Eleni Mandell

Biography

In february 2007, Eleni Mandell was giving birth to  Miracle of Five, her sixth album, praised by the critics in the United States, Canada and Europe, promised to unveil the raw talent to the world. To this day, it is with a french project, Dis-moi au revoir encore, that the charismatic Californian is coming back to us, luminous and charming as always. A poetic sea of soft guitars, mellow upright bass and jazzy rhythm... A warm universe where languorous melodies slides with grace, following the lead of a precious voice from the compositor-singer-songwriter, who's been named Songwriter of the year twice by the L.A. Weekly.

ELENI MANDELL
Highly acclaimed singer-songwriter Eleni Mandell, might just be one of California's best kept secrets. With six impressive albums to date, this talented indie artist remains a must for all music lovers.

Her first album, Wishbone (Mr. Charles, 1998), is one of the cult classics of the ‘90s and continues to astonish neophytes. In 2000, Thrill (the inaugural release of Toronto’s Zedtone label) reached a wider audience, drawing rave reviews in the U.S., Canada, Britain and Korea and full houses in most of the clubs she played. Her following albums, Snakebite (2002). Country for True Lovers (2003) and Afternoon (2004) continued to attract rave reviews and ever increasing sales. Her albums have been licensed to companies in France, Germany, Britain, Australia and Korea.

Miracle of Five (2007), her sixth album delivers a magnificent, late night, lights-low set - her sexiest recording yet. Her conversational alto is set beautifully against the reeds, (Jeff Turmes, who has backed James Harman and Badly Drawn Boy), guitar (Nels Cline of Wilco), vibes (DJ Bonebrake of X) and her longtime rhythm section of drummer Kevin Fitzgerald and bassist Ryan Feves. Produced by Andy Kaulkin (keyboadist for Merle Haggard and R.L. Burnside)and mixed by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith), the album is a sonic marvel. Her captivating songwriting has taken an optimistic turn, concentrating on love found instead of love lost.

Honors and distinctions
RIDEAU/ROSEQ Prize, 2007
L.A. Weekly's Best Songwriter, 2005
L.A. Weekly's Best Songwriter, 2003

Crew

Guitar and vocals: Eleni Mandell
Electric and Upright Bass: Ryan Feves
Guitar: Jeremy Drake
Drums: Kevin Fitzgerald

Important shows

Canada, United States, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Holland, Nertherlands

• Transmission (Vancouver 2007)
• Festival d'été de Québec (2007)
• Ottawa BluesFest (2007)
• Montreal International Jazz Festival
  (2003-2005-2007)
• A Tribute to Tom Waits (New York 2004)

Press quotes

« Singer-songwriter Eleni Mandell’s sixth record, Miracle of Five, may be her best, an album of bluesy, sepia-tone postcards sent to possibilities come and gone. »
Elle
 
« With her limpid new Miracle of Five, Mandell sounds more translucent than ever . . . while there are traces of country, folk, and Tin Pan Alley, they are bound with gossamer threads. »
Los Angeles Magazine
 
« Her most consistent album to date, full of smoldering songs that leave a trail of fanciful imagery in their wake. »
Paste
 
« Some of L.A.’s best session players add all the right accents to Miracle of Five, which also makes judicious use of guitar wiz Nels Cline, But it’s Mandell’s alluring whisper that weakens knees and wills, and these songs remind us why men fall for smart, sexy women in the first place. »
Harp
 
« Los Angeles’ sultry singing-songwriting kitten Eleni Mandell is proving that the sixth time’s the charm with her gorgeous new LP. Literate, well paced, and graceful, Miracle joins Mandell’s five other full-length releases and solidifies the artists’ place on the pedestal of indie goddesses, alongside femme fatales like PJ Harvey and Nico. »
Bust
 
« Mandell's performance is wry and knowing, too cerebral to really act on her obsession or to be confused with Laura Cantrell or Norah Jones. Instead, she's observant and composed. »
Pitchfork
 
« Many artists aspire to capture the vaguely decadent feel of a 1930s European cabaret in their music, but few succeed like Eleni Mandell. She does it with witty, noir-ish lyrics, her own rich, slyly sexy alto and nylon-string guitar playing. » Guitar World Acoustic
 
« Miracle of Five’s mix of emotional heart and musical command marks a move into the major leagues of American singer-songwriters. »
Los Angeles Times
 
« ..the singer approaches relationships... with a sharp poetic grace fleshed out by the gorgeous music… Her musings add weight and even intensity to the subtle, muted tunes, making this a perfect addition to her existing catalog and arguably, her finest work yet. »
Allmusic.com
 
« Listening to Mandell’s hushed, conversational delivery and the intimate sound of her lovely alto wrapping itself around her moody melodies is like being whispered a beautiful, ghostly secret. It’s a secret you’ll want to share. »
Performing Songwriter
 
« The singer — make that chanteuse — is in a “Blue Velvet” kind of mood and ready for her David Lynch close-up. The 12 songs are all pretty, dreamy and unsettling. »
L.A. Weekly
 
« Smolders with the smoky beauty listeners have come to expect. »
Pasadena Weekly
 
« One of 2007’s best releases. »
North Bay Bohemian
 
« The new Norah Jones album hits stores Jan. 30, and it will most likely be one of the best-selling albums that week, maybe of the entire year. But here’s a recommendation to anyone who will run out and buy that record, no questions asked: Check out the new Eleni Mandell record, Miracle of Five, which comes out a week later. »
Kansas City Star

« While there's an instantly identifiable Mandell sound, it encompasses jazzy torch songs, quirky Waits-style junkyard balladry, old-time C&W and wild jazz-folk excursions that Mandell invests with all the searing vocal drama of PJ Harvey. »
Chicago Tribune

« From the very, first whisper, it's clear that Eleni Mandell has got it. That rare, hair-raising quality that separates the gifted communicators from mere singers can be felt in each lingering vocal caress... »
Now Magazine, Toronto

« As a songwriter, she has a natural affinity for the kind of real country music that the today’s Nashville has all but forgotten about. »
Mike Regenstreif, The Gazette

« L'art de ne pas déplaire... Il y a des artistes qui ont le don de ne pas déplaire. D’être au rendez-vous lorsqu’on les attend en sachant éviter les ornières de la facilité. Eleni Mandell est du nombre. »
****
Le Soleil

« Wow! Dans un bar rempli au delà de sa capacité, dans la moiteur d’un étrange été, la Californienne allait cartonner avec les chansons de son récent album Snakebite. Sa voix envoûtante flottant sur les volutes d’une musique surréelle, Mandell a offert un spectacle ponctué d’humour et de tendresse, laissant parfois poindre une violence inattendue, mais ô combien libératrice... »
Top 10 Spectacles 2002, Voir Québec, 2002

« ...ces chansons noires pimentées de cuivres, de pedal steel, d’accordéon et d’une foule d’autres instruments, sont assez uniques, et servies par une artiste à la personnalité incendiaire et à la voix imposante. »
Nicolas Tittley, Voir Montréal

---

WEB

Pitchfork Media Track Review
No Depression Album Review
Performing Songwriter Review
Bust Magazine Album Review
Los Angeles Magazine Spotlight Review
Elle Magazine Must See/Hear
Guitar World Acoustic - Album Review
All Music - Album Review
Harp Magazine - Feature
Harp Magazine - Album Review
Paste Magazine - Feature
Paste Magazine - Extended Interview
Obscure Sound - Feature/Album Review
LA Times - Performance Preview
LA Weekly - Rock Picks
Venus Zine - Feature
Ink 19 - Feature
SF Weekly - Concert Pick
Portland Mercury - Up & Coming
Pasadena Weekly - Advance Listing
Los Angeles Daily News - Album Review
HITS - Album Review
Venice Magazine - Feature
Entertainment Weekly - Album Review
LAist - Live Review
Amplifier Magazine - Album Review
Lost At Sea - Album Review
Music Connection - Feature
Pop Matters - Album Review
411 Mania - Album Review
Seattle Weekly - Feature
American Songwriter - Feature
Los Angeles Times - Album Review (w/ Rickie Lee Jones)
Country Standard Time - Album Review
San Antonio Current - Album Review
Charleston Daily Mail - Album Review
Venus Zine - Album Review
Boston Globe - Album Review
Los Angeles City Beat - Feature
Philadelphia Inquirer - Album Review

---

INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Rolling Stone Feature - Germany
Rolling Stone Album Review - Germany
The Times Feature - London
Maxi Album Review - Germany
Piranha Album Review - Germany
Spex Album Review - Germany
Exclaim Magazine Album Review - Canada
NowToronto.com Music Forecast 2007
Now Magazine Album Review - Canada
Le Soleil *Disque De La Semaine*
Georgia Straight - Vancouver, British Columbia
La Presse Album Review - Montreal, Canada
Montreal Gazette Album Review - Montreal, Canada
Toronto Star Album Review - Toronto, Canada
Hour Magazine Album Review - Montreal, Canada
The Times of London Album Review - London, UK
L.A. Record Interview