Cale Parks
LABEL: Polyvinyl  |||  PHOTOGRAPHY: Noah Kahlina

The list of drummers that have found their way from the back of the stage into the limelight is, well, it's pretty short & mostly rooted in the post-prog pop landscape of England in the 70's. This is an appropriate reference point for Cale Parks who has held down the rhythm and pulse in such critically acclaimed and adventurous "indie rock" bands as Aloha, White Williams and Cex. His solo work has, since it's inception been a foray deep into texture, rhythm, pure sound and onwards into the heart of the song. His 2006 album Illuminated Manuscript owes as much to his classically trained precision (He studied as an orchestral percussionist) as it does to his ear for melancholy, summoning comparisons with the repetition of Steve Reich, the sadness of Arvo Part & the electronic textures of Mum. 2008's Sparklace builds all these aspects into a more structured whole indebted to the dark 80s british electronics of New Order and Depeche Mode.

Never content to rest on his laurels, as Sparklace hit the shelves Cale has already finished the recording of his 3rd LP, To Swift Mars. This record is seen as his mission statement, where he combines the textural lessons learned from his previous works with a greater mastery of songwriting and a more organic instrumentation. Read one take from a groovemine.com contributor on this LP here.

From Sparklace:

Preview & Purchase Sparklace from eMusic (subscribe and get 25 FREE downloads)


PRESS

"The Brooklyn-based solo artist filters the dispassionate cool of "Enjoy the Silence"-era Depeche Mode through a 21st century filter, with plenty of electronic blips and bloops." —Anthem

"The central question in the melancholy dab of bedsit electronica is "Where did we go wrong?" Parks' beautifully resigned melody and restless synthscape suggest no easy answers." —SPIN

"Cale Parks has created a set of songs that demand some serious headphone time, songs that tumble around your head and make your brain feel fuzzy." —RCRD LBL


SHOWS
Sep 25 2009 • Cake Shop w/ Bear Hands • New York, New York
Sep 26 2009 • Trinity College w/ RJD2 • Hartford, Connecticut