I collect music.
Brazilian 60's music
Anything 60's
Italian Soundtracks are my favorite
watch a lot of movies,
a great cup of coffee is crucial,
I buy records at record stores
I'm on tour come say hello- code word T61
www.amandshawnlee.tumbr.com
Twitter= @amsounds
www.twitter.com/amsounds
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Free instant download of the new record Future Sons & Daughters at www.amsounds.com/music
Is this the new classic rock? Echo Park indie artist AM brings a heady brew of twinkling Anglified folk-rock-pop to his new album “Future Sons & Daughters”. AM does all this with an acute, finessing ear for the ancient art of real, true songcraft. With, arguably, some of the best bridges and choruses in the bizness, drawing from the Beatles and Badfinger or Curtis Mayfield and Jorge Ben, AM demonstrates over and again the simple fact of songwriting life: that imagination and taste is what it's all about. If you watch the tele maybe you've heard AM's tunes on HBO's "Big Love" MTV "The Hills", ABC's "Brothers and Sisters".
New Holiday EP Holiday Happiness & Cheer Available now for Presale at iTunes.
Note:
A Charlie Brown Christmas was my favorite holiday TV special growing up. And it's one of the few that still has a lasting relevance to me. As a kid I wasn't familiar with who was providing the spooky, moody jazz that accompanied the cartoon. Later on I discovered it was jazz musician Vince Guaraldi. As I learned more about Guaraldi's influences I discovered we shared a mutual love for Latin music, namely Brazilian Bossa Nova and as I delved into his catalog I became an immediate fan. Needless to say this was a song I was very excited, and terrified, to record. I decided to keep the song in the original key and keep it's shuffle type feel. Having been deeply influenced by Antonio Carlos Jobim's flawless guitar playing I decided to use nylon string guitar as the basis for the arrangement. Above all I tried to retain the songs' ultimate haunting quality. A bitter sweet, ingeniously arranged Christmas song.
After being nudged along by friends, managers, agents etc. to write an original holiday song I finally agreed. And at this point I'm really glad I did. I hooked up with my neighbor, and talented producer Brad Gordon and we went to town on recording my song "I'm Home For The Holidays" (as well as my cover of "Christmas Time Is Here"). I wanted to write something that dealt more with the dreadful elements many people are faced with going home that time of year. Although for some it can be one of the best times of year, for others it can be obligatory, isolating and depressing. I wanted to reflect that sentiment, and above all, find some kind of relevance in it. I put more strings on this recording than I ever have and it was fun to explore a more "orchestral" type arrangement.
I hope you all enjoy the music.
Happy Holidays,
AM
“Hear Me Sing” is the first single from AM’s EP entitled “Side By Side- Duets Vol. 1”. Performing on the EP are friends and other notable singer-songwriters including Buddy, Tina Dico, Meiko, Rick Garcia, Susie Suh, and Julianna Raye. The EP features original songs written by AM along with covers from The Velvet Underground and The Beatles. AM co-produced “Side by Side” with Charles Newman, producer for The Magnetic Fields (Nonesuch).
When friend and fellow songwriter Gus Black heard the EP he reached out to see if he could direct a music video for the song “Hear Me Sing”. “We wanted to avoid the standard played out elements apparent in so many music videos” explained AM. “I knew Gus had a good eye and his own vision so I just let him do his thing”.
As with all of the songs on “Side by Side” AM wrote the song with his friend Buddy in mind. “I really like Buddy’s voice and I wanted to find a song that we could sing on stage together. I felt really lucky when he agreed to do it because his voice is totally unique and I knew he’d be the only one who could sing it the way I wrote it”.
AM got the idea to do a duets project after a meeting with a music publisher who told him stories about the “Laurel Canyon” days when singer-songwriters were constantly writing, recording and performing together. “I figured with all the talented people I knew it was crazy that we hadn’t collaborated on something together. I asked friends of mine whose voices and music I like to be involved with the project not really knowing if they would do it or not. So when they all agreed I knew I was onto something. It just fell together very naturally,” explained AM.
