Edition: 2021
Southbound Beat Magazine brings you the latest with rock bands around the world. Discover new bands, get updates on your favorites or relive with the classics. It’s all here for you to enjoy. If you would like to introduce us to a band that we’ve not covered, please send an email to us here.
Back in 1966, Jimi Hendrix visited London for the first time. It was on September 23rd that the legendary guitarist took a loan of $40 dollars, hopped on a plane to Europe, and changed his life forever! Read more about this extraordinary musician on his website
Check them out on Facebook
Check out Maria Mckee’s interview in Forbes. How Life Upheaval Brought The ‘80s Golden Child Back To Music After 13 Years Forbes Interview
Gene Simmons recalls producing early Van Halen demos — and why he tore up their contract: ‘They owe me nothing’
KISS’s Gene Simmons is chatting with Yahoo Entertainment about his new G² line of Gibson guitars and basses, which kicks off this month with the release of the G² Thunderbird Bass. But the axe-oriented conversation soon naturally pivots to guitar god Eddie Van Halen, whose 66th birthday would have been this Tuesday, Jan. 26. Eddie tragically died last October after a years-long battle with cancer, and at that time, Simmons was one of many peers to pay tearful tribute.
Read that awesome interview here
Dabney Roger “Darby” Slick (born 1944) is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as a former member of The Great Society, and as the writer of the Jefferson Airplane song “Somebody to Love.”
In 1965, he co-founded The Great Society with his brother Jerry Slick, Jenn Piersol, and his sister-in-law Grace Slick (David Miner and Bard Du Pont joined shortly afterward). Darby played lead guitar and occasionally performed backup vocals early on and less often towards the disbanding.
He wrote some other songs for The Great Society, including “Free Advice” and “Darkly Smiling.”
Darby Slick Interview
(My Sister-In-Law Grace Slick)
Darby Slick Facebook
Whether it be on the banks of the Mississippi River or deep in the heart of the English countryside, rock ‘n’ roll lives, breathes, and burns on the outskirts. Hailing from Rome, GA at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, The Georgia Thunderbolts rise up with a scorching signature style steeped in soulful southern swagger, blistering blues, and raw rock.
Band members include singer Ted Heath (Mesheen), keyboardist Chris Turbis (Regulators, Mr. Crowley, Boys of Summer), bassist Arthur Dominguez; drummer Chris Silva (Delirium, Project UFO, DIA) and guitarist Kevin Reyes (White Lie, Black Sheep).
Vargas tells PEOPLE how accomplished he feels to have delivered such a stunning work of art in a “completely free-hand [with] all brush work, no grids, no projections and no stencils” style in just about 10 days.
“I feel exhilarated,” he says. “It’s a triumph. Creating the mural for Eddie Van Halen was a labor of love. I was able to not only express my admiration and appreciation for him, but also share it with fans along the way. To have such global support for this mural was really rewarding. In the end, I think it was an incredible day.”
Read more about this tribute to Eddie Van Halen
Formed in 2007, The Boxmasters have recorded an impressive and diverse catalogue of music that touches on their love of a wide array of influences, but most importantly, the rock and roll of the 1960’s. Listening to The Boxmasters, one can hear obvious odes to the Beatles, Byrds and Beach Boys, but also important to The Boxmasters are The Mothers of Invention, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and Big Star.
Their Official Website and Facebook page
The band was praised by critics; upon reviewing their self-titled, Circus Magazine touted it as “the greatest debut album ever produced by a US rock band”.
Piper was managed by the same management company as Kiss and opened for them during their 1977 tour, including two nights of a sold-out run at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Squier served both as the main songwriter and frontman of the group.
Marcus King’s Southern Soul
Meet the 22-year-old South Carolina singer-guitarist who’s making his name as an electrifying rock performer
When Marcus King was 15, he talked his way into the Asheville, North Carolina, club the Orange Peel to slip a demo to Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes — and nearly got himself arrested.
“I snuck in with the caterers,” says King. “Now the owner and I are good friends, but at the time he wanted to throw me in jail.”
Read article Check out his Facebook and Website
Sunny War and Chris Pierce first met at mutual friend, producer/musician Jared Faber’s Silver Lake studio for a meet and greet and out of that meeting was born “Any Day Now”, the first song written and recorded by the collective. They all felt so inspired by the luck of their first encounter that they tried to repeat it…to see if lightning could indeed strike twice. Each time they got together they wrote and recorded what would ultimately become their debut EP, the self titled “War & Pierce”. Since, they have also released their highly anticipated follow up singles “On & On” and “Amen”. They are currently finishing up writing and recording a full album. More on War & Pierce
Check out more on Chris Pierce official website and Facebook page
Check out more on Sunny War on her official website and Facebook page
Born in Wichita, Kansas and raised by a classical pianist/choir director/music teacher, Jerome was regularly exposed to multi-genres of classical, jazz, gospel, rock, and soul throughout his elementary years. At age seven, the opportunity to see and meet drumming greats Buddy Rich and Ed Shaughnessy during a Wichita Jazz Festival, would inspire and influence him greatly. A move to North Texas in ’83 would further expand his musical prowess and further shape his career as a professional drummer.
Read more about Jerome’s amazing career on his official website and don’t forget to like his facebook page to stay up to date.
Dallas’ Atlantis Aquarius weaves their sound with all those threads and more. The quintet’s new album, Leo’s Rising, … showcases a broad sound with driving, Southern rock roots and narratives peppered with spiritualism and mysticism. Yet it’s all wholly accessible.
Check out their website for tour dates and more!
The Southern Locomotive Band
Three-piece all original rock band from Georgia. The band formed in 2016. Their first CD “somewhere In Time” was released June 1, 2020.
You can check them out on their website
Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown have coped with the bumper-crop of craziness this year has produced in the best way possible: they turned it into a killer new album called Pressure that’s coming out October 16th, 2020 on the Snakefarm/Spinefarm imprint. The record contains 13 timeless, blues-tinged rock songs that function perfectly well as both an acknowledgement of and a distraction from the stress of current events. Co-produced by Bryant and Roger Alan Nichols, Pressure includes guest vocals from Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke and Rebecca Lovell of the duo Larkin Poe, who is Bryant’s wife. The songs are a mix of existing tunes written since the last TBSD release Truth & Lies and new material that came together during these quarantine sessions. The result is a set of scorching rock and roll that is Bryant’s high-water mark to date. Read the rest of the review here
Always true to recreating my special Vintage hand Wind Pattern.
These were the special guitars, that always sounded better than others of the same vintage!
Known as” the keepers”
It’s a well-known fact that some of those old guitars sounded much better than others just like them!
It was those special guitars pickups that I’ve worked so hard to clone their sound.
The fine coil wire is always “Finger-Guided” onto each coil.
The coils wind pattern I selected, is always used and my coils are wrapped the same on each and every pickup I have ever wound.
16 years of providing Vintage Tone
Check out Don Mare’s website for more info