a magazine about female drummers TOM TOM MAGAZINE summer 2014 #18: the rebel issue rebel issue sa va ges Fay Milton Kris Ramos of STOMP Didi Negron of the Cirque du Soleil Go go’s Gina Schock Alicia Warrington ISSUE 18 | USD $6 DISPLAY SUMMER 2014 kate nash CONTRIBUTORS INSIDE issUE 18 FOUNDER/pUblishER/EDiTOR-iN-ChiEF Mindy Abovitz ([email protected]) BACKSTAGE WITH STOMP maNagiNg EDitor Melody Allegra Berger 18 REViEWs EDitor Rebecca DeRosa ([email protected]) DEsigNERs Candice Ralph, Marisa Kurk & My Nguyen CIRQUE DU SOLEIL CODERs Capisco Marketing 20 WEb maNagER Andrea Davis NORThWEsT CORREspONDENT Lisa Schonberg PLANNINGTOROCK NORThWEsT CREW Katherine Paul, Leif J. Lee, Fiona CONTRibUTiNg WRiTER Kate Ryan 24 Campbell, Kristin Sidorak la CORREspONDENTs Liv Marsico, Candace Hensen OUR FRIENDS HABIBI miami CORREspONDENT Emile Milgrim 26 bOston CORREspONDENT Kiran Gandhi baRCElONa CORREspONDENT Cati Bestard NyC DisTRO Segrid Barr ALICIA WARRINGTON/KATE NASH EUROpEaN DisTRO Max Markowsky 29 COpy EDiTOR Anika Sabin WRiTERs Chloe Saavedra, Rachel Miller, Shaina FAY FROM SAVAGES Machlus, Sarah Strauss, Emi Kariya, Jenifer Marchain, Cassandra Baim, Candace Hensen, Mar Gimeno 32 Lumbiarres, Kate Ryan, Melody Berger, Lauren Flax, JD Samson, Max Markowsky illUsTRator Maia De Saavedra TEChNiqUE WRiTERs Morgan Doctor, Fernanda Terra gina from the go-go’s Vanessa Domonique 36 phOTOgRaphERs Bex Wade, Ikue Yoshida, Chloe Aftel, Stefano Galli, Cortney Armitage, Jessica GZ, John Carlow, Annie Frame SKIP THE NEEDLE illUsTRaTORs Maia De Saavedra 41 mUsiC & mEDia REViEWs Rebecca DeRosa, Stephanie Reisnour, Matthew D’Abate, Lola Johnson, Mindy Abovitz, Attia Taylor, Emily Nemens TEEN gEaR REViEWs Andrea Davis, Candace Hensen 44 TOm TOm TV Katwo Puertollano, Anthony Lozano, Anthony Buhay, Teale Failla iNTERNs Gabby Smith THE SUZAN ThaNK yOU All of you, Naama Tsabar, Frieze Art Fair, aRTisT COllabORator Naama Tsabar 46 Angela Smith, Pitzer College, Stephanie Hutin, Amy Garapic, Loop 2.4.3, The Wick & The Well, Congrats to Kate Ryan, Mazel Tov Mirah & Todd, GrrrlFest THE BELLE BRIGADE This issUE is DEDiCaTED to my favorite person that 48 ever lived and to his favorite number. I love you Aba. CORRECTiONs FROm issUE 17 ‘Lena Dunham’ creator of GIRLS was referred to incorrectly as Leah Dunham. PRIESTS CONTaCT Us 49 302 Bedford Ave PMB #85 Brooklyn, NY 11249 [email protected] Facebook, Twitter, Instagram:@tomtommag ANIKA NILLES ON ThE COVER 50 Fay Milton of Savages by Bex Wade CONTRibUTiNg WRiTER JD Samson 2 tom tom magazine LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR tom tom ThE missiON Tom Tom Magazine ® is the only magazine in the world dedicated to female drummers. We are a quarterly print magazine, website, social media community, events and more. Tom Tom serves as the a Kochnowicz a Kochnowicz ultimate go-to guide for the latest J information about female drum- mers and beat makers. Tom Tom seeks to raise awareness about female percussionists from all over the world and hopes to inspire women and girls of all ages to drum, all while strengthening and building the community of other- wise fragmented female musicians. We cover drummers of all ages, races, styles, skill level, ability, sexuality, size and notoriety. Tom Tom Magazine is more than just a magazine it is a movement. Get into it. Ka Jeleni by polish drummer Teni Łowca This issue is focused on the Rebel. The highlight more risk takers like Gina Shock rule breaker. The non-conformist out from The Go Go’s and Fay Milton of UK’s of the box thinker. If you are a female leading band, Savages. We dip through drummer, a feminist, a social activist Brooklyn to check in with break out or you are just reading this magazine, groups TEEN, Habibi and The Suzan and chances are pretty high that you already stop off in Los Angeles to talk to Alicia fall into that category. And you are in Warrington who just picked up a gig good company, as I feel most of us who touring with Kate Nash. We go behind the work on putting the magazine together scenes at Cirque du Soleil’s newest show and the folks we feature are pretty Amaluna to uncover one of the sickest darn rebellious. drummers we know, Didi Negron and we get to go backstage with Kris Ramos, the I am not sure when it was that I became newest member of one of NYC’s longest aware of the fact that I was a rebel. Being running off Broadway shows, STOMP. from an immigrant family, nothing in my life ever seemed to quite fit in. By the To quote Angela Smith from her newest time I was conscious of the fact that me book entitled Women Drummers, “ and my family were different, it was too Viola Smith: Think it over boys. late. I was already in my pre-teens and Sometimes the best man for the job isn’t. committed to doing whatever I wanted and however I felt like it. Drums and Rebellion, Music’s origin has been fraught with rebellious characters like us. Drums have been the foundation for many a riot, Mindy Seegal Abovitz protest, war and revelry. In this issue we Founder/Editor-in-Chief tom tom magazine 3 Letters to the Editor MUCH LOve and please don’T EVER STOP DOING WHAT You’re doING! I’m from New York City and while there are soooo many female musicians/ drummers there, the lack of representation/support for them can often feel unbeatably, depressingly low. Tom Tom is a gem! Thank you thank you. —Annelise I LOVE TOM TOM MAGAZINE! Actually Recently, I ran into your article I need to renew my subscription, my on this incredible young lady on Face- boyfriend bought mine last year as a book and then I found your online Christmas present so I need to renew magazine and read the article on it for this year in my name! Great job Paulina. She is INCREDIBLE! To say on it by the way :) the least! I just want to thank you for —Carol the article and FROM NOW ON I WILL I LOVE TOM TOM HELLO! I just BE LOOKING FOR MORE INCRED- wanted to reach out—as a fan and IBLE YOUNG DRUMMERS IN YOUR fellow drummer—and say how much MAGAZINE! I love this magazine! Dear ladies at Tom Tom Magazine, Just a short message, because I —T.B. —Sophia like the style of your magazine very Alberta, Canada much. GREAT DESIGN, GREAT PIC- The work you are doing to TURES, GREAT STyle—TOTALLY promote women in drumming, music Thanks Tom Tom—YOU HELPED DIFFERENT THAN ALL OTHER DRUM and the arts is so important. And girls MAKE MY BOOK ABOUT WOMEN MAGS I KNOW. really need visible role models like you. DRUMMERS A REALITY. Best of luck with Tom Tom Magazine! KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC WORK, and thank you again. —Catrien —Angela Smith Berlin, Germany —LeeRay (author of Women Drummers) I am definitely not the most innovative drummer in the world, and I frankly HELLO TOM TOM. LET ME START suck at playing, but I love doing it WITH: YOUR MAG IS AWESOME! I have yet to get a copy in my hands, anyway and I am addicted to vintage but settling with the digital/web content drums. If I had the money, all of it would go into Rogers snare and ob- CONTACT US still rocks! I am a drummer based in Montréal and I do a lot of touring with scure japanese kits. I just subscribed to bands, local gigs, freelance stuff. Your your Issuu page to be able to read 302 Bedford Ave PMB #85 usual thing, and I know some great the new issues since I don’t have access Brooklyn, NY 11249 to anything where I am right now! female drummers that are doing some [email protected] killer stuff. THANK YOU FOR SUCH AN INSPIR- ING MAG. I REALLY WISH IT EXIST- @tomtommag Thanks so much! ED WHEN I WAS 14! —Lewis —Julie 4 tom tom magazine ANGEL KNOTTS PHOTO BY DERIC DESRONVIL Follow her @stixxwithgod_ tom tom magazine 5 THE BEAT AND THE PULSE in SK ni Ri O y G B OTO LAILA Ph Laila (which means Night in Hebrew) is a hard hitting two-piece SKATING POLLY based out of Tel Aviv, Israel that leaves you reeling and wanting more. Without much of an online presence and no recorded music available to date, watching them live feels like a rare moment and leaves a larger impact for it. I saw them perform Skating Polly is 2-piece based out of Oklahoma city, OK. twice while they were in NYC and am looking forward to their We just found out about them and you should too. first album with bated breath. Shot by Goni Riskin at theTom Tom Magazine Frieze Art Festival with Naama Tsabar. BANDS TO LOOK OUT FOR QUAALUDES [Art Rock No Wave] // San Fransisco, CA // facebook.com/quaaludesmusic WE WiLL BE LiONS [Psychedelic Glam Rock] // San Fransisco, CA // wewillbelions.com SKAtiNG POLLY [Ugly Pop] // Oklahoma City, OK // facebook.com/skatingpolly THE BLACK ShEEP [Pop Rock] // Köln, Germany // theblacksheep.de DRUM LESSONS GiRL [Free Drum Education] // Online // drumlessonsgirl.com DEMI MONDAiNE [Chanson Rock] // Paris, FR // demimondaine.fr EX HEX [Punk] // Washington, DC // exhexband.com KAtiNKA [Funk Punk Rock] // Mannheim, Germany // facebook.com/katinkaband ALISA JOE AND GYRL PROBLEMS [R&B/Soul] // Philly, PA// facebook.com/alisajoeandgyrlproblems HEctOR BiZERK [Hip Hop/Alternative] // Glasgow, Scottland // soundcloud.com/hector-bizerk IF NOT FOR DREAMING [Alt Rock/Pop] // New Haven, CT // ifnotfordreaming.com LittLE BAND OF SAILORS [Incantation/Dance] // NY, NY // littlebandofsailors.com BAA RAM EWE [Indie] // West Philly, PA // baa-ram-ewe-band.tumblr.com THE WARNING [Rock] // Monterrey, Mexico // facebook.com/thewarningmusic3 BUNNY FiVE COAT [Punk Rock] // Pittsburgh, PA // facebook.com/BunnyFiveCoat/info CHOKING ON BLEAch [Alt Rock] // Brooklyn, NY // chokingonbleach.com THE BOXTONES [Rock] // Dubai, UAE // boxtonesband.com FIELDED [post-apocalyptic pop] // Brooklyn, NY // fielded.tumblr.com Small, 3-string 6 tom tom magazine guitars.