Press
The Stirrings have begun….
AM & Shawn Lee TV performance- NBC’s Late Night With Carson Daly
“HYPNOTIC” - Rolling Stone
“One of the best live shows of the year” - Seattle Weekly
“Inspired collaboration… perfect top-down songs featuring AM’s haunting falsetto” -Nylon Magazine
“makes even the most hardened hipsters bob their heads.”- KEXP Seattle
“a dynamic duo” - KCRW Los Angeles, Morning Becomes Eclectic Radio Performance
“psych-leaning, chiilwave-ish fare “- Time Out London
“knocks it out of the park”-AOL Music
“…intricate and groove-filled dreamscapes that are every bit organic and every bit mad genius…”- Daytrotter
“sounds now, blurring funk, pop, and “world music” genres beyond their established capabilities, yet remaining so true to a classic aesthetic that the album could be dug out of a crate without a label and confound listeners to pinpoint its origin.” - 4 Stars, Tiny Mix tapes ****
Check out the full band Daytrotter Live Session HERE
FRENCH PRESS:
“Moins Kitsch qu’Empire Of The Sun, plus black que Phoenix: du soleil, de l’amour et du sexe en barre”- Eleonore Colin, Tsugi Magazine France
“Le prolifique Shawn Lee sort encore un excellent album, cette fois avec le chanteur AM!” - Vibrations Magazine (France)
“Chaque piste emballe le corps et grise l’esprit. Les notes multicolores et scintillantes s’envolent dans tous les sens…” -Magic Magazine France, 4 Stars****
““…rétro, inspirée des musiques de films des années 70, s’appuie sur des lignes de basse accrocheuses, illuminés de guitares et claviers aux effets psychédéliques. …Leurs multiples influences confèrent à Celestial Electric des atmosphères aussi rêveuses que dansantes.” -J.G., Rolling Stone France Review , 3 ½ Stars *** 1/2
“Un flashback gagnant, aussi plaisant qu’irrésistible” - Abus Dangereux
“Excellent de bout de bout, psychédélique, pop, funky et addictif, Celestial Electric est une magnifique réussite.”–Paris DJs
“…groove catchy et paradoxalement alambiqué…” –IndieRockMag
ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS:
“Less kitschy than Empire of the Sun, blacker than Phoenix: some sun, some love, and a lot of sex.” -Tsugi Magazine
“…retro-pop, inspired by ‘70s film music, depends on the catchy base lines, illuminated with guitars and keys with psychedelic effects. Hippie-funk, soft rock, disco groove…their multiple influences give Celestial Electric an atmosphere as dreamy as dancing. ”
–Rolling Stone France, 3.5 Stars
“Excellent from beginning to end, psychedelic, pop, funky, and addictive, Celestial Electric is a magnificent success.” - Paris DJ’s
“catchy and paradoxically convoluted groove”- Indie Rock Mag France
“Yes, sometimes chemistry can be found online. The fruit of their friendship is “Dark Into Light” a Moog-y, synthed-out journey into the heart of pscyhedlic darkness, serenaded by AM’s quicering poetry.”- Itunes Indie Spotlight Free Download
“ambitious and idiosyncratic album” – CMJ
“funky and melodic… brilliant work” – All Music Guide
“beautifully produced hazy pop earworm …loaded with dreamy anthems …recommended.”- Snipe London
“unadulterated soul vibes and funk tempos filtered through ’70s soundtracks” - Under The Radar 8/10 stars
“I’ve played the end result of this collaboration enough to have my neighbors call the cops on me.The mix of elements is addictive and masterfully juxtaposed.” - GrooveBug
“polished, profound and transfixing songs” – The Deli Los Angeles
“the pair has created a densely layered, carefully curated and occasionally moving paean to the past, specifically the warped global-psych-rock of the ’60s and smooth singer-songwriters of the ’70s. akin to Broken Bells, the more high-profile project between James Mercer of the Shins and Danger Mouse.”- CMJ
“The AM & Shawn Lee collaboration has a lot of analog synth texture to it, which always sounds great on vinyl, but there’s also a heavy singer/songwriter vibe–Nilsson meets Gary Numan Uptown”
“sure to make more than a few top 10 lists this year”- Remix feature, The Stranger
“AM is an indie-popster, Shawn Lee is a groovemaster. Put them together and you have something called “electro soul”- LA WEEKLY, Top 5 Los Angeles Bands To See At SXSW
“…darts in and out of the pop/soul/tropicalia netherworlds, with the debut track “Dark Into Light” twinkling like a star on AM’s soaring falsetto.”-Buzzbands
“Like a good Blaxploitation movie soundtrack from the era, Celestial Electric has a funky heart”- Montreal Mirror Review 8.5/10 “Album Of The Week”
“Each song pulls me in, making it hard to skip a song.”-4/5 Stars **** Austin Town Hall
iTunes Indie Spotlight Alternative Feature October 2011
“I loved it, I hated it, and I had to hear it again. By then it was too late, as I had fallen for the twosome’s tropicalia-infused version of dance-pop ..sounds the most like a sunny day in São Paulo. … it recalls so many acts I enjoy, like Kraftwerk, the Beta Band, Air, Phoenix, and Juana Molina…”- The Stranger
“One of last year’s most interesting collaborations is definitely the electro-soul-duo-turned-four-piece AM & Shawn Lee.”- I Am Not Batman
AM & Shawn Lee’s “Dark Into Light-Top Songs Downloaded by Fans of Nylon Magazine 2011
“AM & Shawn Lee”- Rollo Grady
Best Album Of 2011 Industry Picks, Charles Raggio, Current TV
“The new album “Celestial Electric” is amazing. I’ve listened to it once a week every week since it arrived in the mail.”- Ryan’s Smashing Life’s Best Albums of 2011
LIVE REVIEW- NYC Mercury Lounge “…sweet…radiant… explosive”-Popmatters
LIVE REVIEW- Philadelphia Kung Fu Nektie “We simply cannot believe these guys are not more popular than they already are. The fact that we were able to witness them in such an intimate venue was a privilege.”- Live Phily Concerts
LIVE REVIEW- Washington DC Black Cat “The warm, vintage sounds that AM favors blend perfectly with the beats of Mr. Lee, creating this lovely, golden glow with a groove…that you can dance to.”- Fuzzy Logic
LIVE REVIEW- Los Angeles Troubadour “The level musicianship is beyond impressive, it’s fascinating. It isn’t something you see too often these days. A pretty common question I get is, “what’s the last great show you saw?” I have a feeling that the combination of AM, Shawn Lee, Brett Bixby on keys and Pete McNeal on drums will be the answer for a long time.”- Audio Absinthe
“retro grooves, electronic flourishes, and AM’s falsetto swagger”- Rochester City Newspaper
“Combining sludgey electronics, pop aesthetics and a lot of heart, this pair’s latest album knocks it out of the park.”- AOL Music
“thoroughly enjoyable album — the kind that listeners will want to play again and again, and share with friends.”- KRCC Radio Colorado College
“unique funk-electric mix that offers a truly groovy experience”- Chart Attack
“…the type of collaboration that indie music nerds dream about (even more so in the form of a limited edition RSD product!”- Scion
Washington DC Interview
“a great record”- Brightest Young Things
“…truly innovative recording “sessions,” something to behold, for sure. AM’s smooth and fine-tuned vocals soar along a driving percussion section, and straight into walls of shimmering, blissful guitars and glassy keys, resulting in a dreamy and divine example of future pop.”- Indie Rock Cafe
“…he’s teamed up with Shawn Lee for a more electronic sound but it still sounds just as honest, organic, and engaging…” – Will Frank Kiker, LP33.TV
“…a good match for creating grooves that sound vintage yet very fresh and innovative…”- The Weird Fishes
“Their new album, Celestial Electric, was a bi-nation love affair in its making. They have traded beat skeletons via email and have taken time, Lee in London and AM in Los Angeles, to flesh them out into fat and lively golems , have zipped them into a 15-pack under the title Celestial Electric.”- Magnetic Magazine
“The AM & Shawn Lee set was every bit as pretty as “Dark Into Light”. AM, the L.A.-based singer-songwriter, and Lee, the London-based electro guru, seem to have the same chemistry as another songwriter/producer collaboration, Broken Bells. The former duo’s material spans more sonic territory, though, incorporating tropical and Latin beats.”- Kevin Bronson, SXSW 2011 Review
Review of Dark Into Light:
“From the very first listen I loved the lilting soft vocals contrasting with the growling bass during the verse. It depresses me, makes me feel tired, and somehow brings up memories that I haven’t thought about in years. I’d say thats a big accomplishment for something as simple as a song. I think electronic music’s biggest challenge is finding a way to sound as intimate as a guy with a guitar can sound. This song accomplishes just that, and its something I wish a lot more artists would strive for.””- Artist Roster Blog, Binary
“Saw these dudes live last week and was extremely impressed”- Mix Tape Riot
“…brilliant chilled groove space-hop…”- Bowlegs
“dulcet vocals that float over an electronic beat, with a 60’s psychedelic groove.”- Suite 101, SXSW Interview with Shawn Lee and AM
“I’m really into Shawn Lee & AM so this is easily one of the most exciting projects I’ve heard about in a long time…”- Audio Absynthe
“remarkably respectful cover of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ mid-‘70s hit “Jackie Blue.”- Scribblers.us
“The teaser single off the upcoming album is “Dark Light,” sounding a lot like the gem I’d expect from fellow New Orleanian and Grammy Award-nominated Mute Math’s next record.”- Troys Noise
“There were some sweet bassline grooves happening courtesy of both AM and Shawn Lee who are multi-instrumentalists. And for lovers of beautiful singing, AMs voice hits your ears in that sweet spot.”- Los Angeles Examiner Show Review
“The two never recorded together in the studio; they relied on a completely digital process from Los Angeles to London. [Clarification: The music was not made digitally -- they recorded real drums to four track and played all the instruments. They did not use any auto-tune on the vocals.] AM and Shawn Lee are using a combination of online and offline approaches to launch the album. At the SxSW Music and Media Conference, they played select tracks (AM was named one of the five Los Angeles bands to watch by L.A. Weekly). They are partnering with Pledge Music as well to gain fan-funding to support the album and their own Facebook pages to garner support.”- iCrossing
“obsessed with their rhythm section”- Dig Boston
“Their LA to London co-production has resulted in a unique brand of electronica…”- Denise Castillion, Suite 101
I’m a sucker for a transatlantic collaboration, and this is the product of exactly that. AM in LA, and London composer Shawn Lee” - After We Talked Blog
“match made in cyberspace”- Newsodrome
Future Sons & Daughters (2010 Filter US Recordings) Press:
“Best Album 2010″- Top 100 Rough Trade
“Best Album 2010″- Indie London
“AM displays a rare talent, juggling everything from steamy tropicalia, to acoustic ballads, to shimmering ’70′s pop.” -4 STARS, Q Magazine
“An Album to fall in love with.” – 5 STARS, UK Sunday Express (Martin Townsend)
“AM’s easy-going inventiveness makes for a tropical-flavoured smoothie, including pan-Latin rhythms, high pitched soul crooning, psych grooves, filmic atmospheres and rumbling dub effects” -Metro London, One To Watch Feature
“AM’s band has a soulful synchronicity. Their music was, oh I know I shouldn’t say it but, groovy.” -Popwreckoning
“Distinctive melodic swagger…”- Spinner.com
“…this record displays the full range of his talent. Flowery guitar riffs and sunshine melodies are often placed alongside melancholic moments. Darker Days is an uplifting number, emphasising hope and Love in times of despair.” – Q Magazine Track Of The Day September 2010
“AM’s cerebral rumination on life channels Beach boys-esque pop noir and Beck’s genre-hopping”- 4 STARS Q Magazine & Top 50 Essential Songs to Download: AM’s Self Preservation #16 August 2010
“Local favorite AM adds a Brazilian twist to the expertly-crafted songs on his new album, Future Sons & Daughters.”- KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, 89.9 Los Angeles
” ‘Darker Days’ bossa shuffle and symphonic soul strings and ‘Jorge Ben’s’ namecheck of the tropicalia hero hint at a wider alchemy”- Uncut Magazine UK
“AM’s retro-sounding rock conjures up images of Los Angeles in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but never seems rehashed. These songs are thoughtful but never brooding. AM belongs alongside musicians like Eels mastermind Mark Oliver Everett.”- Relix Magazine
“laid-back, retro vibe and ethereal arrangements”- Blogcritics
“…AM has been chalking up favorable comparisons to Brian Wilson, Eels, and Beck for the fuzzy west coast psychedelia of his new album, Future Sons & Daughters…Growing up in New Orleans, AM was influenced by everything from Turkish folk to Brazilian tropicalia and classic r’n'b. To underline that point, he’s made a 15-track mixtape of songs that inspired the new album, which you can stream from www.bit.ly/AMmixtape. The wonderfully eclectic collection finds the Shadows sitting alongside Jorge Ben and David Axelrod rubbing shoulders with Jean-Claude Vannier. If that and the EP don’t make you an AM fan, nothing will.”- The Guardian UK, Chris Salmon
“…it reminds me a little of Luther Russell, but instrumentally takes more of a Darker My Love style dark psych approach… this is an album in the classic sense, a body of work, well thought-out and coherent. “- High Voltage UK
“Loungy, electro-pop…” – Venice Magazine Feature “…compared with the likes of The Beach Boys, Beck, My Morning Jacket and Paul McCartney.”- 4 STARS, Jack Foley, IndieLondon “LA Lounge Lizard brings back classic guitar and pop.. think funky and sharp.”- Total Guitar UK Featured Artist This Future Sons & Daughters UK Album Review is great. “Hairy American AM brings us ‘Future Sons & Daughters’, a fuschia pink CD encased in a sleeve covered in foliage, him strutting about in a suit, and Banana Splits style writing. Hello, you might think – we’ve got a live one here! And a live one is exactly what you have got, because this album is bloomin great… This is the complete package – great voice, smart lyrics, and excellent music bundled together to produce something really really enjoyable to listen to”- Call Upon The Author “contemplative lyrics match brooding, moody vibes.”- Gambit New Orleans “There’s almost a Bob Dylan quality to AM’s voice…”- Entertainment Focus UK
“Brimming with a dose of vintage color that seeped from the CD jacket into my speakers, AM’s latest album has become my latest measure of cool. Loping across an eleven track shimmering landscape each song echoes a very specific moment in time that we all recognize and you’d know even if the music had arrived naked of its work-of-art-in-of-itself album cover.” – What Means What
“AM may not be an easy artist to Google but his music is contagious.” – KCRW 89.9 FM, Todays Top Tune Feature
“This is pop music for the refined ear, or, rather, the ear that remembers what pop music was really always supposed to be.”-The Deli Magazine, Featured CD Of The Month
“Self Preservation (Los Amparito Remix)”- Premiere, RCRDLBL
“Music this well produced, this respectful of its influences yet different from them, and this optimistic belongs nestled in vinyl collections somewhere between The Beach Boys and The Coral…”- Red Hot Velvet UK
“Flanked with cosmic synthesizers, horns, and even that hard-to-place sound of the afuche-cabasa, the Los Amarito remix to L.A. implant AM’s “Self Preservation” provides that sonic summer cool for the eardrums that goes down like fresh carbonation in a cottony-mouth. ” -Green Shoelace
“A challenging, complex record, Future Sons & Daughters offers the sophisticated ear an exceptional experience, something like an amalgamation of Beck and the Beach Boys at their best.” – Performer Magazine
“If we were to, say, compare AM’s sophomore release Future Sons & Daughters to some mode of transportation, it would be something like a sonic vessel, transporting listeners across a sometimes tropical, otherwise Western-tinged, peaceful but swinging sea of cross-genre waters to a synaesthetic land of sunny melodies and easy beats.” -American Songwriter Magazine- 4 Star Review
“…indie pop soaked with the sun-dappled soft-rock gold of the late 1960s and early ’70s.” – Rhapsody
“Equally cool and casual…laid-back tropicalia and sunny soundtrack vibes.”- Death + Taxes
“…groovy and Beck-ish…” - Metromix Minneapolis
Self Preservation (Los Amparito Remix): “Los Amparito remixed the Echo Park dweller’s song into a feet shuffling, dance inducing, Latin percussion extravaganza. It’s almost as if Los Amparito was TRYING to make an anthem for a summer BBQ.”- Filter
“His breezy, melodic pop — rooted in ’70s folk rock — is the perfect soundtrack for the start of summer.” – OnMilwaukee
“With the help of producer Charles Newman (whose lengthy relationship with The Magnetic Fields has spawned ingenious products like 69 Love Songs) and a collection of instruments dated no later than 1970, the sounds sparked in the studio maintain an orchestral and individual approach to the nostalgia of The Golden Age. But like the ’60′s and ’70′s themselves, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows – there’s always something darkly intriguing brewing beneath the surface.” – Filter Magazine
“Listening to AM‘s exquisite record Future Sons & Daughters, I kept envisioning a spectacular Southern California sunset, sky glowing blue and peach, the air golden and soft.”- Les Enfants Terribles, Best of 2010
“AM’s beautifully crafted arrangements and the breadth of his carefully deployed sonic palette are retro-pop at its best. He gets at the tradition’s historical essence, and makes clear that he’s got something to add.”- Offbeat New Orleans
“AM`s inviting voice is intoxicating, sensual filling the with the beautiful sounds on this material.”- NotLame.com
“…this is music that crawls inside your skin and stays there. It may well be the best sonic surprise of 2010.” – Sonic Boomers
“Future Sons & Daughters is the best testament so far of AM’s musical agility. He not only makes past aural innovations his own by combining and reworking them into thoroughly modern compositions, but he does so in a delicate and understated way that prevents his songs from becoming bravura displays of historical pop knowledge.”- Popmatters
CULTURE COLLIDE FESTIVAL REVIEW
“AM creates beautiful atmospheres to accompany sweet tenor vocals. His backing band rocks, or rather, folk rocks. The audience enjoyed the retro beats, groovy guitar solos, talented backing band, and even a little ukelele. The feel-good energy in the room made it seem, well, like being in church. Of course, that might have something to do with AM’s New Orleans roots.”- Diana Diaz, The Examiner
“…the instrumental “Jorge Ben” is a groovy ode to its Rio namesake. But the album’s highlight is far and away “It’s Been So Long,” a Spaghetti Western-ish co-ed duet that calls to mind both Wilco and Sergio Leone in the same melodically whispered breaths.” – Metromix
UK SINGLE REVIEWS:
“Self Preservation is the brilliant UK debut single from psychedelic rocker AM. Sunshine melodies and intriguing, yet at times despairing lyrics make for a fantastic UK debut single, sure to catch the attention of music fans all over the country.”- Josh Dalton // Ganymede, Crack In The Road, UK
“Self Preservation kicks off and instantly we are intrigued as the smooth sound of AM’s music slowly gets to you. There are undertones of Echo And The Bunnyman or even Gorillaz for that matter it’s a strange and yet hypnotic combination.”- Entertainment Focus UK
“Self Preservation Top 10 Downloads of the Week”- Editors Pick, Shout4Music
“Sunshine drenched feel good strummer from the U.S.”- Top 20 on UK’s DMC Zzub Charts (Dance Music Review)
“Ironically enough, it takes a lot of effort for something to sound truly effortless, and Tulsa born, New Orleans raised artist AM has pulled it off spectacularly on his Debut UK single, Self Preservation.”- Will Howard, AAA Music UK
“‘…Self Preservation‘ is AM capturing the essence of 60?s psychedelic pop. This artist from New Orleans is unique and exciting: he hasn’t tried to fit in with the conventional by creating yet another indistinguishable indie song.”- Never Enough Notes
SHOW REVIEWS: Charlotte Gainsbourg Tour
NEW YORK: Opener AM was delicate, cool and vintage, grafting folk and rock with Brazilian lounge sounds. The New Orleans artist has just released his sophomore album, Future Sons and Daughters, and plans to soon be touring with the French electro-pop band, Air. The set closed with the song “Darker Days,” lyrically, a sophisticated song frosted with AM’s warm and pacifying voice.”- Brooklyn Vegan
MONTREAL: “En première partie, le groupe américain AM (qui avait ouvert pour Air au Métropolis en mars dernier) interprète les compositions de son dernier album, Future Sons & Daughters. Le trio (guitare, claviers et percussions), a vraiment laissé sa marque pendant les 40 minutes bien serrées qui lui sont accordées, particulièrement le percussionniste Chris Lovejoy qui est de loin l’être le plus charismatique à avoir occupé la scène de toute la soirée. L’homme aurait été totalement à sa place dans un concert de Dead Can Dance, c’est tout dire. “- Marin Morin, Showbiz.net
SAN FRANCISCO: I have been digging AM’s Future Sons & Daughters album for a couple of months now, and I have their songs all over my Lite Alternative radio station. This is indie pop soaked with the sun-dappled soft-rock gold of the late 1960s and early ’70s. The group leader grew up in the South, but he has a real affinity for classic L.A. tunes that still come out of the better car stereos. He also claims an affinity for bossa nova and tropicalia that came out during the same era, and he covered Antonio Carlos Jobim‘s “Children’s Games.” … included an amazing drummer who played two percussive instruments at once … on every single song. Rare for an opening act, AM really impressed the audience. They even cheered the drummer when he was introduced. Like A.M., Charlotte Gainsbourg was completely open and irony-free.” -Rhapsody
LOUISVILLE, KY: “AM dove swiftly into their set and got me hooked right from the start.” -Backseat Sandbar
“AM approaches his music with a cosmic milkiness, a sugary groove, and a Vampire-Weekend-esque swagger.” – Whale Fight
“That name (of the band and of the singer/songwriter behind it) foretells exactly what you can expect – melodies and hooks that sound like they should be emanating from a ’70s AM radio.”- The Un-Herd Music
“Similar to Herb Alpert and other acts from four decades ago that notched hit singles, AM has a knack for rolling off effortlessly soulful hooks with unerring consistency. Unlike other pop-infatuated contemporary artists, AM doesn’t necessarily try to sound retro—even with those ’70s synths in the very Hall and Oates-sounding “Darker Days”…Imagine if Todd Rundgren had recorded “Something/Anything?” today and you’re close to the sound that AM nails”- Atlanta SP (sundaypaper.com)
“…fine working Future Sons & Daughters album”- Parasites and Sycophants
UK PRESS: “Music this well produced, this respectful of its influences yet different from them, and this optimistic belongs nestled in vinyl collections somewhere between The Beach Boys and The Coral…”- Red Hot Velvet
“Super chill, nicely done folk-pop. Definitely listen to “It’s Been So Long,” which songs like a laid-back Peter Bjorn and John number. “Fortunate Family Tree” is also good and has more of a Belle & Sebastian vibe.”- WLUR 91.5 Lexington, VA
“…fires up smoky, hip-swiveling riffs conjured from snappy brass, deep-fried bass, cantering congas and sly, knowing vocals stretching familiar formulas into tasty upbeat treats.” - John Noyd, Maximum Ink
“His music reaches across a number of genres from psychedelic rock and folk to soul and classic rock, even jazz.” – Spencer Sherman, Audio Absynthe
“…enticingly intelligent indie art pop that warms the spirit and swells the heart.”-Laura McDonald, Denver Music Examiner
“As a former resident of the Crescent City (New Orleans), a reflection of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina can definitely be heard in his music.” – Jose Martinez
“We like his songwriting and presentation – intelligent lyrics, ironic rock and a conscious effort to keep his arrangements true to roots music make him a real winner in our book! …”Future Sons & Daughters” is a great record – one that combines simple, intelligent lyrics with undeniable pop sensibilities and sparse, psychedelic grooves” – Ryan’s Smashing Life
” “The Other Side,” is sung as a broadcast as opposed to a romantic whisper: “Hear my words / Don’t you listen?/ Because I don’t know about the other side of me.” And it’s damn catchy. It’s really catchy. Because he’s confident. An attractive quality in a postmodern artist; how many bands could we list that play with an intense, horrifying perspective on a dying world? ” – For Your Music Halls
“Imagine a psychedlic daydream during the summer of ’67 infused with the sweet nothings osf tropicalia, British Invasion, Canterbuy Sound, and sunshiny folk, and you’re halfway to grokking the little slice of heaven that is Tulsa-born New Orleans- raised troubadour AM.” – Drum!
“…this new album was produced by Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields) and was recorded in Elliott Smith’s old house – no I did not stutter. I’m sorry, that’s just so awesome. Imagine the positive (in Elliott’s case, negative) energy flowing through that house! It makes sense that such a great album would come out of that scenic shantytown.”- WRUV
“AM belongs alongside musicians like Eels mastermind Mark Oliver Everett…” – Emily Zemler, Relix Magazine June 2010 SOUNDS LIKE: “The catchier moments of The Magic Numbers and it’s hard to escape the Beck vibe.”- Ruth Franciszka Wallbank.
“AM has an uncanny knack for crafting pop songs shaken and stirred with Philly R&B, Motown soul, ’60s rock and folk, and Brazilian rhythms that get in your head and swirl around for a spell.” – Creative Loafing
“AM’s Future Sons & Daughters is a moody and inspired album that touches on all of the New Orleans-musician’s favorite styles from baroque chamber pieces to mid-tempo country rockers. In that sense, such tracks as the atmospheric Phil Spector-ish number “The Other Side,” the lead single “Grand Opinion,” and the mellow country-rock anthem “Fortunate Family Tree” deliver on AM’s knack for quirky ’60s pop-inspired songs. Similarly, the duet with Angela Correa, “It’s Been so Long,” is pleasantly reminiscent of the classic Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra pairings.” – All Music Guide
“Listening to AM gives us hope that indeed, for our future sons and daughters, there will be again a time, space and dimension where the words “war” and “death” have become obsolete and replaced by the genuine kisses blown at each other, you and I — us, people of planet Earth.”- Buzzine
“The Other Side – AM: I like his album Future Sons & Daughters, which is a good mix of catchy sounding pop-rock. Radio stations everywhere ought to be playing this and other tracks from AM. A good fit for CHR. #2 this week on Mel’s Weekly Top 20.”- Mel’s Weekly Top 20
“AM’s new album, Future Sons & Daughters, draws on an eclectic variety of musical influences to create a blend of 60’s rock with well arranged, folk-rock pop music. It’s easy to hear the influence of past artists such as David Axelrod and Jorge Ben which produces a result somewhere between more modern influences such as Beck and Shawn Lee. Some of the songs have parts that really remind me of Clutchy Hopkins and Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra. The wide ranging influences and the seamless blending of so many genres makes it hard to categorize as any one kind, but is entirely AM’s own, unique brand of music.” – Audio Absinthe
“…don’t miss Jorge Ben, a groovy instrumental named for Brazilian pop samba-rocker, over which it’d be no surprise to encounter the voice of Isaac Hayes.” – Luxury Wafers
“There’s a genuine soulfulness to opener “A Complete Unknown” and “When the Dust Settles,” which drinks deeply from the well of vintage Southern soul.” – Slant Magazine
“Produced by Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields), this lush and multi-faceted pop work is a testament to AM’s love of retro radio, analog warmth and laser-precise melodies. Nods range from ’60s Detroit to ’70s Philly, but intends to be current with a modern palette in production. Highlight track “Fortunate Family Tree” revives roots melody awash with steady organs, loose snares and hallucinatingly wavey lead guitar lines, all signs that this is a worthy trip to a past sound, sans the cringing generally associated with homage attempts.” – Hugo Gomez, The Deli Magazine
“Poetic indie rocker AM — the band and the man; they both use the same two-letter moniker — are promoting the recently released album “Future Sons & Daughters,” which has hints of Brazilian samba along with its signature haunting melodies. Is it Beck-goes-South-of-the-border or Gilberto-Gil-jams-with-Wilco?” -Fiona Zublin, Express Night Out
“…a refreshing taste of something new…”- Unspun Her0, Cover Feature
“…blend of British invasion rock, soul, and psychedelic pop sounds like Hall & Oates might have in the mid-sixties.”-Chad Grischow, IGN/ Indie Music Watch
“The melancholy of “Darker Days” suggests a hybrid of Philly soul and Motown, with AM’s falsetto adding a touch of blue-eyed soul to the chorus, while “When the Dust Settles” floats through a haze of late ’60s psychedelia. His mellow tenor, and the ingenious arrangements of his band may suggest the past, but it’s the past of a soul drunk on saudade.”- J. Poet
“On the eponymous ode to Brazillian star “Jorge Ben,” Butch Norton (Eels/ Lucinda Williams drummer) so perfectly nails the groove that the beats seem to disappear.” – Drum Magazine
“AM lands squarely in the same indie-pop sweet spot occupied by the likes of the Shins, Nada Surf, and the Fruit Bats.”- Jonathan Keefe
“The thing that really made the set was the slight dark undercurrent of the keyboards countering the guitar melodies and hopeful dreamy vocals.” – DC Rock Live
“…folk rock with a touch of soul, funk, and psychedelic grooves”- KJHK 90.7 FM, Adam Rydell
“…sexy and soothing with a nice touch of funky beats and groovy guitar lines.” – Groovy Goods
“…sounds inspired by the percussiveness of Brazilian samba and the dustiness of old Italian soundtracks … “Darker Days” give it a heightened sense of drama before devolving into reverb-laced hand drum Beck-ian funkiness, and the instrumental “Jorge Ben” is a groovy ode to its Rio namesake. But the album’s highlight is far and away “It’s Been So Long,” a Spaghetti Western-ish co-ed duet that calls to mind both Wilco and Sergio Leone in the same melodically whispered breaths.” – Jeff Miller, Metromix (3.5 Stars out of 4)
“… marks the rebirth of the sexy pop music with a taste of funk that American artists seem to have lost over the years. Future Sons & Daughters lacks the disposable sound that so many pop artists cling to, but accomplishes the feat of maintaining the quality that has staying power.” – Lancifer, Indie Rock Reviews
“His bossa nova synth rendition of Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time is Here” (from the ever classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas”) is sure to break a few hearts (in a good way) and bring on the sentimental Christmas atmosphere. The following track “I’m Home for the Holidays”, will bring on the somber party with its folksy orchestral rhythm but will keep you wanting to hear more.” – Shane Le’Strange, Consequence Of Sound
“…mellow yet effective mix of driving soul and indie.”- Everything But Urban
“A terrific band who have a new CD coming out and they really impressed me when I saw them at Spaceland earlier in the year.”- radiofreesilverlake
“…bringing the psychedelic haze of his lovely singer-songerwriter pop…” – webinfront
“One of the coolest sets I’ve seen at the ASCAP [Sundance Film Festival 2010] was by New Orleans-raised singer/songwriter AM.” – Scott Iwasaki, Desert News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
“Future Sons & Daughters is worth every bit of the attention you give it, and then some. Each time you give it a spin you’re bound to come across something new, and that, folks, is the mark of a great album.” -Brittney McKenna, American Songwriter Magazine- 4 Star Review
“A bit Turtles, a bit Byrds, a bit Mamas and Papas, the perfectly dated instrumentation on Future is as raw and genuine as AM’s heart-baring sentiments.” – Creative Loafing
“Songs like opener “A Complete Unknown” and “The Other Side” beg for a bright treatment, while others like “Darker Days,” which sounds like a Jeff Tweedy outtake, play in more subdued hues. What really makes the album, though, is that AM, as would a skilled painter a la Vincent van Gogh or, of course, Bob Ross, knows just how to blend these tones together to create a truly spectacular musical mosaic.” -Brittney McKenna, American Songwriter Magazine- 4 Star Review
“His intelligent lyrics and vocal range color all the songs on the deftly crafted sophomore release Future Sons & Daughters.”- Samir Shukla
“…old dusty yet moody lounge music is smothered in seventies California, giving it some new, almost indescribable edge of the future.” - Short And Sweet NYC
“Quite the culture vulture.” -Mewbox
“Singer/songwriter AM’s name is a fitting one considering his unique brand of low-key indie pop with a decidedly funky retro feel that makes up the majority of his new album, Future Sons & Daughters. “Grand Opinion” is the smooth, soulful single available for download, a pleasant trip to a groovier time and place.”- Chewing Gum For The Ears
“Pop with a little steamy Soul/R&B/Brazilian flavor”- KVNF Featured Album
“Reminds me of Wilco meets Pete Droog just not as depressing.” – Ian, Lala
“Their sound is sexy and soothing with a nice touch of funky beats and groovy guitar lines.” - Grimy Goods
“His voice sounds like Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords, if McKenzie took his voice seriously.” – Ball Bearings
“AM’s vibrant, witty Future Sons & Daughters has been one of my favorite records all year long. It’s always by my side: at home, in the office, in the car. And, there’s a reason for it… It’s hard to beat clever songwriting, vibrant presentation and glistening creativity. AM is smooth music personified. Well done!”- Ryan, From the list of Massive Best Albums Of The Year
“… filled with its groovy brand of indie lounge aptly mixing heady lyrics with a lighthearted beat, you get the distinct impression he’s not afraid of “pop.”- Jose Martinez, Venice Magazine Feature, May 2010
“…equal parts AM radio and early 70s psychedelia”- The Culture Of me
“…reminds me of Jason Schwartzman’s Coconut Records with a touch of Wilco and Jon Brion.”- Asian Dan
There’s a Portuguese word that perfectly fits the music of AM: Saudade.
“There’s no word in English that means exactly the same thing, but saudade is a feeling most romantic souls are aware of; an emotional state that can only be expressed by a long, unwieldy English definition. In English vernacular, you might say saudade is an aching desire to recapture a feeling that no longer exists, or probably never existed, a yearning for a better, happier, more content time—probably in the past, but possibly in a future everyone knows we may never attain. Bossa Nova, fado, and Cape Verdean mourna are all heavy with saudade, as is the music AM and his band on Future Sons & Daughters.” – Crawdaddy
“AM’s soulful, throwback spin on indie pop is a winning combination.” -Mike Antonich on Typepad
REVIEW FROM TOUR OPENING FOR AIR:
WALT DISNEY MUSIC HALL: “They grandiosely permeated the hall with little more than a guitar, a couple keyboards, a snare-less drum set dominated by bongos and toms and AM’s sunny voice. Their less-is-more approach worked very well, even in the massive music hall, and it’s no wonder Air duo Nicolas Godin and JB Dunckel handpicked this band themselves.” Jory Spadea, Spectrum Culture
“Opening act AM, on this tour a trio, was equally soothing to frayed nerves. With a sort of global percussion made up of everything from congas to jingle bells, at its most uptempo, the band achieved a sort of slinky, 60s-spy-movie vibe.” – Arielle Castillo, Miami New Times
“It’s hard to describe the exact genre of AM, but their uplifting set was like a mouthful of fruit punch pop rocks! They have this experimental combination of global sounds, folk-rock, pop, with a hint of funk. AM’s vocals were definitely the highlight of their performance – “Self Preservation” was pitch-perfect.”- Julie Drexler, The Walrus
“Opener AM, who will later join fellow Frenchie Charlotte Gainsbourg on tour this spring, was a fitting preview for the main attraction with a captivating mold of retro bossa nova and modern psychedelic fringe…”- Venus Zine
LIVE REVIEW FROM TOURING WITH AIR IN FRANCE:
Toulouse, France. Venue “Le Bikini”: “The night started with the support artist, the singer-songwriter AM which was good enough to make me wait for AIR patiently. His songs were sweet and soft, and kind of sounded “scandinavian” to my ears. It can’t be a bad thing, eh? So there he was on stage, which two other guys, including a drummer with fantastic hair. He was playing guitar and ukulele with great ease. He made quite an impression on me, so much that I decided to try to interview him after the gig.” – Raw Investigations
LIVE REVIEW FROM TOURING WITH JOSH ROUSE:
Chicago, Turner Hall Review: “…AM provided sublimely groovy and catchy ’70s-like melodic pop/ soft rock that also hinted at Paul Simon.”- Shepherds Express
Radio Playlist: KCRW DJ Jason Bentley
9:46 am The Flaming Lips Silver Trembling Hands Embryonic EP 9:37 am Elvis Costello Sulphur to Sugarcane Secret, Profane & Sugarcane Hear Music 9:33 am Grizzly Bear & Feist Service Bell Dark Was the Night Red Hot/Beggars 9:31 am Robotanists Wait a Minute Here Single Overhead 9:29 am Sondre Lerche Heartbeat Radio Heartbeat Radio Rounder 9:24 am Yim Yames Hello Friends Tribute to George Harrison 9:16 am AM Grand Opinion Future Sons & Daughters Filter US Recordings, AM Sounds 9:13 am Imogen Heap Earth Ellipse Megaphonic / RCA 9:10 am K’Naan Wavin’ Flag Troubadour Interscope 9:07 am Eric B & Rakim Paid in Full – 7 Minutes of Madness Remix Best Of 4th & Broadway 9:04 am Ofra Haza Im Nin Alu Im Nin’Alu Sire
“…a strong sense of melody and song craft.” – Billboard
MORE QUOTES:
“AM takes equal parts of classic Americana, folk-rock and pop, and melts them down into something entirely his own, and he does it with two things money can’t buy: imagination and taste. These sturdily built pop songs are graced with ingeniously colorful arrangements and have that ‘instant classic’ thing stamped all over them” - John Payne, LA Weekly
“…AM writes literate, emotionally balanced tunes that are infectious without being moronic, hip without being oh so, and pop infected without losing their edge… he is a songwriter ready to be discovered by a wider audience, an audience interested in smart and sincere songs that speak to the vastness of the human spirit.” – Jedd Beoudoin, f5wichita
“A clear, expressive voice, meaningful lyrics, and a magical touch on the guitar equal some great songs, that are translated perfectly on AM’s new CD “Troubled Times” click to listen to him here, or catch him on his US tour now.” - MYSPACE Editorial Special Feature
“…effectively channels Wilco’s pop sensibilities, with the intimacy of Josh Rouse and Coldplay. His soothing, soulful voice perfectly compliments his personal and stark songwriting and layered production. This is rootsy AM gold (pun intended).” – Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music Front Page Feature
“A cool hybrid between Pete Yorns Music for the Morning After and Coldplays Rush of Blood to the Head, Troubled Times uses the same melancholic vibes as both artists, but inserts his own edge inside each track like a secret addictive ingredient.” - Andrea Mooney, WERS Radio
“Mixing an airy vibe and psychedelic, classic rock rhythm crystallizes this album in its own vinyl groove. “A Complete Unknown” rings of bongos and organs mashed with lyrical intellectual sensibilities. “It’s Been so Long” could fit between Jefferson Airplane and the Beach Boys on radio rotation and you wouldn’t bat an eye. Chalk full of timeless harmony and resoundingly spacey vocals your ears will feel like they are brushing through the beaded curtain of yesteryear. ” Jeff Kingsbury
“AM’s songs reveal an artfully considered blending of classic American and English roots and rock influences, from the Beatles and Badfinger to Roy Orbison, James Brown, Alan Toussaint and Elvis Presley, but that’s just the tip of it, and in recent times he’s swayed by the high-flying melodic and harmonic gambits of such Brazilian legends as Jorge Ben. He ultimately, conveys the comforting heart-tug of a simple pop song sung with sincerity, not irony, and he takes you by surprise at the pop form’s infinite capacity for expressive reinvention.
One inescapably comes to the same conclusion: This is such intelligent stuff, and it all just feels so good. In the end, it’s the emotive power of AM’s songs that etches them indelibly in the mind, and wraps them around the heart. But then, how exactly it is that certain songwriters conjure such magic will always remain shrouded in mystery. Let’s say that AM is just like that; it’s in his blood, and there isn’t much even he can do about it — except continue to blow us away with the brilliance of his songs.”- Jay And Marie
Hilarious old videos of interviews/ performances: disclaimer, I don’t make claim to these outfits. http://sporditv.com/91384 http://sporditv.com/91423
http://www.maybehip.com/myindielife/episode2.html