Deap Vally
Sistrionix
Cherrytree/Interscope 
A solid argument can (and has) been made that this gal-duo’s debut is like a counterpoint to Black Keys’ Brothers. Frankly, Lindsey Troy is more interesting than that, letting loose on her Big Muff, and singing with the vocal vibrato of Janis Joplin blended with Karen O shrieks. Look, Dan Auerbach is compared to Jack White, who was influenced by Blind Willie McTell, and on and on. It’s always this way. None of them invented the blues.
When used well, simple blues-rock riffs make great songs. Especially dirty bend-and-pull-off leads with reverse echo effects à la Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand.” IMHO, the guitar world could use more angry fuzz queens like Troy. There’s just something more believable (and scarier) about a hardcore woman than a man—she sounds pissed, but she means it. Play hard, distorted rock licks while doing that, and they’ll come. —Tessa Jeffers
Must-hear tracks: “End of the World,” “Your Love”
Truetone 1 Spot Pro XP5-PS 5-output Low-profile Isolated Guitar Pedal Power Supply
The XP5-PS is a package containing the 1 Spot Pro XP5, along with a 12Vdc 2.5A adapter, which allows you to power the XP5 without having a CS11. The adapter comes with an array of international plugs so that you can take it with your pedalboard anywhere in the world. Some musicians may even choose to get one of these, plus another XP5, to distribute their power around the pedalboard and have the dual XP5s acting as two pedal risers.
In this episode, we’re celebrating the thrill of guitarmony, sick riffs, and driving 8th-note rhythms by talking about Judas Priest. Before getting ready for this episode, neither of your esteemed hosts had ever delved into the Priest discography beyond the rock-radio hits and Beavis and Butthead—though we’d both spent our time with Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Since so many of the GOATs hold the band in the highest of regard, we knew that K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton belonged on this list, so we embarked on a journey to find out why.
After hours of listening and watching, we’re happy to report that we get it. From their debut, 1974’s Rocka Rolla, through 1980’s British Steel, deep into the ’80s-production era with 1986’s Turbo, and through the speed-metal bravado of 1990’s Painkiller, plus live videos and records—the super-loud US Festival performance and the crushing Unleashed in the East record—we found a lot that we love.
