William Z Villain

You have to see him in concert.
Even with an arm in a sling, depriving him of playing the guitar, he puts on a show, alone. As a genuine complete artist, he adapted his playlist, adding unreleased songs, helping himself with a little technology (autosampling etc.) and playing his tiny keyboard with his left hand... or his elbow... or his knee!

For William Z Villain is a disturbed and disturbing magician. Somewhere between blues, rock and reggae, a bit Gypsy sometimes (hello the Triplets of Belleville) or even jazzy. With this style mix, you may see him as a Willy DeVille’s successor.
On the other hand, when he uses his head voice, on a fragile wire ("Home", "Anybody Gonna Move", "Her Song"), he reminds me of the best Radiohead ethereal pieces – but comparison stops here.

In his record, you find a whole flock of small percussion instruments: welcome claves, maracas, eggs, tambourines, cajon, darbuka, güiro, bongos, cabasa... It all clicks, ticks, jigs, spits, clinks, crisps, drips, kicks, thrills, zips, flicks, hints, rips from everywhere, contributing to give his music an unusual personality.
As a leitmotiv of the album, crickets can even be heard in spaces between the songs!
You get caught up in the game and you soon forgive him everything, even this feeling of scratched record in the middle of "EF-TA (Aunt Becky Smiles When She Talks about the Apocalypse)" – and this habit of never-ending subtitles!

Coming from the Trumpist State of Wisconsin, but released by a French record label (Normandeep Blues Records), and able to joke around in French between 2 songs, this falsely stylish moustached man could become "the most French of American bluesmen", now that Calvin Russel isn’t among us.

Still I’d like to know what he gives live on his white tampered guitar (he added 2 strings). Just for that I’ll have to see him in concert again.