may 2015

John McCauley plays one of his many Jag-Stangs (the Fender model designed by Kurt Cobain) as the frontman of his primary band, Deer Tick, at the Newport Folk Festival in 2012.
Photo by Tim Bugbee / Tinnitus Photography

Deer Tick’s guitarist/frontman discusses Cosmetics, the new album from his all-star second band.

When does a side project become a band? For Diamond Rugs, the answer lies sometime between a night in 2011—when Deer Tick’s John McCauley, former Black Lips guitarist Ian St. Pé, and Six Finger Satellite drummer Bryan Dufresne shared a beer and mused about working together—and the sessions for Cosmetics, the D-Rugs’ sophomore album.

After that beer, St. Pé continued his tour with Black Lips. By the time he finished, McCauley had recruited the rest of the Diamond Rugs lineup: fellow Deer Tick Robbie Crowell (bass, keyboards, sax), Dead Confederate guitarist T. Hardy Morris, and Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin (horn, keyboards).

Read MoreShow less
Adam Franklin’s main guitars are a pair of original ’62 Jazzmasters, but he also owns a rare Shergold Nu Meteor that he says is still in great condition. Photo by Liv Niles

After 17 years of studio silence, Adam Franklin and Jim Hartridge bring back the noise.

Every decade or so, psychedelia returns in one form or another. Today, bands like Tame Impala, Temples, and Oracles carry the paisley-tinged torch. But back in the early ’90s, the leading practitioners of lysergic guitar freakouts were Britain’s so called “shoegaze” bands: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, Moose—and Swervedriver. (The disparaging “shoegaze” label stemmed from the accusation that the bands were more concerned about tapping the correct pedal than engaging the audience.)

Formed in Oxford, England, in 1989 by Adam Franklin and Jim Hartridge, Swervedriver came out of the gate swinging. “Rave Down,” with its pounding guitars and machine-gun drumming, had as much in common with early punk as with psychedelia. Anyone yet to experience the one-two-three punch of Mezcal Head’s opening tracks, “For Seeking Heat,” “Duel,” and “Blowin’ Cool,” is in for a grand sonic assault.

Read MoreShow less
JD McPherson’s band includes (left to right): Jason Smay on drums, Raynier Jacob Jacildo on keys, McPherson on guitar and vocals, Doug Corcoran on saxophone and miscellaneous instruments, and Jimmy Sutton on electric and upright bass.
Photo by Jo Chattman.

Blues and jazz influences run deep for this retro rock ’n’ roller from Tulsa.

It’s not uncommon for a guitarist to become steeped in a particular era or genre. But it’s rare that a player pulls off a signature approach in doing so. JD McPherson, with his deep knowledge of 1950s and ’60s rock and R&B, is just the sort of exceptional musician who makes something new from old materials.

McPherson, who turns 38 this month, grew up in Oklahoma on a cattle ranch. He took up the guitar at 13 and essentially worked backwards, starting off in punk bands and learning about early rock by checking out the musicians who inspired such groups as the Clash. Though a formidable guitarist by his late teens, McPherson studied film as an undergraduate and open media as a graduate student. While he focused on video-art installations, he devoured obscured 1950s sides and played guitar in his downtime.

Read MoreShow less