Every songwriter should be entitled to at least one tell-off song. "I Hit the Brakes (She Hit the Beer)" is mine--a fanciful piece of comeuppance set to a rowdy, roadhouse shuffle. Stylistically, it's a blend of Texas blues and honky-tonk country that resides somewhere on the metaphorical, musical highway between Lightnin' Hopkins and Lefty Frizzell. (With apologies to both, of course!). Listen to the song here, and read about the equipment used in creating it!
Since the beginning of time, humans have grappled with three existential questions: (1) what is the meaning of life; (2) what happens after death; and (3) what was the first rock and roll song. In this post, DIYRockAndRoll.com will answer definitively all three questions. Just kidding. We're not going to answer any of them, but we will shed some light on the third.
Well, here goes nothing! I have entered a live version of The Night Wrecker into the 2026 NPR Tiny Desk Contest. Here's hoping the folks at National Public Radio are really jazzed up about a tow-truck themed rockabilly song.
Buckle up do-it-yourself rockers, because it's rockabilly tow truck time! Yes, that's right! DIYRockandRoll.com is proud to release its most requested project to date: an article on how to make an original rockabilly rave-up about a tow truck driver in Vermont. If you're one of the legions of readers who requested that, read on, because the time has come!
Why release a holiday song over the winter when you can drop a macabre rockabilly tune about a tow truck driver in Vermont? What better way to observe the longest nights of the year than with a peppy, minor tune about driving through the eerie darkness? Are there better ways? Almost certainly. But the Motor … Continue reading The Night Wrecker
Why review a current production guitar when you can give the people what they really want? That is, a review of a relatively-obscure electric guitar that has been largely out-of-production for over a half-century. Here DIYRockAndRoll.com fulfills that important duty with a historical profile and review of the infamous Fender Coronado.
Happy Halloween, everybody! In the spirit of the holiday, here's a bonus track to listen to while you're carving Jack-o'-Lanterns. It's a little ghost story about someone who ignores the old maxim that you can't go home again. He decides that he can . . . from the grave . . . and scares the … Continue reading Zombie Blues
DIYRockAndRoll.com is excited to announce the release of "Lonesome Valentine." This is our third DIY experiment, and the hardest rocking to date. Read on for a brief history of blues rock and the creative process of converting an acoustic blues song into a raucous electric guitar workout.
A DIY blues rock project by Pete Berris & the Motor Inns.
In this do it yourself rock experiment, DIYRockAndRoll.Com explores 1940s R&B. It discusses the history of the music and its influence on rock and roll. The post also describes the creative process of making 1940s-style R&B. It includes audio of the resulting project, and a run-down of the gear and techniques used.
DIY Rock and Roll 