Joe Coffey --
Editorial Director
What am I listening to?
Dennis Coffey’s new
self-titled album that
basically says, “I innovated
a lot of this stuff, and can still do it!”
Coffey (no relation) played on countless
Motown hits and was instrumental in pioneering
’70s funk, R&B, and soul guitar.
Respect the funk pocket!
What band would I like to see reunite?
Appetite-era Guns N’ Roses. Just for one
gig. Let’s not forget how amazing those
guys were together, despite the drama.
Rebecca Dirks -- Web Content Editor
What am I listening to?
Foo Fighters, Wasting
Light. I dig this album
in part because of their
cool promotion tactics—performing in fans’
garages, streaming it in full before release
day—but mostly because it sounds like the
Foo Fighters: energetic, non-pretentious
American rock.
What band would I like to see reunite?
I was too young to see Pink Floyd when they
last toured in the ’90s and would love to hear
the songs live, with Waters and Gilmour.
Andy Ellis -- Senior Editor
What am I listening to?
Grant Green, Ain’t It
Funky Now!. Great
grooves and lines from
the godfather of soul-jazz guitar.
What band would I like to see reunite?
Truth-era Jeff Beck Group with Rod
Stewart, Ron Wood, and Nicky Hopkins. I
saw them at the Boston Tea Party in the late
’60s and have never been the same. Beck
with his Les Paul? Too much! Sadly, reuniting
is impossible—RIP Nicky Hopkins.
Shawn Hammond -- Editor in Chief
What am I listening to?
Graveyard, Hisingen
Blues. Sprawling
’70s-style metal with
soul, grit, and classic tones.
What band would I like to see reunite?
The Blood Brothers. Active from 1997-
2007, this post-hardcore outfit somehow
made dual Yosemite Sam-on-acid vocalists,
funky Rhodes piano, dub bass, spastic drumming,
and a discordant Strat blaring through
an Orange sound as addictive as the meth
one speculates they were on. Sadly, their
subsequent factions—Past Lives and Jaguar
Love—can’t hold a candle to the BB magic.
Chris Kies -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Foo Fighters,Wasting
Light. I’ve never owned
a Foo record before, but
after hearing some tracks and reading positive
reviews, I checked it out. Whether it’s
the kamikaze aggression of “White Limo”
or the bloody, self-medicating prose of “I
Should Have Known,” Wasting Light proves
I’ve been wasting time by not giving the
Foos their due.
What band would I like to see reunite?
Zep, Operation Ivy, or circa-’77 Misfits.
Rich Osweiler -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
The Dodos, No Color.
The San Francisco band’s
frantic approach to their
version of folk rock, while fast-paced and
aggressive, is still pretty. Lots of cool guitar
and synth layers, with ethereal vocals on top
of African-influenced drumbeats, makes it
really energizing to listen to. With super-wide
levels of varying intensity, “When Will You
Go Home” is my favorite tune on this album.
What band would I like to see reunite?
Sleater-Kinney or Trip Shakespeare.
Or both.
Glenn Hughes
(Black Country Communion,
Deep Purple) -- Guest Picker
What am I listening to?
When I was young I
listened to music all the time. It was part
of my DNA. The only music I consciously
listen to is whatever I’m writing.
What band would I like to see reunite?
I believe the reuniting of bands can be bittersweet.
Pink Floyd would be one of the
last greats to reassemble. Wish I had a dime
for every time someone asks me if Deep
Purple MK3 are going to get back together.
Charles Saufley -- Gear Editor
What am I listening to?
Michael Chapman, Fully
Qualified Survivor. One
of Brit-folk’s unsung
super-greats, Chapman was gloriously all
over the map with this 1969 release, which
also marks the studio debut of Mick Ronson
in fully realized Zig’-fuzz mode! Rockin’,
pastoral, melancholy, funky ... amazing.
What band would I like to see reunite?
No way I can pick one! But if resurrection
of the deceased isn’t an issue, today I’m saying
the savage, young Moby Grape. Skippy,
you are missed!
Jason Shadrick -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Galactic, The Other
Side of Midnight.
Surprisingly, this is only
their second official live release. Powered
by groovemeister Stanton Moore, this
band creates the soundtrack to the modern
NOLA music scene.
What band would I like to see reunite?
The Brother-era lineup of Cry of Love.
Audley Freed is one of the most underrated
guitarists and songwriters around, and with
vocalist Kelly Holland, the band created one
of the best guitar-rock albums of the ’90s.