Follow the Beat Of: Street Drum Corps

Drumming is in our blood. Literally.

Our hearts beat out a rhythm that is unique to all of us.

And it is this instinctual beat that Street Drum Corps (aka SDC)  has decided to utilize and bring back to the forefront of our minds and the minds of the open-minded.

These three have taken the instrument that is the backbone of music and brought it to our immediate attention. Its the thing that catches our ears, makes us tap our fingers and toes, and brings up the urge to beat on the tabletops and headbang no matter where you’re listening to them.

Street Drum Corps is Bobby and Adam Alt and Frank Zummo. These men started in Los Angeles and the band started out as a simple experiment and has clearly evolved into something more. Their demand increases as time goes on and if their first two albums are any indication, these three have talent to shake up modern music and chance the perception of rock and drumming itself.

“Since their formation four years ago, the group has constantly refined their sound on the road, blowing away audiences at nearly every major U.S. festival with their combination of thunderous percussion and visual stimuli. SDC’s shows are a primordial, stomping blast of energy, theatricality and passion. “

That quote, taken from their bio on their site, puts into words exactly the imagery and the personality that their music puts out as they play not only on their albums, but also live. Their live shows are things that get people hyped up, they bring out the adrenaline and excitement that our culture has put aside in complacency. Their music encourages you to get off your ass and interact with the music. 

They’ve toured and collaborated with No Doubt, Bad Religion,  Atreyu, The Used, Chris Cornell, Busta Rhymes, The Bravery, Linkin Park, STOMP, Good Charlotte, Strung Out, Alexis On Fire, & 30 Seconds To Mars. They obviously don’t discriminate when it comes to the talent they associate with. They seem to know people with talent and and know how to collaborate with big names.

Listen to one of their songs right now. Any which one you choose. Ignore the world around you and focus on the heartbeat of the song. Focus on your heartbeat as it syncs with their talent.

Then get back to me and thank me for telling you about them.

Tashia

Cascadence Strikes Again: Interview with Dar

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We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Dar,  the insanely talented drummer of the incredible band Cascadence. I’ve been gushing about the band for a while now, so if you haven’t done so already, definitely check them out. They also fall into the category of “audio crack.” After just one hit, you’ll be coming back for more. And trust me, the only thing to cure your addiction to Cascadence, is more Cascadence.

Check out our interview with Dar:

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

A: Yes my Name is really Dar, I love music. It’s my life and passion. I grew up in NJ and Florida and worked with some great producers. I love life.

Q: How old where you when you first started drumming?

I was 13.

Q: What made you want to become a drummer?

I thought it was straight up cool.

Q: What drummers do you admire?

Virgil Donati, Terri Bozzio.

Q: How would you describe your style of drumming?

Rock style with jazz and metal influence.

Q: Do you play any other instruments?

Guitar, Bass and Piano.

Q: What kind of drums do you play?

Mapex

Q: Do you have a favorite drum hardware brand?

DW

Q: Have you ever met any well-known drummers?

Yes I have.  Blondies drummer Will Calhoun and Jo Jo Mayer.

Q: What is your favorite album right now?

Coldplay:X and Y.

Q: What upcoming concerts are you looking forward to attending?

The Rotts, Common Train, and Hall and Oates.

Q: Do you have a favorite band?

Jimmy Eat world.

Q: Apart from drumming, what are some of your other hobbies?

Surfing;  hanging in NYC.

Q: What has been your most embarrassing on-stage moment?

Don’t have one.

Q: What goals do you want to pursue in the near future?

Leave my mark on the music industry put out a great record become successful in life period. Haha.

Q And lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring drummers?

Practice as much as possible, try new things, listen as much as possible to develop your own style.

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Where’d you go?

My Chemical Romance’s drummer Bob Bryar has decided to quit the band. The 30 year old drummer left the band a month ago, the band didn’t take it at all lightly and it’s not at all known who will take his place. One of my good friends adores him and she couldn’t believe that he left, he was an awesome drummer. Mr. Bryar was born in Chicago, Illinois, he joined MCR in 2004 and replaced Matt Pelissier. He started playing drums at a young age and even played in his school’s marching and jazz bands. He has been dealing with a wrist-injury and has had some surgery done but that’s not known wheather this is the reason for leaving. Although a missing piece is left in the band, their new album is still in the makes. But how will they finish without a drummer? Bob, we miss you and for the unknown reasons you quit we still wish you the best of luck. If you want more info, you can go to http://musicalyssa.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/bob-bryar-quits-my-chemical-romance/.

 

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Shannon Leto, Master of LOLs

Now, we all know Shannon’s got his serious face perfected. And we also know that, thanks to his serious side, he’s gotten his art down to a nearly perfected state. Which is why so many of us look up to him as such an amazing drummer and artist.

But there are the moments where we can see he is clearly a jokester, a man who is clever and enjoys being playful in moments of total seriousness.  I found a video that shows off these moments wonderfully.

Remember, behind every serious musician is a person with a personality of gold.

Tashia

P.S. – Seraphina and I apologize for canceling the Whatever.FM episode dedicated to Shannon. Unfortunately, we couldn’t record tonight!

Shannon Leto Prefers:

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One of today’s Drum Recommendations comes from the man of the hour himself!

In an interview with Vic Firth, 30 Seconds to Mars drummer Shannon Leto dished that he prefers to use Vic Firth Nylon Tip 5/8 drum sticks.

Shannon says:

“I didn’t know Vic Firth, to be honest, or any other sticks. I just picked them up and it felt right. I like the weight, I use 5/8 Nylon, I’ve always used those drum sticks.”

My Input: Nylon tips are always better to use (in my opinion) because they don’t break or chip away as easily as wood tips. This is important, especially when your practicing because it can be expensive (and annoying) to have to continually by drum sticks because they keep breaking. The important thing is, however, to find what you’re comfortable with and what you think sounds and feels better.

You can check out the Vic Firth for drum sticks and other drum gear, here.

Check out Shannon’s interview with Vic Firth:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANNON LETO!

tumblr_ky3sqiq8sp1qa7vvwo1_400It was on this day, a good number of years ago, the sky opened and the Rock God’s bestowed upon us the magnificent gift that is Shannon Leto.

Well, it happened a little different, but you know. For the most part that’s what went down.

We would like to wish Shannon a very happy birthday! We have always been impressed by his amazing  talent on the drums, and his genuine kindness never ceases to melt our hearts. This “Drum Week” is dedicated to Shannon. Join us in celebrating by heading over to Twitter and tweeting #HappyBdayShannon. We hope to make it a trending topic!

While you’re there, follow @ShannonLeto and tweet him your Bday wishes.

Keep checking in! We have a bunch of Shannon Leto articles in store for you, including some drum tips from the man himself.

Happy Birthday Shannon! We hope it’s a great one!

Drum Tip of the Day!

The Drum Tip of the Day is brought to you by Jake Antelis, an extremely talented drummer and music producer.

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His tip is:

“Protect you ears. This may seem like an odd tip for a drummer but you will find that bashing away on your favorite led zeppelin or any of your favorites bands at full volume without earplugs or some form of ear protection will leave your ears fatigued and tired and not able to play for long periods of time. Also prolonged loud volume in the long term will result on hearing loss and . So grab those ear plugs and rock!”

Tune in all week for more tips from Jake!

Be sure to check out his drumming:

The Legend Lives on: The Rev

“The album, the music, and the live show. That’s what we’re here to do.”
You know one of the best drummers ever? No? Get to know him and his band here!
HTML1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-5blNHl_xY
Yes, I’m talking about James Owen Sullivan, also known as “The Rev” or Jimmy who was the drummer of the American rock band Avenged Sevenfold till his sudden death in 2009. According to himself his style was influenced by Vinnie Paul, Mike Portnoy and Terry Bozzio.
Next to drumming he was also the lead vocalist of the metal band “Pinkly Smooth”. And before he joined Avenged Sevenfold he was the drummer for another band, called Suburban Legends. “The Rev” also played other instruments e. g. the piano or guitar and wrote songs like “A Little Piece of Heaven”.
Avenged Sevenfold released four albums from 2001 to 2008. Their first album was “Sound The Seventh Trumpet” with the single “Warmness on the Soul”. In 2003 “Wkaing the Fallen” followed from which are the singles “Second heartbeat” and “Unholy confessions”. 2005 the album “City of Evil” followed with the single “Bat Country” which made it to rank 2 in the US Main charts. The album “Avenged Sevenfold” was released in 2007 and in 2008 the last album, the B-Sides “Diamonds in the Rough” was released which reached Platinum in the USA. In 2006 Avenged Sevenfold was rewarded with the MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist.
On 28th December James “The Rev” Sullivan was found dead in his house in Huntington Beach, California. He died at the age of 28, according to the Police of natural causes. He was active in the music business for ten years. From 1999, when his first record was released (he was 18 at that time) until he died. It was a much too short time for such an amazing drummer but he will forever be remembered in the hearts of his fans and live on through his music!
“Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. […]” the band posted one day after the passing of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan on their official website.
R.I.P. Jimmy – We will never forget you!

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“The album, the music, and the live show. That’s what we’re here to do.”

-James “The Rev” Sullivan

You know one of the best drummers ever? No? Get to know him and his band here!

Yes, I’m talking about James Owen Sullivan, also known as “The Rev” or Jimmy who was the drummer of the American rock band Avenged Sevenfold till his sudden death in 2009. According to himself his style was influenced by Vinnie Paul, Mike Portnoy and Terry Bozzio.

Next to drumming he was also the lead vocalist of the metal band “Pinkly Smooth”. And before he joined Avenged Sevenfold he was the drummer for another band, called Suburban Legends. “The Rev” also played other instruments e. g. the piano or guitar and wrote songs like “A Little Piece of Heaven”.

Avenged Sevenfold released four albums from 2001 to 2008. Their first album was “Sound The Seventh Trumpet” with the single “Warmness on the Soul”. In 2003 “Wkaing the Fallen” followed from which are the singles “Second heartbeat” and “Unholy confessions”. 2005 the album “City of Evil” followed with the single “Bat Country” which made it to rank 2 in the US Main charts. The album “Avenged Sevenfold” was released in 2007 and in 2008 the last album, the B-Sides “Diamonds in the Rough” was released which reached Platinum in the USA. In 2006 Avenged Sevenfold was rewarded with the MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist.

On 28th December James “The Rev” Sullivan was found dead in his house in Huntington Beach, California. He died at the age of 28, according to the Police of natural causes. He was active in the music business for ten years. From 1999, when his first record was released (he was 18 at that time) until he died. It was a much too short time for such an amazing drummer but he will forever be remembered in the hearts of his fans and live on through his music!

“Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. […]” the band posted one day after the passing of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan on their official website.

R.I.P. Jimmy – We will never forget you!

[Post made by Julie]

Drum Week Begins!

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It has begun!

Today is the first day of a week long series here on Awholelotofwhatever.com: DRUM WEEK TAKEOVER! We’re taking sometime out to acknowledge this amazing musical craft, and praise the work of the drummers who play remarkably. We’ve got an exciting week ahead of us, so be sure to stay tuned each day for something different! And on Friday, two of our very own will be reporting LIVE from the Muse concert in Chicago. You better be following @Wholelotawhatev on Twitter to get the 411!

To kick things off here on Drum Week Takeover, I would like to remind you all that there are many different styles of drumming. Most of the time when we hear about “Drums” or “Drumming” our mind immediately conjures up the image of a rock band and a drummer behind an elaborate set. But that’s not always the case. Check out this amazing drum solo done on a small frame drum:

The drummer’s name is Jamal Mohamed. He has been featured in numerous music festivals all over the world, including China, Egypt, Indonesia, and Mexico. He was born in Lebanon, but grew up in Chicago. Apart from being an amazing drummer, he builds most of the  instruments he plays and is also interested in dance, theater, film, and music therapy.

Check out more of Jamal Mohamed’s amazing drumming here.

How To: Be A Fangirl

It has come to my attention that the world obviously does not have enough fangirls (and fanboyz, can’t forget them). And because I worry deeply for their safety and wouldn’t want them to go extinct (ignore the sarcasm dripping from my words, please)!

I’ve compiled this list of must-sees and must-dos so that we can all unleash the inner fangirl (and fanboi) in all of us. So go lock your bedroom door (or wherever else you might have your computer when you look at naughty things), grab your pen and paper, and burn these steps in your brain.

After all, you don’t want to be the laughingstock of the Fangirl & Fanboi Alliance, right?

  1. Choose a target; latch on to them like a leech.
  2. Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. any and all information you can on them. If you don’t know their birthday, blood type, and the size of their boxer briefs/panties, you’ve failed.
  3. Once you have a hoard of info, proceed to tell anyone who will listen about them. So what if your boyfriend or girlfriend can’t stand them, they’re going to have to listen, DAMNIT!
  4. If you’re in school still, cover all school materials (notebooks, binders, etc.) and your locker space with pictures of your target, magazine articles, and hearts filled with both your names. This will ensure that people know that your new target is yours and yours alone and that their heart belongs to you.
  5. Join whatever official fanclub they have going. Whether its online or a one that is through the mail, it doesn’t matter. You need that kind of faux contact with them that a stamped signature can afford you…. $30 a year, at least.
  6. Join any forums or fanpages you can find on the Internet. This will assure that you have all the latest, juicy gossip and that other crazies people like you will know which whore/asshole is dating your true love.
  7. Any place that isn’t a page dedicated to your soul mate should have them overwhelming your signature & avatar/picture. These people who are unaware of your burning desire need to know immediately so that they don’t try to take them from you.
  8. Make sure to promote them and their cause/project/career outside of the Internet. Let people in your town know about them and just how talented, awesome, and just all-powerful they really are.
  9. Clear out a space in your closet or on a bookshelf. You need to have a proper area to put all your paraphernalia and to correctly show your admiration and love for your soon-to-be significant other. Multiple pictures of them and several of their personal items and things they may have touched or excreted work best. Light a candle whenever you decide to stare at it for your daily 3-hour routine of worship.
  10. Start your own following in your local area or on the Web. If you head your own fanpage or forum, your hard work and stills will eventually pay off and your beloved with see your effort and send you an (automated) appreciative email!
  11. Never point out your lover’s faults. As their intended, it is your job to promote them and help them further their career by gathering loyal fans (while fighting off the whores and homewreckers who dare eclipse you in their eyes.) But if you’re honest, you know they don’t really have any faults. They’re perfect.
  12. When someone calls you a groupie, freak out. You are NOT one of those sluts/manwhores. You have a high moral character and would never sully your love’s image like they would. And you wouldn’t give them an STD, either.
  13. If someone outright calls you a fangirl, deny it. You’ve gone past the point of fangirl. You two are destined for each other and an outsider to your love just doesn’t understand. You know each other’s deepest desires… despite the fact you’ve never actually met them face to face.
  14. When you get the chance to meet them, throw yourself on them. You two are destined for each other anyway, so they shouldn’t mind it. In fact, the CEOs of the Fangirl & Fanboi Alliance encourage this initial behavior. It encourages people to realize and think that you two already know each other…. intimately.
  15. Find their email address. Send them messages ranging on how your day went to the sexy dream you had about them the night before. The try to role play with them. Get creative.
  16. Get their home address. Sending them gifts for the holidays, birthdays, and just because lets them know that someone (aka YOU) cares. And if you manage to get INTO their home, laying nekkid on their couch with a dozen roses is always encouraged!
  17. If they have some skank or asshole in their lives the paparazzi claims is their “girlfriend”/”boyfriend”, send them hate mail and threats. You know if they’re hanging around your fine piece of man/woman, they’re just using them for their money, looks, and anything else that your lover has. You’re totally welcome to make a Fanpage on Facebook that goes along the lines of “We H8 ______ Becuz Their Just Using _____” or something like that.
  18. Buy one of those fake engagement rings from a store like Claire’s. Wear it around and tell people you’re engaged to them! (This is obviously for the ladies, only. Guys, you can think of something similar.) Tell your friends, family, and co-workers that he proposed to you in your dream way and make sure to refer to him on a first name basis. And its not a lie about the method of proposal; if he loves you, he’ll propose in the way YOU want him to.
  19. A restraining order doesn’t mean they don’t love you. It just means you’re coming on too strong. Instead of having them wake up to you staring down at them with possessed eyes lovingly, try sending them small tokens of love in the mail. A pair of your underwear, a shirt, or a lock of your hair with a sexy poem could work.
  20. Remember: Above all else, you’re duty is to promote and defend your target. The more you spread them online and in real life, the more they can become popular and have more opportunities. Which means more chances for you to follow them around and meet them! So spam post away!

Fanboyz and Fangirls, unite! Abide by these rules and register with the Fangirl & Fanboi Alliance so they can keep track of you!

An Example of Fanboyz

Tashia

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