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March 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 3

They Might Be Giants, the energetic alternative-rock duo formed in 1982 by guitarist and vocalist John Flansburgh and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist John Linnell, kicked off a world tour on January 17 in support of its brand-new album, I Like Fun. Marty Beller, the group’s live and recording drummer since 2004, joins the duo’s backing band on the trek, which lasts through late April.
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Articles in March 2018

Bebop Syncopation, Part 3: Elvin Jones

Elvin Jones was a driving force behind John Coltrane’s explorations in the 1960s and is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in jazz drumming. This lesson applies the principles of his style to rhythms found in the…

by Mike Alfieri
Jan 31, 2018

Professional Drum Shop

Hollywood, California

Interview by Patrick Berkery
Jan 31, 2018

Sugar Percussion - 2-12 Series Mahogany Snares

An experiment with shell depths yields surprising results.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018

Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart: 1961-2017

It seemed that Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart existed to dispel the moronic clichés informing most drummer jokes. The dude could seemingly do it all. Killer drummer. Great singer. Amazing songwriter. He was also a supremely talented visual artist who designed…

Story by Patrick Berkery | Photo by Ebet Roberts
Jan 31, 2018

Ulysses Owens Jr.

During his long tenures with the jazz stars Christian McBride and Kurt Elling, Ulysses Owens Jr. aspired to build his own standing as a leader. The dazzling and seriously swinging drummer has taken another strong stride in that direction on…

Article by Jeff Potter | Photo by Rayon Richards
Jan 31, 2018
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Edit Bunker’s Zach Danziger

FROM FUSOID WILDCHILD TO ELECTRO-VISIONARY

Story by Ken Micallef | Photos by Lloyd Bishop
Jan 31, 2018

Web Exclusive! Alex Rüdinger of Good Tiger on the Group’s Sophomore Album, We Will All Be Gone

MD checks in with the former drummer with the Faceless, Threat Signal, and the HAARP Machine on the occasion of his current band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, which is due out on February 9.   MD: We Will All Be…

by Ben Meyer
Feb 1, 2018

Former Hole and Current Upset Drummer Patty Schemel

MD spoke with the former Hole and current Upset drummer just before the release of her new memoir, Hit So Hard, which recounts her early life, her rise through the Seattle music scene of the ’80s and ’90s, and her struggles with addiction.

Interview by Ben Meyer | Photo by Alex Solca
Jan 31, 2018

John Clardy On Tera Melos’s Trash Generator

Diving Deep Into the Experimental Trio’s Latest Release

Article by Austin Burcham | Photo by Colin Eldridge
Jan 31, 2018

Drum Wisdom: Legendary Educator Michael Carvin

One could take issue with Michael Carvin’s insistence that he isn’t a jazz drummer. His credits as a sideman for Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, and Pharoah Sanders, of course, suggest he’s wrong in that assertion. But in talking with him…

by Keith Carne | Photo by Rahav Segev
Jan 31, 2018

John Convertino on Calexico’s The Thread That Keeps Us

A presidential election, a trip west to the coast, and an immersion in nature invigorate the indie mainstay’s latest foray into Tex-Mex-infused Americana bliss.

Article by Willie Rose | Photo by Eric Stoner
Jan 31, 2018
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Ddrum - Dios Maple Series Drumset

After being shelved for six years, the go-to shell pack is back and better than ever.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018

Remembering Ben Riley, Frank Capp, Grady Tate, and Chuck Blackwell.

Ben Riley This past November 18, the American jazz-drumming great Ben Riley passed away at the age of eighty-four. A brief list of Riley’s credits includes Alice Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Ahmad Jamal, Kenny Barron, the New…

Modern Drummer
Jan 31, 2018

Big & Rich's Keio Stroud

When national artists record in Nashville, they call on world-renowned studio greats like Paul Leim, Eddie Bayers, Lonnie Wilson, Greg Morrow, and Chad Cromwell to put down the ultimate version of a track. But when those artists need a sub…

Story by Aaron Strickland | Photos by Joey Tanner
Jan 31, 2018

The 2017 Hollywood Custom and Vintage Drum Show

Drum enthusiasts from around the globe convened at the Glendale Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California, this past October 7 to check out informative clinics and a plethora of new and vintage drumming gear. The stellar performance lineup included Jason McGerr…

Story and photos by Bob Campbell
Jan 31, 2018

Jimmie Vaughan's George Rains

As music journalists, we try to avoid using superlatives, like, say, “the greatest living blues drummer.” At the same time, it’s inarguable that for those who’ve been in a room where the Austin drumming icon George Rains is playing, the…

by Cleve Warren
Jan 31, 2018

A Slingerland Unmasked

After purchasing and restoring the 1950s Slingerland bass drum pictured in this month’s featured kit, Marc Membreno was overtaken by the urge to flesh out the setup with other vintage Slingerland tubs. “I started with a 1958 blue sparkle bass…

Modern Drummer
Jan 31, 2018

Alesis - Strike Pro Drumset

A top-notch e-kit built to look and feel like an acoustic set while offering unlimited sonic capabilities.

by Michael Dawson
Jan 31, 2018
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New Drum Gear from Simmons, Zildjian, Roland, Sound Percussion Labs, Tama and Sabian!

Simmons Mesh-Head Electronic Drumkit This full-sized five-piece electronic drumkit offers a 10" dual-zone, dual-ply snare; three 8" dual-ply toms; a 10" crash with choke capabilities; a 12" ride cymbal; and a 10" hi-hat pad with a pedal. The kick trigger…

Modern Drummer
Jan 31, 2018

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