Paul Banks and the Carousels @ Hotel Cafe w/Zach Rogue of Rogue Wave

If I told you about a musician whose vocals had been compared by critics to the likes of Freddie Mercury, Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley AND Thom Yorke, you would probably tell me I needed to lay off the drugs, alcohol or just get a much-needed reality check. But ladies and gentlemen….I- completely sober- declare that such a being exists- his name is Paul Banks (not to be confused with Paul Banks of Interpol) and his band is the Carousels. *insert dramatic pause here*

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Okay before I let myself get carried away in a whirlwind of melodrama, I’m going to skip all that and just cut to the chase: this guy is really, really amazing. He’s already making a huge name for himself in Austin, TX, which is where he hails from (is there some sort of secret machine that just spits out insanely talented musicians there??), and he’s playing at Hotel Cafe TONIGHT at 8pm, right before Zach Rogue of Rogue Wave debuts his newest project, Release the Sunbird. Banks’ music was described by the Austin Chronicle simply as “beautifully mesmerizing”, and they’re spot on- his music is at once haunting, inspiring, and pensive without being ever crossing the line into self-indulgence. But don’t just box him into the “male-with-lots-of-emotions” singer/songwritercategory quite yet- his newest album Yelling At the Sun (with artwork done by Pulitzer prize winning author Dave Eggers, how cool!) starts off with an anthemic, danceable and totally infectious number titled “Tell Me Why I Don’t Cry” that’ll have you stomping your feet, head thrashing and dancing like a crazy person. The rest of his album keeps you on your toes as he weaves in and out between self-reflective ballads, upbeat romps and even a country-twanged, toe-tapping number called Floats on Satellites. Needless to say, Paul Banks and the Carousels are versatile as well as talented.  So tonight, head over to Hotel Cafe and check them out- I promise you’ll be blown away. See you there.

Deets:

When: 7:45pm

Where: Hotel Cafe

Price: $7