Our God Warrior for the week of March 30th is Cale Parks, drummer of Aloha!
Hello friends, this is Cale Parks. Let me tell you why he is this week’s God Warrior.
Not only is he the most bad-ass of drummers, pianists, and vibraphonists in Aloha, but this man has also contributed his talents to the likes of Cex, Love Of Everything, Pit Er Pat, Owen, and Joan Of Arc. Not to mention, he released an amazing solo album entitled Illuminated Manuscript in the summer of ‘06, blending ambient, mostly lyric-less piano jamz and electronics. His live energy and skillz are always apparent and at the forefront of every performance, and this is why he is awesome. He is also awesome for sometimes sporting a gold necklace during his shows.
The Billiken Club’s first-ever Bene-fest kicked off last night to an amazing start. Despite it being a rainy Thursday night, many people came out to hear Ohtis, Anathallo and Aloha and to support The Urban Studio. It was a great day for our blog, as well! We had our own table and banner and err’thang. Tons of people drew up Tupac sketches, check back for those later! Anyways, the show:
Normal, IL’s Ohtis were the first band to hit the stage. They had a very folky sound, rounded out with Americana-esque vocals and arrangements. You could tell the boys in Ohtis were quite young and downright excited to be playing a show with Anathallo and Aloha. Striking comparisons to Grizzly Bear and Band Of Horses, the guys had good stage-presence and successfully warmed up the crowd for the other two bands. Highlights of their set included a Daniel Johnston cover and the lead singer’s bandanna-print shirt. CRAZY.
Anathallo’s intricate and thought-out set was received warmly by the Billiken Club crowd. The band’s familiarity and inclusiveness made the audience feel welcome and made you want to clap and sing along.
With comparisons to Dirty Projectors and headliners Aloha, Chicago-based Anathallo utilized quirky percussion and vocal techniques to produce a meddled but resonating sound throughout the club. The audience loved them, and they loved us back. Their set was very celebratory, full of clapping, chanting, stomping, and shouting both on and off stage. They played a new song about a trip to Guatemala from their new album, Canopy Glow, expected to be released whenever “someone with a large sum of money wants to give that money to us”, according to lead-singer Matt Joynt.
By the time Aloha took the stage, most of the audience had left (wtf?). They were trippin’. Anyways, despite that minor set-back and a hospital visit for an eye-infection, the band gave it their all and showed those who remained in the crowd that they were true musicians. Drummer Cale Parks pounded out complex rythyms while T.J. Lipple’s skills on marimba and piano really shined. Although we didn’t really hear much from their latest EP, Light Works (which is fine, because I’m still on the fence about it) they played rousing renditions of “Let Your Head Hang Low”, “All The Wars”, “You Escaped”, “Brace Your Face”, and many more. Having seen Aloha a few times before, there wasn’t much variation from past performances but I don’t mind at all. They are always entertaining and are excellent at what they do.
Dont Forget:
Two more days of fun! The Billiken Club Bene-fest carries on tonight with The Bureau, Riddle Of Steel, and School Of Language (kick-ass Field Music side-project).
Saturday is the last day of the Bene-fest, with Target Market, the 1900s, and British Sea Power!
All ages, FREE, open to the public! Doors at 8, show at 9.
I found these two ruffians in a cul-de-sac when I was back home. Actually, they are my friends and they kindly obliged when I told them I wanted to style and profile them.
AJ Mesleh, mattress-factory employee (make that money, don’t let it make you.)
Explain the outfit.
Ze outfit is a product of my trashiness.
Where do you like to shop?
freshcotton.com, thrift stores; a lot of different places I suppose
Favorite article of clothing?
Well, I just got a job at a mattress warehouse so lately I’ve been pretty into flannel shirts. All I need now is a lumberjack beard and I’ll be set for life.
What catches your eye when shopping for clothes?
I usually look for clothes that people will secretly judge me for wearing.
If you could be any article of clothing, what would it be and why?
JORTS. Do you really need to ask why?
Emma Brady, student at DePaul University
Explain your outfit. I’m sporting a YSL belt, sweater dress, brown tights, and boots. Lovely.
Where do you like to shop? I like to shop at all the standards. Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, H&M, etc. My favorite designer is Isaac Mizrahi.
What is your favorite article of clothing? My favorite article of clothing would have to be my cardigan. I find a level of comfort within it.
What catches your eye when shopping for clothes? When shopping, I look for a variety of clothes. Fun shapes, Native American inspired articles, mostly neutral colors, etc.
If you could be any article of clothing, what would you be and why? If I could buy any article of clothing I would buy a jet pack, does that count? I think it would truly be the finishing touch to any look.
A number of readers/sources/palz have grown increasingly concerned with Tupac’s whereabouts, and to that, I say Huzzah! Recent news reports have surfaced about Diddy’s possible involvement in a shooting that harmed Tupac in ‘94, two years before his “murder” in ‘96. (I like to think of it more as a dissappearance.) Decide for yourself. Diddy has been keeping himself busy “making bands” and all of that shit and calls the allegations a “libellous piece of garbage”. Triple word score, Diddy, triple word score.
In case all you lovelies didn’t know, our blog is co-sponsoring it’s first-ever event! The Billiken Club Bene-fest is indeed tomorrow, so if you live in the St. Louis area you have no excuse to not be there!Here is the official press release:
The Billiken Club Hosts First Ever Billiken Club Bene-fest
March 26, 2008
Saint Louis, MO – The Billiken Club will host The Billiken Club Bene-fest, a three day music festival, starting March 27 and ending March 29. The Billiken Club Bene-fest will feature live national acts every night during the festival including Aloha, School of Language, and British Sea Power. Each night, The Billiken Club will be accepting donations to benefit The Urban Studio, a St. Louis Arts Organization that uses the creative process to develop individuals’ skills, build community assets, promote self-confidence, and strengthen sense of community. This event is co-sponsored by KDHX 88.1FM, Toe Taps and Spastic Claps, and KSLU.
The first ever Billiken Club Bene-fest will bring national, regional and local artists to Saint Louis University’s on-campus venue each night during the three-day festival. The following is an updated Bene-fest line-up:
March 27: Aloha with Anathallo and Ohtis
March 28: School of Language with Riddle of Steel and The Bureau
March 29: British Sea Power with The 1900s and Target Market
As always, each show will be free, all ages, and open to the public. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and the show will begin at 9:00 p.m.
For more information about The Billiken Club or our co-sponsors, KDHX 88.1FM, Toe Taps and Spastic Claps, and KSLU, please visit http://billikenclub@slu.edu.
________________________________________________________________________ About The Billiken Club
The Billiken Club is an award winning music venue on the campus of Saint Louis University that is run by a committee of Saint Louis University students. All performances are free, open to the public, and all ages and feature national, regional and local bands. The Billiken Club is located in the lower level of the Busch Student Center at 20 North Grand Boulevard.
New Yorker Jeffrey Lewis is part of the whole anti-folk movement and has a really tubular website. His songs are very pro-active and witty, but they ended up making me feel like a bad person for some reason. I felt like I should have been saving the world instead of standing at a club. In the vein of Kimya Dawson and Daniel Johnston, this dude has a large following in Cleveland and elsewhere. All in all, it was a very thought-provoking and whimsical set. He told stories, held up his homemade comics, and won the crowd over in general.
Next up was Ra Ra Riot from Syracuse, NY. I was completely blown away by their set. Fresh from SXSW, this group showed no signs of stoppin’ the funk. At first I felt guilty about comparing the singer’s voice to that of Vampire Weekend’s leading man, however on their website they list them as palz. Their high-energy set left me very excited to hear their self-titled EP, which I dutifully purchased after the show. Expect a lot from this funky bunch in the future!
The Cribs’ set was last, and it was truly legit. Although they did not hesitate to let everyone know they were from Wakefield, England, they complimented the Cleveland Browns for their impeccable football uniforms and this won the crowd’s hearts. Building bridges. Excellent.
Their set was comprised of mostly new tracks from their latest album, Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever, but they also managed to please older fans with a rowdy rendition of “Hey Scenesters”. All in all, my friend and I were surprised about how intense and energetic they were. Listening to their albums, there isn’t much aggression at all, however they were gettin’ sweaty and were giving it their all.
I left the show in a great mood, considering the whole Crystal Castles fiasco two days prior. Solid gold.
You may not know this, but TT&SC loves White Denim. These boys are from Austin, TX and play a mixture of good classic rock and roll smashed in with sloppy indie sound bytes. Their performance at the old Billiken Club last semester left us in complete awe, and broke from buying all their EPs. But they just made a new video for their song “IEIEI” featuring clips from their latest tour and (da di dah!) you can see footage of them driving past that huge cross and the arch! For the Chicagoans out there, you can even some familiar landmarks such as Millennium Park. Those boys are such tourists!
White Denim will be heading to Europe soon, but will be coming back to the States to do some shows until late May. If they are doing a show near you, I highly recommend that you go see them! You definitely won’t regret it. You can also read the interview I did with them for The Amp when they rolled into Saint Louis.
You have been wondering, what has Catfish Haven been up to? New album? Tour? Where do they think Tupac is? Well, here it is. Toe Taps and Spastic Claps’ interview with the cool cats.
This is TT&SC’s first female God Warrior(ess) and we couldn’t be more excited. In the future, we hope that there will be more ladies to proclaim as protectors of the world from demons and gorgyles.
Thao sings intricate folk twang jamz with her band, The Get Down Stay Down. Although some of tracks may start quietly, it doesn’t take long before Thao launches into a straight up good ole fashion hoe down. As an artist on Kill Rock Stars, whom also represents The Decemberists, Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu and Panther–just to name a few–how could she not be a God Warrioress? We Brave Bee Stings and All is her first full length album and was released back in February. Considering I’ve heard the girl about two years back with her single,”Feet Asleep”, it was about goddamn time that she released this album. Well, let’s give a good round of spastic claps for Thao because she sure deserves it.
She is currently on tour with Xiu Xiu and will be making a stop at KDHX, St. Louis Community Radio, before performing at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. The show is on March 31st and will also feature Matt Dill and Berlin Whale.
Check out a track down below.
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – Bag of Hammers [MP3]
These Philly bros are in your face like a mouthpiece. With influences ranging from old-school hip-hoppers Run DMC to 90’s riot grrrls Bikini Kill, these two vegan MCs are sure to keep your feet movin’ with their latest album, Excuse Me, This Is The Yah Mos Def. What first caught my ear was the obviously lo-fi sound mixed with samples from the likes of Cap’n Jazz and Minor Threat. It’s the kind of lo-fi production that makes you think The YMD recorded their album in a basement with a karaoke machine, but that isn’t such a bad thing.
The Beastie Boys comparisons are undeniable, however these two have their own thing going. Their songs have clever, tongue-in-cheek titles such as “Jive Like Jehu” and “Charles Maggio’s Real Last Name Is Ash”. Their voices are quite distinct, Johnny Stockton’s being more aggressive and abrasive, while Carl Malone’s is definitely the more laid-back of the two. “New Direction” commands that y’all listen up and recognize, giving shout-outs throughout the chorus to just about every ‘hood in Philly. The stand-out track, however, is “Jive Like Jehu”. The beat is tight, and the MCs’ flows are at their finest.
This album is refreshing, stripping away all of the iced-out, Kanye-fab elements that are bombarding the current scene. Listen to their tracks on Myspace.
TheYMD – Charles Maggio’s Real Last Name Is Ash [Mp3]
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORES, YA HEARD??
We here at Toe Taps and Spastic Claps love free music as much as the other, but these mp3s are for promotional use only.
If you really enjoy the artist, it's highly recommended that you buy their work. If you are an artist and would like us to take down your music for whatever reason, please feel free to contact us at toetapsandspasticclaps@gmail.com and we'd be much obliged.
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