Thee Awkward Cult Icon [PAwk]
18 November, 2013
If you take away just two artists from this page, then I swear: order Since The Bomb Dropped from Extradition Order, and then check out Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences.
Dudes, with the right exposure, Paul Hawkins could be a cult figurehead (if he's not already). His songs dabble in the macabre as he relates (in an unmistakably English deadpan, reminiscent a bit of Swell Maps) tales of disastrous romance and bitter self-loathing with sardonic humor. And there's no predicting what Thee Awkward Silences will do - lush violins, ruthless guitar riffs, and drum machines are all fair game, and crazed tempo changes occur often.
What's more, on last.fm, you can download TWO full albums from Paul - The Misdiagnosis of Paul Hawkins, and Skinful of Silence. I'm listening to the former now, and it's just glorious. As exhilarating as his more manic songs are, the quieter pieces on here are also exquisite. If you crave more from these awkward folk, though (as I did), you'll need to hop over to either their page on Jezus Records (yup, the same label as Extradition Order) or the Bandcamp page of their most recent label, Audio Antihero.
I actually received "The Wrong Life" EP as a bonus from the latter label, so I'd personally recommend that vendor first. Thanks again, Jamie! ; )
Dudes, with the right exposure, Paul Hawkins could be a cult figurehead (if he's not already). His songs dabble in the macabre as he relates (in an unmistakably English deadpan, reminiscent a bit of Swell Maps) tales of disastrous romance and bitter self-loathing with sardonic humor. And there's no predicting what Thee Awkward Silences will do - lush violins, ruthless guitar riffs, and drum machines are all fair game, and crazed tempo changes occur often.
What's more, on last.fm, you can download TWO full albums from Paul - The Misdiagnosis of Paul Hawkins, and Skinful of Silence. I'm listening to the former now, and it's just glorious. As exhilarating as his more manic songs are, the quieter pieces on here are also exquisite. If you crave more from these awkward folk, though (as I did), you'll need to hop over to either their page on Jezus Records (yup, the same label as Extradition Order) or the Bandcamp page of their most recent label, Audio Antihero.
I actually received "The Wrong Life" EP as a bonus from the latter label, so I'd personally recommend that vendor first. Thanks again, Jamie! ; )