Music
Press
Ryan Hoffer
"The CD has a very refreshing vibe. These songs are less twangy and more saturated with soul; commercial friendly yet well within the confines of the rural Americana spirit ". I am particularly fond of "I'm On Your Mind" - with it's countrified gallop and breezy pedal steel, this stuff would go over extremely well on Roots Radio. Another one of my favorites is the hidden track "Know Your Soul". - Shuteye Records
The song Under Your Skin.
Wow, there are very few people that actually take the time to make sure their song is perfect before it reaches the net, and you have def. taken the time to make it as close to perfect as you could and let me say you succeded, the guitars, vocals, and bass all mesh so well its uncanny, the lyrics are very well thought out, i really like your voice its interesting and original
- GarageBand.com
On the song "I'm On Your Mind"
Perfection
After hearing a song like this I can't wait to read the other reviews to see if they agree with me.
This is exceptional!! Radio-ready, and as good as anything I've heard on GB (and we all know how good some GB artists are, so that's a big, big compliment).
Perfectly produced, perfectly written, perfectly performed. Whoa! I never thought I'd write a review that said that.
Is it ground-breaking? Is it pushing any envelopes? Does it rely on weird chord progressions or strange instrumentation? Errr...that'll be a "no, no and a no".
But does it take country/acoustic conventions and apply them expertly, pushing every button, ticking every box, and still sounding fresh and original. Well that's a "yes, yes and a yes".
All you guys need to hear is "great job, keep on doing what you're doing, and if the gods are smiling it'll be your turn soon".
An absolute pleasure listening to your song.
- robintymm
Ashbourne, United Kingdom
January 19th, 2006 - GarageBand.com
"Under Your Skin" (2005) is the second release from Seattle based indie rockers, Paul Hanover Band.
Hanover may well be dubbed "the man of a thousand voices." This album shows off a variety of vocal techniques, all employed by a single lead singer. On one track Hanover is gruff bar-room balladeer, on the next he's a soulful gospel singer, and on the next he's a blues crooner. I had to keep checking the liner notes to make sure it was still him. The man has an uncanny ability to adapt his voice to a wide range of musical styles. This brings us to our next point: No two songs on "Under Your Skin" sound the same. The album is a mosaic of several genres. There is the peaceful spiritual "Have a Little Faith," the sensual dark romance "I'm Gone," the smooth reggae song "My Addiction," and the searing folk rock song "Life On The Run." The only connecting thread between this parade of sounds is the Paul Hanover Band’s classic rock feel. I was surprised to find out that "Under Your Skin" is a sophomore release, because these guys really sound like veteran rockers. I'm guessing these guys came to awareness under artists like Bob Seger, Tom Petty, the Eagles, or Skynyrd. I was also surprised to find that these guys were from Seattle. I would have guessed Atlanta or Charlotte if I didn't know better. The southern rock undertones are ever present.
Yes, the Paul Hanover has many voices, and his band has many sounds, and all of them are good.
Key Tracks: Life On The Run
Reviewed by: Jared Brown
- 1340mag.com
Discography
Know Your Soul,(Hoochmusic) Released in 2002
United States of Americana volume 3, (Shuteye Records) Released in 2005
Under Your Skin,(Hoochmusic) Released in 2005
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Blending singer-songwriter sensibilities with roots rock, reggae and blues into a uniquely northwest groove.
The Paul Hanover Band is one of the hardest working bands in the Northwest, having just released their 2nd CD “Under Your Skin” and playing 6-12 shows a month between Seattle and Portland. This new release is being greeted with a great deal of excitement.
Hard work and perseverance are paying off. The Atlanta based company Shuteye Records recently included the track “I’m on your mind” from the CD “Under Your Skin” on its new release “ The United States of Americana volume 3” released nationally to college and non-com radio markets at the end of October 2005.
Paul Hanover's music is tight. Like it should be. While still unique, Paul's songs are reminiscent of Dave Matthews, the Bodeans, Bob Marley and Stevie Ray Vaughan; in his live shows Paul fills out his sets with house-shaking renditions of these artists' better-known works. Play any cut from “Under Your Skin” or "Know Your Soul" (better yet, come see him live) and you'll hear solid songwriting, vocals that are smooth when they should be, gritty when they need to be, and guitar work that'll kick your ass. Subtly, of course. He's a professional and shows it in his music.
Paul Hanover Bio:
As a child my early memories are of walking to my grandmothers from school and sitting down with her at the piano, singing and playing songs. Music was deep in my soul. We never had a piano in our house, but we always had a guitar lying around. I started playing guitar and fell in love with it. It was so cool being able to express myself in musical terms. Forming bands, playing in bands was what it was all about in the early days in Portland. It was fun playing in bars when I was 17, even though I had to take my breaks outside. I played in and out of bands until I was in my mid twenties. Then a major tragedy struck my family, with the untimely death of my younger sister. It turned my world upside down and made me reevaluate my position in life. So I thought a more professional line of work was what was important. This couldn’t have been further from the truth. After a decade or so, and finding myself in a relatively successful position, I took another look at my life and realized how empty I felt. The thing that was missing, was the music that I loved to create. So I started writing and playing again. First at open mics and small coffee shops. I noticed that my music was touching people. So I saved some money and produced my first solo CD, “Know Your Soul” which was released in the Fall of 2002. The more I played, the more I realized that it was music that filled me up and fulfilled me. There is a cliché “do what you love, and everything else will follow”. So in the Fall of 2003, I left my day job to immerse myself completely in writing and performing my music. Two years later, I’m still doing it full time. Though I’m not a wealthy man, my life is richer than it’s ever been. My second CD, Under Your Skin was just released in Nov 2005.
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