Friday Funbag:: Wax Mannequin & Joe Pug

I know I’ve talked about Wax Mannequin before, but the Hammer from the Hammer (I just made up that nickname, but I think it has legs) is such a unique artist that he deserves as much press as we can give him. His baritone often tells heartbreaking, powerful tales with just the support of his nylon string guitar, but for his new LP – Saxon (on Zunior records) – he’s backed by Black Blood.

The support of bass and percussion allows Wax Mannequin to play with a bigger range of emotions and sounds, and the result is probably his most accessible LP yet. He still has rage and grit, but Saxon reveals a tenderness and beauty most casual Wax fans wouldn’t expect. The band mixes folk, prog and metal, but not in the way you’d expect, but considering when he played in Halifax he wore an ascot made from roses and his new promo pics make him look like an extra from Huck Finn, that diversity and creativity isn’t surprising.

Zunior is giving away the bombastic, classic sounding theatrical anthem – Something to Hide – a track with synths and energy and a perfect showcase of his one-of-kind delivery.

MP3:: Wax Mannequin - Something to Hide
WEB:: http://www.waxmannequin.com/

I’m not the first person to talk about Joe Pug or mention his new free EP (all it costs you is an email address folks). That being said, I don’t care. The young Chicago folker is already writing songs beyond his years and seems destined to become a folk star.

When I first talked about his stellar EP, Nation of Heat, I said, “It's hard to predict where this fresh faced folker is going to end up. Envisioning him playing for big crowds is easy, but more enjoyable is picturing him in a unheard of hole in the wall playing for a small collection of speechless admirers” and that hasn’t changed.

He’s already taken over the blog world and summer festival scene, but I’m thinking when he cobbles together a full length, radio DJs will follow suit. On the strength of 12 songs, he’s playing the Vancouver folk festival today and making a stop at Lollapalooza later in the summer. His latest offering, the freeP - In The Meantime - is a collection of cuts that didn’t make Nation of Heat and they are still better than 90% of what you hear from bands.

Joe’s got the unique ability to write a political anthem you believe, a love song so honest you feel like it’s yours and melodies that you can’t shake, even when he skips the chorus. Basically he’s got all the tools to become an artist with a catalog that spans years and fans from age 15 to 50.

MP3:: Joe Pug - Lock the Door Christina
WEB:: http://www.joepugmusic.com/

Labels: Friday, Joe Pug, Music, Wax Mannequin