Artist description "folkalternagroove" Funk-inspired rhythms, folk-inspired lyrics.

Music Style adult contemporary.... we call it "folkalternagroove"

Musical Influences 70's Soul, Chris Whitley, Stevie Wonder, Brand New Heavies, PJ Harvey, Michelle Malone, Ani DiFranco

Similar Artists Very Funky, very Soulful. Motter's voclas are diva-like...Songs ranging from the Delta blues of the Chris Whitley-like "Louisiana Air" to a splash of Melissa Etheridge on the rockin' "Cake".

Artist History At first glance, it’s easy to call Angela Motter an enigma. A self-proclaimed "gender-bending boy/girl" with a black-leather and muscle stage persona, Motter might be easily mistaken for a tough guy right out of 1955. Those alluring "Teen Beat pin-up girl for girls" good looks, coupled with her unpretentious and oft-disarming stage presence, have won over legions of fans. With the 1999 release of Pleasure and Pain (produced by Ricky Keller of Tinsley Ellis, Bruce Hampton and Aquarium Rescue Unit fame) on her own Hey Mister! record label, Motter introduced her very out, very sultry and very accomplished blend of rock, jazz, blues, soul and funk to the world beyond her Atlanta confines. Pleasure and Pain combines influences as unique as the artist herself. Mixing the Delta blues ache of Robert Johnson with the swagger of James Dean and the jazzy tones of the Brand New Heavies with sexy ’70s funk, Pleasure and Pain rocketed Motter to critical and popular acclaim – acclaim culminating in two 1999 Gay and Lesbian American Music Award (GLAMA) nominations. Motter and her band performed the song "isitaboyisitagirl" at the New York ceremony, offering the Big Apple crowd a taste of her studious guitar chops and her rich, smoky alto vocals. At the end of the night, Motter had picked up a win in the "Best Out Recording" category for the track "My Mama Told Me."Clearly born a musician, Motter began writing songs at age 10. She began her recording career after earning a degree in Classical Guitar Performance from Georgia State University. Her pop-jazz song "Secret Lover" – from the compilation CD Best of the Jazz Flavours Cats IV (Primedia) – received heavy airplay in Atlanta and on the nationally syndicated "Jazz Flavours" radio show. After a gig opening for B.B. King, Motter decided to add the blues to her mix. Soon, she was experimenting with the slide guitar riffs that would become an integral part of her sound. Motter has since played alongside the Indigo Girls, Tuck & Patti, Louden Wainwright III, Southern Culture on the Skids, Canadian born ex-Nylons singer Barnes, Michelle Malone, and Melissa Ferrick."My songwriting wrestles with some weighty issues," Motter explained. "There’s religion, the limitations imposed by the traditional South, gender variance and the death of loved ones." But Motter always tempers such heavy subject matter with her dry wit and trademark goofball humor. One thing she has always been serious about, however, is being open about her sexuality. She was the first out of the closet in the burgeoning Atlanta acoustic scene of the late 1980s. In the Gay Renaissance of the new millennium – where out is "cool" – Motter has utilized the Internet to reach an even greater queer audience. Her influence on gay youth in particular was never more apparent than during her performance at Atlanta Pride 2000. There, members of the city’s YouthPride hung on her every word, screaming with a Backstreet Boys Fan Club intensity. For Motter, it was a moving experience. "I think it’s difficult for young dykes right now who identify as butch and perhaps are leaning towards identifying as transgendered to figure out how to deal with being a masculine female in a culture that doesn’t really recognize anything other than the binary system of gender." she said. "I want them to know there is a place in the world for them to be themselves, all along the spectrum of gender variance."Motter certainly knows how to be herself. That honesty is an integral part of the sacred and profane intensity of Pleasure and Pain, an album Motter believed in so fervently she was able to raise more than $23,000 from friends and fans to record it. "I’ve experienced every single minute of my life through music," she maintains.But music is not all she does. Motter mixes mountain biking, weightlifting, and meditation. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch her in Atlanta flexing her acting muscles – she even had a small role in the lesbian indie flic "Inn Trouble." For now, Motter continues to tour the East Coast with occasional excursions out west, adding new cities regularly. In the end, it all boils down to the dramatic way her music reaches people."I get fan mail from people telling me I helped them be more of themselves," Motter said. "They see how out and how easy-going I am. And that’s the greatest part of this."

Group Members Angela Motter: Lead vocals, guitarRicky Keller: Bass, KeyboardsJimmy Herring: (special guest!) lead guitarScott Meeder: Drumsother guest appearances by:Taj HarmonMichelle MaloneJan SmithDeDe VogtOliver WellsTom Grose

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, plus extras like Dijeridoo

Albums Pleasure and Pain, Outta Control

Press Reviews Atlanta Press - Hal Horowitz Although physically she fits the stereotypical androgynous mold and some of her songs, most obviously the humorous "Is it a Boy/Is it a Girl" clearly state her sexual preference, it would be unfortunate if this terrific album is lumped into the strummy, alt-folksy gender-bending "women's music" genre. Angela Motter is simply too good and too eclectic to be relegated to the dusty "indie gay" release racks. She calls her sound "folkalternagroove," but also doesn't do it justice. Her music is more passionately direct and stirring. Just call it Soul with a capital "S" because when Motter sings, the emotions come straight from her heart. Belying the traditional acoustic approach of many of her peers, Pleasure and Pain adds funky bass, subtle rapping, jazzy breaks, gospel organ and delicate drum loops to create an album shimmering with dignified soul. A torrid, intense cover of Etta James' gritty "Damn Your Eyes" lays her influences on the line. And even though the raspy rock-chick edge she swings into on "Cake" is going to create inevitable comparisons to Melissa Ethridge, Motter is actually far more restrained and classy than that often pretentious and overwrought singer. When she lets go on "Better Get Used To It" Motter unleashes sizzling lung-power closer to that of early Chaka Khan. In fact it's the deeply-set blues influence which Motter fully vents on the acoustic Delta-styled "Louisiana Air," a tragic tale of a scorned woman and the ultimate consequences of her violent response, which shoots down comparisons with her less talented contemporaries. Pleasure and Pain is a perfect vehicle for Motter's husky, uncut vocals and smart, tuneful and cutting songwriting. Regardless of her looks, she's too damn talented to get lost in the back CD racks dedicated to "women's music." Close your eyes, open your mind and surrender to her soul.Southeast PerformerAugust 1999Angela Motter - Pleasure and Pain11-song CDAll songs recoreded, mixed and mastered at Southern Living at its FinestEngineered by Ricky Keller, Jim Zumpano & John RogersProduced by Ricky Keller & Angela MotterReleased by Hey Mister RecordsListening to this diverse group of songs performed and written by Atlantan Angela Motter is all Pleasure and no Pain at all.These 11 songs take a solid folk base and intertwine it with unexpected vocal samplings, reggae, blues and jazz twists. And Motter unleashes a most heartfelt honesty in her lyrics. Backing Motter are some of Atlanta's finest: notables such as Michelle Malone, Scott Meeder, Jan Smith, Jimmy Herring, Ricky Keller, Tom Grose, DeDe Vogt and Oliver Wells. This level of talent offers a backbone of musical confidence that radiates without question as Ms. Motter's very real voice shares stories of love and heartbreak."Louisiana Air" paints a very distinct picture, with great imagery, using only a slide guitar and her vocals. The song "Taj's Mama" is quite unusual and surprisingly grips your heart, even though it uses only one word ("Mama") in various emotional swells over and over. Who knew one word could be so powerful? "I'm Free" crosses all folk boundaries with an added reggae vocal by Faceman and meshes these distinctively different genres nicely.Overall, Pleasure and Pain is a beautifully executed product.Contact: info@angelamotter.com- Karenlee

Additional Info Jimmy Herring, guitar on "Damn Your Eyes"

Location Atlanta, GA - USA

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