Drummer Art by Mindy Abovitz

Art Mindy Abovitz

Submit your drummer artwork to: info@tomtommag.com

Nabedi Osorio Exclusive Tom Tom Video Interview!!

The State Of

The State Of live in Miami, Fl and have a new album coming out September 19 called Day of Abandon. This interview was done on location in Miami by Tom Tom Magazine’s Alex Carulo.

DC’s Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project

My good friend and Founder/Executive Director of the Vibe Theatre Experience, Dana Edell, recently drew my attention to this powerful drumming group stationed in DC. Run by executive director Kristen Arant, the Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project, “strives to create a safe space for young women to build community, and to fearlessly express their authentic selves through drumming, spoken word poetry, song, movement and performance.”

Arant is a drummer herself and a performing artist living in Washington, DC and specializes in the West African Mandingue drumming tradition. She is the Founding Director of the Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project – a drumming, poetry and performance art empowerment group designed to build the confidence and self esteem of teen-aged girls living in the DC area.

For more on this incredible group go here: YWDEP

Drummer of the Week: Nabedi Osorio

There is a two member band from Miami called The State Of that I had the pleasure of seeing this past weekend at a small intimate venue at Moonchine Asian Bistro in Miami. Meeting vocalist/pianist/guitarist Steph Taylor and vocalist/percussionist Nabedi Osorio was a delight and I’m happy to say that soon we will be posting an exclusive Tom Tom Magazine interview.

Steph’s voice is melodic and there is passion in her delivery. Her keyboard style is smooth, but can also get quite percussive giving it an edgy sound. Additionally, there is nothing kitsch or Poppy about her lyrics, they are, in fact, smart and it was a treat to listen in. On stage they have a great camaraderie and it is evident they are comfortable with each other’s style and hence, complement each other.

They played for about an hour, and in that time, offered a nice variety of their original songs including their own special twist on Happy Birthday Miami style. This was very well received as at least five people from the small and loyal crowd were celebrating that evening. Peppered within their set where some fun covers, including The Eurythmics, The Bangles, Madonna, and one especially close to my heart, The Postal Service’s Such Great Heights.

Nabedi, born and raised in Miami, has been drumming since her early teens and her techniques are vast and quite polished. Her musical skills are eclectic including the melodica, triangle, tambourine, banging with a maraca, as well as vocalizing. Don’t let the fact that this is a two member band fool you. There is big sound coming from them, and it’s all live, nothing looped or sampled.

Be sure to check out their new CD Day of Abandon there is information on their website on how to purchase, and their will also be a CD release party at the Awarehouse in Miami Saturday September 19th, 2009.

I will focus more on Nabedi’s style in the upcoming exclusive interview. For now I leave you with one of my favorite pieces from The State Of, Anything for you. Enjoy.

Alex Carulo

Technique Tuesday: DCI Intro

This is my intro, of sorts, to DCI (Drum Corps International) and the marching technique.

The drums you see here are basses farthest left, then snares, and tenors closest to the camera. I’m going to break down playing technique for each of these instruments ASAP. You can see that the playing technique varies greatly from drum set playing.

Drum corps is very male-dominated, as you’ll notice. Every once in awhile you’ll see a few chicks on a line, though. That always makes me happy.

If you want to watch more DCI bands, I suggest more Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Devils, the Cavaliers (all-male), or Bluecoats. It helps to search “{coreline name} in lot” if you specifically want to see drums.

Interview with Dubai Drums Julie-ann Odell coming SOON!

Julie-ann Odell has lived in the Middle East for 32 years. She is an experienced drum circle facilitator who has used rhythm work and group drumming extensively as a tool for team building in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Region. She is an experienced executive coach, co-active life coach and organization relationship systems coach (a cutting edge training that develops the entire team using a revolutionary systems-based approach drawn from the best of coaching, psychology, organizational development, mediation, quantum physics, process work and general systems theory). Since starting Dubai Drums eight years ago, Julie-ann and her team have drummed with thousands of people and children at corporates, schools, universities and community events. They drum in all parts of the Middle East and have now opened Cairo Drums in Egypt.

Dubai Drums Website

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine with Julie-ann COMING SOON!

Andrya Ambro Wants You to Talk Normal

Andrya Ambro zipped up her gray flight suit right before she sat down at her kit at Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY. Then she proceeded to hypnotize me and everyone else in the room. She drums hard, fast, and with technical ease. Her band mate, Sarah Register watches her drummer for subtle cues and the energy between them could be cut with a knife. Occasionally Andrya pulls us out of the trance with vocal hooks that are equally engaging. In summary, she is a total bad ass at the kit. She prefers her drums tuned “warm and dead.” Talk Normal just finished recording their debut full length at Rare Book Room with Nicolas Vernhes who will be putting out their album in October on Rare Book Room Records. Talk Normal heads out on a tour of the west coast around that time as well. i secret cog Ep was released digitally on Menlo Park Records this June. Pitchfork just reviewed a song of theirs. I caught up with Andrya at her home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right before she left for a short tour with her band Talk Normal and US Girls that ended at SXSW in Austin, TX.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Jee Young Sim

Full name: Andrya Elena Ambro
Nickname/pseudonym: Andy, Lenny, Rad Ambro, Double aa
Age: 29
Hometown: Wilmington, DE
Where you live now: Brooklyn, NY
Bands you are drumming in currently: TALK NORMAL
Bands you were drumming for in the past: death.pool, Glen Olden, Antonius Block
What you do for a living: musician/sound engineer

“I like them warm and dead. Like cardboard boxes with lovely tone a la reggae drum sounds.” – Andrya Ambro

Tom Tom Magazine: When did you start playing the drums?

Andrya Ambro: I was 13 when I (with the help of my brother Bryan) convinced my mother to get me a drum kit and let me quit piano lessons.

Tom Tom Magazine: I noticed that you play without cymbals and your kit sounds really flat and low.  Why did you decide to play your kit in that way?

Andrya Ambro: To be honest, I never understood how people played with drums up to their ears.  It seems like such a disadvantage. Also as a woman (who barely stretches to 5’5”), we are generally smaller creatures than our male counterparts. Men can play bigger drum sets and still get on top of their instrument. It takes a smaller drum-set for a woman to get on top (please excuse all the sexual innuendo ).

Tom Tom Magazine: How do you tune your drums?

Andrya Ambro: I like them warm and dead. Like cardboard boxes with lovely tone a la reggae drum sounds. I use my ears.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Jee Young Sim

TTM: When did you and Sarah (Register) meet and how did you form Talk Normal?

AA: I met Sarah in 1999 at NYU. She was in the Music Technology Department and I worked there. We were fast friends. It was not until 2006 that we actually played together in the minimal and discordant band Antonius Block (she on bass/guitar and myself on drums).  That band went on hiatus in late ’06. On the tails of AB, we both were driven to create a more raw music, stripped down, and basic.  Our first show as Talk Normal was September ’07.

TTM: What was the idea behind your tribal drumming and chanting?

AA: I am conflicted over the word tribal. If tribal means direct – I accept this. If tribal means danceable – I accept this, I want to make the people dance. If tribal means incapable of syncopation – I reject this. I ask you this – why is it most woman get the uncanny rap of being labeled “tribal” drummers?  i.e. Moe Tucker, Ikue Mori, Lori Barbero etc. Do stereotypes exist for a reason? I constantly ask myself – why does this bother me so very much? Perhaps woman are just more “of the earth.”
As for the chanting, can’t say any of it was a premeditated idea. If I were to rationalize TN’s collective unconscious, I suppose some might consider our music dark and intense. Something’s gotta bring you up and over.
Short answer:  Some might attribute both the tribal drum and chant style to my pursuit of African music (beats, song, and dance) in my formative years. Also, in my teens, I very much took to Mahalia Jackson and the black tradition of the rejoiceful shout.

“If tribal means danceable – I accept this, I want to make the people dance.” – Andrya Ambro

TTM: What region of the world influences your drumming style the most?

AA: Black music is a consummate source. Or rather music of what some might call the Black Atlantic is very powerful to me.  To fine tune my coordinates – Ghana and Jamaica.

TTM: What do you think the role of the drummer is (in a band)?

AA: I suppose it is the nature of the drums to be the heartbeat and drive underneath the band, usually perceived as non-melodic, and in the back. Personally I think drums can be so much more.  Don’t get me wrong, I want to be the heartbeat and the drive.  But why must this be the drummer’s only role? Why can’t others take this role? Why can’t I share the front? I want to sing. Yes, this has happened many times before i.e. Phil Collins, Karen Carpentar, Don Henley, Levon Helm etc. Yet somehow, it always looks, sometimes feels, awkward. It is my own personal assumption that these people were ‘fronting the band’ (another idea that perplexes me) and playing the drums as a secondary/subsidiary instrument, not as an accompanying/complementary instrument. With respect to all of the above mentioned and so many more, I say, I want to break this mold, for myself.  I want out of that box – audibly and visually.  I want to play the drums as an orchestration within an arrangement of sounds. I want extreme dynamics.  Texture. I love structure. I want to use drums (just like my voice!) to tell a story. Perhaps this why I don’t see myself as a ‘drummer.’  I just want to write songs and I happen to play the drums.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Jee Young Sim

“As I grow, I realize these “setbacks” are more like a jewel of bondage – giving me the fire to make something new, to fight to make something my own.” – Andrya Ambro

TTM: Have you experienced any setbacks as a female drummer?

AA: Yes. I don’t want to be seen as a dancing dog; in that you’re surprised it’s even done at all. However, these setbacks seem more in my head than reality. As I grow, I realize these “setbacks” are more like a jewel of bondage – giving me the fire to make something new, to fight to make something my own. I just want to be free.

TTM: Who are your favorite drummers?

AA: Influential: Pat Samson, Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, Brendan Canty, Max Roach, Moondog, Bob Bert, Mac McNeilly, Jaki Liebezeit, Art Blakey, Budgie. Contemporaries I love: Kid Millions, Matt Marlin, Ryan Sawyer, Tim Dewitt, Deantoni Parks. Aside: I love drummers. I love to watch each as an individual and how they approach their instrument. However, in my pursuit of music with rhythm at its helm, it was not solely the drummers that I studied.  I love the rhythms and phrasing of Thelonius Monk, Ahmad Jamal, Alice Coltrane, Henry Cowell, Terry Riley, Al Johnson, Roberta Flack, Mavis Staple and the list goes on. In fact I would often try to imitate (on the drums) how these folks would sing or play their particular instrument, more than I would imitate drummers.

“Guess I just want to make stuff – be it visual, audible, or dinner.” – Andrya Ambro

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Jee Young Sim

TTM: What are some of your other hobbies/interests?

AA: For gainful employment, I am a sound engineer – primarily live, some recording/mixing at home. I consider this a hobby from which I conveniently make money. If I had more time to encourage hobbies, I would definitely practice my clarinet more, take hair braiding classes, teach high school history, fix my sewing machine to make my own clothes and so much more. Guess I just want to make stuff – be it visual, audible, or dinner.

TTM: Who are some of your favorite lady drummers right now?

AA: Ikue Mori (don’t think she does too much drumming these days), Susie Ibarra, Allison Busch

“I want to use drums (just like my voice!) to tell a story.” – Andrya Ambro

TTM: Who are some of your favorite bands right now?

AA: Naked on the Vague, Magik Markers, Sightings, Fabulous Diamonds, Antimagic, Kanye West, Little Claw, Pterodactyl, These Are Powers

Interview by Tom Tom Magazine Creator: Mindy Abovitz

Tom Tom Magazine Photography by: Jee Young Sim

Drummer of the Week: Madelin Espinosa

This week I would like to feature another conguera percussionist. Her name is Madelin Espinosa and she has rhythm and style to spare. Check out the video below where she does a solo with a 4 piece set-up.

Born in Havana, Cuba she was formaly trained in the Felix Varela School of Music. Afterwards, Madelin played in various all girl percussion groups and colaborted with other groups and recordings including Raul Torres’ Fenix de Crystal. She is curently living in Madrid, Spain and has toured Finland and Sweden with singer Jari Sillanpaa and band director Carlos del Puerto.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be chatting with Madelin via email and I’m happy to announce that we will post an interview soon. For now I can tell you that she has been a pleasure to speak with and has been very generous and accommodating. She has a true, admirable passion for music and it is apparent in her performances. You will rarely see a video performance of her where she is not smiling.

More recently she is collaborating in a group called Timbako directed by her talented brother Pepe Espinosa.

Talent, style, and class, this sums her up. Check out her myspace page for more info on Madelin.

Alex Carulo

Technique Tuesday: Stage Presence (Hannah Blilie)

Hannah Blilie plays for three-piece band Gossip. I think she’s awesome, and I like her style.

I love how she’s already groovin’ in the back as soon as the song starts. While she plays the main beat, she doesn’t play on counts 1 or 3 so she has time to throw her left hand up. Which looks really cool, let’s be honest. Another thing I like is during the breakdown around 2:30. The tom hits, then a turn off to the side.

Little things really make a difference in your performance. You may think no one notices these things, but people definitely notice. So don’t be afraid to throw them into your set.

Exclusive Interview with Drummer / Jewelry Designer Pamela Love!

When Pamela Love isn’t gracing the pages of Vogue with her jewelry line, she is rocking out in her basement in Greenpoint with her three piece all girl band Scorpio Rising.  The jewelry designer and fashion icon brings the same intensity and unique aesthetic to the kit. At out last benefit show, we had the pleasure of interviewing Pamela from everything about what inspires her drumming to her favorite kind of soup. Check out the video below after you read our exclusive interview!

Pamela Love

Full name: Pamela Love
Nickname / pseudonym: Panina Sverdlovetzky
Age: 27
Where were you born: New York
Where do you live now: New York
Bands you are drumming in currently: Scorpio Rising
What you do for a living: jewelry designer
Something outstanding about you: I’m an outstanding multi-tasker

“I’m really inspired by Afro-cuban polyrhythms… I am still limited. And I think my limitations inspire my style.” -Pamela Love

Tom Tom Magazine: When did you start playing the drums?

Pamela Love: In high school but I stopped for a very long time. And every day I am still learning.

Tom Tom Magazine: What influenced your decision to become a drummer?

Pamela Love: I had damaged my vocal cords and could no longer sing. But I still had all this musical energy I needed to get out.

Pamela at the kit

Tom Tom Magazine: Has any drummer influenced you? Who has influenced you the most?

Pamela Love: When I was a kid I was obsessed with Keith Moon.

“I am always listening for the drums even when I am not trying to.” – Pamela Love

Tom Tom Magazine: What inspires your drumming style?

Pamela Love: I’m really inspired by Afro-cuban polyrhythms… I am still limited. And I think my limitations inspire my style.

TTM: How did you form your band?

PL: My close friend Stephanie and I just started jamming together and we have gone through a lot of lineup changes until now. Currently our good friends Elizabeth and Jane are on guitar and vocals.

We Love Pamela Love

TTM: What band has influenced your band the most?

PL: Personally, Neil Young, The Band, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon, Bruce Sprinsteen have been major influences on me. All of us are influenced by totally different kinds of music. It’s hard to say who has influenced us the most.

TTM: How would you describe your band?

PL: Sort of psychedelic, garage, with an element of early 90′s grunge.

TTM: What’s the hardest part about playing drums?

PL: Singing and drumming is so challenging. Also (and I’m not kidding) I really have such a hard time getting my hi-hat clutch tight enough.

TTM: How would you describe your ideal drum set?

PL: One the puts itself together and takes itself apart.

TTM: You’re involved in a lot of different projects: jewelry design, film, painting etc…do any of them influence your drumming? Does your drumming influence your other creative endeavors?

PL: I think everything influences each-other. Last season my jewelry was heavily influenced by African, Mexican and Native American jewelry. I was also extremely interested in drumming styles and music from those cultures as well. Especially the music of Ali Farka Toure. Its interesting how a fascination with a particular culture can affect many different creative aspects of your life at the same time. I also think another common thread is that I am always doing something with my hands.

Pamela at Tom Tom Magazine / Make Music NY Show

TTM: Who are your favorite drummers right now?

PL: Keith Moon, Steve Gadd.

TTM: What are you listening to currently?

PL: Grizzly Bear, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Devendra Banhart, Leonard Cohen, Tk Webb and the Visions, TV on the Radio, Moon and Moon, Bat for Lashes, T.I.

TTM: Has drumming had any impact on the way you listen to music?

PL: Yes. I am always listening for the drums even when I am not trying to.

Pamela working on her line

TTM: What is your favorite set-up for your kit? Why?

PL: The simpler the better. As long as I have a bass, and a snare and a high hat I’m happy.

TTM: How often do you practice?

PL: 3 days a week.

TTM: How do you warm up?

PL: Coffee, tea, cigarettes.

TTM: If you could change one thing about the drums what would it be?

PL: Nothing. They are perfect. Well actually sometimes I wish I could play standing up so I could dance. I’m thinking I might need some congas.

Pamela at Coco 66 in Brooklyn

TTM: Do you do anything else drum related besides playing in a band? (i.e. teach drums one on one, rock camp, drum circles, etc …)

PL: I really like playing djembe.

“Listen to as much music as possible.” – Pamela Love

TTM: Where do you shop for your drum gear?

PL: Guitar Center usually. Or Main Drag Music in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

TTM: What’s the best piece of advice you have as a drummer?

PL: Keep it simple.

Pamela

TTM: What would you recommend to a new drummer starting off / advice for new drummers?

PL: Practice all the time. Get “the new breed” and learn everything in it. Listen to as much music as possible.

TTM: What are some of your other hobbies / interests?

PL: I like to paint, sculpt, draw and make jewelry. I also love riding my bike.

xo,

Vicki Simon, Senior Editor

Drummer of the Week: Marilyn Mazur plays with Miles Davis

If you ever get writers block, try putting on some Miles Davis. Seriously. My cousin Frank lent me the Miles Davis live in Munich 1988 DVD and almost immediately, the aura and greatness of this musical giant channels through your soul and begins to wash away any strife, stress, or tension. Conveniently, Miles toured with well renowned drummer, percussionist, bandleader and composer Marilyn Mazur.

Marilyn is originally from New York but was raised in Denmark. She has formal training from the Royal Danish Academy of Music but her work on her instruments is mostly self taught, a very impressive feat.

The video below is a piece called Tutu from the Munich concert. Miles is a true master at his craft and has total command on stage. Yet he has an intimate connection with his band mates, standing close to them or placing a hand on their soldier, communicating with them casually and calmly. It allows his musicians to work their craft without any intimidation upon them, allowing a truly great collaboration to punch through. Marilyn has an impressive solo part at about 6 minutes and 50 seconds in.

Read more about Marilyn at her website or if your fluent in Danish there is a documentary movie done about Marilyn by Danish film director Christian Braad Thomsen.

Alex Carulo

Technique Tuesday: Stage Presence (Meg White)

Stage presence can make or break you. You can be playing the most amazing fills or grooves, but if you have a deer-in-the-headlights look the effect gets a bit lost. If you’re going to tear it up, really tear it up! Get into it! There’s nothing more fun than watching a drummer that really grooves when they groove.

First, I’d like to examine Meg White’s presence.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li3Sqqf3Ki0)

She doesn’t just hit the drums, she’s beating them. Notice that she doesn’t just use wrist-strokes here…No, she’s using arm for those strokes. Sometimes above her head.

Her playing isn’t too complicated, but she’s filling the stage with sound. This is an especially important role, as there are only two people in the White Stripes. The notes she plays on the floor tom & bass drive the verses, and when she brings the crash cymbals in, you can feel it. It all comes together.

Awesome Allison: An Exclusive Interview with Allison Busch of Awesome Color & Red Dawn II

Awesome Allison kills it on the kit. I have the privilege of living in Brooklyn and seeing her play whenever I want. She is a hard-hitter and a spaz. Her beats are innovative and solid. She and everyone else gets sweaty and has a great time when she sits down at the kit. Awesome Color, one of Allison’s bands, got together in Michigan where she is from. In 2008 her band toured with Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. She is a bad ass and it is not that difficult to see why. Awesome Color has 2 albums out that I know of and they are getting ready to put another one out in 2010 on Ecstatic Peace (Thurston Moore’s Label). Allison’s other band, Red Dawn II, has an album in the works as well which will also be coming out on Ecstatic Peace. Get these albums and play them on repeat. You will not be sorry.

Exclusive Tom Tom Photo by Erin Nicole Brown

Full name: Allison Busch
Nickname / pseudonym: Awesome Allison, Sharon Gear
Age: 28
Where were you born: Flint, Michigan
Where do you live now: Brooklyn, NY & Detroit, Michigan
Bands you are drumming in currently: Awesome Color & Red Dawn II
Bands you were drumming for in the past: same as above

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Rebecca Smeyne

“Keep the beat & keep the band smiling.” – Allison Busch

Tom Tom Magazine: When did you start playing the drums?

Allison Busch: at 16 years old

Tom Tom Magazine: Reason that you started playing the drums?

Allison Busch: Hyperactivity & incessant tapping on things

Tom Tom Magazine: How long did it take til you felt like a “real” and legit drummer?

Allison Busch: When I joined a band and we played a show

Awesome Color

Tom Tom Magazine: What is your favorite set-up for your kit? Why?

Allison Busch: Low and spread out so you can hit hard & sloppy without splitting your knuckles or breaking sticks

TTM: What would your dream kit consist of?

AB: Giant crash cymbals, absolutely enormous

TTM: What do you do to get better at the drums / Best way to get chops?

AB: Play every day

TTM: What is your favorite drum warm up / what do you do to warm up before playing?

AB: Drink coffee and listen to some killer music to get your blood going

TTM: What do you think the role of the drummer is? (In a band)

AB: Keep the beat & keep the band smiling

TTM: Do you play any other instruments? If so … how does that effect your drumming?

AB: No, but any time I try another instrument, I play it real percussively.  I’ll just hit the strings on the guitar, not really strum or anything

TTM: What do you consider to be the most challenging thing about the drums?

AB: Not messing up the beat

Awesome Allison

TTM: What’s your favorite part about playing drums?

AB: Hitting both crash cymbals at the same time & playing fast rolls around the kit

TTM: Most notable show you ever played?

AB: At ATP a couple of years ago, Awesome Color got to open up for my favorite bands….Wolf Eyes, Negative Approach, and The Stooges

TTM: Have you experienced any setbacks as a female drummer?

AB: Hell no

TTM: Who are your favorite drummers?  

AB: Kid Millions, Animal

TTM: If you could change one thing about the drums what would it be?  

AB: Front of the stage (just kidding). Unbreakable cymbals

Allison

TTM: Do you do anything else drum related besides playing in a band? (i.e. teach drums one on one, rock camp, drum circles, etc …)  

AB: I used to help teach drums at the Glasslands after school program

TTM: Where do you shop for your drum gear?

AB: Anywhere with used cymbals, Main Drag in Brooklyn

TTM: Best piece of advice you got as a drummer?  

AB: “You must play the drum hard and blow the big man’s mind.” —Big Youth in “Rockers”

TTM: What would you recommend to a new drummer starting off / advice for new drummers?

AB: Think about hitting the bass drum, that’s where the beat really takes off

TTM: What are some of your other hobbies / interests?

AB: Skateboarding, pinball, ice hockey, horror movies

TTM: Who are some of your favorite lady drummers right now?

AB: Andrya Ambro from Talk Normal rips

TTM: Who are some of your favorite bands right now?

AB: Knyfe Hyts!  There are some killer bands in Detroit right now… Tyvek, Bad Party, Infinity People, Gardens, & Druid Perfume…that I’ll go see live, but if I put on a record it’s usually an old Radio Birdman or Motorhead jam or some Scandinavian crusty punk.

TTM: When did you start skateboarding?

AB: When I was 14

At the kit

TTM: What is your favorite movie?

AB:Texas Chainsaw Massacre

TTM: What kind of taco is your favorite taco?

AB: Fish tacos in California and nopalitos in the Southwest

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Erin Nicole Brown

Interview By Tom Tom Magazine Creator: Mindy Abovitz (a total awesome allison fan)

Drummer of the Week: Paula Spiro

To be really good at something you need to practice, A LOT. To become a master, you eventually need to teach. Unfortunately, there has always been a shortage of resources directed for female drummers to get formal training in their craft. Paula Spiro recognized this, and started the Female Drummer Workshop in 1983. Since then, there have been dozens of students who have learned and mastered their skills under Paula’s expert tutelage.

A Native New Yorker, Paula gained her drumming chops at the tail end of the 1960′s at a percussion shop which served some of the greatest drummers and Jazz greats of the day. Getting advice from all different genres of music, she honed her skills and played in several bands. By the early 80′s she had quite a following and started the workshop at the urge of some fans.

My vision for the workshop is to provide quality instruction and support to those beginners who may not have played drums before and to the women and girls who are already drumming to propel their skills and mentor those students who express a desire to go on to a professional career in drums. This is my legacy and my life’s work.”

-Paula Spiro

If you are a beginner or an active drummer looking to kick your skills up to the next level, look up The Female Drummers Workshop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Get the formalized training that will kick your skills in the pants, and inject the credibility of 40 years of wisdom of great musicians pipped through the master advice of Paula Spiro.

Alex Carulo

READ OUR FULL INTEVIEW WITH PAULA SPIRO BY DRUMMER HEATHER WAGNER COMING TO TOM TOM MAGAZINE SOON!!!

Technique Tuesday: Subtle Stretches

If you’re short on time and need a quick stretch before you perform, here are some simple things you can do pretty subtly behind your set.

Hold your arm out, with your palm facing away from you. Hold your fingers with your other hand and gently pull your hand backwards. Know your limits, don’t overdo it.

You can also do this stretch with your hand pointed downwards, palm facing you.

If you can stretch nothing else, stretch your wrists and calves. You can easily stretch your calves by standing with your foot at an angle on a stand or nearby wall. Apply pressure, but again, know your physical limits. The last thing you want is an injury right before a show.

There are tons of stretches you can do if you have more time pre-show, but I’ll get to those later.

If you have anything you want me to cover in Technique Tuesday, tweet your ideas to us at @tomtommag!

Exclusive Interview with Nicole Turley of Swahili Blonde

Nicole Turley aka Coolio plays every instrument for her DIY music project Swahili Blonde.
In Sawhili Blonde she uses both a drum machine and a standard drum kit to create her unique sound.  We anxiously await her EP which is to be released by Manimal Vinyl Records sometime in 2010.  Read her exclusive interview below to find out more about where this dynamic drummer has been and where she is headed …

Full name: Nicole Turley

Nickname/pseudonym: Coolio or Turlz

Age: 28

Hometown: Garden Grove, CA

Where do you live now: Los Angeles, CA

Bands you are drumming in currently: Swahili Blonde

Bands you were drumming for in the past: Seventh Sea, Blood Everywhere, Licorice Piglet, Black Umbrella, WEAVE!

What you do for a living: I worked in photography for a long time. Now I play, record, and mix music.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Piper Ferguson

Tom Tom Magazine: When did you start playing the drums?

Nicole Turley: I started playing drums when I was around 22. Ivory (old friend and bandmate in Seventh Sea, Blood Everywhere, and WEAVE!) came over to a party at my house one night. She was starting a new band and asked if I would play drums. I told her it sounded like fun, so yes, but I had never played drums before and wouldn’t that be a problem? She said it didn’t matter because I had a strong dance background- so I should already have a good feeling for rhythm, patterns, and beats. We got together the next day – and Seventh Sea began.

Tom Tom Magazine: Reason that you started playing the drums?

Nicole Turley: Well… I’ve always loved music. I was a classically trained dancer for about 18 years – ballet, jazz, tap, modern, etc – and I was real involved with singing when I was a wee little gal. Music was always a huge part of my life. I always wanted to play an instrument, but never had the time. So when I stopped dancing around 21, the next creative activity I stumbled upon was drums.  It felt very natural – and it seemed this was obviously what I was supposed to do next.

“Well, on planet Nicole, it would be something involving a bass drum as big as my body, a 3rd arm, animal pelts, lily pads, vines for sticks.” – Nicole Turley

WEAVE EP

Tom Tom Magazine: How long did it take till you felt like a “real” and legit drummer?

Nicole Turley: I guess that’s not something I really think about – being real and legit at something. I think maybe the real and legit part stems from your intention. If there’s something you really love doing, and you do it everyday because it’s fun and you receive joy from it- to me, that qualifies as being real and legit. Because it’s a pure intention- and when you have a pure intention, you’re going to keep progressing, developing, and growing- kind of just by default. Technical skill is important, but it shouldn’t be the whole reason behind why you do what you do. Individual style and feeling goes a long way.

Tom Tom Magazine: What is your favorite set-up for your kit? Why?

Nicole Turley: I really enjoyed the set up I had for my first band, Seventh Sea. All of us were really poor and couldn’t afford to buy instruments – so we all played what was given to us by friends. I was given a regular snare, old marching snare (which I used in place of a floor tom) and a rack tom or two. We had to rig everything to milk crates with rope- cause we had no stands. It was pretty funny- very MacGyver. Then a friend gave me a DW stand to put my rack toms on – so I could play standing up. That was by far my favorite set up. I loved being able to dance and move while playing – very fun!

Tom Tom Magazine: What would your dream kit consist of?

Nicole Turley: Well, on planet Nicole, it would be something involving a bass drum as big as my body, a 3rd arm, animal pelts, lily pads, vines for sticks.

TTM:What do you do to get better at the drums / Best way to get chops?

NT: I finally found out what chops means- hahaha- SUCH a dork. I guess just play everyday. I take drum lessons sometimes- to learn the basics of different styles- reggae, latin, rock, hip-hop, etc. Then I like to take different things from what I’ve learned and integrate everything into my own style and groove. That’s really fun.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Piper Ferguson

TTM:What is your favorite drum warm up / what do you do to warm up before playing?

NT: Jeezy kreezy… I don’t warm up. I probably should. Hopefully my limbs won’t turn to stone.

TTM: What do you think the role of the drummer is? (In a band)

NT: It’s probably different depending on the style of music. Sometimes it’s more percussive. Sometimes it’s about accents. Sometimes it’s playing the same simple beat for the whole song. Sometimes it’s playing something drastically different for each section. Just depends on what you’re going for. I do think it’s very important to listen to all the instruments. Try to find a way to link to up and compliment what everyone’s doing. It gives the feeling of a strong connection- which is important.

“Just make sure the live drum parts are complimenting that. Not over doing it – leaving room to breathe.” – Nicole Turley

TTM: Do you play any other instruments? If so … how does that affect your drumming?

NT: I started a DIY project this year called Swahili Blonde – where I write, play, sing, record, and mix everything myself – actually, everything except guitar – my boyfriend’s been doing the guitar stuff. It’s been really fun and creative. I guess it’s effected my drumming in the sense that I pay extra close attention to what the other instruments are doing and how they interact with each other – and just make sure the live drum parts are complimenting that. Not over doing it – leaving room to breathe.

WEAVE by Summer Shiffman

TTM:What do you consider to be the most challenging thing about the drums?

NT: The fact that I’m not an Octopus. I never seem to have enough appendages to play what I hear in my head. That’s probably why I use drum machine, along with live drums, in my recordings.

TTM: What’s your favorite part about playing drums?

NT: I like the physicality of it – reminds me a lot of dancing. A great blend of physical and mental exercise. And also how there are endless options of what you can do on a drum kit. It’s pretty amazing…

TTM: Most notable show you ever played?

NT: WEAVE! did a month long residency at The Echo (in LA) back in November 2008. That was really fun. The Echo pretty much let us do whatever we wanted. We got to book all the shows ourselves- bands, dj’s, everything. We decided each show would have a different theme – like the 1st week was Africa, 2nd week was ancient Greece, 3rd week was Egypt, etc. We encouraged all the bands and kids coming to the show to dress up as to whatever they’re interpretation of that theme was. There was a different installation artist each week. We got to play with all of our favorite bands around town. A great and rare experience…

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Piper Ferguson

TTM: Have you experienced any setbacks as a female drummer?

NT: No, not really. After Seventh Sea ended, I remember feeling pretty frustrated in trying to find kids to play with. You find out very quickly whether you gel with someone musically or not – and it seemed like for a while I had trouble finding something that felt like a good fit. But that didn’t last for too long. I’ve been pretty fortunate in the sense that I’ve always had very musically talented and creative people come in to my life-even if the project was short lived.

TTM: Who are your favorite drummers?

NT: Mo Tucker (Velvet Underground), Babatunde Olatunji (Badass), Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Phil Collins (Genesis- old and new), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Ginger Baker (Cream), Steve Scales (Percussionist for Talking Heads) ,Budgey (spelling?), (Slits, Siouxsie and the Banchees), Valerie Scroggins (ESG), Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio), Stephen Morris (Joy Division), Sheila E (Prince)

TTM: If you could change one thing about the drums what would it be?

NT: Nothing. They’re pretty fantastic just the way they are.

“I never seem to have enough appendages to play what I hear in my head. That’s probably why I use drum machine, along with live drums, in my recordings.” – Nicole Turley

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Piper Ferguson

TTM: Do you do anything else drum related besides playing in a band? (i.e. teach drums one on one, rock camp, drum circles, etc …)

NT: I haven’t had time to as of late – but I’d like to somewhere down the line…

TTM: Where do you shop for your drum gear?

NT: This little independent shop on Vine Street in LA. I think they’re called Pro Drum. They’re super nice and helpful.

TTM: Best piece of advice you got as a drummer?

NT: Just be patient with yourself. Play because you love to play. Try not to focus too much on the end result – that will happen naturally.

WEAVE photo by Summer Shiffman

TTM: What are some of your other hobbies / interests?

NT: I’m kind of addicted to scrabble. It’s all about lexulous.com! Dice games are also fun.

“Play because you love to play. Try not to focus too much on the end result – that will happen naturally.” – Nicole Turley

TTM: Who are some of your favorite lady drummers right now?

NT: I saw the Butthole Surfers over New Years. Theresa played with them – she’s really great. And as of current, this lovely lady from Australia – Miss Stella Mozgawa. She’s pretty amazing.

TTM: Who are some of your favorite bands right now?

NT: It’s a great time for music in LA. Some bands, old and new, to check out are: Rainbow Arabia, Haunted Graffiti, Fools Gold, Soft Boiled Eggies, Geneva Jacuzzi, WEAVE!, We Are The World,, Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Quark (or whatever Stella Mogzawa & Nick Maybury are doing), Warpaint, Very Be Careful, Indian Jewelry, Julia Holter, Jason Grier, Bubonic Plague, Nite Jewel.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine photo by Piper Ferguson

Interview by Mindy Abovitz/Creator of Tom Tom Magazine

xo,

Tom Tom Magazine

Drummer of the Week: Hilary Jones

Take a look at the video below: Modern Drummer Festival 2000

This solo by Hilary Jones could be an instructional video. In fact Hilary has done workshops and clinics to teach the craft. Notice the way she feathers the beats to soften the sound and then strikes back in hard and thunderous. She uses the whole stick including the butt, and the side and shows excellent command of awareness of her kit. Through out the six and a half minute performance, the feel and rhythm changes over a few times from jazzy funk, to rock, and even a tribal vibe. I think she has incredible soul and is an amazing talent.

Hilary released a CD in 2001 titled Soaring which I would love to get my hands on. She has been featured in other magazines and writings but unfortunately, little is known about what she’s up to currently. Her website still says “coming soon” and there does not seem to be anything published about her newer than 2002.

Nevertheless, this performance is one I wanted to share, in case you have never seen it. Once, we get a hold of Hilary, we’ll be sure to update you.

Alex Carulo

Marika Papagika

I first heard Marika Papagika’s haunting voice carve out melodic ice sculptures in the air when I bought Black Mirror- Reflections in Global Musics 1918-1955 a few years ago.  Her song Smyrneiko Minore completely blew my mind.  And then, like many amazing songs, I forgot about it for a while. Until my good friend Meara O’Reilly invited me to join on David Garland’s show, Spinning on Air.  I was invited to play an incredible instrument that she made out of horsehair and silver, while she played the guitar and sang.  It was a very spontaneous show so it wasn’t until our on-air performance that I realized the melody Meara sang was incredibly familiar.  But who was it? Marika Papagika! How could I have forgotten?

Marika was born in 1890 on the island of Kos (a small Greek island that is actually much closer to the mainland of Turkey) and lived there, playing in cafe’s, until she relocated to New York City, possibly at the behest of the Victor recording company, in 1918.  Though not much information is available about her, or recordings of her music for that matter, she seemingly did well in New York, playing music often with her husband accompanying her on the hammer dulcimer. She recorded about two hundred performances of café-aman styled songs.  In the early-mid 1920′s Marika and her husband opened a club on 34th street between 7th and 8th avenues (if you’re in NYC go see what’s there now!) but sadly lost it when the Great Depression hit.

You do not have to be an expert on Greek music to appreciate Marika’s astounding command of her voice.  Meara’s interpretation of Smyrneiko Minore is an amazing homage to the way Marika pays extremely close attention to the “notes between notes” as Meara has once referred to the microtones that are woven into many of Papagika’s songs.  I highly recommend tracking down more of her music (and letting me know when you’ve found it.)  And if you’re lucky you can catch Meara playing as Avocet on the west coast at the end of this month.

Sara

Shannon Funchess (Light Asylum) Interviewed on Tom Tom TV!!

After the Tom Tom Magazine / Make Music NY presents show, we interviewed Shannon Funchess (Light Asylum) about what inspired her to drum. Check it out!

Light Asylum will be performing tonight!!

China Chalet

47 Broadway

Below Rector – Between Exchange Alley and Morris St.

COME. WE’RE HAVING AN EPIC JOINT BIRTHDAY PARTY. BE THERE.

IT’S GONNA BE A BIG DANCE PARTY WITH ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND PEOPLE WE KNOW. A SPECIAL EVENING FOR SURE.

PERFORMANCE AT 10PM BY LIGHT ASYLUM !!!!!!!!!!!!

BOOTY SHAKING DJ SETS BY: JESSE HUDNUTT, KATHY LO, KAELIN BALLINGER, SARAH COLLIGAN, MAY KWOK AND MORE!

Interview with Sarah Lipstate!

Fresh off her tour with Parts & Labor in Berlin and Norway, Sarah Lipstate these days can be found with a double necked guitar and Moogerfooger Ring Modulator pedal for her solo project Noveller. With her second album Paint on Shadows, Sarah has carved out a niche for herself mixing Phillip Glass like minimalism with pulsing meditative rhythms.  Just this week Sarah announced that she was parting ways with Parts & Labor to focus on Noveller and her film making career. We caught up with Sarah to see what she’s been up to.

Full name: Sarah Lipstate
Age: 25
Where were you born: Birmingham, AL, but I grew up in Lafayette, LA
Where do you live now: Brooklyn, NY
Bands you are in currently: Noveller, Parts & Labor
Bands you were involved with in the past: One Umbrella, Sands
What you do for a living: This is it
Something outstanding about you: I’m really good at eating

“I like to let my pieces have kind of an organic pulse.  I

have a Moogerfooger Ring Modulator pedal that I use a

lot for creating rhythm.” – Sarah Lipstate

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Aaron Wojack

Tom Tom Magazine: How long have you been playing music? How long have you been playing the instruments you use for Noveller?

Sarah Lipstate: I started taking piano lessons when I was in 2nd grade.  Throughout middle school and high school I played trombone, and when I was 17, I started teaching myself to play guitar.  I found the double-neck guitar that I use for my Noveller setup at a pawn shop in Austin, TX sometime in 2004.

Tom Tom Magazine: How did you get involved with Parts & Labor?

Sarah Lipstate: A couple of months after I moved to Brooklyn, I got an email from a mutual friend, Jesse Hodges (Pterodactyl / When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth) asking if he could give my contact info to the Parts & Labor guys.  He told me that they were looking for a guitar player and thought that I would be a good match.  I met with Dan a few times and learned a couple of their songs and then “auditioned” with the full band.  They asked me to go on tour with them a couple of days later. (Sarah no longer plays for Parts & Labor so that she can now focus more on Noveller and her film making career.)

“I got really into using objects to make sound with the guitar.  I used a carrot peeler on my Telelcaster when I played in One Umbrella.” – Sarah Lipstate

Noveller @ No Fun Fest - NY. Photo by Michael Muniak

TTM: What lead you to do your solo project?

SL: I started Noveller in 2005 when I saw an open call for submissions for the Women Take Back the Noise compilation.  At the time, I was playing in a duo called One Umbrella and the other member was a guy, so I decided to record a solo track.  After that, I recorded several other tracks for compilations and released some 3” cd-rs on my own.  I didn’t play a live show as Noveller until 2007 after I moved to NY.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Aaron Wojack

TTM: Do you have any other projects / collaborations in the works?

SL: Right now I’m focusing on Noveller and my film work.  I finished a new short film in March for the first time in two years and it felt really great.  Hopefully, I can work on some new films before the year’s over.

TTM: What is the most notable show you’ve ever played?

SL: My favorite Noveller show was at the Un Son Par Là festival in Nîmes, France.  It was the longest set I’d ever played (45 minutes) which was a challenge, and I got to play to a packed auditorium in a beautiful modern art museum.

TTM: Where is your favorite place to perform?

SL: The sound at Music Hall of Williamsburg for No Fun Fest was amazing.  I’d love to play there again.

TTM: What influenced your choice of instruments for Noveller?

SL: I went through a phase in college where I was constantly pawning and buying gear.  There was a particularly awesome pawn shop in Austin that I went to regularly.  At one point, I pawned an acoustic guitar and bass amp and bought an electric sitar. I bought a Theremin online and put the double-neck guitar on layaway at the pawn shop until I could pay it off.  I started using an Ebow after a friend gave one to me my freshmen year of college.  I got really into using objects to make sound with the guitar.  I used a carrot peeler on my Telelcaster when I played in One Umbrella. Luckily, I’ve grown out of buying new gear and have sold everything that I don’t use regularly.  I’m more focused now on making the most with the instruments that I have.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Aaron Wojack

TTM: What is your approach to making beats in your music?

SL: I like to let my pieces have kind of an organic pulse.  I have a Moogerfooger Ring Modulator pedal that I use a lot for creating rhythm. I have a favorite setting that I use to make a driving beat.  I also use my delay pedal for making beats by repeating chords or harmonics and then looping them.

TTM: Are you a full time musician?

SL: Currently, yes.  Luckily I’ve gotten some pretty cool gigs like playing in the revival of Rhys Chatham and Karole Armitage’s “Drastic Classicism” at The Kitchen, and playing with Rhys at the Met.  I try to supplement Noveller and P&L shows with other interesting guitar-playing opportunities when I can.

TTM: What drives you to compose/perform music?

SL: It’s the most satisfying job I’ve ever had.  I love recording and playing shows.  There’s nothing better.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Aaron Wojack

TTM: What has influenced your music the most? (Specific bands, musicians, film, video, art etc…)

SL: I was really inspired by No-Wave around the time that I started playing guitar.  I worked at an independent record store in high school where I discovered Lydia Lunch, Theoretical Girls and The Contortions.  Sonic Youth was a huge influence as well.  I wanted to learn how to play the guitar, but I wasn’t interested in standard tuning or traditional playing.  I really latched on to bands that had innovative approaches to making music.

TTM: What is your creative process with Noveller? How do you compose your music?

SL: I usually start out with a basic idea or object and improvise until something interesting develops.  I’ll decide that I want to do a new piece using my violin bow or tape player and go from there.

TTM: If possibilities were endless, what would your fantasy instrument look like?

SL: My fantasy instrument would be a double –neck guitar with infinite sustain that weighs 5 lbs.

TTM: Out of all of the instruments you play, which is your favorite? Why?
SL: I really enjoyed playing trombone when I was younger.  It can be a really beautiful instrument.  Currently, my favorite is my double-neck guitar.  It inspires me.  There are so many possibilities.

TTM: If you could collaborate with any one in the world, who would it be?

SL: I think Zeena Parkins is amazing and would love to do a collaboration with her.

TTM: Where do you record? Does anyone help you with the production?

SL: Prior to recording my LP, I recorded all of my tracks at home on my laptop.  I recorded the tracks for Paint on the Shadows at Colin Marston’s studio in Brooklyn.

Exclusive Tom Tom Magazine Photo by Aaron Wojack

“I’ll decide that I want to do a new piece using my violin bow or tape player and go from there.” – Sarah Lispstate

TTM: What are some of your other hobbies / interests?

SL: I love traveling with my girlfriend, working on my short films, reading, doing graphic design.  I got really into knitting last winter when I visited my friend in Norway and she taught me the basics, but I haven’t kept it up.  I have a burgeoning interest in learning how to not be terrible at cooking because I really really really love eating.

TTM: Who are your favorite female drummers?

SL: Janet Weiss is great. I got to see her play with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks at Siren Fest and she was fantastic. I also really like Andrya Ambro from Talk Normal and Libby Fab from The Paranoid Critical Revolution.  Awesome drummers.  Awesome ladies.

Noveller @ Cake Shop – photo by Nate Dorr

TTM: What are some of your favorite bands ?

SL: Right now I like Grouper, Emeralds, Talk Normal, The Goslings, & Marnie Stern.  Favorite bands ever include Sonic Youth, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, Rhys Chatham, Brian Eno, & Einsturzende Neubauten.

TTM: Who is your favorite noise musician?

SL: At the moment, I’m really enjoying Prurient.  His set with Kevin Drumm at No Fun Fest was so good.

By Vicki Simon

Drummer of the Week: Nao Kawakita of Maximum the Hormone

In honor of a US Marine friend who ships out to Japan today for the 3 years, I decided to feature some extreme Japanese rock. Maximum the Hormone formed in 1998 by Daisuke Tsuda and drummer Nao Kawakita.

A decade later the band is still cranking out throat ripping vocal, fast drum beats and screaching guitar riffs. Tsuda plays guitar, Nao drums and offers vocals. She introduced her younger brother Ryo on guitar and vocals into the band soon after it started and along with Futoshi Uehara on bass, this makes up the band roster today.

Their latest album Buiikikaesu released in 2007 features the song Zetsubou Billy. The video is below, its one of there bigger productions with sets costumes and make-up.

They are currently doing gigs all over Japan and their latest maxi single released last year called Tsume Tsume Tsume. Check out their website for more information and try your hand at extreme Japanese rock.

Godspeed Roy.

Alex Carulo

4th of July, For the Birds show 7/11

I still don’t think I’ve quite recovered from last week’s 4th of July Woodsist/Captured Tracks festival to edit and post all my pictures, but Brooklyn Vegan and Rearhouse.blogspot.com had many really great ones from it.

Cassie.

Sadly, your intrepid reporter’s fear of Port-O-Potties combined with bad bladder timing had her stuck in the bathroom line at Mr. Kiwi during my much anticipated Brilliant Colors so I only caught their last song. I was sad but they were awesome! From all accounts of trusted sources Brilliant Colors were one of the great hits of both days.

Katy.

My personal favorites from day one were caUSE co-MOTION whose bassist Liam was so energetic he literally stomped a hole right through the stage and The Mayfair Set debut, with Kristen Dum Dum haunting us in the sweltering Market Hotel heat with her stage presence and sweat-inducing outfit.

Day two was a beauty all around: outside, sunny, breezy, the Vivian Girls, the aforementioned much lauded Brilliant Colors set, Frankie drumming for the Dum Dum girls, and Todd P’s loudspeaker voice hovering over it all like God on a Sunday. It was a damn good 4th of July, hope you were there.

Ali. All Vivian Girls photos by Cathy Hsiao.

This weekend a scene of a different sort is worth supporting: the For the Birds Collective show at the 1087 Broadway loft.

For the Birds is a Brooklyn collective supporting women in music that’s been around for a couple of years now with members from the ashes of the beloved feminist Jane Doe books out on Montrose avenue. You might have seen them tabling at the Tom Tom benefit at Death by Audio and they put out zines, comps, and a yearly all-ages all-day event called The Big She-Bang (8/15) with “workshops, panel discussions, visual art, and music by and for women and women-identified artists & community members.”

Saturday’s show features all women bands, including Zombie Dogs. Zombie Dogs played two weekends ago with another Tom Tom featured drummer Gina Marie of Ina! Ina! and their myspace description is pretty accurate: like if Minor Threat and Excuse 17 had a beautiful zombie baby. Multi-talented guitarist Krista (who was also the drummer for the now defunct Carnal Knowledge) plays off Kathi’s muscular drumming with sweet intensity.

The dynamic duo.

The 1087 Loft itself is a feminist space that hosts plenty of great shows often put on by the Strength in Numbers Collective in addition to For the Birds. So show some sisterly pride and take the J train down Kosciusko way this Saturday! Cathy.

Vibrations from the West: An exclusive interview with Colleen Coffey of The Spires (Ventura, CA)

The Spires’ cool, churning indie-rock is a lot like the refreshing ocean breeze that washes over the band’s hometown, Ventura, CA, during hot summer days.

Though much is attributed to swirling, driving guitar and calming faux British accented vocals by Jason Bays, Colleen Coffey underestimates her rhythms – marching high hat, and swooshing ride – which are timed just right, and add to the overall “shimmering” quality of their songs. (Think Luna, The Wedding Present or a mellow Pavement.) Listen to their new recordings, and you’ll be thankful Jason, also her husband, gave her the initial push to try out the drums five years ago.

Joined with new bass player Catelyn Kindred, The Spires’ released the lovely full-length “A Way of Seeing” in May ’09 (Beehouse Records), and have been playing around California non-stop ever since. During a notable show in LA this June, they performed as their idols The Velvet Underground for the second time with Colleen as the awesome Moe Tucker. Below, the drummer humbly gabs about the benefits of counting, what it’s like being married to the lead singer, and the trials and tribulations of recording drums. (No punch-ins, for us!)

Colleen Coffey with husband Jason Bays of The Spires. Photo by Mark Regester.

Name: Colleen Coffey

Age: Private

Hometown: Born in West Los Angeles CA

Lives in: Ventura, CA

Past bands: None

Current bands: The Spires

Day job: Legal Assistant

“I don’t know as I chose to take drums up so much as Jason strongly suggested (decided) that I should.” –Colleen Coffey

Colleen Coffey

Tom Tom Magazine: First, tell me a little bit about your drumming history. How long have you been playing and why did you choose to pick up the drums versus any other instrument?

Colleen Coffey: I have been playing just about exactly 5 years now. I don’t know as I chose to take drums up so much as Jason strongly suggested (decided) that I should. In early 2004 he had some songs and was wanting to do something more with them. He got in touch with a drum teacher in town and I pretty much started with lessons right away. A couple months later we recorded the “Amplifier” EP. I had played bass as a teenager but not very seriously. I never would have thought I would end up playing drums.

Tom Tom Magazine: What kind of drum set do you use?

Colleen Coffey: I have a Gretsch Catalina Club kit. It is a small, jazz style set; its bass drum is only about 18 inches. To be honest, I didn’t know enough when I picked it out to know what I was buying. I went with a friend of ours who knows about such things to Mike’s Drums in Santa Barbara and they had the whole set with a silver sparkle finish—hardware and everything—for only $700. It was also the one kit that would fit in our Honda Civic. So I put it on layaway and a couple months later it was mine.

Tom Tom Magazine: What do you love best about playing the drums?
Colleen Coffey: I don’t have to remember any notes or chord changes.

TTM: What has been/is still one of the biggest challenges for you as a drummer?

CC: Honestly: tuning the drums. I kind of assumed early on that I would just lean on my drum-playing friends to help me out but they have proved no help at all. Even the best drummers in my circle of friends will swear they don’t know what they’re doing. I’m figuring it out, but it is still such a huge pain in the ass. Fortunately, I’m not a hard player so once I get them where I want them, they’ll stay that way at least for a little while.

TTM: Who are your musical inspirations? The Spires makes me think of an airy version of The Vaselines, which is awesome.

CC: I would have to say Guilded By Voices stands alone for me as an entirely life-changing kind of band. That probably sounds so corny but it is so true. This might be why (as Robert Pollard put it): “GBV showed the world that you can suck and still rule.” There is no one that can touch them for songwriting and performance genius. They really did change my entire perspective on music. They are also responsible for the funnest shows I have ever been to over and over again. I remember when Jason was first getting into them and it seemed like every time I heard him playing a song I liked and I would ask him: “Who is this?” The answer was always: “GBV.” So after awhile I clued in that I must really like this band. It was all pretty much downhill from there.

“I have heard from other couples that play music and they seem to experience it as some kind of deep connection. It has not been like that for us—we compartmentalize playing music from our regular life.” –Colleen Coffey

The Spires at the Pink Mailbox in Isla Vista. Photo by Mark Regester.

TTM: What’s it like being in a band with your significant other? What are the positive factors? Are there any challenges?

CC: We get this question from time to time. I think Jason and I might be peculiar in this respect. I have heard from a couple other people that play music with their boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, whatever and they seem to experience it as some kind of deep connection or experience between them. It has not been like that for us—we seem to just compartmentalize playing music from our regular life. When we’re playing, I barely remember that we’re married and I know Jason is the same way. When we’re home, it’s different. I think the biggest plus of playing together has been that we’re almost always available to play at the same times, so I think we play more often for living together than we might if we lived separate lives. The challenge might be that the band is not such an equal partnership as marriage—as the songwriter, Jason exerts more creative influence ultimately than either Catelyn or I.

TTM: When you first started playing, did you face any criticism/sexism? Did you ever get the whole “Oh, his girlfriend is in the band” thing? As a drummer in a band with my boyfriend, I was always worried about that starting out – that people wouldn’t take me seriously.

CC: That is an interesting question. When I think about it, I may have actually benefited from a kind of reverse sexism. What I mean is: I played so poorly when we started (listen to the “Amplifier” EP—it’s so rudimentary, I couldn’t even hit the cymbals yet). But I think I got a pass on it to a certain extent because I was a girl. I suspect audiences would have been less forgiving of a guy in that situation.

TTM: What bands are you digging on right now?

CC: All three of the Spires have been on a Joy Division/New Order jag for the last couple months. Catelyn has also turned me onto Little Joy, which I really like. And she and I listen to the Parson Redheads in her car at least twice a week (they have a great girl drummer, Brette Marie Way, and she has a beautiful voice besides). And we both love Franklin For Short (another Ventura band).

With the Velvet Underground show coming up I have been listening to perhaps an inordinate amount of VU but I love them under any circumstances. And my drummer friend Tim recently turned me onto Band of Horses—they’ve been a daily listen the last few weeks. And, of course, I have for a long time loved Pavement (their drummer is so rad) and Luna/Galaxy 500 and Built To Spill. And I’m crazy about The Flaming Lips and in awe of their live shows (even though I haven’t seen one for awhile).

But, you know, all of that said: When I’m at home, I rarely listen to rock music. That’s more when I’m driving, or hanging out with friends, or when I’m stuck doing something boring at work. 90% of the time at home it’s John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Johnny Hartman, Django Reinhardt, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Chet Baker, etc. I’m absolutely crazy for that stuff. Of course, I’ll never drum like Jimmy Cobb—never (not a hope in hell!!). But I love listening to him and I’m completely in awe of him and others.

“The brain is a more reliable metronome than the arms. ” –Colleen Coffey

TTM: If you could give advice to a girl looking to pick up drumming, what would it be? Is there a good practice method you can recommend?

CC: I really think the critical piece is to take lessons from a competent teacher. Maybe a lot of other drummers would disagree with that and surely some people have such innate talent that lessons are superfluous, but for me, lessons were critical. My own drum teacher was a kind of real hard rock guy, you know, he didn’t play Jason and my kind of music at all. But he really knew what he was doing. I didn’t even play on a drum set for the first few months because he had me just playing patterns on a pad and learning to read drum music. The other thing he taught me that I still use and recommend is to always be counting. The brain is a more reliable metronome than the arms. By always counting to myself, I think I am able to keep the beat more reliably. That seems obvious but I don’t think I would have thought of that on my own. Fortunately, I’ve learned to count with my mouth closed so it’s not so obvious to the audience anymore that that’s what I’m doing—that took some time though.

The Spires' newest LP, A Way of Seeing

TTM: Give me all of the juicy details about A Way of Seeing. (Which is awesome, by the way!) What are your favorite memories of the recording process?

CC: Thank you so much. I think I am funny when it comes to recording: I can only begin enjoying it when my drum tracks are done. To be honest: recording my drum tracks stresses me out. Over the course of a couple albums I have gotten Jason and our engineer to realize that with me it’s diminishing returns: I need to get the song in the first or second take or we have to move on. After that, I just start thinking about it too much and it gets worse and worse.

The one exception to that on this new record is the song “Famous Last Words” (track 5) which I had originally played very differently—you wouldn’t recognize it from the song that ended up on the album. We went in the studio to record it and I just couldn’t pull it together that night. We were on the verge of scrapping the whole song as unworkable—in fact, I think we had pretty much decided that we would scrap it. But the engineer (Craig Costigan) really liked it and persuaded us to give it another shot. That last time through, I dumped the part I had planned and just played it off the cuff (something I never do in recording) and just really straight, right with the rhythm guitar. And that was the take we stuck with—really, an entirely different song from what we started with.

Overall, I think the thing about this record is that it is a bridge between two versions of The Spires. Jason and I recorded half of it with Craig Costigan at Garage Majal [Santa Barbara] starting in January 2008. Then in June 2008 Catelyn started playing with us. From that point on, we just started writing a whole crop of new songs (and the old ones started sounding a lot differently). Toward the end of last year, we got Justin to bring his gear to our practice studio over two weekends and we recorded “TAM,” “Lowercase,” and the others. What we ended up with I think is a hybrid of sorts. I’m excited to see what the next album brings.

The Spires with new bassist Catelyn Kindred on KCSB 91.9 FM (Santa Barbara). Photo by Mark Regester.

TTM: Do you have an all-time favorite personal drumming moment?

CC: So far, the most fun I have ever had drumming was April Fools Day 2007 when The Spires and half of the band Franklin for Short joined forces and played as the Velvet Underground courtesy of Part Time Punks at The Echo (LA). Fortunately for me, Moe Tucker is the one drummer of a major band that I could hope to emulate. The sound guy at The Echo (Scott) is a genius. I told Jason later that my whole frontal lobe must have just shut off because it was pure pleasure for 40 minutes without a thought in my head.

TTM: What’s next for The Spires?

CC: The Spires are already at work on the next record believe it or not. We have shows planned through early summer and more (hopefully) on the way but we want to get back in the studio by August so that we’ll have another release at the end of 2009. Our plan is to play everything pretty much live—a little more ’60s garage I guess you would say. That’s fine by me since I’m only good for one or two takes anyway

More on Colleen Coffey and The Spires:
myspace.com/thespires

-Melanie B. Glover

Exclusive Interview with Purple Rhinestone Eagle’s Drummer Ashley Spungin

Ashley is busy. You may be interrupting her. As the messages sailed back and forth between Portland and Brooklyn, it became hard not to wonder whether that familiar warning splayed across the chat window might really be true. In only eight years since sitting down behind a kit, Ashley Spungin has become one shredding third of the Portland trio Purple Rhinestone Eagle, with a laser-like focus fueled by Bonham worship, babies, and bad weather. Just back from PRE’s spring tour, Ashley shifted her attention to talk about how she gets her thick, dark sound and how she responds to post-show comments from boneheads.

Name: Ashley Spungin

Age: 26

Hometown: Hartford, CT

Lives in: Portland, OR

Current bands: Purple Rhinestone Eagle

Past bands: None. PRE is her first band.

Day job: Nanny

Outstanding bit of trivia: No, she is not related to Nancy, but she is a distant relative of the great producer and Hammond B3 player Al Kooper, “who is known for musical contributions that are a little cooler than Sid Vicious’s notorious lady friend.”

“I guess I had always wanted to learn to play drums from when I first started going to shows, when I was like 12 or something. I would obsess over the drummers and try to wrap my head around what they were doing.” – Ashely Spungin

Ashley at SXSW

Tom Tom Magazine: We know you play with PRE; are you currently playing with anyone else?

Ashley Spungin: Not really. I am usually down to jam with friends but there is nothing else I’m seriously committed to. PRE takes up a lot of my time.

Tom Tom Magazine: How did you hook up with PRE? You formed in Philadelphia, right?

Ashley Spungin: Yep. I met Morgan (Ray Denning, bass and backing vocals) at a potluck in 2004. She and Andrea Genevieve, (guitar and lead vocals) were living together and wanting to start up a band. I approached Morgan because she was wearing an All Girl Summer Fun Band T-shirt. We got to talking and she invited me over to play with them. It was awesome, except I leaned on a faulty guardrail and fell off their porch before I even entered the house and contemplated going home right then and there. I’m glad I didn’t, obviously. We started playing shows shortly after.

Tom Tom Magazine: Ow! We’re all glad you didn’t. How did you end up in Portland?

Ashley Spungin: We ended up moving to Portland about a year and a half ago after going on a short East Coast tour with the New Bloods, who were all living here at the time. Basically they saw how we were all kind of bumming on Philly and itching to move somewhere, so they convinced us to move out here.

Photo by Nate B

TTM: How do you think the move has affected your evolution musically?

AS: Moving here has totally helped us get “serious.” It’s just a far more mellow place. None of us are working our asses off just to make rent. We’re usually able to practice about four times a week. The weather sucks a lot but that can be helpful for locking ourselves in the practice space and working on song ideas. We moved here with the intention of just going for it, and that’s just what we are trying to do.

TTM: Speaking of making rent, what do you do when you’re not drumming?

AS: I’m a nanny. My job rules. I hang out with an awesome 6-month-old baby named Eleanor.

TTM: Sounds like a great life. It’s funny to imagine a 6-month-old named Eleanor….

AS: The name suits her very well. It’s a good job to have, because the family is super supportive of me and understanding about my weird schedule and touring and all that.

“I eventually got my own kit and traded free coffee for real lessons for a few months.” – Ashley Spungin

TTM: How did you get started playing the drums?

AS: I started playing drums when I was about 18. I was living in Boston at the time and had a good friend who let me go to his practice space and play his drums. He started off just showing me basic things. I eventually got my own kit and traded free coffee for real lessons for a few months. I played with other people here and there, but was moving around the country quite a bit, so I never stuck around to play in a real band. PRE is the first for me.

TTM: What inspired you to play drums in the first place?

AS: I guess I had always wanted to learn to play drums from when I first started going to shows, when I was like 12 or something. I would obsess over the drummers and try to wrap my head around what they were doing. Actually playing and getting over my nerves and really cutting loose was like the best thing ever for me.

TTM: What’s with the wanderlust?

AS: I guess a girl’s gotta know what’s out there, ya know?

TTM: Definitely. Who are some of your favorite drummers, or drummers you emulate, past or present?

AS: My first favorite drummer was John Bonham. I used to sit in my room when I was 17 and rewind the one part in “Moby Dick” over and over again when he comes in with the fills after the drum solo. It kind of still blows my mind.

TTM: That’s funny, because the colors you play with and your technique are pretty Bonhamesque.

AS: He turned me on to Vistalites, so that’s true. He and also Keith Moon will always hold a special place in my heart for their amazing drumming. Some of my other faves, hmmm: Bill Ward, Dale Crover, George Hurley, Robert Wyatt, and on and on. It wasn’t until I heard drummers like Moe Tucker and Janet Weiss that I felt more included in the music that I love. It was a good motivator to listen to other women playing drums who were in bands I could really get into.

Purple Rhinestone Eagle in Action

TTM: Andrea said in an interview last year that PRE’s sound is “heavy riffs laden psychedelic fury with rock and roll roots.” You sound pretty proggy to me. How do you describe it, and how much does your drumming style play a role in shaping the band’s whole sound?

AS: Our music is always hard for me to describe because we aren’t really just going for one thing. We are all pretty big music nerds and are all coming from different musical backgrounds and experiences. We write mostly all the songs together, which works great for us and makes it that much more a special process. Our music has elements of ’60s and ’70s, psychedelic, heavy riffin’ rock and roll. At least those genres are a big inspiration for my drumming style, so I’d like to think that.

TTM: You brought up an interesting point: feeling like an outsider in your own genre (insofar as we can define your genre).

AS: I guess I used to feel like an outsider in the sense that I didn’t have many other female drummer friends to relate to. But that has changed since my move out here, thank the lord.

TTM: Do you still run into the “rocker chick” bias a lot? Like any guy can play thrash or prog or garage rock, but if a girl plays it she must be a real badass, and in fact has to be a real badass?

AS: PRE was touring the U.S. over the past month and a half, and night after night we would get some very weird responses from both men and women, like: “I was really impressed” or “That isn’t what I expected” or the worst, “You play like me!”…like we should feel good that we proved ourselves as female musicians.

PRE Flier

TTM: Like you’re supposed to be flattered, or the dude version is the gold standard?

AS: Yeah, unfortunately that mindset is still alive and well, which is both discouraging and fuels my fire, as there is still plenty of work to do! Being able to have teenage girls come up and ask me about how they can start playing the drums after a show, as well as being a part of amazing projects like this magazine, make having to deal with those boneheads much more bearable. Plus, it would feel great to know that some guy in Georgia came up to me after a show and said, “I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life,” and mean it!

TTM: Have you done Rock Camp for Girls?

AS: I’ve only been able to volunteer at workshops because we were touring last summer. This summer I plan on volunteering way more. Portland Rock Camp has got it going on and I want to take advantage of that while I’m here.

TTM: How do you nurture your technique? What’s your setup?

AS: I play a Ludwig Vistalite kit from the early ’70s. Snare, bass, rack and floor tom; ride, crash, high-hats, tambourine.

TTM: How do you warm up?

AS: Warmups include stretching (everything), meditating, and running through some songs if we can.

Photo by Noelia Tejada

TTM: What’s your go-to tech drill?

AS: I like to practice paradiddles in the van on the seats or my lap.

TTM: What’s your personal goal for drumming?

AS: My future goals include touring with my band everywhere we can. We’re recording an album this winter and have big plans for tours after that.

TTM: You have an EP recently out, right?

AS: Yes! We have a record out now on the great Eolian Records. It’s our first one and I am very, very stoked on it. It is also turquoise.

PRE Flier by Sonrisa

Interview by: Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan’s musical writing has appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Guitar World Acoustic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic magazine, and Electronic Musician magazine. She has done editorial work for Revolver, Blender, and Women’s Health. Before she started playing with words, Meg was a classical flute player, and she currently performs with Susan Elizabeth and Velvet Hammer, providing hand percussion, flute, keyboard, mandolin, and vocals. She lives in Brooklyn.

Drummer of the Week: Stella Mozgawa

Stella has been drumming since she was 13 and is quite the accomplished and decorated musician. In 2006, she found a home with front man Neal Carlson, guitarist Nick Maybury and bassist Grant Fitzpatrick and formed MINK.

Their sound is raw in that it has no theatrics, no showy pyro-madness, no electric voice box trickery; Just good, smart lyrics, catchy guitar riffs, and infectious drum and cymbal beats that make them serious players. Having penned over 60 songs already and collaborating with names like Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Kiss, and Perry Ferrell, to name a few, prove their seriousness.

In contrast, Stella’s persona is cheeky, humorous, and likeable. Check out this video which captures a bit of her wit and a bunch of her talent.

Stella.

Here is Mink’s video for their first single Talk To Me

Get their most recent album on iTunes.

Stella is currently residing in LA working on other Stellar projects, be sure to keep an eye out.

www.minkmusic.com

Thanks to Frank Q. for the suggestion.

Alex Carulo

Technique Tuesday: Stick Grips (Pt. 2)

Traditional grip is not as common as matched grip and is generally used by jazz/swing drummers or in drumlines. I definitely think it’s worth learning.

First, make a relaxed “C” shape with your right hand. Your four fingers should be together.

Now, “live long and prosper”. Keeping your other fingers together (and still in the “C”), make a gap between your ring and middle fingers.

The stick should sit in between your thumb and index finger and rest on the nail groove of your ring finger. I should probably say here that, yeah, this grip will tear up your nail groove if you use it a lot. Sometimes I use band-aids or some kind of tape to protect it.

While using this grip, your thumb should be attached to your index finger’s top knuckle. The rest of your fingers should stay attached, like you’re trying to keep water inside your hand. Your right hand will be in matched grip.

When you drum with this grip, the wrist movement will be very similar to turning a doorknob. The wrist is not the driving force of the traditional stroke, though. Your thumb is what actually pushes the stroke through here.

This is a tricky grip that takes a lot of getting used to. Don’t get frustrated too easily, and remember that everyone has trouble with it in the beginning.

How They Live

Whatever happened to the Durty Nanas? They broke up. The Durty Nanas consisted of Tha Pumpsta, Shannon Funchess (Telepathe, TV on the Radio, !!!, Bunny Rabbit) and drummer Lacy Rae Lancaster. We will be interviewing both Shannon and Lacy for upcoming features in Tom Tom. On Friday I caught up with two members of this all-star crew at Bruar Falls.

Lacy is currently in a band called Living Days which is a highly theatrical, fun, and retro sounding band. The band is fronted by Stephonik (see above) and has amazing vocals. They are currently working on their first album and there are rumors that Bad Brilliance will be directing their first video. Check out their myspace.

Here are some photos of Lacy’s awesome performance at Bruar Falls.

Shannon is known primarily for her singing and now plays the drums in her band Light Asylum. She is an integral player in the Brooklyn music scene and we are psyched to find out more about her drumming career. She is also involved in an all-female all-star percussion band called Chica Vas that will be performing the Northside Festival on June 13 at Glasslands. Here are photos from her performance at Bruar Falls.

-VS

Tom Tom Magazine Drummer of the Week: Jen Ledger of Skillet

This week we take a delve into the Christian Rock genre. Memphis based Skillet has been ripping together since 1996 and have released seven studio albums. Their latest, Awake is due out in August 2009 and will include their newest member of the band, drummer, Jennifer Ledger. She’s 19 years old, she’s British, and she ROCKS.

Coming from Coventry, England, Jen joined skillet during Winter Jamfest in 2008 after their former drummer, Lori Peters, expressed she was leaving. Having been eased in and trained by Lori, Jen continued on with Skillet on their Comatose Tour and was officially announced by Skillet’s front man John Cooper in mid January 2008.

Having received a tepid welcome by ‘Panheads’ at first, Jen quickly grew into her sticks and developed strong dynamics and color while on tour and is quickly growing a fan base. This fast pace color drums, young energy, and touring pyrotechnic showmanship not only helps Skillet pick up where they left off with Lori, but they could further take off, because get this; Jen sings as well. On their live album Comatose Comes Alive, she contributes vocals on the track Yours To Hold and it is rumored that she’s recording vocals on various tracks of their upcoming album.

Christian Rock may not appeal to all, but the only major difference it has to mainstream rock is the message.  Guitar riffs, penetrating vocals, monstrous drums, and on stage theatrics hold true through out this genre.  If you’d like to become a ‘Panhead’ visit Skillet and stay tuned as a single from the new album is due out this month.

Alex Carulo

Photos of Awesome Allison

This is Allison the drummer of Awesome Color crowdsurfing at USAISAMONSTER’s last show ever! Allison will be featured in the second issue of Tom Tom Magazine! Stay tuned…

 

Photos taken by Village Voice’s Rebecca Smeyne.

Listen to I.U.D. for Safer Sex

We love I.U.D.’s debut album “The Proper Sex” and not just because it has not one but TWO female drummers! Rather love is in the air because they turn found sounds, carnal chanting, and industrial rhythms into something that one can almost dance to. The duo consists of Lizzy Bougatos of Gang Gang Dance and Sadie Laska of Growing. The album, which is out on Social Registry, is driven by a profound interest in percussion. We look forward to their interview in Tom Tom Magazine! Check out their song “Daddy” on their myspace.

myspace.com/flirtyfishing

-VS

The Shark

Drummer of “Joe Gideon and The Shark” goes simply by “The Shark” and she totally is. This London based duo is currently touring and hopefully Tom Tom Magazine will catch up with her. New favorite band. Check it out …

From their myspace:

“Gideon plucks six strings, dreams stories and sings. Kid sister Viva, a.k.a. ‘The Shark’, plonks, stomps and honks. Formerly members of Bikini Atoll, they released two albums on Bella Union, second album recorded by geeky genius Steve Albini. Then, they formed a family band and spent summer 06′ getting drunk in a barn writing songs on their 8 track recorder. It’s been two years now and in this time they’ve been invited to play with great bands and musicians around europe; Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Archie Bronson Outfit, The Duke Spirit, Scout Niblett, Michael Gira to name but a few. Their tales are beginning and their tails are wagging….”
xo,

Tom Tom Magazine

Rhythmic vocals- Inuit Throat Singing

This may or may not be news to some of you, since I’ve been obsessed with Inuit throat singing for some time and have blogged about it before, but it’s still too astounding not to bring up here.

This is a video of Janet Aglukkaq and Kathy Keknek throat singing between their classes at Qiqirtaq Ilihakvik in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. The “off the cuff” feel of the video shot “between classes” coupled with their completely incredible sense of rhythm and command of tone makes this video really incredible to me.  I don’t know about you, but where I was growing up kids definitely didn’t engage in throat singing between classes and high school would have been WAY better if they did. My friend Michael Dumontier, a Canadian artist, is also a huge fan of throat singing and has seen it live, which I never have.  He says that live the singers really do maintain eye contact and often the singing ends in laughter.  He says, “I read that the inuit throat singing game also ends if someone runs out of breath (making the one that holds on longest the winner)…I like the idea of determining a song’s length based on how much breath you have.” I love that idea as well.  It actually reminds me of many durational performance art pieces such as Laurie Anderson’s early violin concerts on ice-skates embedded in melting ice.  I love the idea that this is a beautiful, expressive art, as well as a fun game that is very connected to the physicality of and relationship between the performers.

Below the video of Janet and Kathy is another of Aryaut and Aniksak , Inuit Traditional Throatsingers from Arviat, Nunavut CANADA.

-Sara Magenheimer

Exclusive Interview With Gina-marie Scardino!

At the benefit show we took an opporunity to ask Gina-marie about what its like to be a female drummer and to give advice to people starting out.

Full interview with Gina-marie coming soon!

 

Matt and Kim Lessons Learn Video!

Matt and Kim get naked in time square! We hope to see this video on TRL. Is that still going on?

Tom Tom Magazine Featured in LemonDrop.com

I Heart Liechtensteinians

I’m digging this band Liechtenstein right now. They just got signed to Slumberland Records which is the same label that Crystal Stilts and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart are on, as well as a slew of girl-fronted bands in the 90s. They are an indie pop band from Sweden (of course) and the have…a female drummer! One can see the influence of bands like The Slits, Shop Assistants, and Talulah Gosh. Interview with Elin the drummer coming soon!

http://www.myspace.com/liechtensteinia

Tom Tom Magazine Exclusive Video Interview with Kathi Ko Drummer of Hand Jobs!

Tom Tom Magazine Benefit Show at Death By Audio

we had a an awesome benefit show on march 31st to cover the cost of the production of the first issue of our magazine. the show was at death by audio and consisted of an eclectic mix of bands, some of which had female drummers, and some which did not. the bands that played were:

jaques detergent – http://www.myspace.com/jacquesdetergent
hand jobs – http://www.myspace.com/handjobsounds
ina! ina! – http://www.myspace.com/inainabrooklyn
bad brilliance – http://www.myspace.com/badbrilliance
tayisha busay – http://www.myspace.com/tayishabusay

thanks to rebecca smeyne, we got some amazing photos. here are what i consider to be the most special.

Tom Tom Magazine Interviews Mindy Abovitz Drummer of More Teeth & Taigaa … Creator of Tom Tom Magazine!