The New L.A. Folk Fest Presents Amanda Jo Williams (Record Release Show)
Event on 2013-05-24 21:30:00
Amanda Jo Williams
El Cid
05/24/2013 09:30 PM PDT
.00 at the door
Supporting Acts: Dorian Wood, Tommy Santee Klaws, Insects Vs. Robots
Amanda Jo Williams
Even when she’s on East Coast domestic duty raising three kids, Amanda Jo Williams remains an enigmatic L.A. musical mainstay. Over a decade into her wild tenure, most are at a loss of where to put her, how to describe her, and how to process such lines as “I need a fire in my chest and blood in my pee to urinate.” Known to scoff at tags like “freak-folk” and “alt-country” by merely starring at you in scolding confusion with the same steely eyes that were once captured by flashbulbs in the NYC modeling world, she proves over again that she’s far too feral for the easily digestible grooming of genre shackles. But one eyeball/ear full of the dust her and her gang kicks up at such off the beaten left-hand path venues like The Echo Country Outpost (where she has taken the role of undisputed mascot and spiritual leader) is all one needs to connect the quivering dots. On her fourth LP, You’re The Father Of My Songs, Williams returns armed with her trusty Olvera Street-kiddy guitar, her loyally kinetic jumping bean back up band, and this time, some cream of the crop L.A. stalwarts – John Frusciante, Fool’s Gold multi-instrumentalist Brad Caulkins, and Laena Geronimo of Raw Geronimo and Dante Vs. Zombies. And to help flesh out the most refined exhibition of her unmistakable sound to date, it’s all driven home by the production of Swahili Blonde mastermind/Neurotic Yell CEO Nicole Turley. Williams maintains her classic vocal chirp of a little Southern girl with a flashlight under the blanket telling ghost stories, but on You’re The Father of My Songs we see the stories turn considerably antagonistic. There’s the Dada-dance warning of impending brimstone on the album’s opener “2000Hell” that segues into the Roky Erikson-esque scorn/minimalist Bad Seeds dirge of “Animal Dog” getting your feet wet in murkier waters before the reggae infused hoedown of “Holster, The Gun It Hangs In There” and psychedelic seasick shanty “Suppose I Did Mean Love.” Ladled with generous helpings of country/gospel back up vocals, wind-thrown seasoning’s of onomonopias, and sidewinding Beefheartening rhythmic risks, perhaps the gutsiest moment is her delving into the straight pop territory of “Goddamn Muse” which could very well be Williams and crew’s triumphant steeling back of the dreaded omnipresent (but never failing radio hit formula) Am/F/C/G progression, back to the punk roots from which it was spawned? In a perfect world this would be bullet status on Billboard, and it may be good news for all of us that despite all her occasional communing with darker hues, Williams is an unabashed utopian at heart. When asked about her idea of a perfect year in a recent interview, Williams replied: “…she would make millions of dollars and travel to every country. She would write a song with Prince. She would eat every oyster kind in the world. Her body would be toned and strong. Her songs would be played all over the T.V and in movie theaters. Werner Herzog would invite her to play paint ball or tennis. She would be very nice and loving and good. Amanda would think only positive thoughts and only care about things that really matter. Jesus would come down as the alien he is and blow people’s minds into no hunger or death. No fear and dreams for all. She would feel such an overwhelming love that her cells would spread apart and there would be no Amanda except in all things.. Her human at peace.” “Deftly sidestepping any easy categorization, whether it be freak folk or Americana, Williams’s acoustic ruminations are anything but simple and fall somewhere between the religious sacraments of The Louvin Brothers and the hellfire and brimstone rock of 16 Horsepower-though there is a dark sly humor that seems to radiate outward from within her songs.”- Beats Per Minute(Joshua Pickard) “Listening to her is kind of like chewing nervously on the insides of your mouth: It seems wrong but you just can’t help it, and the pain and faint salty taste of blood is strangely satisfying.” – Philadelphia Weekly Amanda Jo Williams voted #5 in the Top 10 LA Bands to Watch in 2011- “Amanda’s Georgia twang makes her own brand folk-rock unmistakably unique.”- L.A. Weekly “Her primal music is an open maw to the mysteries and fears of the world. With a twang-heavy voice that sometimes breaks into manic gibberish or other cartoonish effects, she sounds like an unruly, sometimes lonely little girl left to her own devices.” – L.A. Times “Most critics agree on the praise for Amanda Jo Williams. Although her voice is highly idiosyncratic, with a clawing southern drawl and punchy delivery, her songwriting is inventively addictive; the contrast is like sweet and sour, blending together with a seemingly natural intent. “ – Obscure Sound “Amanda Jo Williams’ combination of personalities and skills results in the most compelling roller coaster I’ve ridden in years. Amanda Jo Williams will stop your heart, show you the light, then bring you right back again.”- L.A. Record “This ain’t the alt-country you grew up with. It’s more indie-rock country, and in a live setting it’s pretty whacked stuff. Slide guitars and bent-up acoustic sounds float all around her alien-like tunes. ” – Delaware Online “It’s not right to say AJW comes from somewhere “out of left field,” for “left field” a destination easily seen from home plate. No, the place Williams hails from is somewhere hidden from average minds—perhaps a lost mountain valley, a deserted island or possibly a cartoon. Her vocals are quite eccentric, sort of like Adam Sandler as an old lady, or maybe a crazed prospector from some old Western? Her backing music is often as odd, sounding much like someone hit the space bar and fired up a bunch of tracks that haven’t been laid properly yet. And the lyrics, loaded with strange word choices and subject matter—it all comes together sounding like Les Claypool writing for Sesame Street…you really need to give this lady a whirl.” – Metromix NY “The Georgia-bred songwriter’s growing legend is built as much on her prowess as a changeling as provocateur.” -Buzzbands L.A. “Amanda Jo Williams sounds entirely out of place and time.” – Folk Radio UK “Amanda Jo Williams brings her little surrealistic south-western universe with her on stage. Their outlaw hippie-country beats were very contagious and soon I was surrounded by a band of young girls wearing cowboy hats, and attempting to reproduce the fashion and the moves seen on stage, a cult following if there was one.” – Rock NYC “The band is Lynard Skynard’s family jamming under a big tree in the front yard, at times they settle into the band where everyone is J. J. Cale. Amanda Jo Williams is Bonnie Riatt’s ‘Bluebird,’ chirping like a child, as punkish and cosmic as a Georgia raised Patti Smith too.” – Ink Eats Man
Venue Information
El Cid
4212 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
http://www.elcidla.com/
at El Cid
4212 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, United States
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