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New Artist Feature: LA Studio Icon Joey Waronker

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LA-based studio drumming icon, Joey Waronker, has joined the Innovative Percussion artist family.  Over his 25-year career, Joey Waronker has played with some of the most influential artists of our time.  Some of the most notable acts include Beck, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, REM, The Smashing Pumpkins, Norah Jones, Elliot Smith, and Air.  Currently, Waronker plays in the band, Ultraista, with co-founder and long-time friend/collaborator Nigel Godrich, and vocalist Laura Bettinson.  Their eponymous debut album was released in October 2012 on Temporary Residence. Already garnering acclaim for their understated approach to dance music, the band has debuted at #3 on the iTunes Electronica chart and has tracks remixed by David Lynch and Four Tet, among others.

 Joey Waronker began playing professionally as a teenager on the LA punk scene opening for "cowpunk" bands such as Los Lobos, The Blasters, and X.  Waronker was playing in clubs like the king King in Los Angeles and partaking in the blues revival that was occurring in LA through the 80s.  Prior to the age of twenty, he played with a diverse group of musicians, including Dave alvin and legendary New Orleans saxophonist Lee Allen, among many others.  Throughout this time he studied with legendary drum teacher, Freddy Gruber.  He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, where his college band, Walt Mink, was a Rolling Stone buzz band and signed to Caroline Records.  He embarked on his first world tour in the early 90s.

in 1993, Joey met Beck in Los Angeles.  They began working together almost immediately, resulting in an enduring relationship that has seen numerous world tours and recordgin on every album since Odelay, including Mutations, Sea Change, Modern Guilt, and The Information.  

Waronker can be heard on the following releases of 2012: Norah Jones' Little Broken Hearts, Dwight Yoakum's 3 Pears, Leanoard Cohen's Old Ideas, M83's Hurry UP, We're Dreaming, Teagan and Sara's Closer.