There should be no question as to: If Paige Wins, more so waiting the day When Paige Will Win. This trio comes to us straight from Buffalo. If Paige Wins consists of: Lauren Clifford on vocals, lead/rhythm guitar, composer/lyricist, Shelly O'Neil on bass and Danny Gugino on percussion.
I first met If Paige Wins while doing a showcase at Club W for brutaliTEE where they were a featured band sponsored by Brutally Honest Management. Think Twice Radio wished to cover this event and get the Buffalo music scene and independent business out there and that is where this gem was hiding. I heard them on my space prior to this and as soon as the page loaded, I was enthralled. I was hearing something completely foreign. The type of music they play is not specific to any one genre. Usually astute at comparing what I hear to something that preceded, I was unable to do this with If Paige Wins.
They truly have a sound only they can claim as their own.
After the show at Club W, we went outside for an interview. They played the last set and I stayed because I had been dying to see them live and meet them. Lauren and Shelly immediately had a CD ready for me. The sleeve that comes with the CD is scribed with lyrics accompanied by photography taken in Buffalo. Danny filled me in on the history of the name of the band and how they had all met. It is highly impressive that their sound is derived from merely three people.
Their first full length CD, "Watered Down Confessions", was released in 2007. This is a MUST have for all collections. Lauren's soaring vocals are that of a modern day Janis Joplin coupled with the softness that is Joni Mitchell. Shelly plays the bass like "Geezer" Butler with a demonic buzz and to watch her hold that bass is entrancing. Danny's drumming style is powerful as that of John Bonham. Set behind both women, he sets the stage for one astounding performance. As soon as I heard them live, this concreted my initial intuition that they were most definitely going to make it.
Listening to the third track, "Still", brings me to Springtime in Buffalo driving with the windows rolled down, that free spirited good ole rock and roll interspersed with a tinge of folk. Shelly's bass growls here as Lauren serenades one who is horribly missed with Danny keeping time throughout.
"I'm not okay", stands out from the rest on this compilation for here you catch a sort of Cranberries meets Alanis. Lauren begins soft then builds meeting the bass and drums that rise to a crescendo with stunning guitar licks in between.
I happen to adore the acoustic guitar and in, "I didn't know", you get just that. This is a song intertwined with erotica and love churning this into pure bitter sweetness. The twin harmonies between Shelly and Lauren are angelic and the acoustic strumming is directly tuned with Danny's percussion.
If Paige Wins can be defined simply as: Perfection. Having formed in 2005, this CD shows their strength as a trio and best friends. The heights they reach musically in this FIRST CD cause me to wonder what else could possibly be created in order to outshine this?
Upon meeting them, you feel as if you are sitting down with your best friends. You cannot just buy the CD without seeing them live. The two go hand in hand. The emotionally charged lyrics streamed with passionate undertones of vocals, deep bass and percussion leaves one wanting more and questioning why they are, as of yet, unsigned.
Watered Down Confessions, can be listened to and obtained by visiting: http://www.myspace.com/IfPaigeWins. You can listen to pod casts and interviews there which will allow you to meet each of them exactly as they are. Find out how they met, as well as the origin of the name of the band. In my eyes, the only place the three of them are headed is directly to the top.
Considerable shows are constantly played throughout Buffalo and I suggest grabbing this trio up quick before they land elsewhere. Get out, see them live and buy the CD because their rise is forthcoming. They are eager, excited and down to Earth. They are armed and ready to tear this world apart with a sound that IS singular and can only be described as: If Paige Wins.
No comments:
Post a Comment