"...Amateurs have created a strong debut LP filled with ’70s a.m. radio melodies mixed with warm, organic arrangements that add depth to their sprawling, laid back material...With a debut LP this strong, I don’t expect to see them unsigned for much longer."
- Chip Adams, TheTripwire.com
"…adventurous, immediately affecting, and unpredictable."
- Liz Colville, StylusMagazine.com
"L.A. quartet Amateurs can’t quite decide what they want to be, except good. Their first album nods to classic rock, folky ’70s radio fare, modern indie titans and maybe even prog rock band or two, if they used strings. Whether you hear a lot of Wilco or a little Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention or the Band, it’s the emotional range that makes Amateurs’ an impressive debut."
- Kevin Bronson, LA Times
"Amateurs deliver the goods on Speak Easy, their debut album." 4 out of 5 stars
- Elana Rintala, LittleRadio.com
"[Speak Easy] is timeless and well-crafted and not exactly easy to define, but definitely belongs in your record collection."
-Mark Ziemke, Ground Control Magazine
“There’s a decidedly rural element to the recordings on the band’s first full-length release… as evidenced by the copious use of violin and viola to create a sound reminiscent of old time country and western music… Notes are bent and stretched, rooting the music in the blues… It’s a winning mix of styles, making Speak Easy a compelling listen from beginning to end.”
-Michael Fortes, West Coast Performer Magazine
"A deceptively unassuming name for such an adept band."
- The Synthesis
"If they can create music this emotional after just over a year, then I can only imagine how good they'll be after two or three years. The Amateurs is a band to watch out for in the coming years."
- music-critic.com
"The instruments are what drive this music forward and the talented musicians involved would surely captivate a live audience."
- themusicreview.net
***
The Amateurs began in San Francisco in September 2004, the brainchild of guitarist & vocalist Keith Waggoner and drummer Stephen Garver. The duo tirelessly developed the nascent Amateurs' sound self-producing demos with whatever recording apparatus they could get their hands on. Soon after its inception the project moved to Los Angeles where during the recording of their EP "Hope For The Best, Expect The Worst", The Amateurs became a 3-piece after inviting violinist Shannon De Jong to join up full-time. Recorded by Manny Nieto (Mars Volta, The Breeders) at the Rock Block in Eagle Rock, the 5 song EP inspired kind words and paved the way for multiple West Coast tours and one national tour.
Buoyed by the success of their EP and their tours, The Amateurs decided it was time to develop the sound further. Serendipitous living arrangements and shared interests lead to the addition of guitarist Anthony Puglisi. With the line-up finally solidified and the wheels of the tour van barely cool, the decision was made in April 2006 to begin writing a full length record.
The Amateurs' sound is all at once familiar, yet difficult to pin down. Huge drums and twisting guitars sometimes call to mind Zeppelin-inspired jams while the violin pushes the sound closer to the realm of fiddle-driven Fairport Convention. There are hints of classic artists like Fleetwood Mac and The Who and contemporary artists like Wilco and Midlake. But The Amateurs distill their influences into something that transcends a simple rehash of what they like to listen to. There are even shades of classical music especially apparent in their haunting, sprawling instrumentals. One listen makes it clear that The Amateurs revel in beautiful harmony, textural interplay, and dynamic crescendos.
After ceaseless preparation, The Amateurs entered the studio in late November 2006 to record what has become their first full-length effort, "Speak Easy." Enlisting the production talents of local mastermind Dave Trumfio (Wilco, Grandaddy), San Francisco mainstay Scott Hirsch (The Court & Spark), and Manny Nieto, The Amateurs captured something that is as rocking as it is sincere. Recorded live in 4 days, "Speak Easy" is not only a gratifying surprise, but a testament to the power of four individuals clearly focused on their collective vision.
Thanks for playing Keith! We always love having you guys play with us(whatever form). I heard you were recording soon. We want to be first on the list to get a copy.:-) See you soon! Mary
Hello Guys and Doll! ;-) My band Leslie and the Badgers will be playing at Tangier this Friday night at 10pm. It's an Americana night presented through Rhino Independent. Hope you can make it!
Hey Keith, you're the best for coming out to the OTP show the other night...always good to see you! Looking forward to Spaceland in the new year. Let me know that week when you guys and gal wanna run Cigarettes. Cheers and Happy Holidays! -Char
hey keith, hope the show went well. we were pissed because we ended up having technical problems in the studio so we we could have actually caught the show. side note: my older sister (who introduced me to music) listens to your album everyday. its our family drinking music. r
charlene gave me your album at practice the other day and i've been singing it to myself for days. get out of my head, bitches! my sister and i love one of the songs but we don't know the words, i sing "sharp like an apple core" and she sings "shine like an albacore".
