Music Menu (3/13/09)

Marnie Stern Two things tend to hold true with the dreaded “shredder” tag: First, you’re probably male, and second, you probably noodle too much. Marnie Stern puts the lie to both stereotypes, explaining to Guitar Player magazine that “I’ve never done a solo in my life. Everything I do is fully composed and layered to go with the song.” And while her finger-tapped, mile-a-minute riffs look like shredding, Stern’s two full-length records show a wide – and welcome – chasm between her spiky pop-colored rock (think an early Modest Mouse and Hella mix) and the average Phygian Dominant wank-off. With Des Ark and The Flying Eyes. Snug Harbor

This article appears in Mar 10-17, 2009.