Tag Archives: rock

First Axe: Christoph Götzen

On our series called “First Axe”, we ask members of Tilted Axes to tell us their electric guitar origin stories. This time, we’re talking to guitarist and composer Christoph Götzen, who is based in Düsseldorf, Germany. He was raised on punk rock but studies and experiments with jazz composition.

Christoph is organizing a festival this week in honor of International Strange Music Day on August 24th.

Strange Music Festival runs for three days, August 24 to 26, and features a line up of DJ’s and bands at various locations around Düsseldorf.

Christoph says:

“The reason I got so attached to Strange Music Day and wanted to make it into some kind of festival was to bring people together. People who were like, listening to different music . And with the festival,I felt it’s a good way to do it because, mostly you will have more than one band.

So even if people only like one band, they’re most likely gonna listen to another that maybe isn’t their style of choice, but still, they will be there listening to it. And the term “strange” – I like to use it in a way just to open up and to experience different cultures of music.”

Tilted Axes: Music for Mobile Electric Guitars is an orchestra of guitarists and percussionists led by composer/performer Patrick Grant. They perform original music with mini-amps strapped over their shoulders, moving through public spaces in museums, parks and city streets. Its roster of musicians can change from performance to performance, city to city.  Follow the group at @tiltedaxes.

John Halo: Strings and Things

On this episode, John Halo of the hard-rocking NYC quartet Downtown Equipment is here to work on his Les Paul Standard, while our host, Patrick Grant, changes the strings on an old friend, his sea-foam Fender Jaguar

We’ll find out how many guitars John actually owns and how he names them, and of course, he and Patrick will boot up and plug in for a special year-end jam.

John handles guitars, composition and vocals in Downtown Equipment, and the band is working on a follow-up to their most recent EP, Calls for Chaos, which you can listen to right here:

By day, John molds young minds as a program coordinator in the New York City public school system. He creates courses and projects for junior high students in the science and the arts, from 3D printing to aeronautics to producing musicals. He also teaches a lot of math and music theory, which was the focus of his post-graduate studies.

This is our last episode of 2016! A huge shout-out to all of the guitarists who have joined us this year and a big thank you to all of you who have stuck around and listened to the show.

Happy New Year!

Sudeip Ghosh: Strings and Things

This time on the Strings and Things podcast, super-shredder Sudeip Ghosh is here to change the strings on his Dean Zelinsky guitar while our host, Patrick Grant, works on his trusty Les Paul. Sudeip grew up playing and singing Indian classical music, but a chance encounter with a hard rock mixtape ignited his dreams of power chord glory.

Sudeip will tell us how a one-string acoustic and a scarcity of guitar magazines tested his determination, and how he’s come into his own as a metal guitarist, a film composer, and a Bollywood musician. As always, we’ll put the new guitar strings through their paces when Patrick and Sudeip plug in to record some rollicking riffs.

Let’s take this opportunity to check out some of Sudeip’s many musical projects. First off, he is the lead guitarist for the band Meaxic, a progressive rock/metal trio which also includes Jeet Suresh Paul on vocals and guitar, and John Stallings on drums. Here’s a video for their song, “Back On”:

Next up is Akramon, Sudeip’s instrumental project with band-mates Hirak Sen on lead/rhythm guitar, and Rishabh Natarajan on bass. The band’s name means “attack”, which describes their approach to taking metal styles and techniques and adding some Indian classical or eastern musical flavors. Here’s a piece from them called “Graviton”:

And here’s the great video for “Stay” which Sudeip talks about in the podcast. Manas & Sudeip is more of a rock/grunge project with Indian influences, and their new EP, The Remote Collaborations, is available on iTunes:

To find out more about what Sudeip is up to, find him on Facebook or visit his YouTube page for more music!

Strings and Things Episode 9 Trailer

On the next Strings and Things podcast, a new music guitar maven looks back on how his family helped set him on his career path. James Moore, a co-founder and director of Dither, the electric guitar quartet, will be here with his National steel string while our host Patrick Grant works on an Ovation Balladeer. James tells us what his grandmother taught him about composition, and discusses his recording of John Zorn’s Book of Heads, a set of eclectic etudes for solo guitar.

Matt Grossman: Strings and Things

On this edition of Strings and Things, the versatile electric guitarist Matt Grossman works on an iGuitar and host Patrick Grant attends to a Les Paul Standard.

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As an in-demand soloist in New York City, Matt describes how he finds his role in different kinds of ensembles, from jazz and R&B, to folk and rock. He relates the story of a particularly alarming performance, and then amps up for a funky duet with Patrick.

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Matt has also been teaching music for many years, to all age levels and all kinds of styles. You can find out more about him at mattgrossmanmusic.com.

Strings and Things is a Peppergreen Production for Headstepper Media. Find out more at stringsandthingsshow.com.