After showcasing at the 2012 SXSW Conference, Chiara Angelicola aka "Bird Call" is gearing up for the release of a new collection of music in the summer of 2012. Bird is currently in production with Bryan Senti (Mark Ronson, Rufus Wainwright) and, for a third time, Joel Hamilton (Tom Waits, Sparkle Horse, The Black Keys). Bird Call is also featured in the Google Music Ad, promoting the launch of the new Google Music cloud, which is geared towards the independent musician.
In the past year, Angelicola released two digital EPs. Other Creatures (released May 24th, 2011 FHC Records), a digital EP of cover songs, is the work of Angelicola and the aformentioned Joel Hamilton. Upon its release, iTunes featured the record on it's Singer/Songwriter homepage as "New and Noteworthy" for 8 consecutive weeks. The EP features covers of Beck, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and Man Man, who's frontman Honus Honus personally extended his liking of Bird's version of "Doo Right". Prior to Other Creatures, Bird Call released The Animals Know EP in October 2010 (FHC Records), again produced by Joel Hamilton.
Born in a small, hippie suburb just north of San Francisco, Angelicola, half Guatemalan and half Italian, grew up listening in on her mother’s bossa nova band rehearsals and taking the stage in front of the fireplace to entertain her parents’ guests through her plastic microphone. Up until her venture to New York in 2009, Chiara stirred the music scene of the Bay Area with her haunting and nostalgic vocal performances, receiving Amoeba Records' title as an “Artist of the Month”.
Following the release of The Animals Know and Other Creatures, Angelicola garnered an Official Showcase at the 2011 CMJ Music Marathon, regular rotation on national favorites such as KCRW, KEXP, and WNYC, and a LA Music Award nomination for Hot Adult Contemporary Album. Bird Call also won First Place in the Performance Category of the 2010 International Songwriting Competition for her song "Waltz in the Snow", judged by Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, and others.
Bird Call's upcoming full length collection is yet another display of the artist at her most sincere, creative, and endearing. Angelicola will release a music video for her new song "Miracle Man" in early summer 2012. With a firm belief in the power of dreams, Bird Call continues to glisten as an ethereal, emotionally honest, and intuitive artist in the music world.
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- "The singer's distinctive voice leads ethereal, playful vespers." - CMJ, October 2011
- "Typical to Bird style, Chiara’s vocals replicate that of a song bird and are sure to hit home in a live setting." - Different Fur Studios, San Francisco August 2011
- "There’s nothing simple about these songs; each one is packed with pianos, guitars, autoharps, and Angelicola’s creaky voice." - Austinist, August 2011
- "Bird Call mastermind Chiara Angelicola is a gifted folk artist with an ear for lush arrangements, full-bodied harmonies and memorable hooks. But what really gets me is her voice, a stunning warble that’s rich and mature, yet slightly fragile." - San Diego Beat, August 2011
- "Delicate but subtly powerful, Bird Call's Chiara Angelicola takes simple song structures and adds her unmistakable voice, which crackles with childlike mischief and world-wonder. Getting props from artists like Tom Waits and Peter Gabriel in the 2010 International Songwriting Competition, it's no surprise that she's something special in the indie-pop world. Check out Other Creatures, a new covers EP that lends Angelicola's lush spookiness to Fleetwood Mac, Beck, Kate Bush and more..." - Unveiled Arts, July 2011
- "Having shown what she could do with original tunes on last year’s acclaimed EP “The Animals Know,” Chiara Angelicola (aka Bird Call) turns her talents to the words of others on “Other Creatures,”...Her unique voice is best suited to a faithful rendition of Bush’s “The Man With the Child in His Eyes,” but I most enjoyed Bird Call’s reading of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” and Cave’s “Into My Arms." - Pittsburgh Daily News, June 2011 ✰✰✰1⁄2
- "Bird Call bravely tries her hand on the song, which sounds less airy and distant as Beck but adds more salt to the wound, they say. Angelicola’s higher register makes the feelings close at hand, especially in those moments when she tries to chop words so personal, the female quality of the track transcends over. Enough words, hear it for yourself." - Denouements, June 2011
- "Bird Call‘s cover album is a must listen for fans of Fleetwood Mac, Nick Cave and Beck (artists that are the focus of this cover album). It’s actually worth the listen for the cover of Beck’s “Lost Cause” alone...Her voice is the primary reason why you would listen to this album. Angelicola stays true to the originals, but adds a voice all her own. The dynamic of hearing her vocals when expecting perhaps a deeper, male vocal range is refreshing...This is engaging, interesting, and makes for a highly adaptable and talented musician. I’m looking forward to any full length that Angelicola releases in the near future." - The Owl Mag, May 2011
- "Bird Call possesses a soprano full of character, and plays luxuriously arranged ballads - her cover songs are reinterpretations, not playbacks: enjoy Beck's "Lost Cause"..."- The Deli NYC, May 2011
- "As a cover lover myself, I'm happy to see that Brooklyn's Chiara Angelicola, aka Bird Call, has just released hers..." - We Heart Music, May 2011
- Best of Releases... at Indie Rock Cafe, May 2011
- "This stark cover of a Beck tune is a surprisingly calm take from the usually excitable Chiara Angelicola..." - Oklahoma Gazette, May 2011
- "Cover songs. You either love them, or you hate them (depending on how well it turns out on the other side). Lucky for us, Brooklyn’s Chiara Angelicola aka Bird Call, has the voice of an angel, and hits the nail on the head with her upcoming EP Other Creatures..." -The Girls Are, May 2011
- "Brooklyn singer Chiara Angelicola, better known as Bird Call, treats the song with the reverence you would expect. The guitar part is still there, and the ghostly background noise is beautifully replaced with psychedelic sitar. Bird Call’s voice is at times as thin as a reed, sounding a bit like Joanna Newsom or Julia Stone. On the chorus, though, her style becomes husky, making the words as haunting as the original’s. Her version serves as a lovely counterpoint to Beck’s classic." - Cover Me, May 2011
- "It’s hard to tell which is more appealing, the piano songwriting or the vocals; and that’s a good problem to have. Fans of solid pop melodies and dramatic sweeps and swells will find much to love in The Animals Know." -Independent Clauses, January 2011
- Interview by I Am Not A Celebrity, January 2011
- "Creative, brilliant, and original..." -Indie Music Digest, November 2010
- "Richly emotive and mercurial..." - Adequacy.net, October 2010
- "Its musical "nest" is a wisely sparse orchestration that allows Chiara's soulful soprano (reminiscent at times of Kate Bush) to shine and charm..." -The Deli NYC, September 2010
- "I love the blend of Bird Call – the ultra-sophisticated, soothing tones of one Chiara Angelicola mixed in with music that ebbs and flows on a whim that’s dripping with style. Even on a scene as complex and as talented as NYC, Bird Call finds a way to stand out above the crowd." -PensEyeView, September 2010
- "At turns raspy and playful and at others sweet and wistful, Angelicola's vocals bounce effortlessly on top of the atmospheric alt-pop breeze..."-Rockwired Radio, September 2010
- "...Her latest release is her new EP “The Animals Know” and it’s an incredible chapter in her already prolific musical story. Chiara sings contemplative songs in a slow waltz like timing. They draw you in with the subtleties of lush vocal harmonies that feel like whispers and a roar at the same time...." -IHeartSFBands.com, September 2010
- "Bird Call's EP is a vibrant collection of moving, yet haunting examples of superb vocals and mesmerizing orchestration. Indie music fans will cheer. No matter the season, this EP will make the mood..." - Suite 101's Indie Music Reviews, August, 2010
- "The Animals Know is a solid effort through and through. People who are already fans of artists such as Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse, and even Billie Holiday will be right at home with Bird Call. There is quality and true artistry represented here." - Music Emissions, August, 2010
- "Not your ordinary, every day bird calls here as Chiara Angelicola proves to you that The Animals Know best. The Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter gives you a six-track EP full of fine musicianship & artistry..." - Skope Magazine, August, 2010
- "...As was the case when I first put on “The Animals Know”, the output of Bird Call has no referent – there are hundreds of different influences, acts and artists to be had in their music, but one will have a hell of a time finding them..." - NeuFutur Magazine, August, 2010
- "...her surprisingly powerful soulful vocals definitely left an impression, lingering over bluesy piano rhythms with a touch of Bob Dylan and Rufus Wainwright..." -WearsTheTrousers.com
- "...Her latest offering, the full-length Masquerade, highlights the tremendous vocal prowess of the angelic singer against soulful, folk-inspired instrumentals." -Good Times, November, 2008
- "Physically, Angelicola is petite and unassuming, but her vocal chords are another story. Her vibrant, soulful wail at times recalls the romance of Billie Holiday or the sideways grin of Macy Gray, while challenging young contemporaries like Adele and Duffy. Stellar guitar and organ accompaniment help make this a standout local album." -East Bay Express, November, 2008
- "Top-ranking artist from OurStage, and URB agrees."-UrbMagazine.com
- " The rich, viscious vox of this SF based songwriter draws you in; her sound, a sassy gospel, and lyrical references to 'Mr. self-righteous,' rampant masqueraders and 'misplaced self-interest' keep you put." -Good Times, March 2008
- "...The five tracks on Chiara Angelicola’s new Bird Songs EP show her to be a fine vocalist, capable of setting her uncommonly pure voice to Silky, Gutsy, Sad, Sultry or Pissed with the flick of a dial...."- Good Times, September, 2007
- "And now for something completely different. Like a breath of crisp Autumn air, Chiara Angelicola is wonderfully refreshing amidst what can sometimes seem like a monotonous supply of local music offerings..."- SF Daily, September, 2007
- "Angelicola has songs like "Sake Of", which recalls the haunting atmospherics of Portishead, along with the stripped-down, piano-based "Unkind." -Monterey County Weekly, May 2007
- "Chiara Angelicola has the voice of a deity..."-BEAT Newsletter, San Francisco Art Institute , 2006
- "What stands out like a snowflake in a sauna is that voice: sweet, vulnerable, yet prone to lapse into a bluesy growl..." -The Good Times, 2005
- "I simply loved the music. It is so different and so wonderfully compelling! Romantic with an edge, rough and yet lyrical in all the right ways! And her voice is undeniably one of the finest musical instruments I've heard!" -BBS Radio (www.bbsradio.com), August, 2007
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