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Music Dorkery, Not Quite Metal?

BRIAN SETZER SHREDDER

 Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 2:30pm by

brian setzerRaise your hand if you don’t think Brian Setzer is a fucking bad ass.

Those with your hands raised please never visit this site again.

Everyone else, please click through for a Setzer Shred Session (and oh hey his Orchestra band has a new album out!).

Setzer is a God amongst guitar players as far as this humble writer is concerned. His work with the Stray Cats aside, the dude is not only an incredible musician but JUST SO FUCKING COOL! That hair and that big ol’ Gretsch make me wanna jump, jive and wail every time I catch site of them. Ow!

Before I get all shred on your ass, I’d like to let you all know that the Brian Setzer Orchestra has a new album out, Songs From Lonely Avenue. Supposedly inspired by film noir, the album features Setzer backed by a 15-piece orchestra on 13 brand new compositions.

Now that that’s over with… shred!

Killer solo to open this one up:

Dig the leads starting around 0:40… that’s right, DISTORTION IS FOR PUSSIES WHO NEED TO COVER UP THEIR FLAWED PLAYING!:

“Americano” live in Japan:

Setzer might not be metal, but the influences from which he draws most undoubtedly influenced many of today’s best metal guitar players. I’m sure there’s also a thesis to be drawn about how the rebellious spirit of Rockabilly is analogous to the rebellious spirit of metal… but this is a blog and you guys don’t care about shit like that. Go enjoy the Setzer videos above.

-VN

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  • Knotism

    “DISTORTION IS FOR PUSSIES WHO NEED TO COVER UP THEIR FLAWED PLAYING!”
    Uuuuum no.

    • SlickerDrip

      Maybe so when it comes to distortion, but real guitarists make effects with their fingers and the controls of the guitar, not pedals.

      • Marcel

        Best example: Angus Young. Not a pedal in sight.

    • http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/46e389eb8b79606050d3d447431ff6ac?s=80 Nate

      Totally agree with you. That statement even though not serious, is insultingly moronic. And, while there’s not distortion on his playing, there’s a decent amount of gain. Add too much gain, and you get distortion.

      Fucking fail vince. I should cut off your ball sack for that.

      Setzer is amazing though.

  • pigchop

    I saw the guy jam with Colin James in the mid-90′s – bad ass session that one was.

  • Shinaain

    I hate it that I can’t watch those videos at work. I love this man. Always have.

  • MickFNS

    You should put up a clip of him playing on “The Nanny” when Fran Drescher played a dual role as her Nanny character and BOBBI FLECKMAN !! Sezter rules.

  • http://www.gamesmeetmetal.com Gamesmeetmetal.com

    Hell yeah, Brian’s the man! Now, where’s that Dick Dale post?

  • mahkiavelli

    Yeah – he is a badass. Saw the BSO at a tiny ass club in KC – he tore it up…

  • bucketochicken

    Fucking awesome. I haven’t listened to Setzer in forever. Thanks!!!

  • http://www.last.fm/user/groverXIII groverXIII

    Brian Setzer is a great guitarist, as is Chris Cheney of The Living End, whom he heavily influenced.

  • http://www.twitter.com/stabitha Stabitha C.

    Oh my god you just made me realize the last guy I dated looks a lot like Brian Setzer. So close to being awesome, and yet so far away.

  • Zoker

    Thank you Vince.

  • http://www.hibernum.net hibernum

    Huh? Brian Setzer is playing with distortion. Just a very small amount. Besides, it is harder to play lead with distortion, because it magnifies any tiny mistake your fingers make. On an acoustic guitar, if you fingers graze a string accidentally no one will hear it. But plug it in and your hands have to be exact because if your fingers graze a string accidentally it will sound as loud as if you had plucked it. So distortion is in some ways harder because your playing must be clean.

    • http://www.twitter.com/stabitha Stabitha

      First of all, distortion only magnifies mistakes if you have the gain jacked up all the way, which does not fit in with Setzer’s style. He’s playing with some overdrive, which does distort the signal from the guitar, but I wouldn’t call it “distortion” in the traditional sense.

  • alliaphagist

    he’d be fun to see live

  • Sammy

    Setzer made the single greatest Christmas album ever.

  • Did you just piss on my xbox?

    talent for sure. nothing i could listen to on a regular basis, but he is a great player

  • SeanN

    Setzer is GOD!!!!!

  • http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/62449cbe5ea8d22bcc2e76890fceaa37.png Lord Bling

    Saw him back in 1996 or 97. Awesome.

  • Uglymicrowave

    this shit is great and all but can this site talk more about THE GREAT MISDIRECT PLEASE

  • dick?

    Setzer is indeed a god.

    Cheney is indeed a good in training.

    remember, they called it rockabilly, before they called it rock n roll.

    Brunette Brothers, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison as well.

  • SlickerDrip

    Dave Edmunds>Brian Setzer>Chris Cheney…the lineage of kick ass rock guitarists

  • http://buttor.blogspot.com Buttor

    Cool… I love Gretsch guitars they sound so good.

  • Bill

    Agreed.
    The man can fucking play.

  • Hazerfazer

    YEAH YEAH YEAH!!! MAN! Brian is KING! Yo Vince – you got that right…this dude is so money I’d spend him on a 57 Cadillac and still have enough left over to fix up a 49 Merc Led Sled. All who hail “The King O’ The Gretch” do yourselves a favor if you don’t have it already, pick up Brian Setzer with the Nashvilians – Red Hot and Live! Fuck it…pick up ANYTHING this man is associated with…he fucking rules period!

  • http://indonesia Shit N Roll

    playing with the clean settings will be more difficult than with distortion. because if we make a mistake would be easily visible, if with the distortion will be more helped on empty note on a mistake played.

    and also if with a clean setting, we are in a plucked string must also be full of energy. the unique is here we will be able to see the depth of sound in the our play in emotions.

    and Mr. Setzer is the best on that