An interview I did with Patrick Ogle of Gearwire.com is up. If you’re a gearhead, you’ll love this one! Part 1 of the interview was just posted.



Q. Do you have any special pieces of gear or techniques with gear you use in recording?

A. No. It’s my feeling that any piece of gear or technique is as special as the next if you decide to put it in your recording. I like mojo pieces as much as the next guy, but the mojo piece is no better than the workhorse piece in the sum of the parts and either should be used where appropriate. It’s dubious to say X is special because at the end of the day, what you put through it still matters most.

Read part 1 of the interview here…

Amateurs show with Secretary Bird on May 22 a recommended pick on Rockinsider.com



One of the lesser known residencies going on in Los Angeles this month. The Amateurs sent me their CD in the mail the other week. Fantastic record. Very upbeat and fun. If you’re up for some new music I’d recommend this show.

Check it out

Speak Easy was reviewed on Littleradio.com. 4 out of 5 stars!



I wanted to somehow work the phrase “Easy like Sunday morning” in here, not because I’m reviewing the Commodores, but because it’s a great way to sum up the first full length release, Speak Easy, from Los Angeles based Amateurs. It’s a laid back, mellow album that meanders through several styles without getting lost in the woods. Drawing on influences such as T-Rex, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie, they produce a style that is reminiscent of happy 70’s rock, without sounding derivative and clichéd. And then they throw in some country layers, dark soundscapes, dual guitars, a violin and a bucket load of emotional vocals. When you think you got their sound pinpointed down, the album morphs from poppy to dream-like. This is especially so with the track “Submariners” where the instruments take on a floating, underwater quality. Speak Easy successfully translates emotion in their instrumental tracks as well, slowly rising and building the structure until the whole track sweeps you off your feet. I recommend “Omaha Nights”, “Spectacular Fall”, and “Submariners”.

-Elana Rintala

http://www.littleradio.com/feeds/reviews/view/1060