Milwaukee Artist of the Week – 10/25/13 – Paper Holland
Are you a Milwaukee musician/band? You can submit your music to be the Milwaukee Artist of the Week by emailing links to info@BreakingAndEntering.net. We’ll check out every submission we get!
We first discovered this week’s Milwaukee Artist of the Week, Paper Holland, in a staircase. Literally, sort of. The first time we had seen Paper Holland, it was in the form of a video of the band jamming in a staircase, as a #MKEMusicMonday submission. Might I add, they crushed it as hard as you can crush it acoustically in a staircase. Something about their sound is addicting. Whether it was the way that they blended with one another musically, or the idea of four guys just hanging out, jamming in that small of a space, something was captivating about it. At the time of this post, the band is currently looking for a new drummer, following the release of their debut, “Happy Belated”. With that said, it’s only fitting that their Milwaukee Artist of the Week is, well, belated.
“Happy Belated” is indie pop at its purest. From start to finish, this album has a distinct coolness to it, while every track is capable of getting stuck in your head at some point. The title track, most notably, is bouncy, catchy, and any other word you want to describe a great pop song. The band cites Death Cab for Cutie and The Shins as influences, but there is also a dash of bands like Minus The Bear and The Kooks that is evident in their sound. There is also a touch of Milwaukee influence on songs like “No Going Back”, which could have appeared on a later Violent Femmes release and not have missed a step. With all of those comparisons, it should be noted that Paper Holland is completely its own animal. Rather than becoming an amalgamation of the bands mentioned previously, “Happy Belated” is simply indie pop bliss. You can listen to it on a bright sunny day, or it can get you through a rainy, shitty spring/fall/sometimes winter day in Milwaukee. That’s what good pop music does. It’s relatable, but adaptable as well. Stream “Happy Belated” below via BandCamp, and I highly recommend picking it up as well.
Oh, here’s that cool stairwell session video that I mentioned before, too.
For more Paper Holland, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and ReverbNation.
