Status: Single
City: Concord, NC via Brooklyn
State: New York
Country: US
Signup Date: 9/2/2004
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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Hello! We hope our first post
of the year finds you doing great. We're currently in NY working on our follow
up record which will be out later in the year... and we're really looking fwd to
sharing the new tunes with you at our upcoming shows. Please spread the word!
PALEFACE February
Shows: North Carolina + Florida
To
learn more about bands on the bill, venue address, ticket price, updated tour details
and more info, please visit: http://www.myspace.com/..PalefaceOnline
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
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PALEFACE Recent Press Quotes
"The Show Is On The Road...songs you'd be glad to hum for the rest of the day" PASTE Magazine
"The product of someone who has long since found himself " Relix Magazine
"terrific disc, a deserving breakthrough" Philadelphia Inquirer
"Paleface is one of the antifolk scene’s best-loved products" Time Out New York
"Triumphant
Title for the latest from the New York anti-folkie admired by Beck, and
his first album in years that is not for a tiny punk label or a
bootleg. It's best songs are a heady jumble of urban and Americana-
musically, and lyrically too" Mojo Magazine
"overdue for recognition" Nashville Scene
"a neo-folk icon" The Flagpole, Athens GA
"Judging
by the amiable vibe, any hint of regret over past misdeeds appears
relegated to the backburner. With the show on the road, it bodes a most
welcome return." BLURT
"This band will liven up any room it's in, slinging the happiness like a drug", Roanoke Times, VA
"with the show on the road, Paleface procures a rollicking return." Eat Sleep Drink Music
"Paleface's voice alone speaks volumes...using catchy, nostalgic hooks and simple instrumentation...The
whole album feels like a collaboration between Paleface, the mountains,
his past, and girlfriend and drummer Monica "Mo" Samalot." The Eagle
Washington DC
“The
Show Is on the Road” is an intimate, deeply personal collection of 11
tunes that find the artist at the top of his game" DailyNews, PA
"Seriously, he’s the real deal, and you need to check him out", Star News, Wilmington NC
"As long as Paleface keeps a foot in each city and his home where his
heart is, there should be no stopping the flow of poetry and music from
this splendid songsmith." Salisbury Post, NC
"Playing folk music in its simplest form, the pair shined a rare
beam of sincerity in a music world bogged down by false glitz and
glamour...We should all feel so privileged to be able to get up so close and
personal to a musician who can turn the air in the room blue by simply
opening his mouth. His words are gorgeous and bloody with heartache,
and the effortless way in which he holds a roomful of folks captivated
is a beautiful thing." Ink 19 (Orlando Show Review)
"Wow, this guy is amazing...As
far as I am concerned there is nothing better then when a band comes
into LA and owns the stage. Complete with a sing along and a kinetic
and fun energy, PALEFACE devoured
their set...In the same breath, he converted a room of skeptics and
showed this LA crowd why he is who he is. Complete with a quick
background story on how became who he is, PALEFACE stunned
a crowd that included a buzz filled with a stomp your feet and clap
your hands in a procession of sound that was simply, amazing.
Accompanied by Monica Samalot on on drums, this duo held the audience
in a musical haze through a spellbound hypntoic aura of touching and
rocking songs. Set to the powerful lyrics that fuel PALEFACE's passion and story telling... an incredible night of music that will be hard to replicate any time soon." Loudvine.com (Los Angeles Show Review)
"The dynamic duo has been charming audiences coast to coast with their high energy performances, honest, refreshing lyrics, and their raw yet full folk-core sound." MyScoper
"The Show is on the Road is contemplative, but with a lust-for-life, windows down, wind-in-your face, summer album swagger" Honest Tune
"Paleface’s
sweetly ravaged and expressive songs recall writer/singers like Tom
Waits, Jeff Tweedy, M Ward and Van Morrison, but his distinctive blend
of American music is all his own. " The Tullahoma News, TN
"Top of my list", Acoustic Guitar
"Tons
of sweat flying energy, damn good songs that stomp and rumble, and a
beautiful noise that is spreading to ears far and wide". The Velvet Rut (Floyd Fest,show review)
"Honky
tonk honesty fuels train-yard yarns turning contemporary issues into
dustbowl hobo narratives; Paleface’s earth-bound wisdom croons
rollicking acoustic tunes, weaving a deeper, understated understanding
from everyday aggravations. “Road,” rolls with the punches, unfolding
stolen moments over bare-boned anecdotes, uplifting skiffle and
friendly encouragement; heartache and hindsight blending into folksy
hopefulness." Maximum Ink Music Magazine
"This was easily one of my favorite band
performances from the entire day at FloydFest on Saturday. Paleface,
the folkcore duo of Monica 'Mo' Samalot on drums and front man and band
namesake Paleface on guitar and harmonica put on one of the most
entertaining sets of the day at the Blue Ridge to Bayou Dance Tent. I
rolled in just in time to see the start of their early Saturday
performance and planted myself right in front of the stage speakers to
the right side of the stage and marveled. Sean Harvey, CvilleMuse
"half way through the first song I was in love... His voice varies
from Louis Armstrong gravel pit to a decent tenor falseto. He was full
of energy and while Varia and I were dancing, he came down to dance with
us. The lady is a drummer who also sings, beatiful voice, really cute.
They've got a very folky sound about them which I loved." http://whycantsciencesolvethis.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-awesome-shows.html
"Paleface brought their unique and undeniably fun show to the stage as
the acoustic guitar/drum duo played songs from their new album "The
Show Is On The Road" as well as other tunes. With obvious roots in folk
and blues, Paleface brings that familiar feel to his songs but with a
new twist that is based on the edginess of their live performance and
the rawness of the fact that it is just a duo performing them. One
thing that I liked in particular about their set is that they were
visibly having a lot of fun playing the show. Paleface was dancing and
running around the stage nearly the entire time while Mo was holding it
down on the drums and back vocals. This energy was definitely felt and given
back by the audience as they danced and sang along with Paleface."
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Sunday, December 20, 2009
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PALEFACE is going to be celebrating the New Year playing two special shows: Dec.31 @ NOON - Blue Plate Special @ Knoxville's Visitor Center, Knoxville TN (w/ Ian Thomas) - See what’s cookin’ and come be part of the WDVX studio audience. The
WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live performance each weekday at noon.
Knoxville Visitor Center is a 100-year-old downtown building located at
the corner of Gay Street and Summit Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville.
Visitors can enjoy live music each weekday at noon as they did years
ago during the Mid-day Merry-go-round. Lunches are available to
purchase. You can enjoy sweets for dessert & beverages from the
Café Gourmet Coffee Bar or browse the “Uniquely Knoxville” Gift Shop
which features a wide variety of locally made products and merchandise.
COME BY OR STREAM LIVE: http://www.wdvx.com/programs/blueplate.htmlDec. 31 @ 8pm - Boots and Blue Jeans New Year's Eve Celebration @ Bristol Train Station, Bristol VA -with The New Familiars, and Folk Soul Revival Tickets
are $25 for this show. This is an all age’s show and promises to have
people talking about it for a very long time. Doors will open at 8:00pm
with the concert set to begin at 8:30 p.m. and expected to close around
12:30am. UT vs. VT Football game will be showing too! Barbeque
and drinks will be available to purchase at this show. ID's will be
required and checked at the door so 21 and older wrist bands will be
issued. For Tckets please go Etix.com or follow link below: http://www.etix.com/ticket/servlet/onlineSearch?action=displayPerformance&pageNumber=0&pageSize=10&searchType=null&queryString=action%3dsimpleSearch%26searchTerm%3dbristol%2btrain%2bstation%26searchBy%3dVENUE*please visit the Calendar section of our profile for more info.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
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Lightning 100 - MUSIC CITY REVIEW
PALEFACE @ The End, Nashville 11/16/09  "If you were looking for a night of fun americana music, Monday night at The End was the place to be. Nationally touring act, and Ramseur Records recording artist, Paleface brought their unique and undeniably fun show to the stage as the acoustic guitar/drum duo played songs from their new album "The Show Is On The Road" as well as other tunes. With obvious roots in folk and blues, Paleface brings that familiar feel to his songs but with a new twist that is based on the edginess of their live performance and the rawness of the fact that it is just a duo performing them. One thing that I liked in particular about their set is that they were visibly having a lot of fun playing the show. Paleface was dancing and running around the stage nearly the entire time while Mo was holding it down on the drums and bgv's. This energy was definitely felt and given back by the audience as they danced and sang along with Paleface." Review and photo by Aaron Summerhttp://lightning100.com/local_lightning_blog.php
Paleface @ Pehrspace "Hella Hipster Hoedown" Los Angeles CA
(PALEFACE is joined on stage by people from the crowd...and everybody dances and sings along)
We
are so spoiled in LA. We think we know everything about music, if it’s
happening, we just assume it is happening in our own city and by our
own bands and friends. So as the conversation grew as we waited for a
band to set up at Pehrspace the other night, there was a lot of, “who
is this” buzz in between bands. All I could
say to anyone asking, was give it a minute and you will know. Within a
few minutes, the audience was given a powerful intro and performance
and no one else asked me, “who is this” and it became, wow, this guy is
amazing. I am talking about Paleface. As
far as I am concerned there is nothing better then when a band comes
into LA and owns the stage. Complete with a sing along and a kinetic
and fun energy, Paleface
devoured their set at Pehrspace. In the same breath, he converted a
room of skeptics and showed this LA crowd why he is who he is. Complete
with a quick background story on how became who he is, Paleface
stunned a crowd that included a buzz filled with a stomp your feet and
clap your hands in a procession of sound that was simply, amazing. Accompanied
by Monica Samaloton on drums, this duo held the audience in a musical
haze through a spellbound hypntoic aura of touching and rocking songs.
Set to the powerful lyrics that fuel Paleface’s
passion and story telling, the tiny walls of Pehrpsace captured an
incredible night of music that will be hard to replicate any time soon.
Paleface is currently on tour right now in support of their new album “The Show is On The Road” and trust me when I say, Paleface will dazzle you and delivers a show like no one else can.
(The Hella Hipter Hoedown is presented by Elaine Layabout) http://loudvine.com/blog/live-music-mp3/paleface-pehrspaceOther West Coast Press:Paleface takes his folk 'Road' show to Zoey's Cafe on Saturday
Singer-guitarist
Paleface, right, will be joined by singer-drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot
on Saturday at Zoey’s Cafe. “She found me,” Paleface says of Samalot.
“She was a fan. She decided that she didn’t want to be an architect
anymore.”
Paleface
broke through as a folk artist in New York, but he grew tired of the
Big Apple scene and now lives in North Carolina with his drummer,
Monica “Mo” Samalot.
Paleface calls “The Show Is on the Road” a “transition” record. Having
nothing to do with Buster Keaton’s hilarious 1922 short or the Bob Hope
flick from 1948, Paleface is but another musician remaining complete
strangers with daylight. The pale-skinned plucker will dip into his
vast repertoire of smart-guy folk tunes Saturday night at Zoey’s Cafe
in Ventura. Paleface will be the guy playing guitar under the
Laurel & Hardy bowler hat and he’ll be ably assisted by his
“darling drummer Mo,” a living example of hope for the hordes of
hopeless groupies. Paleface has been at this for about two
decades, has a bunch of albums, was Beck’s roommate and one of the
heroes of New York’s “anti-folk” scene. He later became pals with the
Avett Brothers, drank too much, found drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot and
now is out there driving around trying to sell a few copies of his
latest, “The Show Is on the Road.’’ Now, for the star of the show, here’s Paleface himself, answering a few easy questions. Where are guys at? Right now, we’re in Ashland, Ore. How’s life on the road? I’ve got a little bit of altitude sickness right now, so I’m not feeling all that good. Beer cures that. Or not. What happens the other 22 hours a day when you’re not playing? We
had a couple of days off and we made it to the mountains, but I guess
it was just too much for my system. We’re staying in a hotel right now. Where did you get that name? Too many Bob Hope movies, a tip of the porkpie hat to the ghost of Buster Keaton or not enough sun? It was just a nickname from playing in New York. Some of the older crews just making fun of me and the name just kind of stuck. Nobody in New York has a tan? Not really, but it was kind of at the end of the punk rock days. Everybody looked like David Bowie, David Byrne or one of the pasty vampires from “True Blood”? Yeah, and it was a little more coarser — just leftovers from the punk rock era. How is “The Show Is on the Road’’ doing? Are you guys rich rock stars yet? (laughs) Uhhhhh, no — we’re not rich rock stars. Where does it fit into your vast body of work? Where
does it fit in? I don’t know. Just a transition, maybe, because I was
off the road for so long and just trying to figure out how to entertain
an audience that loves us. So I think it’s a stop along the way or
something, you know? How many albums do you have. A bunch? Yeah, I got a lot by now. Must be 11 or 12. How does a musician reinvent himself after being out of the public eye for a time? Well,
it wasn’t like I was away. I was just a songwriter in New York, and I
was in that culture. I was off the road, but I was still a songwriter. How did you find that “darling drummer Mo”? She
found me. She was a fan. She decided that she didn’t want to be an
architect anymore. She was like a junior architect in a boring firm in
midtown and she was kind of hanging out in the scene. At that time, the
scene contained a lot of future stars in the singer-songwriter genre
like Regina Spektor, Langhorne Slim and the Moldy Peaches and lots of
other folks. She was just an audience member and she decided she really
wanted to play drums. She started playing drums in the scene and,
eventually, we hooked up. What about a more focused, but less endearing, member of the scene who drunkenly insists you play “Free Bird”? No, I get “Burn and Rob.” Everybody wants to hear that one. Or “World Full of Cops” from my first record. Yeah, but those are your songs, right? Yeah, they’re from the first record, but I don’t really play those songs anymore. I don’t really get the “Free Bird” people. That’s a good thing. What’s your take on your do-it-yourself game plan since the music biz has imploded over the past few years? It’s
interesting. It’s different. There’s not that big possibility of having
a hit, you know, because people don’t have hits anymore, I don’t think.
So that’s removed and now it’s just sort of your life, what you’re
doing. You’re just trying to get better and reach people so maybe
they’ll come back to your next show and you can kind of increase your
audience that way. We’re on a small label in the town we live in, in
Concord, North Carolina. So, yeah, it’s totally different. What’s it like being a couple of Yankees in a reb state? In
North Carolina, I had kind of a head start because I performed on the
Avett Brothers’ records. One of their records is called “The Four
Thieves” and I was the fourth thief. The Avett Brothers are like the
big favorite sons of North Carolina, so people already knew me and knew
I was from New York. They also knew that I sang on these records. And
“Dancing Days,” a song that I wrote that was on that record, is one
that people just love hearing down there. I just can’t do a show
without doing that song. So it’s sort of like, “He’s a Yankee, but he’s all right’’? Yeah, I guess. What’s anti-folk? I don’t know, man. It’s a genre, but I don’t bleepin’ know. A
local songwriter named J. Peter Boles once told me that a folk song has
to have the phrase “Oh Lord” in it played on an out-of-tune guitar and
that most folk songs are about liquor, mama or trains. Got a train song? Um,
don’t think I have a train song. Oh, wait! I might have a train song.
It’s called “Detonate the Bomb When the Train Pulls Away.” There you go, man. Sounds like a train song to me. OK, but I don’t play it. It’s like one of the first songs I ever wrote, and I think it’s an instrumental. Who goes to a Paleface show? I guess some old crew and some new crew and the all-ages shows are good. We had a riot once. Wow. What’s the story on that one? We
had this show for these kids at this school and they had all these hay
bales for them to sit on. When we started playing, they started jumping
up all over this hay. The bales started to fall apart and they started
throwing it at each other. How old were the kids? They
were, like, 7 years old. We’d finish a song and one or two of them
would run up to the stage and say, “Play another one!” And their
parents were just sitting there in the back with looks of amazement on
their faces. When did you know you could do this? Well,
for me, it’s kind of a twofold answer. I saw Billy Bragg get up on
stage and just make a lot of noise with his electric guitar. Then I met
Daniel Johnston and figured out that you could write a song. Besides the kid riot, any really strange gigs? Definitely
had some strange ones. There was this one time in Fort Worth and these
two nurses wheeled this guy into the room in a wheelchair. They just
grabbed the microphone off the stage and shouted, “Play something good
and we’ll get this thing over with!” I didn’t realize what it was, so I
started playing a song and they started to take their clothes off. It
was a strip-gram for this guy in the wheelchair. He half raised himself
out of his chair. That was pretty crazy. Did you forget the words? Yeah. It was this political song. Any advice for the next crop of singer-songwriters? Don’t
wait for any record companies to do anything for you. Do it yourself
and go out and get your own fans. Don’t wait for any phone calls or
anyone that’s going to invest. That’s right. A watched phone never rings. Exactly.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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YOU ARE THE GIRL PALEFACE released a brand new live video "Your Are The Girl". A studio version of the song is included on PALEFACE's 2009 Ramseur Records debut, The Show Is On The Road.YOU'RE ALRIGHT New song VIDEO: "You're Alright", by PALEFACE. The video was shot during downtime at Bristol Rhythm And Roots Reunion, an amazing festival in downtown Bristol TN/VA. It's currently beingfeatured on Ramseur Records Video Channel: http://vimeo.com/channels/ramseurrecords#6720620
KICK THIS JAM Live at Local 506, Chapel Hill NC. The show was broadcasted live via www.Livenue.com
HANK WILLIAMS FROM HIS GRAVE
PALEFACE released a brand new live video "Hank Williams From His Grave" on Sept 17th.... the day of Hank Williams Birthday. The song was written by PALEFACE and the original version of the song was a track on Paleface's self titled 1991 full length release on Polydor Records.
The video was featured on Saving Country Music official website: "That video is so poignant, I have goosebumps as I write this. Man. It is about destiny. It is such a wise way to look at the Hank Williams life. Pain ran through Hank’s lyrics and his voice, like they were the foundation of everything he did. Listening to this song, your reminded that Hank Williams was aware of his own mortality almost every waking minute. The fact that the last song he wrote was “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive,” exemplifies this, and just gives you chills. And then how perfect was it that a train came rolling by the cemetery right in the middle of the song, but then left quickly, almost to pay tribute, but to not interrupt the moment. There was something American Gothic and soulful about that performance, and the life of Hank Williams" Kyle Coroneos, Saving Country Music
http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/hank-williams-from-his-grave
The video was also featured on No Depressions official webiste:
http://www.nodepression.com
-------------------------------------------------------- PALEFACE Promo Posters Wanna help spread the word about upcoming PALEFACE shows? You can now download and print your own 8.5"x11" PALEFACE Promo Posters:
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Thursday, September 03, 2009
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Philadelphia's WXPN Series: Unsung FavoritesNeglected classics. The songs that got away. Lost gems. Buried gems. The greatest movies of all time, the top albums of the 20th century, the finest books of the year; the media certainly generate enough of them. Usually it feels like a stamp of honor to see your favorite book, movie or song right up there with a trusted critic's. But it can also feel frustrating to champion a work others ignore or overlook. XPN presents Unsung Favorites. We pay tribute to an underrated song or album - a work that didn't top charts; earn a Grammy or otherwise endure. XPN hosts and producers weigh in on their personal Unsung Favorites. We will also introduce you to new works and revive forgotten gems. Don't expect to hear "Born in the USA," but that doesn't mean we won't give The Boss any air-time.
XPN Music Director and radio host Dan Reed muses about the iconoclastic New York singer-songwriter PALEFACE and his self-titled major label debut release (Polydor Records, 1991)  Audio clip of feature about PALEFACE, with music:
http://www.xpn.org/mp3/unsung/dan-reed-paleface.mp3Link to feature: http://www.xpn.org/music-artist/unsung-favorites----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PALEFACE recently performed at Non-Comm, a Triple A Radio station convention and live music showcase held in Philadelphia PA, and hosted by WXPN Radio Station & World Cafe Live. Other performers included Elvis Perkins, Delta Spirit, Pete Yorn, Black Joe Lewis, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Heartless Bastards and The Avett Brothers, among a others.
On Thurs July 2nd Philadelphia's WXPN (88.5FM Radio) aired a live PALEFACE Interview on their show " Afternoons With Dan Reed", playing tracks from PALEFACE's new release The Show Is On The Road, Ramseur Records 2009.
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Saturday, June 13, 2009
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BLURT OnlineCompletely Different: PALEFACE By RANDY HARWARD
(PALEFACE / PF and Monica "Mo" Samalot, photo by Cheater Slicks)
For all the scenester exclusion and inactivity that "anti-folk" implies, the genre encompasses some madly prolific singer-songwriters-Daniel Johnston, The Moldy Peaches (and separately as Adam Green and Kimya Dawson), Hamell on Trial, Dan Bern, and Beck. And those are just the famous ones. There are scads more "AntiAllstars" listed on AntiFolkOnline.com, and they're virtual song-factories, one- or two-man Brill Buildings. And while they have attitude and/or problems in spades, the scene they make up is as inclusive as it is hipster. Meet Paleface. He's an OG in the AF crew, having learned the craft of songwriting from his once-close friend Daniel Johnston, but a ‘tweener among them. He was managed by Danny Fields, who brought us such punk rock delights at the MC5, The Stooges and the Ramones. His discography numbers 15 releases including two on major labels-his 1991 debut Self-Titled (Polydor) and 1996's Get Off (Sire), far more than many artists muster. But Sire dropped Paleface a month after the record came out. They didn't wanna compete with Paleface pal Beck's follow-up to his platinum debut Mellow Gold (that record, Odelay, went double-platinum). So Paleface stayed in NYC, played "12 shows or whatever you do in New York" and drank himself almost literally into a coma. Somehow, though, he continued to release cult-platters-in-waiting, the types of albums whose merits are measured in critical praise and big-ticket eBay action that makes the wrong dudes rich some fifteen to twenty years after the fact. Incidentally, Paleface celebrates two decades of music this year, having met Johnston-who became his friend and songwriting mentor-in New York City in 1989. Certainly coincidentally, Paleface just put out The Show Is On the Road, an album that signals a new era for Paleface, in which he and bandmate Monica Samalot (a/k/a "Mo") will take their anti-folk on tour. And, you know, actually promote it, using knowledge gleaned from their new famous friends and benefactors The Avett Brothers, who just so happen to be behind Paleface's new label home, Ramseur Records. Blurt caught up with Paleface, who demonstrated he's either hip to the new music business model or still the same old anti-folk brother by burning copies of his albums to help us get hip ourselves. Not that we weren't already. (Or weren't we?) [Editor's note: don't miss our Paleface bonus beats, following the main interview, below.]
*** First, thanks for all the burns- I tried to send a good mix, the two major label albums, and the comps. Get Off, that's one I liked that nobody liked. I remember Danny [Fields] inviting me over to his house and tellin' me to sit down. He said, "Well... They like you in the mountains." [laughs] And I'm like, ‘What the fuck does that mean?' "Well, nobody's really buyin' the record. You're not on Sire anymore." But he thought it was great. I got all angry-‘Why don't people like it?!' He wanted me to call the record Deadbeat Boy [because of the song]. He might've been right. I don't know. I should've gone with that. But I wasn't listenin' to him much in those days.
Artists sometimes lament their cult status, or at least have mixed feelings. Your own status has translated to longevity- Um. Yeah. You know, I don't think about [money and fame] too much. There was a period where I did because you're young and you have that rock n' roll fantasy. I had the big label and Danny Fields was my manager and all these people were blowin' smoke up my ass. But I got away from it, you know? I made music for years without even talking to anybody or being written about. So that wasn't really the motivation. I had a friend at the New York Press and she did an article on me and it would up in the real estate/housing section in the back. So nobody saw it. I never even saw it... Somebody told me about it.
Paleface was hot property- [laughs] Yeah, right. Exactly!
Take me back to the germ of your rock ‘n' roll fantasy- I was just out of school and I didn't have anything to do. I was plunkin' around, and the change, for me, was I met Daniel [Johnston]. That just really changed everything for me. I wanted to be a songwriter like that. That was the coolest thing I could think of, just hangin' out with him and hearin' all those songs. I would make him play this song "Marching Guitars" all the time. I don't know if he ever recorded it. [Note: The song appears on a festival compilation called Woodshock '85 and IMDB.com lists it as being in the film The Devil and Daniel Johnston.]
How did he handle those incessant requests?- He would play it for me. We had a friendship; he was a really sweet character. And just, like... man. The [prescription anti-psychotic] drugs hadn't really gotten to him yet. I think he was really scared of them, and he turned out to be quite right about that. Man, those drugs took a toll on him. It's really sad. He had problems with reality sometimes, but when he stayed with me in New York, he was pretty much okay. Obviously, he was a strange guy-but he was definitely afraid of what [the drugs] would do to him. It was awful. It's sad. The last thing he said to me when I went down to the bus station with him was, "I don't wanna go back on those zombie drugs." And then he got on the bus. I didn't see him for a long time. I talked to him on the phone a few times and he actually finished a song for me that I was writing. But the next time I saw him was many years later and he wasn't the same.
Was there a scrap of the friendship left?- Yeah, he remembered me and I was honored just to be with him. We sat and had a meal. I was down-I was okay, because I had gotten over my alcoholism-but I was down and out, had no money at all. And he actually bought my record. He bought theMultibean Bootleg, Vol. 1. I was like, ‘Dude, I'm not takin' your money,' but the compromise was I gave him a burned copy of Multibean and he gave me ten bucks.
What was the most significant thing you learned from him?- I learned how to write a song from him. I learned that you could write a song about walkin' by the McDonald's and seein' some dude there that was teasin' you in school or somethin', and that you could actually say his name in the song. It made it easier to write a song. All these amazing songwriters like Neil Young and Bob Dylan and Paul Simon-how do you fuckin' write a song like that? That's impossible! Then this guy Daniel came along and made it work in a totally different way that was so real. And it seemed like something I could possibly do.
Did he teach you anything about life?- [laughs] We definitely had some experiences. We went down to the mission and ate a bunch of times. We didn't have any money. That was interesting. I don't really remember that as much as the artistic impact on me and just stories he told me. It all blew my mind. He was just one of those... he was amazing, really.
Did you teach him anything? Daniel? I don't think so. I can't imagine. He was just so far ahead of me.
What did you learn from your rendezvous with the Grim Reaper?- Man. That was, like, a rock-bottom experience. The thing is, after it happened, I wasn't well. For years. What I had was alcoholic hepatitis. It fucks your liver, so your immune system is bad. A simple cold would turn into this huge chest infection. I got pneumonia. I was on my ass for a few years. I couldn't do anything, so I had a lot of time to think about all the mistakes I made and all the things that Danny had taught me, or had told me, or tried to tell me. But I wasn't listening to him at the time, because I was drinking. It all started to make sense to me. I guess the biggest thing I learned was that alcohol distorted reality for me and I couldn't see what was really happening and make good decisions about shit.So it was a long painful process. A lot of other people I started out with were doin' great, you know. They were movin' along with their careers and whatnot, and I was just sittin' there, in debt a lot of the time.
Was it like a waking nightmare, being able to see your mistakes so clearly?- No, it wasn't like that. Clarity, whatever. It's not like a moment; it just happens over time, it's gradual. I'm still learnin' stuff. We left New York about a year and a half ago, Mo and I, and decided to do this thing on the road. I'm learnin' how to be a different kinda performer now. It's a whole new thing. So I don't think there's a moment where you can say I was [completely changed]. All I can say is if you put my life on a chart, on a graph or something, the low point would be when I was in the hospital. And from that point on, when I never had another drink, that graph went up. I don't know if it went up drastically, but it started to go up from there.
Where do you fit on the anti-folk family tree? [Anti-folkers] are influenced by different artists. I came from the Daniel Johnston school, then I hit that scene. And also I was into hip-hop. Then Beck came along, and we were buddies. He was just doin' folk-blues, Woody Guthrie songs, at the time. He started to see what I was doin', and he took it in another direction, workin' with the Dirt Brothers-Dust Brothers. The family tree... I'm in there somewhere along the line.
The gene pool has a lotta leaves in it? Yeah! That's what it is, really. I'm sure there are people now that are listening to Regina [Spektor] and Kimya [Dawson] and those people. I saw them start. I saw Regina before she could write a song. Really, she was just this little girl that could pay piano insanely great and sing all these scales and she was just playin' at The Sidewalk. And now she's like this figure that I'm sure all these young girls and even guys [try to emulate]. [Anti-folk] just progresses....Continued: http://www.blurt-online.com/features/view/368/
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The Epoch Times
Anti-Folk Hero Kicks Out the Jams
Artist Profile: Paleface
MUSICAL CONNECTION: Paleface and Monica “Mo” Samalot. (Courtesy of Flying Rooster)
Folk
music and New York City is a staple long bonded in intimate
synchronicity. And brewing steadily alongside the seasoned musical turf
has been a supercharged protagonist, up heaving traditional folk norms.
The
Anti-folk scene, which is now two decades strong, was initially
conceived by a songwriter named Lach. He was playing at his afterhours
club, The Fort on New York’s Lower East Side, and was told his music
was “too punk” to be considered folk music. The fateful interaction
happened during the New York Folk Festival and therefore, Lach coined
his event the New York Anti-folk Festival.
The scene has been a pivotal gathering point for many unique and now successful artists.
Anti-folk
directly opposes the more polished sounds of contemporary music with
raw and authentic acoustic sounds featured in an open mike format.
Artists like Beck, Ani Difranco, Billy Bragg, and Regina Spektor
brought a mainstream spotlight to Anti-Folk through the years, while
other artists such as The Moldy Peaches and Daniel Johnston, as in the
Sundance film The Devil and Daniel Johnston, helped lend a cult
atmosphere to the scene.
One of the first Anti-folk artists to
be signed to a major record labels in the early 90’s was songwriter
aficionado, Paleface. Living in Brooklyn for years, Paleface sculpted
his technique while playing out and learning the musical ropes in the
city. Resonate and driven, Paleface’s voice conjured up early Tom Waits
and his playing was always in a mode of thinking outside the box.
Paleface’s combination of hip hop lyrics atop acoustic chord
progressions was a key inspiration for Beck’s early work on “One Foot
in the Grave” and “Mellow Gold.”
“We used to go to all the open
mikes together. He taught me Daniel Johnston songs on the sidewalk and
let me sleep on his couch. He was a great songwriter, a generous
friend, and a big influence on my early stuff,” says Beck of Paleface
in Annie Leibovitz’s book “American Music.”
Paleface was heavily
influenced by the Bob Dylan inspired Daniel Johnston, who had initially
showed Paleface a few things on writing songs. Beck, in turn, mused
Paleface.
“It’s like a family tree kind of thing. I found out
about Daniel and I was like, Oh man, this is the way to do it. So I
started trying to be like that. And then Beck saw what I was doing and
he started to like take that from me. I don’t know if he knew Daniel, I
must have turned him on to Daniel. It’s funny because I was the one who
played Beck (The Beastie Boys’) Paul’s Boutique. He had never heard
that record. It’s a family tree. You start out kind of copying somebody
else and then it eventually turns into you. I started out copying
Daniel. And I think Beck kind of did the same thing with me. He saw
what I was doing and he liked it because I was putting hip hop lyrics
in there. I wasn’t doing beats stuff like that like he got into. I was
using folk music and I was toying with putting different styles
together,” says Paleface during our phone interview.
The early
years proved to be an influential foundation for Paleface, but the
recent spotlight and media exposure across the city and in Rolling
Stone led Paleface to an inevitable implosion. Nearly dying from
alcohol abuse after a tour in 1997 Paleface had to drastically alter
his lifestyle.
Startled by his recent hospitalization and
downward spiral, Paleface began rehabilitating and started a brand new
songwriting process. He recorded many lo-fi bootleg tapes that would
eventually saturate the Anti-folk scene during his reemergence in the
upcoming years.
About the same time Paleface was recovering and
easing his way back into the scene, Monica “Mo” Samalot, a key player
in the Paleface 2.0 era, was making her way towards the path that would
lead to her eventual pairing with Paleface as his drummer and sidekick.
“I was a junior architect at a firm living in East Village at
the time. I just happened to go to this open mike and I was having a
great time just hanging out. PF was coming back into the scene from a
time of recovery and that’s when we met. I was introduced to his music,
the Moldy peaches, Regina Spektor and tons of really awesome,
accessible artists which inspired me to play music.”
Mo was
motivated by her recent introduction to Paleface and the Anti-folk
scene, so she took up the drums. After a couple of years of practice
and schooling, Mo eventually asked Paleface to jam with her. The pair
connected and starting writing and touring together.
Feeling the
fringes of Brooklyn life and the need to get on the road and tour,
Paleface and Mo relocated to Concord, North Carolina where they began
work on their most recent record, “The Show Is On The Road.” The album
is a farewell to the Anti-folk days in New York City and features
Paleface’s unique blend of gruff melodies, scratchy acoustic rhythms,
and Mo’s tenacious backbeat.
“It’s a transition record about
leaving New York and going on the road. I’ve entered a new phase where
I’m no longer just a songwriter up in Brooklyn, which I was in the
early part of this decade. Now, I’m just out on the road. That why this
record is called “The Show Is On The Road,” says Paleface.
It’s
apparent that Paleface has a certain veteran quality to his tone and
way of playing music. “The Show Is On The Road” is raw and light on
production, holding true to his Anti-folk roots, but also evolving in
his own new direction. The album was released last month on the Ramseur
Records label.
“If I do look back, I guess I’ve learned a lot of
thing. I’ve gathered wisdom along the way, and I’m just happy I’m still
around. The object is to stay in the game and I’m still doin’ it. I lot
of people would have just given up cause they didn’t get famous or
whatever. That’s really not what it’s all about for me,” concluded
Paleface.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/16368/ For official PALEFACE website, please visit:
www.PalefaceOnline.com
For Official PALEFACE Myspace Profile and more press:
www.myspace.com/PalefaceOnline
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Tuesday, June 02, 2009
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Live Show Reviews + Video
Ramseur Records Showcase
Visulite Theater Charlotte, NCby Jeff Hanne for Creative Loafing
The Deal:
Five artists on the Ramseur Records label — Frontier Ruckus, Samantha
Crain & The Midnight Shivers, Jim Avett, Paleface, Bombadil —
perform showcasing a variety of talent.
The Good:Paleface brought the anti-folk next and a fun attitude for a 45-minute set featuring a number of songs from his Ramseur debut, The Show is on the Road.
He and drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot have a great onstage presence and
relationship, able to play off of each other vocally. Paleface is one
helluva talented songwriter, as well. While he told me after the show
he was hesitant to play a slow song after getting a good groove going,
it was no surprise that his song, “Traveling from North Carolina,” got
the crowd to stop and pay attention. Charlotte’s lucky to call Paleface
one of its own these days.
The Verdict:
Paleface’s set was a definite highlight of the night, with “Traveling
from North Carolina” being the stand-out song. I’ve been a fan of his
from the first time I played his 2008 album, A Different Story.
Samantha Crain also impressed me with her energetic and upbeat style.
Concord’s lucky to have Ramseur Records in their town. It’s a great
source of music for the area, and, hey, look where it got The Avett
Brothers.
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/vibes/2009/05/26/live-review-ramseur-records-showcase/
Watch PALEFACE recent live performance for this show, Ramseur Records
Night May 22nd at Visulite Theatre Charlotte NC! And click on "Menu"
(bottom right of the player) and then "Browse On Demand Library" to
watch PALEFACE at Local 506 Chapel Hill June 5th 2009. Enjoy!
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Cincinnati Music-Derby Day At Southgate House
by Nate Rosing
For
most Kentuckians, this past Saturday was all about the Kentucky Derby.
Well, not for this one. That's right. In the twenty-eight years I've
been alive and living in Kentucky, I have not once ever seen the actual
running of the event. Say what you will about that, I could honestly
care less...
No, the one thing I was looking forward to on Derby
Day, was the concert that took place that night in the Southgate
House's parlour.
Headlining the show, was an indie-folk duo out of North Carolina, known as Paleface.
The boyfriend/girlfriend team consists of Paleface (that's the name he
goes by) on acoustic guitar and harmonica and Monica "Mo" Samalot on
drums. They're currently out on the road in support of their latest, The Show Is On the Road.
Paleface describes the album as "a farewell love letter to his longtime
home (New York) and an embrace of his new life in the South."
Over
the years, he has written some five hundred songs, as well as putting
out fourteen albums, under various monikers. He was a student of Daniel
Johnston, and has shared the stage with artists such as Billy Bragg,
the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Avett Brothers and the Breeders. When it comes
down to it, Paleface (the man) most resembles a cross between Bob Dylan
and Tom Waits. Their current tour will take them everywhere from New
York to Atlanta, and everywhere in between including the Riverbend
Music Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
http://naterosing.blogspot.com/2009/05/paleface-frontier-folk-nebraska-stick.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why Can't Science Solve This
On Awesome Shows
PALEFACE Live Show Review, Richmond VA
by Super Scientist
So I've been extremely broke (like overdraft broke) for the past few
days. I don't get paid till this monday and my friends were getting
tired of feeding me. So a friend of mine who'se in a drawing class
needed nude models and I agreed. 2 night and 4 hours later I get 10
dollars and a meal. Meh, but any way I took said $10 and went to the
Camel to see David Shultz and the Skyline Band, Paleface, and Itchy
Hearts.
I missed most of Itchy Hearts...
Paleface
came on next and I didn't expect much out of them but half way through
the first song I was in love. It's a guy and a girl, the guy (Paleface)
sings, plays guitar, and harmonica. His voice varies from Louis
Armstrong gravel pit to a decent tenor falseto. He was full of energy
and while Varia and I were dancing came down to dance with us. The lady
is a drummer who also sings, beatiful voice, really cute. They've got a
very folky sound about them which I loved. I went home and wiki/ last.fmd
them and it turns out that Paleface has been around for a really long
time. He even tutored under Daniel Johnston. ...After the show I went
up
and talked to Paleface... Good stuff. $7 Better spent on
a show than food!
http://whycantsciencesolvethis.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-awesome-shows.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronaoke Times:
Paleface Turns Frowns Into Smiles Roanoke Times
by Tad DickensMarch 2009 This
band will liven up any room it's in, slinging the happiness like a
drug. Singer/guitarist Paleface and drummer/singer Mo Samalot took the
dance tent stage on a hot day at last year's FloydFest and made people
jump and dance around despite themselves. Over the past couple of
years, Paleface caught the attention of the Avett Brothers, who helped
the band hook up with Ramseur Records -- the result is the upcoming
record, "The Show Is on the Road," due in late April. But don't worry,
the band will play cuts from that record, plus lots of other music that
is not at all cheesy, despite the fact that it makes listeners feel so
doggone happy. Details: 8 p.m. Friday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PALEFACE Live Show Review: Orlando FLby Jen Cray for Ink 19 February, 2009 Bundled up in an over-sized parka and sporting a bowler hat that had weathered a storm or two, Paleface slipped into Will's Pub -- with his petite drummer Mo Samalot at his side -- to settle in for a pair of local openers, and to escape the oddly frigid Florida night air.  Paleface: Photo by Jen Cray
"We decided to do a Florida tour and get some sun," he told the audience later on, with a chuckle, in reference to the twenty-degree weather outside. Playing folk music in its simplest form, with Paleface strapped into an acoustic guitar with a harmonica braced in place around his neck and Mo seated pretty behind the world's tiniest drum kit, the pair who currently call North Carolina home shined a rare beam of sincerity in a music world bogged down by false glitz and glamour. Songs from Paleface's seventeen years of recording music were squeezed in between songs I've already grown to love off the upcoming Ramseur Records release, The Show Is On The Road. "Stick around for Paleface," Dish's vocalist/guitarist Roberto Aguilar had earlier instructed, "It'll be the last time you see him in such a small place." In a fair world, artists like Paleface would be selling out venues twice the size of Will's Pub. Until that day comes, we should all feel so privileged to be able to get up so close and personal to a musician who can turn the air in the room blue by simply opening his mouth. His words are gorgeous and bloody with heartache, and the effortless way in which he holds a roomful of folks captivated is a beautiful thing.
http://www.ink19.com/issues/february2009/eventReviews/paleface.htmlTo see photos of this show, and others, go to www.jencray.com
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Orlando WeeklyMusic > Live Active Cultures By Bao Le-Huu Holy
shit, it’s Alex from A Clockwork Orange as a folkie! Or rather, it’s
alt-folk hero Paleface (Feb. 5, Will’s Pub). Though often overshadowed
by his contemporaries, the Daniel Johnston–schooled NYC musician is a
pillar of the anti-folk movement. Accompanied by drummer-vocalist
Monica Samalot, the rolling bounce of his exuberance gushed like Tom
Waits on uppers in a performance of passion and charm. Hopefully, his
recent move to promising boutique folk label Ramseur Records (home to
the Avett Brothers) will get him greater notice by the appropriate
audience. http://www.orlandoweekly.com/columns/story.asp?id=12952
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Monday, May 18, 2009
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Lead Story - PALEFACE: Band of the Week
Hometown: Concord, N.C.
Band Members: Paleface (vocals, guitar), Monica “Mo” Samalot (drums, vocals)
Album: The Show is on the Road
For Fans Of: The Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim, Tom Waits
The title track of Paleface's new album, The Show Is On The Road,
is one of those songs you'd be glad to hum for the rest of the day—and
it puts a grin on the faces of Paleface and bandmate Monica “Mo”
Samalot, too. “It makes me happy, 'cause it’s what we’re
doing,” says Samalot, who joined forces with the one-time solo
anti-folk balladeer a few years ago. “It’s what we wanted to do when we
were in New York. We wanted to leave town and hit the road.” And that
they did, ditching their band Just About to Burn, decamping to Concord,
N.C. and becoming a touring duo in the process.
“It’s a nice little record, and we had fun making it,” Paleface says. Recorded live for the most part, Road unabashedly strips away the more elaborate instrumentation of Paleface's last album, 2008's A Different Story,
and marks the beginning of a greater journey for the now-duo: making
their sparse, country-tinged acoustic guitar, vocals and drums combo
work in recorded and live settings. “It’s not gonna tear down the walls
and make a million dollars and whatever. But it’s OK, because we’re
working toward something, and the next record will be that much
better.” Believe it or not, according to Paleface, that record is
already written; he and Mo just need to decide how to go about
recording it.
But that's a welcome problem, considering the
troubles Paleface had during his anti-folk days in New York City, when
a heavy drinking habit nearly felled his career. For the better part of
the 90s, not even Danny Fields—the legendary Ramones handler and
Paleface's own manager for nearly eight years—could get through to him.
After he shaped up, he began to offer younger musicians the same advice
he'd rejected from Fields. “The smart ones—some of them would take it.
Then, there was the other ones who didn’t take it,” Paleface says. “At
the time, I called it 'Danny Fields’ revenge'.”
Making music
with up-and-coming artists has helped Paleface, too. Six years ago, New
Jersey singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins organized an NYC show that
pulled Regina Spektor, Langhorne Slim, Jaymay and the Avett Brothers
all in one room—a night that would change Paleface forever. “When I
came back, after I had my illness from drinking and I was sick for a
long time and I was out of the business and I wasn’t doin’ anything...
there was all these people,” he says. “For me, it was great. I just
fell back into being a songwriter, and I knew it was great place to be.
There was just so much talent there.”
Paleface is now signed to Ramseur Records, the former label home of the Avett Brothers, who appear on Road
(and for whom he originally penned the catchy title track). The duo
plans to further their bond with other up-and-coming artists on
subsequent albums, though they've already reached Paleface's goal of
releasing 10 records this decade. “Somebody asked Dylan, like, why does
he write songs?” Paleface recalls. “And he said, ‘Well, because I need
something to play.' I need something to play.”
 http://www.pastemagazine.comhttp://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/05/band-of-the-week-paleface.html
Buy PALEFACE's new record
The
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Monday, May 04, 2009
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The Charlotte Obserber, Charlotte NC
+ The News And Observer, Raleigh NC
New York sound, Concord found
Paleface bursts back onto the antifolk scene – in North CarolinaBy Mark Kemp
Special to the Charlotte ObserverPosted: Sunday, May. 03, 2009On a bright Sunday afternoon, the singer-songwriter Paleface tested some of his new material on an audience gathered in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. Looking like any other shaggy-headed hipster with a guitar, Paleface and his partner, drummer Monica “Mo” Samalot, launched into the title song of their latest album, “The Show Is on the Road.” Released April 28, the new CD is the New York-bred antifolk singer's first high-profile project since his 1990s years living in the East Village and recording for the major labels Polygram and Sire. Today, he and Mo live in Concord and record for the city's hip indie label, Ramseur Records, home of the Avett Brothers. Paleface's Plaza Midwood performance began quietly enough. But by the time he and Mo had romped through an hourlong set that featured gentle songs, such as her sweet, Spanish-language “Ya Me Voy,” as well as his energetic barn burners like “Kick This Jam,” both were drenched. Paleface had delivered on the mission statement he'd sounded at the beginning of the performance when he sang the deceptively simple words, “The show – the show is on the road … Let's go – this is the life we know.” Paleface's road is sort of a negative photo image of singer James Taylor's. When Taylor wrote “Carolina in My Mind” 40 years ago, he was far away from his Chapel Hill home. He was trying to kick a heroin habit, and reflecting on the warm, healing N.C. sunshine. He was gone, gone – gone South. Paleface is in the opposite situation today. Living in Concord, Paleface reminisces about the Northeast. Over the gentle, finger-picked acoustic guitar and simple, funereal keyboard line in the ballad “Traveling from North Carolina” – one of the highlights of his new album – he sings, “Cross the Carolina line, headed north through the pines, back to that city that just climbs and climbs and climbs.” In Paleface's song, he's gone to New York City in his mind. It's a bittersweet memory. After all, that's where Paleface had spent the past two decades, working, playing – and nearly dying – as part of a loose-knit collective of young troubadours known as antifolkies. In the late 1980s and early '90s, hundreds – maybe thousands – of fresh-faced singer/songwriters came out of New York's East Village antifolk scene. Some, like Paleface's old roommate, Beck, got famous. Others disappeared into the noise of the city. Paleface landed promising record deals with two major labels, Polygram and Sire. But during a tour with the Breeders in 1997 – the year after Beck won his first Grammy – Paleface got sick and dropped out of music. He had drunk away his success and contracted alcoholic hepatitis. “I was gone,” says Paleface, who is now 39. “I collapsed and was in the hospital all the time. It was a horrific experience and really painful. I couldn't go out for years.” “The Show Is On the Road” is not the first thing Paleface has recorded since his lost years. But it certainly will be his highest-profile release since he crashed and burned following his 1996 album “Get Off.” “We used to go to all the open mikes together,” Beck once said of Paleface. “He was a great songwriter, a generous friend, and a big influence on my early stuff.” By the time Paleface returned to the East Village scene in the early 2000s, a new crop of young singers and bands had appeared. A few of them became famous, too – the Strokes, the Moldy Peaches and Regina Spektor. Paleface started to get his groove back. But then 9-11 happened. Mo knows It was around that time that Paleface ran into Puerto Rican-born Mo Samalot, a former architect who was laid off shortly after the terror attacks. She had traded her slide rules for drumsticks. Even when she's not playing drums, her smile can warm up a room like the afternoon sun. Mo put the sparkle back into Paleface's eyes. “I had already created a dream for myself,” said Mo, lounging with Paleface on a couch at a Plaza Midwood hangout on a recent weekday. “I wanted to play music and I had been playing with some other people in New York. But I was a real Paleface fan and I saw that he was coming back.” Paleface remembered the first time they made plans together. “I saw Mo on the street one day and she said, ‘Hey, let's jam.'” Singer-songwriter Lach, who spearheaded the antifolk movement in the mid-'80s, noticed that Paleface had begun writing songs again, and putting out new albums on his own. Lach (pronounced “latch”) had taken Paleface under his wing early on. But when Paleface got signed to his first major label in the early '90s, “he sort of turned his back on the scene,” said Lach. “I was happy when he returned to the fold.” By the 2000s, though, New York had become awfully expensive for a struggling indie-rock couple. Paleface and Mo needed a change. The two hit it off with the Avett Brothers when the Concord trio was in New York for a show in 2003. The following year, Paleface and Mo put out an album called “Just About to Burn.” The music was much more low-key than the songs on Paleface's 1996 breakthrough “Get Off.” It was more natural and honest. “We kept in touch with the Avetts and they really liked the album,” said Paleface. To frontman Scott Avett, Paleface was an inspiration. “His biggest problem,” said Avett, “is that he writes more songs than anyone you know.” Paleface and Mo eventually came to Charlotte to perform with the Avetts at the Neighborhood Theatre. They were surprised to see that an antifolk scene had popped up in the Carolinas. A whole new following The Avetts' manager, Dolph Ramseur, suggested that Paleface and Mo consider relocating. “I told him he should really get out of the city and move to North Carolina,” said Ramseur, who owns Ramseur Records. “I thought Concord would be a great place for them.” Lach thought so, too. “It gave them breathing room and a new perspective,” he said. “It kept them in the antifolk vibe without being smothered by it.” Ramseur knew Paleface would have to develop a work ethic that involved more than just writing tons of songs. The singer may have been fairly well known in the '90s for tunes like “Burn and Rob,” the kind of gritty, punk-inspired folk that had motivated Beck to stop covering old blues standards and write his own songs, like “Loser.” But the “alternative” era was over. Ramseur told Paleface and Mo that they needed to build a whole new following. To do this, he said, they'd have to hit the road. “The one thing Dolph said – and one thing I learned by touring earlier on – is that you have to have your own fans,” said Paleface. “You can't get them by just opening up for bigger bands.” “You have to do it one person at a time,” added Mo. “Whether you're playing for a big crowd or just two people, you have to give it everything you have.” http://www.charlotteobserver.com/165/story/695118.htmlhttp://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1547493.html--------------------------------------------------------------- Paleface: Folk music that can get a crowd dancing
If there’s one constant in popular music, it’s the ever-shifting
winds of influence that continue to create one subgenre after another —
the lastest of which is folk-core. That’s where legendary underground
New York City singer-songwriter Paleface (vocals, acoustic guitar,
harmonica) now falls. He’s performing with his girlfriend, Monica “Mo”
Samalot, (drums, vocals).
“I don’t know; that’s just something for people to call it,” said
Paleface, calling from somewhere in Kentucky. “The core of the music is
folk; it’s like this whole scene where most people we know are playing
acoustic — The Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim and Holy Ghost Tent
Revival. Everyone has their own definition. I think it gives some sort
of idea for people that don’t know what it is.
“It’s like people say we’re the acoustic version of The White
Stripes when we play. But we’re not really doing The White Stripes;
we’re doing like a folk-y thing with a lot of energy, because it’s one
guy with a guitar and one girl playing drums. So it’s easy for people
to reference that. And I’m OK with that. I don’t care. If that’s the
way they want to tell their friends about it, I’m fine.”
Paleface’s digression into folk-core was more of a practicality than
a calculated move to enter any hipster scene. It was only a few years
ago that the artist was based out of Brooklyn, N.Y., with a full
backing-band behind him. However, the seminal artist, who Beck cited as
an early influence in his career, decided he’d had enough of the Big
Apple and split town with Samalot.
Eventually, they relocated to North Carolina where they wrote and
recorded their latest effort, “The Show is on The Road.” Among the new
tunes the twosome will be playing live at its Youngstown debut Saturday
are the upbeat title track, the bittersweet “New York, New York” and
the frantic “Holy Holy.” In looking over Paleface’s nearly 20-year
career, what stands out is the fact he’s never come close to any
mainstream attention. In talking to the laid-back artist, this
apparently wasn’t by mistake.
“If you’re going to get mainstream acceptance, you have to make a
mainstream record,” Paleface said. “And I never really have. I made one
record [‘Bottle Fed’] that was sort of. I went out to San Francisco and
made one sort of rock record, but at that time the music business was
dissolving and it was still sort of a raw record. So I haven’t really
made any music that’s in that vein.”
Mainstream success notwithstanding, the unique artist has recently
witnessed a unique phenomenon at his shows. His audiences have often
been known to celebrate the energy and excitement of a concert by,
well, um, breaking into dance. As unexpected as this may have been to
the singer at first, he now realizes this connection or synergy with
the crowd speaks directly to his motivation and desire as an artist.
“It’s just something that happened,” Paleface said. “It’s like,
well, we’re on stage singing these numbers and people start dancing
around. So I go out and dance with them sometimes. I’m not sure that
when people go to a show that most of them realize how much power they
have as an audience to really make the concert fun, because there’s
nothing better than an audience that’s really into what’s happening and
really participating in the show. The show is just better for everyone.”
For official PALEFACE website, please visit:
www.PalefaceOnline.com
For official PALEFACE myspace profile:
www.myspace.com/PalefaceOnline
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