I first met Thai Long Ly several years ago at a NAMM Show in Anaheim. He asked me, "What do you ride?" when he noticed the Kriega-branded motorcycling accessories on my backpack. We geeked out about motorcycles for 15 minutes before he offered to lend me one of his bikes for the remainder of my L.A. trip. At the time, Thai had a side gig as a motorcycle...

Jarrett Pritchard has seen some shit. After coming up in Florida’s extreme music scene, he slugged it out as an educator, live sound engineer, and re-recording mixer for television before getting called back into action for loud and heavy bands. The likes of 1349, Exhumed, and Gruesome have invoked his ears and technical mind on the road and in the...

A little over a decade ago, the A Band Called Death documentary brought cheers and tears to music fans worldwide, telling the fantastic tale of proto-punk band Death’s rediscovery. Having been fortunate to attend the swanky premiere party on Sunset Strip, I first met the children of Death frontman Bobby...

Azalia Snail’s recording career began with a TASCAM recorder running on batteries in the forests outside of New York City. From those early, carefree experiments, she has continued to embrace creation as a way of life, releasing solo recordings and collaborative works with her partner, Dan West. Decades later, her sound has evolved, but her mission...

Jeff Lipton is a mastering veteran with an impressive 30-year career under his belt. He's been nominated for four Grammy Awards in the Best Historical Album category, thanks to his extensive work restoring and remastering music for the Numero Group in Chicago. Jeff's journey started from humble beginnings in his bedroom in 1993, and he's come a long way...

Daughter’s Stereo Mind Game was one of my top five albums of 2023, and a record I listen to fairly often. The songwriting, interesting layered production and arrangements, along with vocalist Elena Tonra’s voice keep me emotionally invested in their music after many listens. So, when they recently released...