Debut from South Florida folkie features both comic and poetic lyrics, addressing issues as diverse as porn stars, frat boys, and growing up.

9 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Angry, FOLK: Political



Details:
With a voice like stone-washed silk, Amanda Birdsall delights audiences with her enchanting mix of lyric-driven ethereal folk and knock-your-socks-off blues. Hailed as âone of the best of the next generation of singer-songwriters,â Birdsall speaks her mind with a clear-eyed, feisty wistfulness.

With a sound and style something like Joni Mitchell plus Liz Phair plus Gillian Welch plus Rory Block, Amanda Birdsall commands attention with a captivating depth of tone and expression beyond her years. A lifelong student of the violin and piano, Birdsall began playing the guitar while in college, and began writing songs in the summer of 1999 while a graduate student of psychology in western Pennsylvania. That fall she began performing regularly at cafés, and the following spring was invited to perform in a showcase of women musicians at the university. Upon completing her masterâs degree in 2001, she decided to set psychology aside and focus on music. That summer, she performed at a close friendâs wedding, where a friend of the groomâs approached her, offering to help her record some of her songs.

âA bunch of us were hanging out on the beach and there in the darkness this guy is saying to me, âYou need a CD. Iâm going to make you one.â I was floored.â With his help and that of friend and recording engineer Sean Conkling, Amanda soon had recorded her first CD, Birth Trauma.

Since then, she has released a second studio album, Offering, and a live CD compiled from 2 shows at the Main Street Café in Homestead, FL. She performs consistently at cafes, restaurants, house concerts, and music and poetry festivals throughout South Florida. Highlights include performances at the Minnesota Folk Festivalâs 2002 New Folk Songwriting Contest, and sharing the stage with Sloan Wainwright, Kate McDonnell, and Edie Carey. She has also recorded vocal tracks for Minnesota picker Billey R. Rubbleâs forthcoming album, Here We Go Again.

Critics have described Birdsallâs songwriting, which has elements of rock, folk, and blues, as âclever, witty,â and having âmaturity and direction.â She handles topics as diverse as porn stars, inner peace, and growing up with poignant clarity and a deep love of humanity. But don't piss her off, or she might write a song about you - in "Boys" and "SOB" Birdsall shows she can be as brutal as she is empathic.

In addition to her original material, Amanda covers the songs of her most-loved influences and idols, including Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Patty Griffin, Kate Wolf, Leonard Cohen, Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan, Ani DiFranco, Janis Joplin, and many more.