Carolyn Wonderland’s new Bismeaux Records release, Peace Meal, ranks high in the never-ending quest for the perfect road trip soundtrack. In fact, I spent a couple of hours on Northern California’s windy mountain roads grooving to her rich, bluesy voice and driving (pun intended) blues-rock arrangements of classic and new material. I can’t decide whether I like her raspy, lush-toned vocals or soulful and skillful guitar playing better, but luckily I don’t have to choose!

Sexy Euro Strats just make sense! And more than a few European builders are getting into it these days. Luthiers Thomas Orgler and Klaus Eiken craft solid-body electric instruments with the same old-world attention they put into their classical guitar building.

When we lose a favorite artist, there's an amazing feeling of loss that takes place -- like losing a family member or friend. That's because the artist seems to know your deepest feelings, seems to share with you their own inner-life. I think for most of you, and for me, music and musicians seem to resonate the most and will always resonate our core in the deepest, most intimate way.

When you hear the name Black Label Society, you instantly think of the blond-haired, hell-raising Zakk Wylde. Fans of the band also realize that for more than a decade, the man to his side known as the "Evil Twin," Nick Catanese, has remained a constant.