Air
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Arvo Pärt
Beach Boys
Beatles
Beta Band
Big Star
Blonde Redhead
Brian Eno
Burt Bacharach
Can
Cornelius
David Bowie
Depeche Mode
Donovan
Electric Light Orchestra
Elliott Smith
Erik Satie
Genesis
Gustav Mahler
Harry Nilsson
Kinks
Klaatu
Led Zeppelin
Los Shakers
Marcos Valle
Margo Guryan
Millennium
Monkees
Nick Drake
Os Mutantes
Paul Simon
Peter Gabriel
Philip Glass
Pink Floyd
Rufus Wainwright
Serge Gainsbourg
Stereolab
Steve Reich
Stevie Wonder
Syd Barrett
Talking Heads
Who
Wings
XTC
Zombies
Sounds Like
Sunshine Pop - Bossa-Nova - Baroque Folk - Electronic Soundscapes -Chamber Psychedelia - French Lounge
The Beatles, XTC, Nick Drake, Stereolab, Paul Simon, Os Mutantes, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Elliott Smith, Belle & Sebastian, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach, Donovan, The Monkees, The Zombies, Air, Curt Boettcher (The Millennium), Los Shakers, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Brian Eno, Wings, Depeche Mode, The Beta Band, Syd Barrett, Big Star, Cornelius, Margo Guryan, Serge Gainsbourg, Rufus Wainwright, Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Erik Satie
Throughout his development as a songwriter and producer, Amiel's ears digested many sounds from around the world, all of which left an indelible imprint on his music. On any given song, you can hear traces of: Sunshine Pop, Bossa-Nova, Electronic Soundscapes, French Ye Ye, Indian Raga, Psychedelic Folk, Progressive Rock, and Classical Minimalism and Impressionism. At its core, his music strives for beauty and complexity while coming across as simple and effortless.
A native of New Jersey/New York (by way of Germany), Amiel started off playing and recording in his friend's father's converted dental office. Dozens of 4-track tapes later, Amiel decided to record a proper album in 1998. Released in 2000, Amiel’s self-titled debut album contains 12 songs that first showcase his innate songwriting talents. 2005 saw the release of Amiel’s follow-up album, ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN. A production that took over three years to create, this 20-song collection is the first body of work to really draw upon all of Amiel’s vast array of influences. Despite the wide variety, it all holds together in a certain unique and unified way. The 2008 release of Amiel’s third album, FIGURES SEEKING GROUND, does even more to draw in the listener with its rich textures and unexpected instrumentation. Almost every song features a different female guest vocalist, all of whom interpret Amiel’s songs wonderfully.
Aside from these three albums, Amiel's music can be heard elsewhere:
* "Circles" (from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN) was recently featured in a television commercial promoting the News 12 Cable Network. It was aired on channels such as Comedy Central, CNN and A&E. [See the two commercials posted below this biography].
* A short snippet from the song "Mannequin" (from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN) is featured in six webisodes promoting Microsoft's XBOX 360. It can be heard during the brief opening credits: www.xbox360.com.au.
* Two songs from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN ("Where Time Moves Slower" and "How Do I Come Across?”) are featured in an independent film entitled SEND IN THE CLOWN. For more information about the film, please visit: www.clownmovie.com.
* "Between Locators" (from ACCIDENTS BY DESIGN) was used in a corporate video promoting the Perez Trading Company.
You can catch Amiel playing live in NYC venues such as Moe Pitkins, Pete’s Candy Store, and the Knitting Factory.
Hey, my very first MySpace comment! And who better to write it for than for you, Ami! You rock, your albums rock, and your esoteric knowledge of obscure musical references rocks. There's a lot of goodness happening on this page.
hello Ami. So very nice to see you a few weeks ago. :O) Can you please tell Mr. Jay that I would like to be his friend. Now that option is not avaliable on his page. boo hoo...my goodness....
Haha hello! Yes, as Neige predicted, the cereal meal replacement plan didnt last even 2 days! How you been? We caught up with charlie the other night and he showed us a bit around williamsberg.
i want to add the song "grayer than clay" to my profile. but our "beloved" friend said it is not her decision... so i should ask you instead. pretty please? x
Hey, Amiel! We're in NYC June 12-16....how 'bout that one-man acoustic show, then?! :)~ At the very least, you should come out to the Popfest! Some cool bands playing. Yay!
Haven't stepped in to say "hello" in forever, but you've been on my mind since I told one of the NE Popfest organizers that they should look you up when putting together their setlist. However, now that it looks like I might be in NYC in June for THAT Popfest, I'm stopping by to get yourself on THAT bill, post-haste!!!! (either that, or do a show while I'm out there; as long as it's not up against The Orchids, I'm golden!)
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