Jim Macpherson is a Rock Icon
Jim Macpherson is a rock icon. To me. And he should be to you, too. I’m going to try to put something into context here. Do you know that by the end of 1993, there were only 623 websites in existence? Literally, the Internet was a novelty. MTV “VJ” Adam Curry registered MTV.com and ran it himself as an unofficial side project. And a band from Dayton, Ohio called the Breeders (a side project for Kim Deal of the Pixies) released a record called Last Splash. 20 years have passed by since this happened. Drummer Jim Macpherson did not respond to an ad on Craigslist to join the Breeders. Joining the Breeders “I was playing in this band with my friend Nick and he said he knew where Kim deal of the Pixies lived. We could go put flyers in her mailbox for every show we had to see if we could get her to come. Kim saw us, asked Nick if he wanted to do some demos. He said ‘yeah’ and she said ‘well, can we get your drummer too’ and that’s how it all started.” “I was doing demos for Last Splash… Kim asked me, ‘Hey, you wanna see how you do with Josephine (Wiggs)? We got asked to do some shows and we’re going to need a drummer, and we’re going to make a new record. You want to see if it’ll work out?’ I said ‘yeah’.” “Kim kept telling me, ‘You’d have to be doin’ this to really play music because you realize there’s not a whole lot of money in this,’ which was true.” “I asked what were some of the shows and she said, ‘Well, Nirvana asked us to open for them in Ireland on the Nevermind tour.’ I just played Canal Street Tavern for 150 kids and my first show with the Breeders is in Dublin, Ireland in front of 15,000 people, opening for Nirvana.” “That was before we even recorded… talk about getting thrown in…” Recording Last Splash With the calculated pseudo-perfection of 80’s hair metal a couple of years in the grave, people were using this word grunge all of the time. Mostly because record labels, corporations, and media need to label things. So in January 1993, the Breeders came to San Francisco to record what would become their classic album Last Splash. “We had most of the tracks written and a good foundation down.” “One day me and Josephine would go in and lay down our tracks and then they (Kim and Kelley) would want to lay down their parts right away. So it was recorded on a song...
Interview:Aron Sanchez & Arone Dyer of Buke and Gass
From their homemade instruments to their screen-printed posters, Buke and Gass embody the DIY ethic. Both veteran musicians, they’ve carved out a fascinating niche with this latest project by multi-tasking to the max. While Arone weaves a tapestry of treble with her modified ukelele, jingle shoe, and brave alto, Aron shreds it apart with his jigsaw guitar-bass and jagged bass drum stabs. It is methodical madness. Seeing them live is a treat, then. Where the recording might wear you out with its relentless rhythmic polygamy, the concert will absorb you as you watch this small band make a big, big sound with every available limb. Without that visual reference, you might dismiss them as trying too hard. But that’s not possible after you take into account the fact that they basically make all of their own gear. Nor is it possible after you see their lighthearted demeanor on stage. Arone is bike mechanic. Aron builds instruments for Blue Man Group. These are natural born engineers. They are tinkering with rhythm, showing us how to hotrod a waltz into a rollicking 12/8, or realign a wonky melody by simply bypassing the downbeat. These aren’t ivory-tower-theory heads. This is blue-collar Genesis. It’s the sound of the Avett Brothers getting run through a Deerhoof-grinder. It might help you think of ways you can reengineer your own faltering creative...
Interview:Francis White of White Mystery
TheBestDrummerInTheWorld.com learns about the elusive “Yin and Yang” that is the magic behind sister/brother duo White Mystery. Francis White supplies the head-rattling primal beat to their garage rock. We caught up with him before a sweaty show at Crown Liquors in...
Interview: Brian St Clair of Local H
I’m going to cut to the chase on this one. Local H drummer Brian St Clair is one of the best drummers alive. The first week I moved to Chicago in, I think 92, I saw a great gig every night that first week. I saw, Overwhelming Colorfast, Redd Kross, Guided By Voices at Lollapalooza, and a local band that had a huge influence on me. They were Triple Fast Action. And Brian St Clair was their drummer. Over the next several years I saw every Chicago show they did and was 100% blown away every time. Amazing songs , great front man (Wes Kidd who went on to manage Local H) and a total rock god drummer in Brian St Clair. They made 2 amazing records you can hunt down and buy. When the band faded away, Brian took over the drum spot in Local H. Really the only logical choice because….they’re a TWO piece!!!!!!! Cool before White Stripes and Black Keys. Local H bring the full rock Local H drummer Brian St Clair took time to site down with TheBestDrummerInTheWorld.com at the beginning of the 12 Angry Months tour. Being a drummer myself, I am not the best interviewer nor am I an editing genius, so bare with...
Our Sponsor
