Lyden Moon

Artist Information

Biography

* Songs Now Added to rukusradio.com*
Lyden Moon decided long ago that the "vocalist" in his band would be his guitar. Possessing killer shred technique and a strong melodic sense, Moon has separated himself from most guitarists anywhere. Steve Vai once hand-picked Lyden Moon to jam with him at Chicago's House of Blues. Lyden Moon and his band have also opened up for a who's-who of big-time rock guitar legends including Gary Hoey, Michael Angelo Batio, Uli Jon Roth, Pat Travers, Marc Bonilla, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Tracii Gunns, Frank Gambale, Dave Uhrich and Joe Stump to name a handful. Batio, who was named the number one guitar shredder of All-Time by Guitar One magazine, had this to say about Lyden Moon: “I have been working with Lyden Moon since recording and mixing his first CD. I have also performed numerous shows with him throughout the years. Lyden is an amazing guitarist, songwriter and arranger. When in the studio recording, he was/is always prepared and professional. Lyden has also built up a great following by constantly performing live and promoting. His CDs have sold well all over the world. Lyden Moon has earned his place as one of the great guitarists of our time.” - Michael Angelo Batio.

Guitar9 (guitar9.com/fireitup) had this to say about Lyden Moon and his band. "Lyden has reached a level of maturity in his songwriting that few instrumentalists reach. Well crafted rhythms are accompanied by soaring melodies. The tone is excellent and his band is playing tighter than ever." That band is Mark Kangas on bass guitars (brand new with Lyden after replacing Joel Thierfelder who was with Lyden for more than 10 years) and Drummer/Percussionist Dan Jung who replaced Fillet Altergott in 2008. The rhythm section is also renowned for their own virtuosity and showmanship at live performances.

Music Reviewer Dan Pavelich of Quick Spins succinctly summed up his review of Lyden Moon's newest CD offering with, "Hopefully, "It's What's Inside That Rocks" will gain Moon, Jung and Thierfelder the national attention they deserve. Very well done."

The band is known for being hard workers playing constantly in the Chicago area and upper Midwest US along with being great citizens helping out a number of Benefit shows most notably Thoughts For Food in Wisconsin nearly 10 times helping raise more than $300,000 and 85,000 pounds of food for local food banks.

Instrumentation

Lyden Moon - Guitar
Dan Jung - Drums
Mark Kangas - Bass Guitar

Discography

*Lyden Moon"
"Supersonic Musical Voyage"
"In The Groove"
"Fire It Up"
"It's What's Inside That Rocks" Now available for $11.75 at guitar9.com. Price includes shipping and handling.

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Speak The Squeak
  Listen   Download
• Meticulous Evil Wasteoid
  Listen   Download
• Boom Ring Boom
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Sorry

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Lyden Moon has the cred and the chops to lift his axe high with the top guys in guitar [+ Show ]
  

  January 2011 When it comes to his new CD, “It's What's Inside That Rocks” guitarist LYDEN MOON, exp...January 2011
  When it comes to his new CD, “It's What's Inside That Rocks” guitarist LYDEN MOON, explains his process when it comes to creating music. “I'm always trying to write a better song," he says. "A lot of instrumental guitar players go strictly for the technical showcase kind of record. And that's not what I want to do.” The Wisconsin-based guitarist is letting me know that he doesn't want to be perceived as what other musicians often unaffectionately call guitar soloists, a “Wanker”. You don't have to use much of an imagination to realize what that term refers to, or to imagine the big-haired guitar slingers with the magic fingers that it describes. I think it's harder to play a slow meaningful passage,” he continues, “to milk a note correctly, as opposed to just tearing it up. Once you develop the speed, you've got it, but in terms of delivering the song, it's a never-ending accomplishment because I always feel that I can play it better and express myself better. And technique is not just speed, it's how to play the note correctly, it's how to attack the note correctly. When I go into the studio I try to play as clean I can and just really make sure that the point is coming across.”
  
  And this dedication to melody is coming from a man who has shred more than Ollie North and Fawn Hall. He's already released four records, jammed onstage with guitar monsters like Steve Vai, Gary Hoey, and Pat Travers. His albums have been produced by none other than guitar badass, Michael Angelo Batio, a dude that's best known for playing a guitar with four necks(!) Lyden Moon has the cred and the chops to lift his axe high with the top guys in guitar, so when he says that he's trying something with “A little more variation” you're wondering exactly what he means. “There's a lot more dynamics to the songs,” Moon says, “There're slow parts, fast parts, more aggressive, and in-the-pocket kind of parts. There's tempo changes throughout most of the songs, because you want to keep the songs interesting for a person who isn't either into instrumental guitar music or it's not really their bag. They can actually enjoy this music because you can actually still follow it. It's not just full-on, which gets kind of boring. If you have three songs of just burning, it gets old.”
  Moon is backed up by new drummer, Dan Jung, and trusty bassist, Joel Thierfelder, and when he writes songs, he writes them in what he calls the long way. “I don't write the melody first,” he says. “A lot of instrumental guys write the melody first, and I don't think of melodies until the rhythms are already done. We jam out to songs and I record that and take it home and then sing to it or hum to myself the melodies I would play over those rhythms. I almost write it as if I would a lyrical song. Certain rhythms are a little more aggressive so I think of aggressive melody lines as opposed to a ballad or an in-the-pocket type of song that would have a flowing melody.”
  
  Moon recommends the tracks, “Speak the Squeak” or “Inquisitive Creatures” for people who want to get a taste of what his music is all about. “It's What's Inside That Rocks” was recorded by metal ace, Chris Djuricic and is available for purchase on Guitar9.com. Moon is proud of the different sound. “These songs just breathe a little better than my previous records,” he says, “Not that I'm not proud of them, but there's a lot of guitar going on in those records. On this one, there's still a lot of guitar but it's not in your face like the previous one.”
  
  LYDEN MOON is opening the show at the Back Bar in Janesville on January 29th. If you're sick of the same old same old," he says, “Well, come out and see me because I'm not the same old same old. Are you tired of seeing a band slaughter fucking Van Halen? Are you tired of seeing a band slaughter The Ramones? Are you tired of seeing a band slaughter every act that you like? Come out and see me. I'm doing my own thing. If you're looking for something different, like, let's say you had hamburger four nights of the week, I'm the one who's going to offer you chicken on Friday night.”

• A true virtuoso is hard to come by, but guitarist and well-respected "shredder" Lyden Moon is truly a master of his instrument. [+ Show ]
  

  A true virtuoso is hard to come by, but guitarist and well-respected "shredder" Lyden Moon is truly ...A true virtuoso is hard to come by, but guitarist and well-respected "shredder" Lyden Moon is truly a master of his instrument.
  Moon's recent release, "It's What's Inside That Rocks!," is a well-crafted album that showcases the nimble playing for which the guitarist is known, in addition to the rock-solid rhythm section required to hold the context together as Moon travels off on complex runs. The instrumental music often soars high on the back of its melodies, and that was the point, says Moon.
  
  "With my new CD, I wanted to make music that I hear in my head. I wanted to make a record that rocks but also has plenty of melodies going on in the music. I play instrumentals, but I wanted the songs to flow as if a singer was singing. Instead of a singer doing the melody, I let the guitar sing the melody.
  "The new CD is not a shred record. I do have parts in songs where I am shredding, but I did not want to make a CD this time that was just me playing as many notes as fast as I can. That gets old to me. The music as a whole was more important to me on the new CD."
  That attitude does show on the new disk, with Moon's ax taking the place of any Axl Rose-esque wailing.
  
  Moon also gives his bass player, Joel Thierfelder, and his drummer, Dan Jung, some room to showcase their respective talents on the track "A-La-Carte."
  "The reason for this kind of a song is simple," says Moon. "I like bass and drums a lot. Plus this song makes the record breathe. Dynamics are very important to me and my band. You need dynamics to make the music more interesting to the listener. Quiet parts, loud parts, soft parts, aggressive parts, etc., all add to the flow and mood of the music the artist is trying to achieve."
  Fans of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen – though Moon is not in as metal a mode as Malmsteen on this particular project – and other guitarists that record sans vocals will probably find "It's What's Inside That Rocks!" to their liking.
  
  Gear is, of course, something of importance to any player and, like most musicians, Moon is eager to talk shop and points out how key for a musician a compatible instrument can be.
  "My favorite brand of electric guitar is Ibanez. The feel of the neck is very comfortable to me. The guitar works well with my Marshall amplifier and cabinet. The tone I get from these three ingredients mixed together is very pleasing to my ear," says Moon.
  "I am not endorsed by Ibanez or Marshall, so when I say I like these brands I am not getting paid to say so."
  
  Next up for Moon and his band is the quid pro quo for any group that has just released new music.
  "Gigging as much as we can, and getting the new CD into as many ears and hands as we can," says Moon. "Shows are where we sell the majority of our CDs. It is very costly to make a record and sales help support the band. All of the money generated goes into the making of the next CD.
  "Plus, the band and I really like to play live. That is the whole reason we do this. What could be better than writing your own music and performing it for people? Even if my band and I did not make CDs we would still be out playing live as much as we can."

• Lyden Moon certainly has the Chops [+ Show ]
  

  It’s What’s Inside That Rocks goes back 20 years to when guitar virtuosos were not only making recor...It’s What’s Inside That Rocks goes back 20 years to when guitar virtuosos were not only making records by the bucketful, but selling them that way. Lyden Moon certainly has the chops to run with those old horses, never sitting too long on an idea before whipping out a new trick

• Hopefully "It's What's Inside That Rocks" will gain Moon, Jung and Thierfelder the national attention they deserve. [+ Show ]
  

  Before I even get to reviewing Lyden Moon's music, I've got to give it up to artist Laura Thierfe... Before I even get to reviewing Lyden Moon's music, I've got to give it up to artist Laura Thierfelder, who created the amazing artwork for this disc. Her drawings of the band instantly reminded me of A-Ha's classic "Take On Me" video. They're so lifelike, you almost expect them to come to life and jump off the page.
  As I listened to the tunes, I thought I'd hear more touches of Satriani and Vai. It's very clear however that Moon has his own vision and influences. "Speak The Squeak" launches the album with a Dick Dale-inspired flourish and features a nifty half-time middle section. My favorite track, "A-La Carte," treads vintage Living Color territory, with a nasty groove courtesy of drummer Dan Jung and bassist Joel Thierfelder, husband of the artist previously mentioned.
  Moon's biggest asset as a soloist is his ability to melodically wind up going to places that wouldn't be obvious to most players. There are also tons of mood and tempo changes in these tunes to keep them interesting, which is too often a hurdle that many instrumental guitarists can't seem to get over. Hopefully, "It's What's Inside That Rocks" will gain Moon, Jung and Thierfelder the national attention they deserve. Very well done. (review by Dan Pavelich of Quick Spins and the band the Bradburys)

• One of the Greatest [+ Show ]
  

  (from Michael Angelo Batio (Jan '09) - rated the World's Number 1 Guitar Shredder by Guitar One Maga...(from Michael Angelo Batio (Jan '09) - rated the World's Number 1 Guitar Shredder by Guitar One Magazine - Thank you Michael!!)
  
  “I have been working with Lyden Moon since recording and mixing his first CD. I have also performed numerous shows with him throughout the years. Lyden is an amazing guitarist, songwriter and arranger. When in the studio recording, he was/is always prepared and professional. Lyden has also built up a great following by constantly performing live and promoting. His CDs have sold well all over the world. Lyden Moon has earned his place as one of the great guitarists of our time.” - Michael Angelo Batio
  
  

• Someone to see if you are a guitar freak. [+ Show ]
  

  from club.kingsnake.com (May 13, '06) Lyden Moon - Lyden Moon is a phenomenal guitarist. Plain and...from club.kingsnake.com (May 13, '06)
  Lyden Moon - Lyden Moon is a phenomenal guitarist. Plain and simple. ... Transitioning between songs with bluesy, jazzy, classical and rock feels, he has always put on one helluva show. Moon makes it all seem effortless. ... really should be bigger than he is This is someone to see if you are a guitar freak

Setlist

Great shorter set from 20-45 minutes as opener for national headliner or a couple of 45 minute sets if Lyden Moon is headliner.

Basic Requirements

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