The PAPERBOYS AT ALMA MATER FEB 21 // Doors at 7pm // ALL AGES
Celebrating their 25th anniversary year, Vancouver Canadian musician
Tom Landa, is looking back on the legacy of his much-loved folk rock
band The Paperboys. For a quarter century, The Paperboys have been
touring the world and lighting up stages with their freewheeling blend
of influences from Celtic and bluegrass, to Mexican son jarocho, brass
bands, and Canadian roots. They have been called everything from Cajun
slamgrass to worldbeat, they’ve received a Juno award (Canadian
Grammy), plus two Juno nominations, two West Coast Music Awards,
released nine albums, and regularly play two-night bills in the
Pacific Northwest. But that’s not what matters to Landa now. “What
means more to me than anything else is to receive letters, emails, or
hear stories from people who tell me that our songs helped them
through a tough time, or that they used one of our songs for their
wedding, or that an album of ours was the soundtrack of their summer.
At the end of the day, accolades are nice, but they are nothing
compared to connecting with people.” Landa’s song ‘Better Than
The Last’ has become somewhat of an anthem for people who have gone
through hard times.
It’s a remarkably grounded perspective from a bandleader who’s
been through it all (including the passing of a band member). But
Landa’s an open-book kind of songwriter, a Canadian grassroots poet
who loves to infuse his songs with exotic world rhythms, Celtic
melodies and pop hooks. What’s remarkable about the band, is their
ability to seamlessly fuse all the different styles and make it sounds
like they come from the same place. Their latest CD, ‘ Score’ is
full of these signature sounds: Spanish- language songs that reflect
Landa’s Mexican heritage, explosive brass lines from their extended
8-piece ensemble, Celtic fiddle and pennywhistle blazing through an
old reel, English Language rock songs with strong pop influences, and
a kind of melting pot sound that reflects not only the diversity of
the band’s home city, Vancouver, BC, but also a larger vision of
what modern Canadian roots music should sound like.
The Paperboys were formed in 1992 when Landa first moved to Vancouver.
“As a teen living in Ontario,” he explains, “I was really
influenced by the music coming out of Vancouver in the late
eighties/early nineties. Bands like The Grapes of Wrath, 54-40, Roots
Round Up and Spirit of the West, who were by far my biggest influence.
I packed my bags and came to Vancouver solely based on the music
scene.”
Over time, The Paperboys were a key part of multiple waves of popular
Canadian folk rock bands that included The Duhks, Ashley MacIsaac,
Leahy, and Great Big Sea. “One big difference between Canadian
Celtic artists from the east coast and Celtic bands in other parts of
the world,” says Landa, “is that we don’t have the same approach
to playing music,
and we are not flame-keepers in preserving tradition, so we are free
to mess around with it and create something different. We still have
deep respect for the tradition but we are a product of where we are
from and the multicultural city we call home.”
Although the Paperboys have made critically acclaimed records, they
are through and through a live act. They shine most on stage. They
have spent the last 25 years on the road playing all over North
America and Europe, where they have developed a large following
without the aid of a record labels or radio play. They have become a
festival favourite, and have played at Bumbershoot, Vancouver Folk
Fest, Edmonton Folk Festival, Tonder Festival, Folk Im Schloss,
Trowbridge, Warwick Folk Festival, The Queen Elizabeth Theatre and The
Kennedy Centre to name a few.
Tom and the band have always had a DIY approach to their career and
have been very successful at it. They have formed their own label,
their own management and booking agency, created their own festivals,
and forged their own path. They’ve ensured that they keep a
connection to their fans, and their fans have always loved and
supported them through every album, every line-up change and through
every adventure. Their success predates ‘internet fame’ and
careers modeled after Hollywood singing contests. With that said, they
have hundreds of thousands of video views, a strong social media
following and a great web presence. One look at their Facebook page is
indicative of the connection they have to their fan base.
Their latest CD, Score brings together all the familiar sounds of The
Paperboys. There is the pro-immigration song ‘America’, which is
set to a ska rhythm and mariachi horns, or the Country- Folk anthem
‘California’ which is a favourite sing-along song at their shows.
The Paul Simon-esque ‘Rain On Me’ is full of infectious horns,
including a blazing solo by trumpeter Miguelito Valdes (Afro Cuban All
Stars). ‘White Noise Lullaby’ is a song about tinnitus (that
ringing in your ears), which affects two members of the band. ‘La
Primavera’ is sung in Spanish and fuses Mexican Son Huasteco rhythms
with Irish jigs. The Folk Pop ballad ‘Fall Down With You’ is a
duet between Tom and Kendel Carson (Alan Doyle, Chip Taylor) which
currently has 142,000 views on YouTube. The Americana twang of ‘Omak
Hotel’ and ‘Dilapidated Beauty’ showcases the band’s love for
the genre. Bluegrass fans will love ‘Country Life’ with its banjo
driven rhythms and lovely harmonies. The New Orleans tinged ‘Toenail
Moon’ is a turn it up to 10 dance hit with second line horns and
drums
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22/02/2020 Last update