Clang & Clatter

I’m not the biggest fan of dUg (Doug) Pinnick’s solo work—I much prefer him in a band context—or of the how-low-can-you-go down-tuning, but I gotta give him props. The guy is 62, he has one of the best voices in rock ‘n’ roll, his bass tone is impeccable, and he’s still out there banging away at a music career when a lot of other folks would have thrown in the towel. And if nothing else, he knows how to write a good groove.

Pinnick’s latest solo album Naked hit the shelves today—physical, virtual, digital, or otherwise—so if you’re into his brand of funky, groovy, rock, go grab it at Amazon or iTunes. It’s also streaming on Spotify if you want to try before you buy.

Here’s the latest from the Pinnick Gales Pridgen project’s self-titled debut released back in February. I really like the groove and the heavy, start-stop riff, but I think I would much prefer the song if Pinnick were singing lead instead of Eric Gales.

I mean how do you have Doug f*ing Pinnick in the room AND not have Doug f*ing Pinnick sing lead on that sh*t? I mean, he’s right there. Right there. Playing bass and barely singing. Doug Pinnick¹.

1. You really have to see this post to get the joke. Sorry if that’s too meta for you.↩

King’s X vocalist/bassist dUg Pinnick is involved in yet another side-project, this time with blues-rock guitarist Eric Gales (who, not being naturally a lefty, plays both left-handed and upside-down) and former The Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen. Based on the the pedigree and prior work of these three artists, my first guess would have been that this project would be super-soulful with lots of groove and crazy drumming, and first single “Hang On, Big Brother” doesn’t disappoint.

The trio’s first album will be released on Magna Carta Records in February, and you check out more audio samples here. If you like what you hear, you can purchase the album directly from Magna Carta or download it at iTunes or Amazon on February 12.

Mitch Gallagher sits down with King’s X’s Doug Pinnick—for more than a minute—for Sweetwater Minute, the music megastore’s weekly video show. Doug was in town for a recording clinic at Sweetwater Studios, and he talked with Gallagher about why he started playing bass, his early musical memories, the musical journey that led him to help form King’s X, and his current bass setup.

Enjoy!

Here’s another demo from the as yet unreleased first album from the black “supergroup” Anti Nigger Machine, or ANM, fronted by King’s X’s Doug (dUg) Pinnick and featuring former and current members of 24-7 Spyz, Fishbone, and Sound Barrier.

Borrowing its name from a Public Enemy track and staking its claim as the “first black supergroup,” Anti Nigger Machine (or more palatably, ANM) sports an all-star lineup of musicians that most folks have probably never heard of:

• dUg Pinnick (King’s X): vocals
• Jimi Hazel (24-7 Spyz): guitar, vocals
• Rick Skatore (24-7 Spyz): bass, vocals
• Spacey T (Sound Barrier, Fishbone): guitar, vocals
• Greg Fulton (Cyclone Temple, Rebels Without Applause): guitar, vocals
• Phil D. Fish (Fishbone, Wicked Wisdom): drums, percussion

The details are a bit sketchy, but apparently ANM convened sometime in late 2009 to begin writing for an album that was expected to hit the streets in mid-2010. I can only assume that with band name containing “the n-word,” the search for a label home was a little more difficult than the guys had expected amid the climate of a music industry collapsing in on itself. One has to wonder why they didn’t just release the album independently rather than bothering to shop it around. Regardless, the end result is a mix of funk, metal, and 70s rock that should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with this collection of musicians. Hopefully the album will see the light of day sometime soon.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t feeling the verse sections of “Clown’s Dichotomy” at first, but by the time I had reached the bridge the second time, I was bobbing my head to the groove ANM was laying down. Nice.

Enjoy!