L'Angelus

Stubborn Cajuns: L'Angelus advances in regional music competition
Herman Fuselier
hfuselier@theadvertiser.com

A band as talented, lively and handsome as L'Angelus is used to attracting attention. L'Angelus, aka the Rees family of Lafayette, has won rave reviews in their performances from coast to coast.
A recent show at City Stages in Birmingham, Ala., led to talks with an agent from William Morris, whose roster includes Bill Cosby, Alicia Keys, Rascal Flatts and other major entertainers. The agent promised worldwide bookings and record deals but also told the Rees family they could no longer be a "Cajun band."

Yet the agent was unable to tell them what they should be. After a number of talks over supper, the Rees family said thanks, but no thanks.

"Having a big label backing you does have some advantages," said Paige Rees, guitarist with L'Angelus. "But we believe that the culture of South Louisiana and the culture of the mainstream mass media are very different, and we can't have someone who is completely unsympathetic to our way of life determining how we present our culture and our music to the world.
"We have to keep doing what we're doing."

The Disc Maker's Independent Music World Series had no problem with their Cajun ways as L'Angelus was selected as a showcase finalist. The band moves on to the IMWS Southeast Showcase, set for Sept. 21 at the Velvet Underground at the Hard Rock Caf� in Atlanta.

More than 1,300 artists submitted entries for the competition. The editors of Billboard Magazine selected the six finalists, who will compete for the title of Top Independent Act in the Midwest.

Finalists compete for their share of $250,000 in cash and prizes.

Besides L'Angelus, other finalists include Will Chapman and Clarence Dobbins, both from Nashville, The Swear and Uncrowned from Atlanta and The Urban Sophisticates of Greensboro, N.C.

L'Angelus plays a mix of Cajun fiddle tunes, zydeco, saxophone-driven swamp pop and New Orleans-influenced rhythm and blues. But the IMWS classified them as "Cajun."

"It's really that simple," said Paige Rees. "We're a Cajun band because we use the themes of our ancestors' lives in our music, because we use the music the way our ancestors did - to bring people together and to celebrate life and family.

"And because our Mama can make a roux."

Members include guitarists and sisters Katie and Paige, along with their brothers, Stephen on fiddle and John on drums.

Their mother, singer and guitarist Linda Rees, gave birth to a girl, Mollie Therese Marie Rees, five weeks ago. Mollie becomes the eighth child of Linda and John Rees.

L'Angelus will receive significant exposure from the competition. Disc Makers will produce a compilation CD for the Midwest region, which will be distributed to an exclusive list of industry professionals, radio stations and record stores.

The grand prize package includes a complete CD manufacturing package, post-production work and promotional posters from Disc Makers, a complete Digital Audio Workstation with stereo monitors from Roland, recording software, musical instruments, electronic accessories and more.

IMWS showcases are held in four regions throughout the country. They are open to musicians of all genres who are not currently signed to a major record label.

Recent winners include this year's West winner, Rose's Pawn Shop of Pasadena, bang SUGAR bang of Los Angeles, Brice Woodall of Arlington, Va., and Plain Jane Automobile of Orlando. - The Daily Advertiser

*Saturday, June 17, 2006

L’ANGELUS


L’Angelus, a spiffy family outfit from Lafayette, La., pretty much stole the show Friday afternoon at Unplugged and offered two sets later on at the Vault Dance Depot. The four Rees siblings effectively mingle Cajun, zydeco, swamp pop and roots rock. Their energy was high and their charm infectious. Bassist Paige Rees, in particular, displayed eye-catching showmanship, kicking up her boot heels as she played and flipping a mane of straight brown hair. Even if you didn’t hit the red dance floor under the Depot tent, it was impossible to keep still while watching L’Angelus. A real find.

--Mary Colurso






Here are some of the emails we received:

Message: Hi!I caught your set yesterday at City Stages and just wanted to send you guys a quick note expressing how much I enjoyed your show.IT WAS GREAT!In my humble opinion,you guys were the hit of The Festival.Did you get a chance to read the review of your performance at City Stages Unplugged in Saturday's Birmingham News?The reviewer said that you "stole the show" at that event.I had never heard of you until I read that review,so I made a point to see you Saturday.I WAS BLOWN AWAY-so much energy and so much muscianship and stage prescence.I know your parents must be so proud of you.PLEASE come back to Birmingham sometime!There is a club here called Zydeco that I think would be perfect for you.Now,don't go and get the "big-head" or anything,OK?LOL Stay just like you are and I hope great things happen in your future{I feel like I am signing a high school annual LOL}.BEST WISHES FOR A LONG AND PROSPEROUS CAREER!BIRMINGHAM LOVES YOU!

Message: Thank you for one of my greatest City Stages memories in the entire 18 years.  Your enthusiasm and sheer joy to playing was contagious.  My regret was seeing you by the one time on the big stage.  I'm a proud owner of an autographed CD.  Paige you really rocked.  Thanks.

Message: We really enjoyed your performances at Birmingham.  You were really a hit with all the people.  We were amazed with the crowd you had on Saturday, yours was bigger than the main stage and the other stages only had a handfull of people. Sorry we only got to catch about half of it on Saturday because of the wedding but I liked your new songs alot.  Looking forward to seeing you at Boutin's on the 14th.


Message: Hello Rees family,
It was a delight to listen and dance to your music this weekend at City Stages.  I hope you come back to B'ham soon, or anywhere close.  I particularly enjoyed your vocal harmonies.  Congratulations on the new family member.  Katie, thank you for the dance and bravo for your man from the All American.  Please put me on your mailing list when you get it up.
Pax vobiscum,
Jered
         

Message: i saw you in B'ham Alabama yesterday-i bought the CD and got it signed by 4 wonderful young people-you made the day for me-i went to see those tex-mex boys loslonelyboys and came away grinnin at songs like "ya ya" and some French stuff that i can't understand but still the feet have to move- i'm a 53 year old redneck dump truck driver that fell hard for Linda&John's young'ns, bless your talents and most of all bless the strength in your family(got to go restart the cd ((again)) i think i'm gonna where it out)--  kenny

Message: OMG! i love yalls music!! i am from louisiana and so are my parents and we saw yall perform at city stages in birmingham alabama and bought yalls c.d. and just can't stop listening 2 it!! i play the piano and flute so i am really big into al the music stuff!!
god bless...
natalie

Message: Hey guys, Brian here. Great performance again tonight and wonderful meeting you guys. You guys were all really nice and enjoyed chilling with you. I will be in touch with you about trying to get you some more shows in the area and in Nashville this fall. I really dig you guys and want to help you be successful. Thanks, Brian



- The Birmingham News

Rhythm & News: L'Angelus Refuses to Cut its Roots


Herman Fuselier




Imagine you're a musician. People shower your band with praise and constantly ask "When are you gonna be on a major label?"

Then a shot at the big time comes. An agent, from a very reputable company, promises the world as your playground. But the agent also says, in order make it big, you've got to change.

How far would you go? Would you change your name and look? How about your music, the very thing that attracted the attention in the first place?

Willing to strip down to your underwear, gyrate and curse? That's a sure recipe for success these days.

How about saying thanks, but no thanks? That was the response from L'Angelus, a.k.a. the Rees family from Lafayette.

L'Angelus is often classified as Cajun, although they play a mix of fiddle tunes, zydeco, rhythm and blues and swamp pop -- with a few jokes and stories thrown in for lagniappe. Sisters Paige and Katie, along with brothers Stephen and John and mother, Linda, are as talented as they are good looking. (Linda is currently on leave nursing her eighth child.)

L'Angelus tours frequently and they've received rave reviews from Florida to California. A show this summer at City Stages in Birmingham, Ala. was no different as they were featured in the local paper.

But in Birmingham, the Rees family was also approached by an agent from the William Morris Agency. With offices in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville and London, William Morris represents Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Bill Cosby, Clint Black and other major entertainers.

Many artists would sell their children into slavery to be a part of their elite roster.

The agent promised worldwide bookings, a record deal and more. But according to Paige Rees, the agent also told the family "your act will have to change into something else."

When they asked what, the agent replied, "Well, we don't know."

After numerous discussions over supper, the Rees family said thanks, but no thanks. Proud of their south Louisiana roots, the family decided "we can't have someone who is completely unsympathetic to our way of life determining how we present our culture and our music to the world. We have to keep doing what we're doing."

Just a few weeks later, L'Angelus was one of six finalists (out of 1,300 artists) picked for Disc Makers Independent Music World Series Southeast Showcase in Atlanta. Finalists, selected by Billboard Magazine, competed for more than $250,000 in cash and prizes.

Guess how the IMWS classified the band? Cajun. Cajun/zydeco dance clubs from Birmingham and Atlanta turned out in full force to support the band.

Many people, seeing them and the dancers for the first time, were intrigued how Louisiana music brings family and communities together.

L'Angelus did not win, but they're still big winners.

Even in the face of quick fame and riches, the Rees family stood up for who they are and what they believe in. So many others would have sold out to become the circus acts and hoochie mamas that now pass as singers.

A band as entertaining as L'Angelus will have its day in the sun. But the Rees family, guided by a strong Catholic faith, can sleep well when the sun goes down.

"In our current day and age, with the Internet, bands can reach fans without a major distributor," said Paige. "It takes a lot longer, but your career will have longevity and meaning.

"We see that people everywhere love this music. They love the soul --the celebration of life -- of what this music comes from. We think that's what people are really responding to."

So next time you see L'Angelus, stand up for them. They're standing up for you.

Herman Fuselier reports on the local music scene and its artists. Listen to his Bayou Boogie radio show at 10 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays on KRVS (88.7 FM). His TV show airs at 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays on KDCG-TV 22 in Opelousas - Times of Acadiana

Fantastic! It is a toe tappin' good time!
Reviewer: Mary Jones
Our whole family loves this CD! It makes me want to move the furniture and waltz around the room and happily two step my way through dinner prep!!! This family is phenomanal as is their music. It will be in everyone's Christmas stocking this year.

"A fantastic band that appeals to all generations."
Reviewer: Carla Meliet
I really have been enjoying my CD "L'Angelus". Received it within days of ordering it. I've been spreading the word. "This is a fantastic band that appeals to all generations." Hope they make more CD's. I'm going to try to go see them perform in person. Carla Meliet

Awesome
Reviewer: John DiMassino
What can I say. They are great.

Mom and teenage daughter both love this CD!!!
Reviewer: Lisa and Kelly
We may not agree on much these days, but we both LOVE this CD! I keep it in the car and we listed to it every day, playing our favorites over and over. Such happy, joyful music!

Best music heard in a long time, coming from solid all-around musicians!
Reviewer: Bernadette
Ca C'est Bon! I couldn't agree more! The CD was very well done, fun music that the whole family enjoys--refreshing to hear work from this past decade that isn't offensive in any way. Continuez le grand travail, L'Angelus! Vive le cadien! Gardez la foi! Jusqu'à ce que nous nous réunissions une fois de plus~

Awesome introduction to Cajun music!
Reviewer: Dr. Pitre
I loved the cd. This group sounds just the same or better in person - every time you hear them you are in for a treat. I will purchase future cd's from this group.

I love it. Hum the songs all day.
Reviewer: Vickie Borden
I have had the CD for a couple months. I play it alot and love all of the songs. I like the variety of music. I find a different song stuck in my mind almost everyday. At first the first five songs were my favorites. Now I love all of them. It is great!

Looov v v eeee it!
Reviewer: Norm Miller
Of course, when I try to put multiple "v's" in a row, they tend to look like "w's". I loved the first album they put out. I bought "Ca C'est Bon!" before it became an album (the short version) and immediately copied both of them to my computer. My family loves the CD (my sisters wake up to it at least once a week) and I have spread the word whenever I can about this genre of music. YOU GUYS ROCK! CA C'EST BON!

its so awesome! i listen to it all the time!
Reviewer: Anamarie
this cd is amazing!!!!! i listen to it all the time! i normally don't listen to this genre of music, but i absolutly love this cd! i can't wait for their next cd.

Ça C'est Bon makes me want to go back to Louisiana
Reviewer: Jaap Velema (the Netherlands)
I bought Ça c'est Bon in Lafayette after an amazing show in Mello Joy. The energy and joy of that performance is caught perfectly on this cd. This is my most valuable souvenir of my trip to the southern states of the US, april 2006.

Absolutely wonderful CD.
Reviewer: Bob and Sally
This is such a great and uplifting CD. We love all ten members of the Rees family. They are the greatest and their music is inspiring. More CDs from these talented people.

get their other cd's
Reviewer: pvaccaro
Just finished a relisten of the first cd from this "family band." we own a copy of each of their 4 cd's. the transition from grade school age singing to musicians with vocal and instrumental skill is something to appreciate. if you see them live, be sure to get all of their music if it's available. love the song "jr. prom disaster." Radford, VA

A band with a great future....
Reviewer: R J Daigle
Wonderful musicians and vocalists on this CD with energetic, upbeat tunes and beautiful melodies. This is a nice, varied collection of happy music which is very entertaining and a pleasure to listen to over and over.

Terrific melting pot of cajun country and harmonies!!!
Reviewer: pvaccaro
We knew these kids from their first record when they just sang and a session musician helped out with the music. What an amazing transition to stage presence and songwriting. And to think three more Rees kids will join the "Family Band for Life" in some years time. radford vaccaro's

Awesome CD
Reviewer: Anna
This CD is awesome from the first to the last song! It always puts a smile on my face and gets me moving! I will be waiting for more from these super talented people.

great cd!
Reviewer: Michael Ludwig
Great vocals/harmonies and excellent intrumentation. It is hard to believe that the band wrote most of the songs, too....I hope to hear more from L'Angelus

Play it as often as I can.
Reviewer: KKB
Best pick me up I've ever had!!!!

Awesome CD
Reviewer: jethro dupree (click for website)
This CD is great and i'm glad to own it. The sound quality is TOP notch and the songs all make you want to get up and dance. I enjoyed your live show as well in Birmingham. You guys may remember me and my brother by different names. Think two tall brothers....click that website thing and check out our music on myspace if curiosity calls. It's rare to find such pleasant people as L'ANGELUS in the music business. thanks again..................

Awesome CD
Reviewer: jethro dupree (click for website)
This CD is great and i'm glad to own it. The sound quality is TOP notch and the songs all make you want to get up and dance. I enjoyed your live show as well in Birmingham. You guys may remember me and my brother by different names. Think two tall brothers....click that website thing and check out our music on myspace if curiosity calls. It's rare to find such pleasant people as L'ANGELUS in the music business. thanks again..................

L'Angelus you make my heart dance!
Reviewer: Carolyn Ann Hebert
I play this CD every morning...it's my favorite time of the day! I love the energy of this beautiful family...their 'joie de vive' is contagious!!! Thank you for the music that touches my soul!


Reviewer: Bonnie Taylor Barry
This is HAPPY music that gets down into the bone marrow and infuses the listener with absolute joy to be alive. I'm getting a CD for me and one for my 2 year old grandson in Oklahoma; got to keep the Cajun blood coursing in his veins! Thanks, L'Angelus! Love you!

This music was out of this world, i love it well done to the singers.
Reviewer: mrs gail gray (click for website)
I think this cd is fabulous,the music is so cheerful, as for the songs they were awesome, and the singers were terrific, i would to have a colored photo of them and there autographs on the photo, well done.

they are terrific, i would love to see them live.
Reviewer: mrs gail gray
L"Angelus is terrific i am certainly going to buy the cd they sing like angels of heaven. well done, i would love there photo with autographs on it. here is my address mrs gail gray 17,gunthorpe road,marlow, buckinghamshire, sL7 1uh england.

Wonderfull!! I would highly recomend it to anyone!
Reviewer: Leslie
This cd is the best! everyone I know loves it! - CD Baby

Thank God for brutal North Dakota winters. Because of them, Linda Rees
taught her bayou-transplanted progeny, Katie, Paige, John and Stephen; to
sing and play music. Obviously she taught 'em well because soon the family
band (then Linda Lou & the Lucky Four) were on their way to playing
hundreds of super-charged shows across the Midwest and Southeast.

Now they're back on native soil, re-christened as L'Angélus, a moniker
that refers to the Catholic prayer where church bells are rung thrice
daily when the devotion is said. An acoustic band (think: Rankin Family on
roux) that mixes country pop originals with Acadiana fare, L'Angelus is
like the ringing of bells centering around the magical harmonies of Paige,
Katie and Stephen that are nothing short of heart melting. With mighty bow
strokes and lickety-split runs, Stephen is already a formidable fiddler
with plenty of zesty drive, as evidenced by the title song and the western
swing stomper "Goin' Back to Ponchatoula."

They add interesting touchesalong the way, like Irish pennywhistles on Christine Balfa's anthemic "La
Chandelle Est Allumée" that draws the Cajun-to-Celtic cultural link.
Obviously, with a name like L'Angélus, there's a spiritual sensibility,
which is manifested in "The Waltz of St. Ceclia" and the gorgeous "The
Waltz of the Sorrowful Mysteries." The religious undertones are never
overbearing but celebratory, in a sense, as their blood and sonic bond
reveals a full appreciation for life.
-- Dan Willging, Offbeat Magazine

- Offbeat Magazine

As I've stated before, I'm rather partial to family bands. Having played music with my wife and son for the past decade I think I'm rather sensitive to the joys and pitfalls of familial ties within a performing ensemble.

L'angelus is the Rees family of Lafayette, Louisiana. When I opened this CD I expected to hear a laid back band dedicated to front porch Cajun music. What a surprise! From the first notes of the opening track "Ca C'est Bon" I was treated to a muscular, kicking Cajun band of exemplary players and singers. The band is comprised of Mom Linda on guitar, and kids Katie, guitar; Paige, bass; John, drums and Stephen, fiddle, harmonica, pennywhistle and mandolin. Did I mention all of them sing like angels and wrote most of the songs on the CD?

"Ca C'est Bon" is followed by "Goin' Back to Ponchatoula" which harkens back to the days when Cajun music and Western Swing were on better terms. "Marianne" is an incredibly infectious song of young love and "Lily Mac" a dedication to a radio star of long ago.

The Rees family has done quite a bit of traveling over the years, and it's not surprising that other influences creep into their music. "The Waltz of St. Cecilia" opens With a Celtic inspired pennywhistle and pipe intro until it morphs into a lovely Cajun waltz.

Besides their title self-penned selections L'angelus also play a very strong rendition of one of my favorite Dirk Powell and Christine Balfa tunes "La Chandelle Est Allume'e." Later in the CD Lee Dorsey's swamp rock classic "Ya Ya" is given the L'angelus treatment and Cajun legend D. L. Menard joins the band on vocals for his classic tune "The Back Door."

One word to all you traditionalists out there--beware of this band, they just might change your mind about how Cajun music should be presented. Consider yourselves warned!--Tom Druckenmiller - Sing Out Folk Music magazine