New School Acoustic Guitar Wizardry

I’ve been playing acoustic guitar since the beginning of ’98 – much longer than I’ve been a designer (by about 5 years.) With very few exceptions, I’ve probably played guitar for at least 30 minutes everyday for the past 9 years. I did the singer-songwriter thing for 3 years in there and then I reached this crossroads where my love for music and composition started finally catching up with my skill level and understanding. I just started writing instrumental compositions and discovered (much to my surprise, I assure you) that I might actually have something to say musically. Oh, the irony. You can download a few tunes on PureVolume (or VIRBº if you’re in on it yet.) I have more coming, as I get more proficient at playing around with some stylistic things.But more than my stuff, I wanted to share a few of the guys who have been inspiring me and pushing me forward lately. And who are about 12 billion times better than I am. I have a deep love for the acoustic guitar, but I find most acoustic guitar music rather boring and stale… all cowboy chords and sleep-inducing strumming. The following are anything but: 

  • Robert Taylor is the single most impressive fingerstyle guitarist I’ve heard in years. His compositions are turbo-weird, but manage to stay firmly lodged in my head for days, and he plays with such precision. Watch The Rabid Petting Zoo, Baghdad, or Gorthon (it gets extra-tasty at about 2:05 in.) Buy music at CandyRat.

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  • Antoine Dufour has such an amazing sense of groove and some strikingly inventive tunes. Watch Dracula & Friends Part 1, Scratch, Spiritual Groove, on YouTube. Buy music at CandyRat.

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  • Andrew Crawford aka POM does more with two hands and a nylon string guitar than should be humanly possible. Just watch this. (.wmv file) I had to track down his album and get it shipped from England; it was worth it.

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  • Monte Montgomery. While it’s true that about the only thing “acoustic” in regards to Monte is that he plays an acoustic guitar (through amps and pedals and feedback), his sense of flow is unrivaled. It’s like Stevie Ray, Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), and Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) had a Texan lovechild. Check out this 10:00+ clip of Little Wing and if at all possible in your lifetime, you MUST go see him live.

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  • Justin King inspired me to experiment with tapping and sliding more. He manages to write interesting songs without it getting too monotonous. Watch Knock on Wood or Square Dance.

    •  In addition to these guys, CandyRat Records features and sells more acoustic artists, as well as a few electric players I dig (slide master Sonny Landreth being chief among them.) So much music in the word, so little time.