April 2014 Issue – Volume 39 • Number 4

Travis Orbin

The tech-metal phenom has made tsunami-like waves on YouTube and continues to lay down mind-bending tracks for artists the world over. Now, with the extreme-metal goliath Darkest Hour's upcoming album, his artful drum science is about to blow away anyone…

Mickey Roker Style and Analysis

Mickey Roker was born in Miami in 1932, and at age ten he moved to Philadelphia, where he still resides today. Throughout the 1940s and ’50s, Philadelphia was an epicenter for aspiring musicians, including John Coltrane, Stan Levey, the Heath…

April 2014 Issue – Volume 39 • Number 4

Stella Mozgawa

Her thoughtful yet exuberant playing with Flea, Kurt Vile, Tom Jones, and especially L.A.’s dreamy groovers Warpaint reveals a sophisticated attitude toward songcraft—and an ability to just plain rip. Even without knowing whether Stella Mozgawa is a fan of the…

Rhythm And Timing Part 2: Two-Note 16th Groupings

This month we’re going to focus on the six different two-note 16th-note groupings. We’ll begin with “1-e,” and then we’ll move it to “e-&,” then “&-a,” and finally “1-a.” After those first four variations, we’ll do a separate exercise for…

A 5-Step Workout for Building Coordination Over a Pulse

Complete independence is something that we all strive for, but it can be very confusing and frustrating to practice. This workout/challenge will focus on what I would consider to be “practical independence.” In other words, it’s designed to build the…

Drums Don't Lie

Photo by Kirby Campbell The former Kyuss and Fu Manchu drummer, who’s currently with Vista Chino, tells it like it is, was, and always will be.   Drummers have to understand the sound the way a surfer has to understand…

Sandy Gennaro

For decades the journeyman drummer has had one rock ’n’ roll adventure after another, from Cyndi Lauper to Joan Jett to Pat Travers to Johnny Winter to the Monkees. Now he’s ready for another challenge—bringing his famous New York swagger…