Toothpick Elbow
Who is Toothopick Elbow?
Graphic artist and musician Todd Westover, the founder of Toothpick Elbow (Los Angeles, CA), has been closely associated with Spiritone since it's inception, designing many of the Spiritone CD covers and appearing on all of the Wisconsin Collection CDs.
Toothpick Elbow began life in LA in 1999 when Todd Westover, drummer of the BellRays, put out a collection of home recordings, calling it Toothpick Elbow. The release instantly started generating a buzz and Todd decided to revive the solo performances - a fuzzed-out electric piano, a lamp and him - that inspired the recording to begin with. "Dallas" Don Burnet, of the late, great Lutefisk, also 3-D Picnic, was booking a show at Spaceland, a club in the heart of Silver Lake, when a copy of Toothpick Elbow fell in his lap. Instead of booking Todd for a solo set, he became the guitarist for what was now a band.
Shortly after that, Jeff Porterfield joined on bass and Chris Miller joined on drums. Over the next couple of years, the TE membership would be claimed by Tony Fate (guitarist/songwriter extrodinaire of the BellRays, Frank Meyer, of the notorious Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs), John Ramirez (of the elusive Nudist Priest), as well as drummer Mike Sessa (the most in-demand drummer in LA who’s resume includes The Downbeats, Fear and El Vez). Also, virtuoso Vince Meghrouni (Mike Watt, et al), and Eric Hermann (ex Holly & the Italians), are all Toothpick Elbow alumni.
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Other Spiritone releases that include Toothpick Elbow or Todd Westover:
(click a CD image for more details or to order)
