San Diego based rock band Dirty Sweet has built up an international following, played big festivals, sold out shows, produced music videos, and won awards. All without being on a major record label. Whenever we see this phenomenon take place, it usually means we are looking at a kick-ass band on the verge of something really big. After a brief investigation I figured out why Dirty Sweet is doing so well……they F-ing rock. These guys have the type of song writing that makes a record filled with tracks that are so good, you can’t even pick a handful of singles. They are all that good. Seldom does this happen in my life, but when it does, the band instantly gets added to my “favorite bands” list. Thankfully I was able to talk with Nathan Beale, guitar player for Dirty Sweet, about his guitar rig, the bands upcoming release (“American Spiritual”), and much more.

Image by Zoran Orlic

Rich Koehler plays guitar in Nico Vega, the American rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band draws a lot of comparisons to the White Stripes, Tina Turner and Janis Joplin, but is really doing its own thing – and doing it damn well. Nico Vega recently released their first full-length album, “Nico Vega”, on MySpace Records, produced by Linda Perry and Tim Edgar. Following the album release, they have been touring like crazy, and lucky for UberProAudio, Rich had a chance to chat about it.

photo by Zoran Orlic

Shawn Mike is a creative guy. He not only plays guitar, piano, and sings in the exciting band Alesana, he writes stories too. Alesana’s brand new album The Emptiness showcases the bands songwriting - full of killer hooks, guitar riffs that will rock your socks off, and a new added depth thanks to live strings (quartet). It also casts a spotlight on a story that Shawn and Dennis created. The record is being released with this short story, adding to the awesomeness-factor. UberProAudio spoke with Shawn about the new album, and of course music gear!

Alesana

Lee Malia is a guitar player in the uber popular English metalcore band Bring Me the Horizon.

Lucky for all of us Bring Me the Horizon fans, Lee was kind enough to take a moment out of his busy schedule to share the scoop on what his current live guitar rig is.

Image by HelsinkiValo. Creative Commons licensed from flickr.

UberProAudio's freelance writer extraordinaire, Kevin Williams, ventured into Worcester Massachusetts' legendary Ralph's Rock Diner on a cold winter night to meet up with the guys from Ultra Violent Lights - an exciting alternative rock band that has been catching the ear of many as of late. Music gear and the band's debut album, Here In Filth are discussed in this exclusive interview.

Are you working on creating a guitar or bass rig that fits the style of music you are playing, and need help making some gear decisions? In this article we discuss some tips on putting together the right rig for your musical situation.You don't always need the big stack to get the sound that suits your needs.

Image by urje. Creative Commons licensed from flickr.

WE BUTTER THE BREAD WITH BUTTER is the musical duo from Lübben in the East of Germany, which has focused on the highly idiosyncratic dubbing and covering of children's well-known songs. Blast-Beat attacks from the drums scrap the lovely melody of "Backe backe Kuchen", buried under tons of sludge-heavy riffs and driving the song with full force and dark growls against the wall. At the end, the audience is stunned before the ruins, alienated and wondering what evil the two gentlemen of WE BUTTER THE BREAD WITH BUTTER must have encountered in their childhood. Luckily, with the recent release of Das Monster aus dem Schrank in the US (available at Hot Topic stores across the nation), UberProAudio had a chance to sit down and talk with Tobias Schultka, vocalist and half the brains of WBTBWB about the latest album, gear, and more.

We Butter the Bread with Butter

So Many Pedals!

You all demanded more quizzes, so here we go! This quiz is all about Guitar Pedals!

Do you know anything about pedals? Are you the guy who can do a Pedal ID from a mile away? Can you achieve a perfect score? Let's see what you got!

Don't forget to ask your friends to take the quiz to see what skillz they have too! Do you know more then them about guitar pedals or do you still have a lot to learn?

There is a mixture of easy questions about very standard pedals and some about boutique pedals you wish you owned.

If you like this, please help spread the word around the net about UberProAudio!