Billy Atwell - DRUMS - ProfilesArchive

About Me

I play drums. 22 years professionally with a formal 8 year, public school beat down. These days I stick to a 4 piece kit. I used to play thrash on a pimped-out Bruford Simmons scene but too many drums confuses me.
I also play percussion but gravitate towards Mediterranean, African and Indian instruments/rhythms.
Most days I produce, play a myriad of instruments and compose for all sorts of outlets (film, theater, dance, etc.) I just put out a double CD called "Dos" which you can get at www.cdbaby.com/cd/billyatwell.
You can also do the mp3 thing. Cool widget, eh?
People hire me as a drummer for my creative choices because I hear the big picture in the music. I've been the guitarist and bass player in other situations and know when to open the hats, switch to the ride, ride on a crash or get thumpy on the toms.
More details can be found in the blog under "The Story So Far".
Here's a slew of videos all shot in one day back in January '07. Anyone in the world who would like to virtually audition me here and contact me for work is more than welcome to!
CHAPTER 1 : * HIP HOP / FUNK / DUB *
VIDEO 1 " HIP HOP SHUFFLE "
VIDEO 2 " NEW ORLEANS FUNK "
VIDEO 3 " DUB REGGAE "
VIDEO 4 " MATT FUNK " featuring MATT VOLPE - bass guitar
CHAPTER 2 : * POP / CONTEMPORARY ROCK *
VIDEO 5 " MATT'S MELANCHOLY " featuring MATT VOLPE - bass guitar
VIDEO 6 " LUSTY GIRL BIG BEAT " featuring MATT VOLPE - bass guitar
VIDEO 7 " OLD SCHOOL PUNK (1977) " featuring MATT VOLPE - bass guitar
CHAPTER 3 : * HARDCORE PUNK *
VIDEO 8 " SO. CAL. PUNK ROCK "
VIDEO 9 " D.C. HARDCORE "
CHAPTER 4 : * TOTAL F**KING METAL ! ! ! *
VIDEO 10 " F RULES! " featuring MATT VOLPE - bass guitar
VIDEO 11 " BURMINGHAM SHUFFLE " featuring MATT VOLPE - bass guitar
VIDEO 12 " SLOW METAL GRINDER " featuring MATT VOLPE - bass guitar
CHAPTER 5 : * COUNTRY / AMERICANA * ( THAT'S RIGHT . . . )
VIDEO 13 " SLOW TRAIN BEAT "
VIDEO 14 " TOKYO COWBOY "
VIDEO 15 " NASCAR BABY! "
CHAPTER 6 : * BLUES *
VIDEO 16 " TEXAS SHUFFLE "
VIDEO 17 " SLOW 6/8 BLUES " featuring Rod Shepard - guitar; Rommel Valenzuela - keyboard
CHAPTER 7 : " PERCUSSION "
VIDEO 18 " Djembe Improv "
VIDEO 19 " Frame Drum Improv "
VIDEO 20 " Doumbek Improv "
VIDEO 21 " RESONATOR " Tabla / Udu performance
BONUS FOOTAGE AND OUTTAKES
" TRIO IMPROV " featuring Rod Shepard - guitar; Matt Volpe - bass
" TECH AND SET UP "

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 2/21/2007
Band Website: billyatwell.com
Band Members: BAIII - Drum kit, drum programs, and percussion including doumbek, djembe, bodhran, tar, kinjara, riq, bendhir, buffalo drums, dohlak, tablas, udu, talking drum and assorted shakers, jingles and rattlers.
Influences: Pile drivers, clothes washers/dryers and jackhammers. Thunderous kickbacks during firework displays. Thunder itself. Whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes. The infrequent sextuplet or thirty-second note flourish. Push-ups and laps at band camp. Whatever beats got those guys to step up for the lift at the Sundance rituals.

But mostly the pile drivers.
Sounds Like: Billy Atwell. Trust me.
Record Label: AMPaudio.net
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Yankee Candle

www.yankeecandle.com Yankee Candle always had a charm about it. Yes, indeed, no denying the blissful effects of aromatherapy, eh? Candles aside, elements wafting in the breeze certainly can overt...
Posted by Billy Atwell - DRUMS on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

Killer Jawbox tribute for Cal Robbins

Way back my old band th' Inbred played gigs and got super friendly with one of DC's finest, Government Issue. Their bass player, the enigmatic J Robbins started up Jawbox, Burning Airlines and a rathe...
Posted by Billy Atwell - DRUMS on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:10:00 PST

BIG BANG BABY

I am pleased to announce I am the new full-time drummer for one of the busiest acts on the NJ-based 107 Productions roster: Big Bang Baby (http://www.bigbangbaby.com). I did my first gig with them th...
Posted by Billy Atwell - DRUMS on Tue, 29 May 2007 03:17:00 PST

MY NEW CD

And "What is THAT?", you ask? It's a Siamese boar. Taxidermied. Dead. Stuffed. One head looking West, young man and the other looking South...straight into the depths of HELL!!! A-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!...
Posted by Billy Atwell - DRUMS on Sun, 18 Mar 2007 12:57:00 PST

The Story So Far

Yes. It's THAT Billy Atwell again. Only this is my drumming/percussion profile. I started drumming at age 10 in the public school. I mouthed off and ran a lot of laps in marching band. Yes, I ...
Posted by Billy Atwell - DRUMS on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:16:00 PST