Once upon a time, there was a band called Iron Butterfly. In 1968, they had a huge hit with a song called In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. The album version of the song was 17 minutes long. It was epic, for sure. Well, apparently sometime around June of 2000, I decided to make my own "hiphop" version of the song with a Yamaha DJX keyboard I got for Christmas. Technically, I only used the core riff of the song, not the intricate bridges and transitional parts. It's silly, for sure. But it's got a cool throwback sound that's kinda fun to groove to in the car with the windows down on a sunny day. Anyway, in my effort to publish every dumb thing I have created, I thought I'd put this out there. Don't judge. Just groove. ;)

Davida Hiphop

A year or so before HeadFirst broke up (circa 2011), I sat down and wrote some lyrics about my troubled relationship with my second wife. I had some fundamental ideas about song structure, but it was Tim Neuman who helped clarify some of the key riffs and song arrangement ideas that you hear in the final product. A wonderful example of the power of collaboration, this tune is still one of our favorites. I am happy to say that Neuman and I are collaborating once again. He has a collection of very solid tunes that need drum and percussion tracks, so I have been working on creating those. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some examples of that work soon. Meanwhile, enjoy this rocker from our initial songwriting partnership.

Shadows Walk Alone

I've been working on everything that goes into dialing in a good drum sound for recording at home, from changing heads to experimenting with mic placement, and I think I am getting very close to something usable. Posting this incomplete clip just for the sake of posterity and feedback.

Tim Roe Home Studio Drum Recording Experiment #9

Sometimes, when approaching a new song idea, I challenge myself to emulate one of my heroes. In this case, I wanted to try my hand at paying homage to Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails). Banshee is a song that began with the experimentation of sounds and the crafting of a sonic atmosphere that was intended to challenge the senses with unsettling "instrumentation" and dark, dissonant textures. As the process evolved, a sound emerged that eventually conjured thoughts of banshees. Using this concept as a starting point for a lyrical theme, I went to work researching various sources of lore that involved banshees. Borrowing elements from each source, I was able to weave some of the iconic imagery into an epic tale that serves as a metaphor for the bipolar elements of good and evil that can plague relationships. Fans of R. M. Putnam's work may notice my allusion to story elements found in Destiny's Warriors. Musically and lyrically, I am very proud of what I have composed and hope you enjoy it as well.

Lyrics:

Our love is like a screaming banshee
Sending a warning to the dawn

One dove extends an olive branch, she’s
Mending and mourning Babylon

Gwydion solves riddles by the ash tree
Something that’s pure can save the day
 
Our love is like a keening banshee
We avert our eyes and cast the flame

Consume the moon with your fighting and spite, as my
Hatred it lingers long into the night, but
None of these stories of fire and lore and your
Heart ...

Consume the moon with your fighting and spite, as I
Pray that the daylight will make it alright
Done with the stories a liar can store in the
Heart … of a broken whore

Banshee

Tommy Whiskers performing their first set at The Main Event on 96th on Tuesday, November 21, 2017.

Tommy Whiskers @ The Main Event on 96th (Set 1) 20171121

Tommy Whiskers performing at Taps Live in Indianapolis, IN to a very intimate crowd. Ryan Wright drops in to the club and performs two Doors tunes with the band. Brian Goodwin (bass/vocals), Nick Lemmo (vocals), Tom Padgett (guitar), Pat Finnigan (keys/vocals), Tim Roe (drums).

Tommy Whiskers Live

Tommy Whiskers at Taps Live (January 19, 2018)

Tommy Whiskers performing Toto's "Rosanna" at Taps Live in downtown Indianapolis on Friday, January 19, 2018.

Rosanna (Live)

A TORO track that was written by Brian Spagnolo. This is the first song to be fully produced at my studio since I released Banshee last year. Other songs have been started, but this is the first song to be released into the wild from my studio that wasn't written and performed by me. Jim and Drew from TORO contributed to the track as well. Brian is proud of it. I'm proud of it. And we all hope you enjoy it.

Heal Something

Independent #drummer and #producer. Currently drumming for TORO Rock Band and Station to Station.

Indy Drummer