Archer Records : Amy LaVere



biography discography tour dates reviews/press photo gallery watch videos media kit mailing list	A rootsier, more dangerous Norah Jones. from DesMoinesRegister.com: May 3, 2007 by Kyle Munson Check her out. Deserves some of Amy Winehouse’s hype. A rootsier, more dangerous Norah Jones. Amy LaVere Releases New Album from The Memphis Flyer: March 14, 2007 Fresh from her acting stint in Black Snake Moan, Memphis’ own Amy LaVere is still thumping away at the stand-up bass and cranking out new albums. more... On her sophomore release, singer/bassist Amy LaVere doesn't mess around from Charleston Daily Mail : April 26, 2007 by Michael Lipton On her sophomore release, singer/bassist Amy LaVere doesn't mess around. Beginning with producer Jim Dickinson (Dylan, Big Star, Stones), she's assembled a top-notch cast that includes guitarist Jimbo Mathus, steel guitarist Chris Scruggs and violinist/mandolinist Tommy Burroughs. LaVere -- who made her acting debut portraying Wanda Jackson in the 2005 Johnny Cash bio "Walk the Line" -- has a bag that ranges from the haunting opener, "Killing Him," and the gypsy-styled "That Beat" to the slow and brassy country-tinged confessional "Pointless Drinking," the Tex-Mex "Overcome" and the Dan Hicks-sounding "Time is a Train." While the songs are interesting, they mainly serve as vehicles for LaVere. With a childish wisp, she's, by turns, coy, playful and sexy -- sometimes, as on "Washing Machine," all at once. www.archer-records.com. Amy LaVere "LaVere's musical flame just starting to burn" from Herald-Journal: November 30, 2006 by Dan Armontaitis As a teenager, Amy LaVere hadn't yet developed a passion for the musical influences that play such a vital role on her solo debut album --"This World Is Not My Home" -- released earlier this year. more... WANDA JACKSON & AMY LAVERE from The Nashville Scene: Agust 9, 2006 by EDD HURT At nearly 70, Wanda Jackson remains one of rock ’n’ roll’s most distinctive singers. Best known for late-’50s recordings like the explosive “Fujiyama Mama,” the Oklahoma-born Jackson was one of the era’s sexiest, funniest performers. Amy LaVere makes her home in Memphis and is a few decades younger, but she’s another genre-spanning artist whose music and persona suggest new possibilities for female rockers. (The Louisiana-born LaVere appears as Jackson in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line.) LaVere is equally at home singing her own material or triple-slapping upright bass with Bluff City singer Jim Dickinson. LaVere and company will play an opening set, and then it’s on to a collaboration that most likely won’t be your father’s notion of rock ’n’ roll. ( wandajackson.com ); ( archer-records.com/artists/amy_lavere ) Mercy Lounge Artist Spotlight More Than What You Hear from R & R American Update: July 31, 2006 by Jeff Green One of the important new talents in Americana is the petite and very soulful string bassist Amy LaVere, who has made a introspective, intriguing debut album called The World Is Not My Home, recorded in her hometown of Memphis with a strong cast of musicians, including Jim Dickinson on keyboards. LaVere, who, as an actress, who portrayed Wanda Jackson in Walk the Line and who satisfies her love of music history by working parttime as a tour guide at Sun Studios, was noticed by respected Memphis musician, ad-agency owner and label head Ward Archer. “He saw me perform around the area,” she says, “and offered me a deal. We’ve developed a really great working relationship.” Asked for her favorite track on the album, LaVere doesn’t hesitate: “‘Nightingale.’ It was [producer] Paul Taylor who thought of the idea of bringing the Mellotron to that song — it’s just too cool. Paul is a consummate musician, and I really trust him. He brought great ideas to the table.” The World... was made shortly after LaVere closed the books on a six-year personal relationship, and dealing honestly with those emotions resulted in an album that LaVere feels doesn’t fully reflect who she is as a performer. “The overriding theme was to encompass everything that I do, but a lot of stuff got kicked off the record just because it took on this moody, sweet vibe of its own, and the rockers just weren’t fitting in,” she says. “It’s kind of disappointing because I don’t really think it’s representative of my live show, and I’ve had a little trouble getting clubs to understand that what I do is not limited to this album. This record is just a glimpse of a small part of me.” — By Jeff Green Amy LaVere This World Is Not My Home from Radio ioCountry: June 26, 2006 by Rob Bleetstein there's nothing like getting a cd of an artist you've never heard of and just falling immediately in love with it. that's what's going on with this new disc from amy lavere, which you'll be hearing plenty of on ioCOUNTRY. here's the deal on amy. more... Amy LaVere On Sticking With It from Bass Player Magazine: June 20, 2006 by SHELTON CLARK Amy LaVere discovered her muse in the upright bass in Nashvegas before moving to Memphis and immersing herself in that city’s rich musical scene. When her duo the Gabe & Amy Show fell apart, LaVere struck out on her own. Regular local gigs and recording sessions led to her signing with Memphis indie label Archer Records. Her solo debut, This World Is Not My Home, showcases her reedy, torch-song –ready vocals with a rootsy rhythm section and great appearances from former Squirrel Nit Zippers guitarist Jimbo Mathus and legendary pianist/producer Jim Dickinson. She also landed a bit part playing rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line and in Hustle and Flow director Craig Brewer’s upcoming Black Snake Moan with Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson. What brought you to the upright bass? more... Amy LaVere is the musical equivalent of Lay's Potato Chips from WIVK/Americana Highway: June 19, 2006 by Eric Bohlen Amy LaVere is the musical equivalent of Lay's Potato Chips. The old t.v. commercial said you can't eat just one chip. Well after listening to Amy's new cd "This World Is Not My Home"...you'll find that you can't listen just one time through. Whether it's the spunky rockabilly of "Never Been Sadder" (which really is a sad song in spite of it's thumpin', up-tempo bass line)...the sweet, dreamy journey of "Nightingale"...or "Leaving" which easily could be playing on an Oklahoma honky tonk's jukebox in the late 1950's smack dab between Hank Williams and Patsy Cline without missing a beat....you'll find yourself playing the songs again and again and again. Thank goodness for my cd player's "repeat" function. The only potential problem: can you physically wear out a cd by playing it too much?"-- Amy LaVere THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME from Maverick Magazine: June 1, 2006 Amy LaVere is one of the best-looking bass players you’re ever likely to come across. She is also a talented singer-songwriter. This is very apparent when listening to her debut album THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME. (Archer Records ARR-.131924)** Recorded in her adopted hometown of Memphis, Tennessee and produced by Paul Taylor, it is a moody mix of traditional country, artful soul, rock and jazz. more... Amy LaVere’s popularity as session bassist on the rise. : May 1, 2006 by Cacky Minden Since completing her solo album, “This World Is Not My Home,” Amy LaVere has been in demand as a session bassist on two upcoming releases. First, Jim Dickinson’s new CD, “Jungle Jim & The Voodoo tiger” (Memphis International) to be released May 30th Click Here To Listen Amy is also plucking her bass on William Lee Ellis’s new album “God's Tattoos” (Yellow Dog Records). The album, recorded and produced by Jim Dickinson at his Zebra Ranch, is an eclectic mix of blues, Americana, gospel, world music, and rock. Click Here For More Amy LaVere This World Is Not My Home from No Depression: April 2, 2006 by Michael Berick Amy LaVere portrayed Wanda Jackson in the film "Walk The Line”, but on her alluring debut disc, she comes across more like a demure roots chanteuse than a rockabilly wildcat. The Memphis-based performer establishes her album’s blue mood immediately on the opening “Day Like Any”. Supported by Jimbo Mathus’sinewy guitar work, this torchy tune examines a relationship gone wrong, a topic she revisits throughout this ten-song outing. While the lyrics concentrate on romantic woes, the music holds an endearing retro Americana quality as LaVere gracefully mixes the sounds of the backwoods (the mountain-bluesy “Nightingale”) with smoky juke joints (the accordion-paced “Take ‘Em Or Leave ‘Em”). Although LaVere’s whispery vocals occasionally grow a little wispy, tunes such as “Never Been Sadder” (which also spotlights her nimble standup bass prowess) and the country waltz title track showcase her sweetly vulnerable voice to greater effect. Amy LaVere This World Is Not My Home from All Music Guide Billboard.com: March 27, 2006 by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. This World Is Not My Home gets a lazy, relaxed start with "Day Like Any," a rhythmically compelling song highlighted by Jimbo Mathus' guitar work and Amy LaVere's country-flavored girlish vocals. "Nightingale" veers much closer to folk, while "Leaving" is straight old-school country. Perhaps the element that stands out most and ties these various styles together under some kind of alternative country banner is LaVere's light, slightly breathy vocal tone. She coos and croons, stretching syllables and adding emotional flourishes, and shows herself to be quite comfortable with the material at hand. And LaVere has surrounded herself with a crack band that includes Mathus, pianist Jim Dickinson, drummer Paul Buchignani, and several other fine players. The songs, mostly written by LaVere and Mathus, are also solid, though the best stuff is on the first half of the album. While This World Is Not My Home will probably be filed under alternative country, the album never sounds like anything that might typically be given that label (she's a female, first of all, and doesn't mumble her lyrics against a clash of twangy guitars). Instead, LaVere's style seems closer in spirit to the simpler values of older country and folk. As an added bonus, the CD design, featuring several black-and-white photographs by Monty Johnson, is absolutely lovely. This World Is Not My Home will serve as a fine introduction to a distinctive singer. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide Amy LaVere This World Is Not My Home from CITY NEWSPAPER, Rochester, NY: February 1, 2006 by Saby Reyes-Kulkarni Legendary Memphis producer Jim Dickinson, who lends his piano talents to much of this album, says that singer-bassist Amy LaVere "can triple-slap an upright bass like Willie Dixon on steroids." That's a hell of an endorsement, and it may be true (LaVere played in a punk band as a teenager in Detroit), but here LaVere prefers a picking approach that's as supple asthe arrangements built around her singing. more... "Good Stuff" from Performing Songwriter Magazine: January/February 2006 by Abby White Singer/actress Amy LaVere's solo debut, This World Is Not My Home, is a unique blend of jazz and traditional cocuntry that manages to sound both innovative and timeless. Good stuff. AMY LAVERE: "This World Is Not My Home" from FORT WORTH WEEKLY : January 25, 2006 by Tom Geddie With her almost ethereal, little-girl-lost voice and first-class musical accompaniment, Amy LaVere wanders through a melancholy world thatąs seemingly without love. On the title track of her debut c.d., This World is Not My Home, she claims sheąs not from here but seems to know the emotional terrain pretty well: Most of the 10 songs deal with the aftermaths of failed relationships. more... Amy LeVere and her bass travel the road to stardom from The Tennessean: January 24, 2006 by PETER COOPER, STAFF WRITER Tonight's edition of Billy Block's Western Beat show at Exit/In (2208 Elliston Place, 321-3340) features Amy LeVere, an ex-Nashvillian and current Memphian whose This World Is Not My Home album marks her as an emerging star in the alt-country and Americana worlds. more... Country/Roots Amy LaVere This World Is Not My Home 1/2 from PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: January 22, 2006 by Nick Cristiano "I'm not the girl I once was, I've learned from heartaches," Amy LaVere confides on "Innocent Girl," one of the 10 cuts on her solo debut. She goes on, however, to warn: "My heart's not quite dead." That wounded but resilient spirit suffuses This World Is Not My Home and LaVere's breathy, deceptively delicate vocals, which are as beguiling as the music's evocative blend of country and pop. The singer and bass player, who portrays Wanda Jackson in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, recorded the album in her current hometown of Memphis; that's where she got the imprimatur of local music legend Jim Dickinson, who plays piano on four tracks. From start to finish, it's easy to share his enthusiasm. "...full of heartbreak and disappointment, yet casts an intoxicating spell"* This World Is Not My Home (Archer) from Chicago Tribune: Janurary 20, 2006 by Daniel Durchholz On the silver screen, Amy LaVere portrays rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson in the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" and appears in Craig Brewer's forthcoming "Black Snake Moan." But LaVere's greatest role is as herself, a Southern girl thumping a doghouse bass bigger than she is and singing in a woozy, whispery voice that confesses, "I'm no longer an innocent girl/ I've had my taste of this tasteless world." LaVere's rootsy debut is full of heartbreak and disappointment, yet casts an intoxicating spell. AMY LAVERE: "This World Is Not My Home" from LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS : January 20, 2006 by Bob Strauss, Staff Writer Something like this doesn't come along every day. LaVere has an achy, little-girl voice that's a nice fit with the just-this-side-of-naive heartbreak songs she writes. But she also plays a big, stand-up slap bass, which lends a tough, rockabilly punch to arrangements whose eclectic influences include honky tonk, lounge and even a little mystic Celtic. LaVere, by the way, has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" as early rock queen bee Wanda Jackson. Good casting. Amy Lavere At Home In Many Musical Styles from The Hartford Courant Hartford, CT: January 19, 2006 by ERIC R. DANTON Her upright bass is taller than she is, but Amy LaVere on her solo debut makes up in musical ability what she lacks in physical stature. more... Newcomer comes out swinging with jazzy country sound from Columbus Dispatch: January 19, 2006 by Margaret Quamme On her first album, LaVere plays stand-up slap bass while singing in a relaxed, girlish voice. Not a usual combination, but the deep, percussive bass provides a fine foundation for a comfortable and unassuming set of songs. more... Talking Bluff City Singer-songwriter finds her groove after moving to Memphis from Nashville Scene: January 19, 2006 by Edd Hurt Alt-country often cultivates an unworldliness that does an injustice to the complexity of the music’s roots. While it’s true that country, blues and bluegrass have their spiritual side, alt-country can trade lyrical and musical specificity for vague representations of a world that never existed, except on old records. more... BASS-THUMPIN' MEMPHIS MAMA SOUTHERN CHANTEUSE AMY LAVERE RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM from The Bulletin: January 17, 2006 by Mark Williams If you’re looking for new music in the new year, then check out the new release by uniquely talented songstress Amy LaVere, “This World Is Not My Home,” due out on Tuesday, January 17 from Memphis-based label Archer Records. LaVere and her band, the Tramps, offer up a new take on acoustic Americana -- an old-timey mix of pop and country, jazz and folk. more... Singer-Songwriter Amy LaVere -- "The World Is Not My Home" (Archer) * from Detroit Free Press: January 15, 2006 by Greg Crawford LaVere, who lived with her family in the Detroit area from 1989 through 1996, fronted local punk band Last Minute in the mid-'90s while still in her teens. (She was known as Amy Fant in those days.) Since then, she's made a name for herself as a stand-up bass player and singer-songwriter in Memphis, Tenn., and, more recently, as the actress who played rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson in the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line." more... THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME Amy LaVere from Nightflying: January 15, 2006 by Andy Meeks Amy LaVere plays an upright bass and sings with a poignancy that makes me think of a backwoods Ani diFranco. She wrote about half the songs on this album and Jimbo Mathus, who also contributes electric guitar, wrote a couple and then more... Amy LaVere: The World Is Not My Home A 'World' filled with heartache from Orlando Sentinel: Janurary 13, 2006 by Jim Abbott Singer-songwriter and upright bassist Amy LaVere cultivated her alt-country sensibilities in the bars and honky-tonks on Nashville's Lower Broad Street, where she played for a time in a short-lived roots duo. Although This World is Not My Home is a solo release, LaVere gets some high-profile help on these 10 songs from singer-guitarist and ex-Squirrel Nut Zipper Jimbo Mathus and producer Jim Dickinson, whose resume ranges from Screamin' Jay Hawkins to the Stones. more... "One of the best albums of 2006" This World Is Not My Home from PopMatters: January 12, 2006 by Roger Holland Amy LaVere is another of your typical 21st century renaissance women. Actress by day, singer and musician by night, LaVere's been a Detroit punk, learned to play rockabilly stand-up bass in Nashville, fronted her own band in Memphis, worked as a tour guide at Sun Records, and played Wanda Jackson in Walk the Line. Now, even as she's being cast to appear alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake in Black Snake Moan (it sounds awful, frankly), she still finds time to release her debut solo album. Busy, busy, busy. This World Is Not My Home is an impressive collection of slightly quirky, vaguely cinematic, and deeply interesting songs that brings together elements of blues, jazz and country into an often dark but generally compelling work. more... New Music from Chattanooga Pulse: January 11, 2006 by John M. James You may have seen her as Wanda Jackson in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, but Amy Lavere really shows off her chops this Tuesday with her debut release of This World Is Not My Home. Whispery cool and piney lonesome, this seductive vocalist and upright bass player collected a “down home” comfortable stable of Memphis’ best to back her up – featuring Jimbo Mathus, formerly of KnockDown South, on guitar, Jim Dickinson on piano, and Forrest Parker on pedal steel. Look for this terrific 10-track collection of bluesy originals on the Archer Records label… more... Smoky, sultry, swingy and sweet from Houston Chronicle: December 23, 2005 by ANDREW DANSBY Smoky, sultry, swingy and sweet, Amy LaVere's debut album is an acoustic gem that prances about in a weird netherworld, somewhere between torch, country, vintage folk and other earthy stuff. Opener Day Like Any has a nice woodsy jazz vibe, punctuated by LaVere's chirpy warble and strong backing by Squirrel Nut Zipper Jimbo Mathus on guitar and Memphis legend Jim Dickinson on piano. Leaving shuffles along with honky-tonk spunk. more... CD Review - Amy Lavere - This World Is Not My Home from Blogcritics.org: December 20, 2005 by Connie Phillips On January 17, Amy Lavere's Debut album, This World Is Not My Home will hit the shelves. Lavere, who pens her own country style music (Half of the ten tracks on This World Is Not My Home were written by Lavere.) and plays a stand up bass, has a soft southern style quality to her voice. She delivers her songs with a manner that fits her genre. Not only for the fact and the way she plays stand up bass, but also for the uniquely feminine quality to her voice she is extremely reminiscent of Alison Krauss. Her musical roots and influences include Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. Coming from a musical home, her mother played guitar and her father drums, she spent a lot of time at blues festivals and it shows. You can hear a real blues influence in the music, especially the track, "Set it Down." more... Amy LaVere lands role as Jesse in "Black Snake Moan" Cast includes Samuel Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake : September 13, 2005 Archer Record's recording artist Amy LaVere has been cast as Jesse who will appear as a friend of Rae (Christina Ricci) in Memphis filmaker Craig Brewer's follow-up to "Hustle & Flow." more... LaVere hits a bullseye with Archer from Playbook - Memphis Commercial Appeal: January 21, 2005 by Bill Ellis Amy LaVere, the bass-thumping chanteuse behind local draw Amy & the Tramps, has signed with Memphis indie label Archer Records. Scheduled for a spring/summer release, her countrified solo debut promises the backing talents of Bluff City Backslider guitarist Jason Freeman and drummer Paul Buchignani, plus high-profile guests such as Jimbo Mathus and Jim Dickinson. Paul Taylor of DDT fame is producing with Kevin Houston engineering. more... Local Beat from Memphis Flyer: January 20, 2005 by Andia Lisle Hats off to local Rockabilly queen Amy LaVere, who just entered the studio to record her Archer Records debut. LaVere--whom most Memphians will remember as the bass-playing half of the Gabe & Amy Show --signed with the Archer label at the start of the year. more... Archer signs LaVere** from Memphis Business Journal: January 13, 2005 Archer Records has signed singer and songwriter Amy LaVere, and will release her debut album later this year. The company has begun tracking for the album -- as yet unnamed -- at Archer's Downtown studio, and will do additional tracking at Phillips Recording Service. LaVere, who was raised in a Texas/Louisiana border town, has worked Beale Street and Murphy's in Midtown as part of the Gabe and Amy Show. more...