CMJ

The Big Sleep & Dean’s Year End List

It’s that time again as the year winds down to its end.  2014, with only 7 live appearances, can be seen as, “the year we took a break.” Yes, we took it slow as newest member/collaborator, Andy Soto returned to Paris, France and long-time member Bobby Lee departed while I concentrated on my new full-time day job: Fatherhood. I should also mention that we canned our annual East Coast tour in Autumn of 2014 (with my apologies to the CMJ Music Marathon and TWM/iM Fest). Meanwhile, Betty Dimo and myself kept it alive as a three-piece by enlisting drummer extraordinaire, Johnny Rowe and by continuing to write and rehearse new material. More on that later…

…anyway. As always, here is the list (5th annual!) of albums I purchased on vinyl with the 2014 time-stamp:

Alvvays: Alvvays
The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream
Swans: To be Kind

And as always, this list does not include the older and records and reissues I purchased in 2014!

In a lot of ways it was an encouraging year especially when a band like Swans can still release relevant and mind blowing records and a band like The War on Drugs can climb to the pinnacle of musical success in this modern landscape (read: sad future).

Expect to hear new music from us in 2015. We have been working on it. In fact, we have booked the studio and will be recording (demoing) 4 or 5 new songs this coming Monday. You won’t hear these demos. Maybe as bonus tracks sometime in the far future. The only way to hear these new songs right now is to come out to future shows. I’ll be sure to post some pictures here and on our instagram.

Happy Holidays!
-dean

Follow Us Around Pt.3

Hey,

Sorry we’ve been so slow to blog, but we’ve been so BUSY.  We’ve got SO MUCH to cover here – I want to rely on pictures and links mostly. First off, I’d like to give a BIG THANK YOU to the folks of Beserker Lion (Bethany and the people of the amazing band, This Ship) for putting on such a great Hali show for us!   This Ship are an amazing Halifax-based pop band and we can’t wait to do something with them here in T-dot ville and we also really enjoyed the math-rock  styling of Pioneer Video.  Either band is welcome on our turf! While in Halifax a bunch of things happened – like this NYC Blog started streaming our entire album (http://www.blackbookmag.com/music/blackbook-exclusive-stream-papermaps-gritty-darker-lights-1.65667) and we learned that we got into the 2013 CMJ Music Marathon in NYC (Saturday Oct 19 @ LeftField Bar). Pretty cool.  We also found an awesome comic book shop with awesome friendly (and cute) staff in Halifax called Strange Adventures where we more treasures like this:

the silver surfer issue that was done by mobius

We also played Fredericton on our way out of the Maritimes and hit up Belle Montreal where we played an excellent show with the very excellent songwriter/guitarist Patrick Krief (fans of the seminal act, The Dears should pay particular attention).  In Montreal we found an excellent Mexican Restaurant

I wish I remember the name, but it was only a block away from the Divan Orange. Please note the apple-pop. Very authentic!!! I had a great vegan salad, myself…

While on the road we learned that Darker Lights is was already charting nationally on college radio and climbing the Earshot! National Chart at #23.

When we got back from Montreal we had several video shoots to do.  One was in our own studio with the people from Toronto’s newest radio station, indie88.  This will be seen very soon on their website (where you can vote to hear our latest single, The Hedonist, BTW).

wall of sound at echo valley

The other video shoot took place at a semi-secret location on/near the University of Toronto St. George Campus.  A real-live FRAT HOUSE to be exact.  This was the principal photography for our the official “The Hedonist,” music video.  We had an open call for people to come out,  dress up, appear in the video, drink bear, shake booty and jump around on a mattress. WE THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT!!!

I’m not sure when the video will be released – probably sometime next week!! Stay tuned!!!

While this was happening, we learned that the very same song had entered the CBC Radio 3 R3-30 chart at #7!!!

That leaves us with one last announcement.  Our CD release party!! @ Handlebar (159 Augusta Ave.) Thursday Oct 17.
FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/217668495063862/

We will be playing with Betty’s other band, Burn Baby Burn, the excellent The Effens and Locomotive 8. Our set time is 11:20 but COME EARLY and the cost of admission is $7 without CD and $15 with CD (that’s a $2 discount on the CD).

(R)october!

Hello,

Enjoying the Fall so far? We have much activity to report. I’ve decided to do things chronologically.

Thursday October 13, Toronto, ON
We will be playing the El Mocambo 11:30 PM!  This is our hometown sendoff before we head out East.  Joining us will be Garage Baby and the Tudors (the band, not the TV show).  This is OUR BIRTHDAY SHOW of sorts, since it was on Oct 10th, 2010 that we first announced ourselves as PAPERMAPS on stage.  Please spread the word around.  We want to see your beautiful faces!

Wednesday October 19, New York, NY
We’ve been accepted to the CMJ Music Marathon.  Wow!  We will be playing a showcase at Arlene’s Grocery (95 Stanton St., Lower East Side) as part of the Canadian Blast segment of the festival.  Remember that movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist with Michael Cera and Kat Dennings? Arlene’s is the first club featured in the movie where Nick’s (Cera) band, The Jerk Offs play a gig. We are on at 9pm (second).  Also appearing on the bill: Dinosaur Bones, and the Reason.

Friday October 21, Halifax, NS
As part of Halifax Pop Explosion, we will be appearing at the very fancy Music Room.  Supporting us will be the excellent  Paper Beat Scissors.  This will be an interesting show for us because it’s being recorded and then released as a “live album.”  More details about that will follow. The show starts around 6pm.  Tickets/Admission is $10, free with an HPX bracelet.

Saturday October 22, Halifax, NS
Our second HPX show (our “official” showcase) is so awesome, it took me a week to believe it was actually happening!  This will be a FREE open air concert in the Grand Parade Square.  Here’s the schedule: 3pm Papermaps, 4pm Carmen Townsend, 5pm Plants and Animals and 6pm Stars!!! Need I say more?

Saturday October 29, Toronto, ON
One last show in our home turf : Rancho Relaxo.  Dan Wolovick’s (of TwoWayMonologues) birthday party! Also appearing will be Ottawa’s The Love Machine! Come celebrate with us!

In Other (R)octber News:
We recently released our music video for our first single Reunion (youtube) — DIY by the fans and the band — but we have another “more MTV friendly” video for or second single,  Complicate Things coming out — you should see it very soon. This new video features all five members of the band (gussied up to look nice) and these weird light thingies that swing around and explode.  It took us more than 12 hours to shoot!

Want to win a free copy of our debut eponymous album?  Go here (limited, while supplies last):
http://www.badtemperedzombie.com/2011/10/dont-listen-to-evil-guidance-counselor.html

-d