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In 1985, J. Mascis was a beginner guitarist stumbling upon a sound – yet Dinosaur Jr.’s debut would shape a generation
By Andrew Daly published
Recorded in a cabin in the woods, Dinosaur Jr.'s debut was the sound of a beginner guitarist stumbling upon on guitar tone that would influence a generation of players

The story of Brad Paisley’s Lost Telecaster – the ‘hippie vomit’ reject that became one of Fender’s rarest finds
By Andrew Daly published
A partly-failed flower-power experiment in the ‘60s comes back to life via its namesake, who’ll make 19 on his own while Fender’s Custom Shop make another 67

"When all the computers fall apart, when the world burns to the ground, there's going to be a guitar left": Courtney Barnett talks the godfather of grunge, fingerstyle, AI and music, and her next move
By Shaun Prescott published
Barnett may still be working on a new LP, but 2025 has proven busy nevertheless

Jimmy Johnson was a contemporary of Buddy Guy – and the ultimate example of a Chicago blues virtuoso who ventured well outside the box
By Joel A. Siegel published
Brother of acclaimed guitarist Syl Johnson, the late Jimmy Johnson was a singular player who was a mainstay of his city's legendary blues scene, and wowed onstage into his 90s

From childhood abandonment to country stardom, here is the incredible story of Rockie Lynne
By Andrew Daly published
The late blooming country star discusses his custom guitar range, what musicians can learn from motorcycling, and how he wound up with a perfect copy of Peter Frampton’s rig

Jerry Harrison on the outtakes and off-brand inspirations behind Talking Heads’ Little Creatures
By Henry Yates published
If 1985's Little Creatures brought an Americana flavor to the Talking Heads, MTV brought commercial success. Harrison reflects on an art-rock classic and explains why the pressure was fun

“It’s the Kinks meets AC/DC”: Jim Babjak revisits 5 classic Smithereens riffs
By Joe Bosso published
New Jersey's finest have had their share of killer riffs. Here Babjak walks us through the catalog, talks trials by click-track, and reveals how A Girl Like You nearly ended up at the movies

He was Zappa’s bassist and remains a low-end enigma – but Scott Thunes has never held back on his opinions
By Nick Wells published
Scott Thunes blazed a unique trail with Frank Zappa – but maintains solo bass is a complete no-no

Knox Chandler has played with Cyndi Lauper, and been a part of Depeche Mode, Psychedelic Furs, and Siouxsie & the Banshees – now he's going solo
By Andrew Daly published
With a wealth of session and gear experience – including a decade-long creative partnership with Cyndi Lauper that got off to a bad start – Chandler’s completed his “streets to streams” debut album, The Sound

Billy Duffy on the making of The Cult’s 1985 breakout album – and why Rain made him sweat
By Andrew Daly published
Led by the stunning She Sells Sanctuary, Love was the sound of a band experimenting at scale, finding the great enabler in producer Steve Brown, and it just so happens to be Duffy's favorite
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