Papercuts (band)
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Papercuts is an American indie pop project centered around Jason Robert Quever.
History
Quever was raised in a Christian commune in Humboldt County, California.[1][2] He started making music at an early age and bought a four-track recorder when aged 15.[2] After travelling around the west coast of the United States he eventually settled in San Francisco.[1] His musical career began when he recorded piano tracks for Cass McCombs.[1] He has since collaborated with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, the Skygreen Leopards, and Vetiver, and produced the third album by Lazarus, Hawk Medicine (2007).[1][3] The first Papercuts album, Rejoicing Songs was released in 2000 on the Cassingle USA label,[4] with three further albums following, the latest two on the Gnomonsong label, run by Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic of Vetiver.[1] His 2007 album Can't Go Back was described by Allmusic's Jason MacNeil as "a perfect example that timeless, classic pop still exists".[5] Quever continued to shift his base along the west coast, for a time employing the rhythm section from San Diego band Moon & Sixpence, and later joined by Malcolm Pullinger and Jeremey Brown in 2004.[6] For the Mockingbird album, he was accompanied by drummer Luke Top and backing vocalist and keyboardist Matt Popieluch, both of The Cave-Ins.[7] The band line-up in 2008 included David Enos and Kelly Nyland and Trevor Montgomery, both also members of Lazarus.[2]
Quever has his own home studio, which he calls the "Pan American Recording Studio", where he has recorded or mixed work by local artists including Vetiver, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, the Skygreen Leopards, the Finches, the Moore Brothers, and Still Flyin'.[2]
He cites among his influences and inspirations Django Rheinhardt and the original The Twilight Zone TV series.[8]
Musical style
The Papercuts sound is generally classified as indie pop, with comparisons also being made to freak folk artists such as Devendra Banhart.[7] In a 2007 live review in the New York Times, Jon Pareles described the band: "Melding sustained organ chords with slow fingerpicked guitar, the Papercuts’ music merged Velvet Underground ballads with touches of the Byrds, while Jason Quever sang in a high, diffident voice about elusive love."[9] A PopMatters review described Papercuts as "a marching band on Quaaludes" and "part atmospheric, part dream pop rock, always melodic, and never boring".[7] A Houston Press review of Can't Go back described the album as having a "warm, sunny sound, recalling northern California circa 1968", going on to describe the band as "a lo-fi version of The Byrds".[10]
Discography
Albums
- 2000 - Rejoicing Songs (Cassingle USA)
- 2004 - Mockingbird (Antenna Farm)
- 2007 - Can't Go Back (Gnomonsong)
- 2009 - You Can Have What You Want (Gnomonsong)
References
- ^ a b c d e Kopkin, Kenyon "Papercuts Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- ^ a b c d Chun, Kimberley (2008) "Going back: Talking to Papercuts' Jason Quever", San Francisco Bay Guardian, 16 April 2008
- ^ Klein, Joshua (2008) "Album review: Lazarus - Hawk Medicine", Pitchfork Media
- ^ Teegerstrom, Krissy (2005) "Papercuts Mockingbird", Stylus magazine, 10 January 2005
- ^ MacNeil, Jason "Can't Go Back Review", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- ^ Chen, George (2004) "Local Live: Papercuts, Bottom of the Hill, Oct. 6", San Francisco Bay Guardian
- ^ a b c MacNeil, Jason (2004) "Papercuts Mockingbird", PopMatters, 7 December 2004
- ^ Smyers, Darryl (2007) "Retro Nothin: The Papercuts' Jason Quever is quintessentially modern", Dallas Observer, 21 February 2007
- ^ Pareles, Jon (2007) "Three Bands on Trips That Lead to the ’60s", New York Times, 9 March 2007
- ^ Ayers, Michael D. (2007) "Papercuts Can't Go Back", Houston Press, 28 February 2007
External links
- Template:Myspace
- Papercuts' concert at La Route du Rock 09 (Aug. 15th) will be available on the Arte Live Web website for a few days