Becca (vocals, guitar, clarinet), a.k.a. Pussywillow Sparks, formerly of Sleepyhead, ANIMALS EATING OTHER ANIMALS, The Clap, Bitchard Nixon
+ Joe (percussion/samples/computerbox)=BadHeartBull
CLITORECTOMY & THE MUTILATORS:
(January 2007-April 2008)
Pussywillow Sparks (vocals, guitar)
Adrian Jay Drummin' Colon (drums), Deputy Sheriff and Attorney for Pussywillow Sparks
Betsy (cello, flute, radical child-rearing)
special thanks:
Santa Barbara's Radical Womyn's Performance Troupe & Circus
The Clown Insurrectionary Army (CIA)
Chicago Adversarial Juggling Association
Influences
Bad Heart Bull gets its name from Sarah Bad Heart Bull, bad-ass mom and American Indian Activist. Her son was stabbed in the heart by a white businessman, Darold Schmidt, who stated before the incident that he was "going to kill him an Indian." Despite this obvious and witness testified pre-meditation, he was charged with involuntary manslaughter. When Sarah Bad Heart Bull attempted to enter a meeting between American Indian Movement leaders and Custer County officials to demand inquiry into her son's murder, she was beaten by heavily armed police on the steps of the courthouse. She was then arrested and sentenced to 1-5 years in prison, but not before over two hundred American Indian allies rose up in solidarity with her during the Custer Court House Riots. Schmidt never did time, and the judge who prosecuted and jailed Bad Heart Bull was promoted following the high-profile riot cases to South Dakota's top agent (of scum).
This project is dedicated to, and highly influenced by, the insurrectionary vision of folks like Sarah Bad Heart Bull who struggle against the powers of oppression and colonization for the dignity, humanity, and autonomy of all peoples.
Bad Heart Bull is a collaborative project between Rebecca Riley and Joe Letke. They currently reside in Chicago, Illinois, and have played venues around the Midwest, West Coast, and Southwest. A large amount of Bad Heart Bull’s current repertoire is based off of
Rebecca’s past project, Clitorectomy & the Mutilators. Much of the material of her previous band, as well as Bad Heart Bull, deals with radical political content, ranging from self-empowerment to dismantling oppressive power structures.
Bad Heart Bull seeks to retain and spread radical histories of resistance against forces of oppression. Bad Heart Bull also seeks to challenge stale performer/audience roles through active “audience” participation and utilization of space.
Sounds Like
Riot Cuntry.
Or: blues-based pop songs for the Revolutionary Counterculture.
Just recorded new mini-album, NO MOUNTAIN (click to download). Gospel + a capella songs. Joe's album, When the Songs Go Out, forthcoming.
Memorial Day was spent celebrating NATIONAL TAP DANCE DAY with Annie Peacenik and her BRAND NEW TAP DANCE DRUM KIT!! We were out on the street in front of the Art Institute and played for an enthralled audience of onlookers and hecklers until the skies opened up in a ssringtime deluge...
Recordings:
Soapbox EP
The Tale of Pussywillow Sparks EP
EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION
Powers That Be EP
Farce of July Live Show
With Love: Split Tape with Watercolor Paintings
Devil Catch Up With Me
B-Sides
No Mountain
No Mountain is songs recorded in a fit of creativity, June 2009, residual energy from tours, political convergences and anti-oppression research. Largely influenced by spirtuals, gospel and call and response.
Devil Catch Up With Me is a collection of tracks (16 in total) produced since I left Santa Barbara. Recorded with the help of bandmate Joe (percussion) as well as US-transplant-to-Canada-friend Evan Diamond (clarinet, accordion, vocals, etc). Tracks recorded between Autumn 2008 and Spring 2009 on a sweet digital 4-track. DIY as fuck. Packaging includes a sweet lino-cut and hand painted cover, poster, track listing + venn diagram, lyrics sheet.
Extraordnary Rendition features 11 songs, packaged in HAND MADE quilted CD case. Originally recorded after I broke a 7 day hunger strike to divest the UC of its management of the US's nuclear weapons labs. New recording made in Sebastapol, California, in Gary's Basement. Features Adrian Drummin Colon and Pussywillow Sparks, performing in their usual roles. CD includes poster sized artwork, artists statement, and hand-bound lyric + tab book (COVER OUR SONGS!). Bat on CD is printed from a lino-cut.
Powers That Be is an 8 song EP with a bonus track cover of Ernest Tubb's rendition of "Have You Ever Been Lonely?" Cases were hand-constructed out of heavy watercolor paper, printed on a hand-cranked press in the UCSB print lab. Polymer plates made with the help of the lovely Rebecca Redman. Includes thread-bound lyric booklet and sick clit+mutes bat calling card with track information. Recorded in KJUC studio under Storke Tower with the moral support of Hoshua. Featuring Adrian Drummin Colon on percussion and Betsy Bets on cello, vocals, + flute, with Pussywillow on guitar + vocals. Note the reverb from the fender blues amp.
The Tale of Pussywillow Sparks is Clitorectomy & the Mutilators 2nd recording. Recorded on a cassette recorder in my bedroom at my parent's house in Sunbury, Ohio. First printing is out of print, 2nd has yet to be produced, but will be as soon as I get the inspiration.
Soapbox EP is Clitorectomy & the Mutilators 1st recording. Recorded in KCSB's studio D under Storke Tower. First + 2nd printings out of print, 3rd to be released soon (same as above).
Hey there.....twas a pleasure meeting you, and sharing a show. Here's a video of that sick kalimba player I was talkin about, to make up for my own sore hand muscles playin last night...
Greetings Do excuse the 'spam', but I have three new songs up on the page, each from a different upcoming album.
One from the sleepers / hellmouth split, which will be out in the next few weeks on cassette from Marygarden Tapes.
One from the first full length Sleepers album (along with the other two 'untitled' songs), also coming out on Marygarden, but on CD.
One from the collaboration album between Sleepers and Jason "EVIL" Covelli, with all words and voice by Jason, and all sounds and editing from myself.
I have been working endlessly on new material for Sleepers, and I am very excited for the progression of this project. I believe it may have even taken over Bicycle Sighs' place as my 'main' project. A lot of the albums listed on the page are still seeking homes, but I do believe I will be able to maintain a solid and consistent output, as Sleepers has unlocked something deep inside of my mind.
I am, as always, still seeking out new collaborators, in aural, literary, and visual additions.
This comment brought to you by the ancient and beloved Control + V ; may all friend adders, automated comments, and Myspace whore-bands in general be damned to eternal suffering and darkness.
wooo! tourin'gypsy babe! hey Becca! you should send me your music when you have a chance, I'll play you on my radio show! check out: freeradiochukshon. org on sunday nights from 7pm mountain time till 9pm to hear Radical Rabbit Radio! have a blast on the road, tucson loves you xoxo
As you may or may not already know, in January of 2009, I am embarking on a two month tour with a friend, Al, of the project My Cell Phone Is Better Than Your Cell Phone (http://www. myspace. com/mycellphoneisbetter). This tour will span the entire length of the United States. We are travelling by Greyhound busline. It will begin January 8th in New York and end March 3rd in Michigan. I was going to wait until the entire schedule was completely done, but as people have been procrastinating, I figured now is as good a time as any. The majority of these shows are free, but as we do not have complete control over such things all of the time, specific shows are charged at the door, though they are very few. Regardless, any donations along the way are more than appreciated, as we are doing this completely independently and out of our pockets. We will be busking at various points on the tour, recording all over the place, and have many things for purchase, to help us eat along the way.
You can read much more detailed information, including that of merchandise and many other things, in this Blog.
Please check there, to see if we are coming to a city/state/theatre near you.
I apologise if you already full well know about this tour, or if you aren’t in the United States, as this is a mass comment. Come out to a show, have fun, mope around, get intoxicated and take off your clothes while running into a snow drift. Whatever floats your Winnebago. If you can’t come out to a show, make sure every person you know comes to a show. We might forgive you then. If not, expect a three AM house visit. Thank you.
