paris motel
Latest Reviews
Drowned in Sound album review - July 2007
"Another fine gems cleverly hidden in the Cabinet of Curiosity, a classically-trained, London-based Amy May recorded all 6 songs here at her home in her imaginary town, changed her numerous line-ups, musical instruments and beautiful clothes. The result was "071", a collection of lush, dreamy and heart-melting songs. Each track tells the story that is hurtful, lonely and longing. "I Lost My Heart" bridged to "Philippe, Philippe" hinted us the artist's name and what she has been through. Title track and "Static Song" are the perfect songs catchily enough to walk through the park that fond memories.. Paris Hotel music is not shy away from Joanna Newsom, Bad anorak 404, Evie Sands, Virginia Astley, Gillian Welch, Innocence Mission, Kirsty MacColl and Bridget St. John. Eventhough this concluded in less than 20 minutes, but you can feel an amount of precious times she spent handcrafting this music." - Thai Esquire click to see a scan of the review
OMH web site review of our Valentine's Day gig (14/02/2006)
Music Week's 071 review (11/03/2006)
Word Magazine covermount CD details (April 2006)
071 EP Ceefax Review
Sublime chamber melodies from a orchestra in thrall to Amy May, a torched singer who's stepped intact straight from the '30s into the modern day. It's as if Brian Wilson was writing songs for the Weimar Cabaret. Quite how someone with a voice as luxurious as Amy May's has turned up in 2006 is a mystery, but one to be grateful for. Perfect for Jenny Lewis or Cat Power fans, in other words anyone with ears. 8/10
Independent On Sunday (28/01/2006)
Independent On Sunday (15/01/2006)
Time For Change:
"thank you for an amazing night at the Time For Change concert in Covent Garden. I spent the entire evening utterly speechless at how beautiful all the performances were, which made me see all the performers in an entirely different light. Okay, I'm starting to gush now, but yeah, it was definitely one of my favourite gigs of all time." - Paul Reeves
"The concert last night was, it has to be said, and so it shall be, when all things are considered, wonderful. In a quest for Ed Harcourt tickets my typing fingers found themselves stumbling onto the Paris Motel website. Interesting (I thought) this looks rather jolly, and its going to charity, all rather too good - a veritable stumbling on something as such, an online sandwich between hotmail visits and e-bay auctions. 7:50 yesterday - this is fantastic, absolutely fantastic, my girlfriend and I smiling like random nutters, feet tapping like a celebrity come dancer. 8:30 - ...(speech remains redundant) 9:00 - a shared glance between Emily and I ('this is beautiful, Tom,' 'yes, I know, as you are.' 'Ok, don't push it.') 9:45 - whereabouts would I put this on my list of greatest nights ever? Its Top 10 material - let me get the calculator, 24 x 365 = 8760, plus approximately 200 days, i've lived for 9000 days, and that was a top 10 day, a one in nine hundred chance. 9:47 - Emily asks me to put the calculator away. The tapping is annoying, I'm told. 11:30 - home, happy, wonderful, thank you." - Tom Regan
"Your voice was amazing and the whole orchestration and arrangement for the whole evening was just incredible. Mr Splitfoot was a particular favourite of mine (so powerful live and with the orchestra) and love song almost moved me to tears (seriously!!! - yes i am a big girl's blouse). Martin Grech was also incredible - I'd never heard him before (what a voice!!!). Riley was really good, even though he did seem a little nervous, bless him. Ed Harcourt is a true professional and Hal are without doubt one of my favourite bands of the moment. But all that said... Paris Motel were my personal favourite on the night. You sounded like you'd been playing together for years. just amazing!!! I was truly humbled and so glad to have experienced it. hope I’ll get to see the recording. the standing ovation at the end was very well deserved!" - Gavin Hilzbrich.
And here’s a rather nice review from Richard Hilton at the Morning Star: Read review
Others:
The name might imply a rather cut-price weekend in a major capital, but this lot reeks of class. In truth Paris Motel are the brain-child of one Amy Mae, classically trained in piano, violin and the viola... Paris Motel is Mae working with a very flexible line up of fellow professionals from the Guildhall. Turn up at a gig and you might get the string quartet with French horn or full eight-piece band. It all depends on who is available... The first album, which, remarkably, is available absolutely free from the website, is highly recommended and bears repeated listening. The 11 tracks range from the ambient-baroque to the hard rocking with beautiful ballads and the plain quirky - Paris Motel have already headlined at venues around London. With the connections that she has in the industry, they are a certainty to be signed, but it will be interesting to see how the record company positions them. Will Mae be sold as the next Dido - that is to say the quintessential classic beauty with powerful songs - or as a quirky songwriter in the mould of Laura Veirs or Erin MsKeown? - Richard Hilton, Morning Star
Now I wouldn't call Amy Mae, the voice and heart behind Paris Motel an oddball, I don't even know her for starters but there is something distinctly other about her music.
Paris Motel takes in disparate styles such as the pseudo retro of Belleville Rendezvous, Joanna Newsom's whimsy, Juana Molina's electronically dusted organic acoustics, country–lite and even a (quite lovely) Yeah Yeah Yeah's cover, all wrapped up and delivered in a cosy, dreamy style that's soothing and disorientating at the same time.
It's not hard to imagine something of a cult forming around Paris Motel. - Smoking Beagle
Paris Motel Jumps Genres and Haunts Houses - Constructed by the well-versed hands of one-man-band Amy Mae, Paris Motel manages to somehow couple classical creepy Victorian plucking with whiny honky-tonk, groovy soul, and kitschy folk, which makes for a good guess as to what genre they won't try and tackle.
PARIS MOTEL's RUDDY and intriguingly archaic sound - likely a product of fronter Mae's formal music education -- winds in out of the whole album, popping up as a spindly background through tinkly piano, whispery backing vocals and pacifying strings. 'Hello Paris Motel', opens with chirping birds and tugging strings, followed by the wistful and raw 'Fiona Viola': an Air-esque track with a heartier beat and a less-corpse-like aura.
'Beautiful Eyes' and 'I'm Onto You' keep on Mae's mod blonde wig but adds a large Texas belt buckle, making a sometimes-uncomfortable mix of rag, soul and honky. ‘Heavenly Times’ and 'Marcelle and the Little Raspberry' fit their respective descriptions, as Mae's voice lifts to the late days of Ida and their charming singsong children albums
Most notably on this album are the haunting 'Maps', when the album's tempo shoots away from its dreamy beginnings and Mae's voice gets down and dirty, the quiet and clever 'Love Song for Jess', with it's campy recorder hum, and the Sigur-Ros like ambling of 'Goodbye Paris Motel', record crackling and overhead thunderstorm included.
Paris Motel's genre jumping works for them: Mae's habit for writing and playing nearly everything on the record is only reasonably expanded to playing every genre as well, and despite the album's few shortfalls back into convention, it is obvious their stretching works - in this album and perhaps continuously, as their ability to do so bodes well for the future. - Megan Retka, London Net
In the Salpêtrière - On Sale Now!