James Wade : Raw, Talented Fusion!

It's that time of week. I was surfing around Youtube's waves today after playing guitar for a couple hours, and just got lost in Pixies covers. I'd been strumming away that addictive bass line that makes up the masterpiece that is "Gouge Away." So, needless to say, James Wade, covered that song too. He did it brilliantly and infused his acoustic cover with raw, grungy energy that is just what the song requires. He definitely sucked me into his world and I hope you'll let him do the same to you. Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzQYWjE3zO0

Fantastic isn't it? Raw energy and pure passion. So many times I come across fantastic Youtube artists and think "This is just great, but why aren't they letting go?" James does just that. He lets go and doesn't leave room for logic. It's all about emotion and is a fantastic tribute to the incredible band that influenced so many alternative bands to come along in the 90's. I mean, without the Pixies there'd be no "Smells Like Teen Spirit". And without "Smells Like Teen Spirit", who knows what the landscape of modern music would look like. I'm certainly glad the Pixies rocked the world with mysterious lyrics and a contrasting song style, that controlled itself like a ticking bomb, leading to an explosion on every verse. James just brought that song to life, the way its supposed to be done.

Now, James has got some great covers on his channels, as well as some valuable recordings of Eric Clapton performing a couple years ago. He's also the lead singer and guitarist in the punk blues band Tweak, which you can find and listen to on Facebook. They're quite good and have some great originals, that you can check out by going to their page or website. Now, regarding other covers on James' Youtube channel, he's got another one that really stood out to me. I covered the song at a gig last week and had so much fun doing it unplugged. Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" bridges the gap between rock and funk and is essential for any guitar lover. Check out James' masterful cover!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztEqR86mj5o

Great stuff. James' style is one that I just love. He combines precise, stunning sounds with a messy overall grungy approach that is just bursting with power. And I mean, how can you hold back when you're playing such a sexy riff as in "Voodoo Child"? That sort of guitar playing influenced so many guitarists to come, including my personal favourites, John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic). Bringing that sort of raw, animalistic Hendrix guitar playing to an acoustic level really gives the song a whole different dimension, which I love.

At this point in the blog, I usually talk about the artist's original. As mentioned before, he's got some originals together with his band, and lucky for us, he's got some incredible covers and originals his Souncloud, which I seriously recommend checking out. An orchestral piece he put together himself entitled "The Secret" is just magical and a must for any John Williams fan. There's definitely a lot of influence in there. Check him out and thanks for supporting Youtube's artists! Check back next Thursday for another fantastic artist!

https://soundcloud.com/jamatopia/the-secret

Alex Hamel