Author Archive
There is obviously a competition among stompbox manufacturers these days to see who can build the guitar pedals with the smallest footprint, and it seems like Chinese builder MOOER is comfortably in the lead. After releasing, in recent years, a ridicolous amount of tiny rectangular pedals for every taste (called the "Micro" series), MOOER just announced they will present a new series of even smaller stompboxes at NAMM 2014, called Spark Series.
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When it comes to melody, Brooklyn’s The Stationary Set is anything but shy. Their brand of electro pop is dramatic and soulful – these 5 dudes are not afraid to get feely and they’re mindful of said feeliness. On their Facebok page, it’s mentioned that they strive "to make the 'pop' in pop music less of a dirty word." Their cover of Pat Benetar's "We Belong" is an embodiment of this; pulsating, hazy electro lends the ‘80s classic new depth. The electronic touches that pepper their sound are never isolating, they just expand it. In fact, The Stationary Set finds their sound at its best when let loose within a large space. And, since forming in 2009, they've had their fair share of big venue performances. They shared the stage with Phoenix and Mumford & Sons and most recently played a sold out show at Highline Ballroom along with January Jane. The band is recording an album over the course of the winter, so stay tuned for more warm and fuzzy goodness.... Click on the title for more
Eccentrics sure know how to get noticed, which is an important first promotional step. Then - if they are talented - people will remember them, otherwise they won't.
Jack White doesn't need introductions, but the announcement that his record label Third Man Records released a... guitar pedal is so surreal it reminds us of those legendary Dada conceptual art provocations. But the pedal does exist indeed: it's called TMR Bumble Buzz, and - for now - you can only hear it in the video below, where guitarist Olivia Jean, violinist Fats Kaplan and Jack White hinself take turns demoing it.... Click on the title for more
Being based in Tasmania is definitely not an advantage for a pedal manufacturer. Oh, yeah, no... Tasmania (where Selah Effects is) is not in Africa, it's in Australia, right there. And the biggest market for guitar pedals is about half a world from there, right here. These two locations are so far apart that even Google Maps refuses to give you directions on how to get from one to the other.... Click on the title for more
Being based in Tasmania is definitely not an advantage for a pedal manufacturer. Oh, yeah, no... Tasmania (where 
If you have "extreme" pretty much tattooed on your DNA, you are bound to come up with some pretty interesting ideas. Oliver Ackman doesn't conceal his interest for sonic excess, both with his break out band A Place to Bury Strangers and with his Death By Audio stompboxes. The man's comfort zone is in a loud aural zone tucked between insane distortion and wickedly blurry atmospheres, and his latest pedal creation leans decidedly towards the latter.... Click on the title for more
We noticed these Henretta Engineering pedals at Main Drag Music during our Stompbox Exhibit back in October - they weren't part of the show - and we got intrigued by them...
These mini stomp boxes are described as simple, small footprint pedals packing a lot of tone into a well designed enclosure with impressive circuitry. You can find the full list of effects here, they are all priced at $125 and there's a bunch of them for all tastes (lots of distortions and boosts of course, but also an octave up, a filter and a tremolo). They all have internal trimmers that allow for extra control.... Click on the title for more
I have to say, I've seen a lot of pedals, but not many made out of wood. The Dutch Kazoo was one of the prettiest (and biggest) pedals to participate in our Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit last month. Needless to say, it's not just about the looks, this is a very versatile fuzz with an original circuit. ... Click on the title for more
