Great NW Music Tour: Avett Fave Paleface
Anti-folk, neo-folk modern folk…whatever you call it, Paleface’s upbeat, addictive songs sure ain’t your grandpappy’s music (although, it certainly owes plenty to Grampa Guthrie). Let’s face it, any group that garners the praise of the Avett Brothers and Beck – who cites Paleface as an early influence – has more going for him than just a ratty old acoustic guitar and a harmonica. What sets Paleface apart is his ability to stretch folk to its ultimate boundaries, with a beautiful voice that suddenly dips into a punkish snarl and a drummer who doesn’t seem to know that this band is supposed to be folk, dang it (in a good way)! Said drummer, by the way, is Paleface’s girlfriend “Mo” Samalot, who’s spot-on, assertive play lifts the songs into a hazy netherworld that is neither folk nor nothing else. The music churns along like the wheel of a steamboat – hard-charging but organic, and full of a secret power.
Sounds good, huh? Well, make sure you catch Paleface as he hits McMenamins properties in this month’s incarnation of the Great Northwest Music Tour. Things kick off Tuesday, April 12 at the Olympic Club. Get warmed up with this: