MUSIC MECCA Interview (NASHVILLE Blog)
Jan 29, 2021
By Zac Blackwell
Combining tastes of the past and present, Taylor Ackerman’s Global Acid Reset (TAGAR) brings blues rock into a new dimension, free of rules or barriers. Led heavily by electric guitar and Ackerman himself, the band hails from Lethbridge and has made their name touring Canada since 2017. Their 2018 EP, Ruin Lust, followed by their 2020 debut album, Perfect Visions, rightfully earned them a fanbase spanning thirteen countries and delivers universal commentaries on what it means to be human.
“Stand Tall” is the newest single from TAGAR that preaches the power of intuition set against a high energy yet nostalgic composition. Lyrical rock songs can sometimes be lost underneath the heaviness of the accompaniment, but this single exemplifies Ackerman innate awareness of balance. The harmonica brings the song warmth, while the electric guitar prevents the arrangement from becoming too sentimental.
Ackerman testifies through songs that convey a certain relatability warranting reflection, but possesses a liveliness that refuses the listener time to wallow. Music lovers can credit Taylor Ackerman’s Global Acid Band for breathing new life into an often dismissed genre that deserves its due.
To learn more about his outlook on songwriting, his well of inspiration, and how his band is carrying the torch for blues rock, we caught up with Ackerman for an enlightening conversation. (Click here for full article)
Beatroute Album Review
Taylor Ackerman’s Global Acid Reset – Ruin Lust
Thursday 19th, April 2018
By Mike Dunn
Having relocated to Halifax a few years ago, former Lethbridge guitar player Taylor Ackerman (Treeline, Shaela Miller) has kept himself busy working up a set of energetic tunes. The resulting EP, Ruin Lust, has a bit of a late ‘60s, early ‘70s sound, with boogie rock elements coming up head-to-head with Detroit fuzz.
The opener, “Sideman,” kicks off a bit like a Creedence tape, before Ackerman starts laying down the boogie, at which point his tone and feel get a little closer to Winnipeg’s The Perpetrators – in essence it’s like a stream of consciousness J.J. Cale groove with muscular guitars. There’s an outdoor vibe up next on “Bangladeshi T-Shirt,” the kind of dust kicker that’s dialed to the shiny, happy vibe of the summer fests. It features Ackerman laying some greasy Billy F. Gibbons electric bottleneck riffs over the acoustic jam. “Half A Man” is a standout, a Motor City monster with a hypnotic pogoing riff and a massive wall of fuzz guitar feeding back and forth. Ackerman’s voice on “Half A Man” cuts through a little more; he shows off a bit of a baritone similar to Jim Morrison, or “Lust For Life”-era Iggy Pop.
MUSIC VIDEO: TAYLOR ACKERMAN INTRODUCES UPCOMING EP WITH ‘NEVER EVER’
FEBRUARY 16, 2018 ALEX COOK (The East)
Recent Alberta import and Halifax musician, Taylor Ackerman is about to release his debut EP Taylor Ackerman’s Global Acid Reset. If ‘Never Ever‘, the first video for the release, is anything to go by we’re going to get an earful of something rich and heavy... (Click here for full article)
““It is always great to see Taylor Ackerman’(s), blues tinged rock and roll, with tasteful leads and dirty rock and roll guitar playing which sound like a more laidback Neil Young and Crazy Horse””