Products: May 2009 Archives

Another email from one of Blackheart's "Test Animals" out in the field:

Hi Pyotr,

I bought my Little Giant Combo about a year ago, maybe 6 months ago I bought a Handsome Devil head so I could play live with a little more clean headroom.  I've been entirely impressed with both amplifiers, as were the studio engineers I worked with a few weeks ago.  After tweaking some effects and trying to come up with a good distorted sound through my pedal board and the Giant, I said "f*ck it" and just rolled everything to 10.

I'm sure you've heard plenty of stories with the same result, but the three of us were blown away at the gain and tone of my Fender TC-90 through the Giant.  Attached is the song I recorded that day, "Screaming."  Both guitar tracks are TC-90 through the Little Giant Combo, one is just guitar and amplifier, one I used a Boss DS2 for a slightly different distorted sound.

Here is another track, "Cheated."  We just finished a small whirlwind of shows (playing locally at least 2-3 times a month since January) and we'll be working out a playlist and deciding what to record for our first real release.

Feel free to send these tracks around to anybody who might possibly want to (or need to) hear them.

Thanks again for your feedback and help!

Enjoy!

Ian Graham

Here's some background info on Ian's band, DeVille:

DeVille started with a visit to Craigslist. Guitarist Ian Graham wanted to play in a band again after a financially driven music hiatus (the Little Giant was his rescue). When he found GiGi Gordon looking for someone to play guitar and sing with, he took a chance. What came of their first meeting, originally meant to be a lesson/jam session, was the framework for two songs.

After a few weeks of writing, Ian and GiGi decided to take their songs and build a band around them. Another visit to Craigslist brought Trevor Thrift, a powerhouse drummer with a background in jazz and metal; further searching brought in Patrick "Patches" Mitchell, a punk/pop enthusiast, on bass.

The combination of Ian's blues and punk inspired guitar work, Trevor's hard-hitting drums, Pat's driving, melodic bass-playing and GiGi's soulful, personal vocals creates a powerpop sound that's simultaneously accessible and unique.

DeVille has been building its fanbase around the DC area and networking nationwide as they write and perform. They've recently released their debut single, "Screaming," and an EP is soon to follow.

Here's a video of DeVille playing "Cheated" live at the Rock n' Roll Hotel: