The good people at The RAPT Magazine performed an interview with Paul this week and wrote some nice things. They titled the article "The Classic." Read it, comment on it, share it, etc., if you'd like. http://theraptmagazine.com/home/38-featuresmusic/131-paul-banks.html

The great folks from Athens Soundies filmed us doing a couple of take-away soundie songs on Ladybird Lake in downtown Austin while they were here for SXSW. We're featured on the homepage right now alongside greats like Dr. Dog (http://www.athenssoundies.com/), and here is a permanent link to our videos: http://www.athenssoundies.com/artists/22

Here are the tunes we performed:

1 - Life for the Charm (new)
2 - The World (from self-titled Paul Banks)

Huge thanks to Jason Miller for his cinematic skills.

Paul Banks and his bass player Jon Nesvadba sang background vocals on four songs on ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's album that will be released tomorrow (Tues, 2/17), "The Century of Self."  We'll be hanging out at Waterloo Records tomorrow around 5pm when TOD performs in-store for the CD release.  Come check it out.

Here are the songs where you'll find our voices in the mix:

Isis Unveiled
Fields of Coal
Ascending
Insatiable (Two)

"Paul Banks will also play, toting grandiose vocal cords and colorful accompaniment."

http://austinist.com/2009/01/16/preview_last_gasp_the_mercers_at_em.php

Club de Ville, Tuesday, Jan 13 The perfect swell to ring against de Ville’s rock grotto, localsongsmith Paul Banks and his Carousels quartet build mesmerizing popwrought with vocals that split the difference between Rufus Wainwrightand Jeff Buckley."

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Calendar/MusicListings?type=recommended

I never posted this on the blog, but we got this grand review during SXSW:

(Hector Saldaña/Express-News)
Songwriter Paul Banks (left), 24, is another Austin force to be reckoned with.

"I'm into beautiful melodies," said Banks before his set with his band the Carousel. "I try to incorporate all the pop music of the 20th century into my songs."

His favorite songwriter is Paul Simon, but Banks' voice has supreme range. He can go from sounding like a folk-singer Strokes frontman to a gorgeous Roy Orbison to stripped down Muse. There is an epic sweep to Banks' songs, which should appeal to Coldplay and U2 fans.

Nonesuch Records publicity man Brian Hultgren is working as Banks' manager and is trying to get the singer a deal and radio airplay. He's shopping an independently produced self-titled album.

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/sxsw/2008/03/saldana_kids_get_in_on_sxsw_fr.html

thanks.

thanks to the KVRX DJ "meansteen" for the radio play of "live to share" in austin: http://kvrx.org/node/31747

tune in to archer avenue on KVRX. it rules.

"On a completely different note, I caught up with Paul Banks to see a pretty great show, full of his soaring and dare I say angelic vocal stylings, which easily split the difference between Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley. I'd be lying if I said I'm not absolutely floored by this man's singing, and I have yet to hear a sour note leave his lips. While his song writing tends to be a bit on the melancholy side he tends to really sell his songs live, which I really think is the only way to experience Mr. Banks' heavenly pipes. His band was quite impressive as well, they not only played well but managed to keep up with Banks' vocal acrobatics with flawless harmonies. All in all a great set, I see great things on the horizon for Banks and company."
-Victor Hell, Whoopsy Magazine

Thanks to Victor Hell for the kind words.

This week's Austin Chronicle features a review of the Paul Banks self-titled debut record. Pick up a Chronicle this week and check it out. It's in print and online, so here it is for you non-Austinites:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid:580254

Texas Platters by Doug Freeman

Paul Banks

Not to be confused with the Interpol frontman, ATX's Paul Banks lays a soft bed of acoustic guitar and piano behind gentle vocal swells. Opener "Live to Share" gestures toward Rufus Wainwright, while "Tell Me Your Thoughts" pops with layered self-harmonies, and the slow build of "Medicine" showcases Banks' comfortable range. Though "Family" spars with Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer," Banks' melodies are beautifully mesmerizing.

***

For those who have been asking what they heard (or what they missed out on) at the Motown Hoot Night, here is a list of the songs we played, in order:

1) Four Tops - It's the Same Old Song
2) Stevie Wonder - Pastime Paradise
3) Stevie Wonder - Summer Soft
4) Stevie Wonder - You and I (Together We Can Conquer the World)
5) Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke

Thank you for dancing.  Stevie and the Tops would have been angry with us if you hadn't.

Just because a record has a groove don't make it in the groove, but you can tell right away at letter A when the people start to move,

PB & the Cs