New York-based Cymbals Eat Guitars had a hit on their hands last year with the release of Why There Are Mountains – a nine-track sonic assault that garnered praise far and wide and landed on several critics’ best lists. It was released early in 2009, then re-released late in the year after the band was signed to Sister’s Den Records. The collection is filled with urgent pop swells and dives courtesy of singer/guitarist Joseph D’Agostino. WTDP? was able to track down Joseph and keyboardist Brian Hamilton recently for a little Q&A session. The boys chimed in from Italy, a stop on the current European tour, to talk about their music, their gear and Brian’s pedal company!

Sweden’s The Soundtrack Of Our Lives is over a year removed from the release of its ambitious double-album Communion, but the sextet now is bringing their raucous road show to the US for some select dates during the second half of this month. Communion is a brilliant collection of 24 songs that run the gamut of emotion – from happy to hapless, sorrow to insanity and back again. WTDP? had a chance to catch up with frontman Ebbot Lundberg and guitarists Ian Person and Mattias Bärjed to talk a bit about the album, a new EP, their writing process and, of course, their gear.

Alabama’s Jason Isbell carries a pretty impressive resume around for someone just north of 30 years old. He played with Georgia alt-rock stalwarts Drive-By Truckers for the better part of six years. After leaving the band in 2007, he cranked out his first solo record… then in 2009 released Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – a solid collection packed with sad melodies laced with resilience and hope. The follow up was lauded – see Rolling Stone, Vintage Guitar, etc… – as one of the best albums of the year. High praise for a band named for a mental treatment facility in Florence, Alabama. WTDP? had a chance to catch up with Isbell to talk about the album, his gear and the future.

Boutique pedal guru Brian Wampler had what we’d assume was a pretty good meeting with country artist and pedal hound Brad Paisley last week. We weren’t there, but that fact that Paisley now has three Wampler effects in his rig tells the story. Paisley now has an Underdog Overdrive, AnalogEcho and Ego Compressor to fuel his Dr Z-charged Tele tones. Paisley will be coming through town in March as part of the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo line-up. Brian was nice enough to send us some fresh pics of Brad’s updated rig. Take a look at the shots after the jump!

Chicago instrumental rockers Russian Circles invaded Houston’s Rudyards Pub last weekend with a headlining set jammed with effects-laden loops and dense sonic swirl. The band is touring in support of its just released ‘Geneva’ album, which adds some grander arrangements – including string sections – than on previous records. Led by guitarist Michael Sullivan, Russian Circles ripped though a good mix of old and new tunes in front of a packed house with little vocal interaction with the crowd and no visible set list. As expected, packed pedal boards were on full display. Check out some gear shots from the show after the jump!

WTDP? has a chance to check out Los Angeles-based instrumental rock group Red Sparowes last weekend in Houston. The group had released an EP earlier in the summer, Aphorisms, and is starting work on a full length album with Toshi Kasai. The seven song set at Rudyard’s was highlighted by touches of pedal steel and effects-ladened breakdowns. The triple guitar attack of Bryant Meyer, Andy Arahood and Emma Rundle was a cool thing to behold in the flesh. If you haven’t had the pleasure, and like post-rock instrumental groups in the vein of Isis and Pelican, check them out! And check out pics from the show after the jump!

Guitarist Steve Mazur has been with Canada’s Our Lady Peace since near the completion of 2002’s Gravity album when he was tapped to replace founding member Mike Turner. The band has been a mainstay on popular radio since its 1994 debut Naveed, which spawned the hit single ‘Starseed’. Not long after Mazur joined the band, OLP found itself at odds with its record label, its producer and itself. Their next record – 2006’s Healthy In Paranoid Times – was nearly the band’s undoing. WTDP? had a chance to talk with Mazur recently about the his stint with the group, his favorite gear and the band’s love for their new album Burn Burn.

Jazz, rock, blues, comedy? You get a lot when you attend a concert from Israeli-born, New York-based guitarist Oz Noy. Celebrating the release of his latest album ‘Schizophrenic’, Oz set out on a mini-tour of release party dates, which included a pair of gigs in Austin, Texas last weekend. Oz being an early adopter to WTDP? and us never having seen him live, we packed up the car and headed west two hours to see the man in action. A late start at The Saxon Club was no damper on the hour and a half set that saw Oz, bassist Roscoe Beck and drummer Anton Fig rip through several of his new tunes. Oh yeah… and Eric Johnson showed up. Pics and music after the jump!

Guitarist Marc Copely is no stranger to the road. Out this summer as the complementary axe man on Billy Squier’s All Night Long tour, Copely has shared the stage with the likes of U2 and opened in support of bands like Coldplay and Our Lady Peace among others. This summer, Copely released his second solo album, a rootsy slice of Americana and blues called Harp & Plow. WTDP? had the chance to catch up with Copely – a self-professed pedal hound – before he hit the stage with Billy in Houston last weekend to talk about his gear obsession, the new solo effort and his plans after the road.

Chicago prog-jam sextet Umphrey’s McGee brought the Mantis tour to the House of Blues in Houston last week. The band – known for its extended jams and wicked improvisations – is about half way through the current tour which will carry them until the end of the year. The crowd was treated to a two-set, near three-hour journey that included two songs off the new album – lead track Made To Measure and the sprawling Cemetary Walk. The night also included one cover tune – Pink Floyd’s Young Lust. WTDP? hung out with the band in advance of the show as part of a super secret project that we can’t talk about just yet. Interest piqued? Good! Photos after the jump!

He is surrounded on stage by a trio of hard rocking veterans called Snake, Away and Blacky on a night in/night out basis, blasting vintage metal with a progressive bent. He took up the mantle for a fallen mentor and Canadian guitar god named Piggy. His name… is Dan. With his first ever trip to Europe winding down, Voivod guitarist Dan Mongrain took time out prior to the group’s date in Oslo to talk one-on-one with WTDP? about the band’s current tour, their most recent album Infini, plans for the future and some of his very un-metal guitar heroes.

The guys in Tantric paid a visit to the Houston area last Saturday night and blew the roof off of Clear Lake’s Scout Bar. The Kentucky-based five-piece, touring the country promoting their new album Mind Control, proved once again – like the great show at Scout Bar last year – they can bring it! Mind Control, a 12-track offering produced by former Virgos/Dark New Day frontman Brett Hestla, was released last month on Silent Majority Group. The album is heavier than their last (The End Begins)… and that’s by design. The band calls it ‘angrier’… and the Scout Bar crowd ate it up.

North Carolina’s He Is Legend has a history of alienating its fan base through changes in direction between records, and they’re about to do it again. Next month, the group releases ‘It Hates You’, its first album on their new label, Tragic Hero. The new record is a great rock album, chock full of aggressive guitar riffs and, perhaps more interestingly, melodic, soulful vocals – a welcome change from the army of screamo bands now populating the hard rock scene. WTDP? has a chance to talk with guitarist Adam Tanbouz about the new record, the songwriting process and his ‘lame’ gear.

Calling all band members, road managers, amateur photogs or otherwise camera-wielding concert goers… What’s That Dude Play? wants your fresh concert/gear pics! Sometime over the next few weeks, we will be launching our I-Roadie section of the website specifically designed to house new, user-generated gear and show photos! All submitted photos must be original shots and be accompanied by all of the pertinent information – act, venue, date and the identity of the gear, if possible – before it will be reviewed for posting. You will retain ownership of and get full credit for the photos. E-mail your photos and info to i-roadie@whatsthatdudeplay.com.

From the ashes of Texas power trio Tellus arises Galea – the brainchild of Tellus husband and wife team Chris and Mary Howell. The pair, along with the drumming and production assistance of former Galactic Cowboy Alan Doss, just release their new CD – Theo’s Drive-In – on their own Coffee Monster Music label. The 14-track disc is chalk full of great, straight-ahead rockers fueled by Chris’ howling guitars and Mary’s full, yet haunting vocal delivery. WTDP? had a chance to talk with Chris about making the new record, husband/wife songwriting dynamic and his geekiness over gear.