural Group Nihiloxica’s Kaloli Album
Nihiloxica is an intercontinental project between two U.K. electronic musicians and four members of a Ugandan percussion troupe. The four Ugandans come from the Kampala-based Nilotika Cultural Ensemble with traditional drums and dance rhythms, and their British collaborators contribute synths…
Drummers on Record: Current and Upcoming Releases of Note
My Morning Jacket The Waterfall II (Patrick Hallahan) This past Friday, July 10, My Morning Jacket released the digital edition of their new album, The Waterfall II, with CD and vinyl versions coming on August 28. Out via ATO Records, the…
Modern Drummer Contributor Kiko Freitas Releases The Brazilian Groove Book: Samba & Bossa Nova
Hudson Music recently announced the release of The Brazilian Groove Book: Samba & Bossa Nova by internationally acclaimed drummer and Modern Drummer contributor Kiko Freitas.Starting with a breakdown of the layers of samba, Frietas presents independence ideas using tamborim rhythms,…
Nick D’Virgilio Play-Through #5–9
In this post we present five videos that Nick D’Virgilio and Sweetwater have produced, highlighting tracks from Nick’s new solo album, Invisible. (For the backstory, click here.) As in all of our previous posts, in each video D’Virgilio discusses the…
Animals as Leaders Live Stream Event
Animals as Leaders—guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes, and drummer Matt Garstka—will be conducting a special live-stream event on Thursday, July 9 at 4 p.m. in Los Angeles, 7 p.m. in New York, 12 a.m. in London, and 8 a.m. in Tokyo,…
