News & Updates — Twisted Cover Versions

Our old friends in Super Hi-Fi have delivered another treat! The Brooklyn-based heavy dub/jazz outfit have been rumbling their way into our ears and hearts for a few years now. An instrumental ensemble (at least on recordings), their unique twin-trombone attack adds a jazzy melodicism to their bass-heavy dub attack with rock power. Born out of the legendary Afro-Dub Sessions parties in Williamsburg, Brooklyn starting in 2011, they have delivered several solid platters: the full-length Dub To The Bone and two 45s on the eclectic Electric Cowbell label, as well as a couple of dubby X-mas themed releases that were...

The first "folk" guitarist I got really into was John Fahey and his curious Takoma albums. Fahey's music combined blues, country, classical, avant-garde and finger-pickin' roots styles and other international folk musics all together. From dissonant to haunting, country blues to modal epics, it covered a lot worth hearing. Takoma was his label, started with money saved from his gas-pumping gig and it went on to be a very influential independent label, releasing many classics not only by Fahey, but also records by Bukka White, Robbie Basho, Leo Kottke, Canned Heat, Charlie Nothing, Bola Sete, George Winston and others. He...

Despite never being what I would call "an acoustic guitar guy", I always dug the ever-reaching and even educational style of John Fahey's music. An early "world music" blender, his records covered country blues, gospel, Indian ragas, ambient sounds, classical, avant-garde and various international folk styles, documented on a classic run of '60s & '70s sides. I can't say as much for Eric Clapton, although I like his music enough, I just don't enjoy it as much as I enjoy Fahey's. Certainly, Clapton also scoped wide influences: blues, country, jazz, psychedelic rock, Arabic, reggae, etc. One of my favorite tunes...

The "Jimi Hendrix of the accordion", Steve Jordan in fact claimed to play 35 instruments (he even played guitar in Willie Bobo's band in the mid-'60s!). He was also a good singer and could even play the cello. He was born to migrant farm workers in Texas and learned accordion as a partially-blind kid, becoming professional at a very young age although he didn't record until the late '50s. He recorded some great soul, blues and even doo-wop early on (check out his version of "Ain't No Big Thing" by The Radiants). He took his conjunto's music and fused it...

(drawing by Lukas Biel) An icon of heavy metal, Metallica bassist Cliff Burton died all too young at just 24, but not before he made three amazing albums with the band, including the top-rated Master Of Puppets, an album that shows this band of young drunks to possess incredible talent and song-writing chops. The bassists from the bands Black Sabbath, Rush, Thin Lizzy and Motorhead, as well as jazz bassist Stanley Clarke were his biggest influences. Check out his bass work on "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)" and "Orion" with Metallica. Here's that classic tune from Master of Puppets, "Orion": And I...