Las Vegas-based PAPER COWBOY—an original music band exploring the space where Country, Americana, Southern Rock, and Rock n’ Roll collide—have released their self-titled debut album (November 6) via Lovedozer Records. Recorded at The Tone Factory in Vegas and written by frontman Patrick Vitagliano who co-produced it with Vinnie Castaldo, the 13-track album includes the five singles they’ve issued and features a striking country-reimagined interpretation of Sarah McLachlan’s classic “Angel.” Listen to the album HERE and see the track listing below.
The album is filled with rowdy, catchy country rockers and moving ballads, including “My Kind of Crazy” with Phil X of Bon Jovi on lead guitar. The songs are all distinguished by Vitagliano’s commanding, throaty vocals and vivid lyrics. There are also flat-out-fun songs like “Sleepin’ With Yer Mom” and “She’s My Whiskey Drinkin’ White Trash Trailer Baby.”
The band—a parallel project to the Vitagliano-led rock group THE BONES—have also announced the album’s official release party on November 25 (Thanksgiving Eve) between 7-10pm at the Piazza Lounge inside Tuscany Suites & Casino. Look for the group—Patrick Vitagliano (lead vocals, guitar); Mike Campion (bass), Michael “Doc” Ellis (lead guitar), Sean Koos (piano), and Daniel Margasa (drums)—to also perform at the historic 1913-established Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, NV on November 21 between 5–9 pm. Follow the band via YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
“The album started with one song, ‘My Kind of Crazy,’ which was written as a Bones song,” says Vitagliano. “But instead of giving it the typical Bones treatment, with hard guitars, snarling vocals, etc., I let the song guide the instrumentation and production, and I was surprised where it took me. We kind of landed in this middle ground, where Bon Jovi often finds himself when he steps out of the arena rock mold, but also Springsteen, Mellencamp, Kid Rock, Van Morrison, Steven Tyler, (I could do this all day, but you get the picture), have all found themselves here in this ‘Americana space, and it just feels wonderful.
“Seriously,” he adds, “what a free and easy place to write from, and now it makes so much sense why so many rockers visit this space from time to time, and others move here permanently. It’s all the songwriting, with none of the pretension, the pomp, the bravado, or any of the other shackles that come with fitting into the hard rock mold, so I said Fuck It, let’s do a whole album, which is exactly what we did, then formed a separate band around it, to give these songs their own space to breathe and grow, and be heard live.”
One of the album’s highlights is PAPER COWBOY’s version of Sarah McLachlan’s classic “Angel.” “It’s the only cover on the record,” explains Vitagliano, “and was WAY out of left field. I wanted to include a cover, but in the Country/Americana genre, there’s almost nothing that hasn’t already been done, so I went outside the genre, all the way back to Lilith Fair, and took a crack at what is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful pieces ever written about needing and finding an escape in something, whether it be drugs, alcohol, etc…and having that become your safe space. This song captures the moments in that process, where you aren’t sure yet if this will be a temporary thing, or the permanent shift that eventually kills you. This song lives in that fragility, teetering on that ominous uncertainty, and I’ve always wanted to sing these lyrics, and try to spit and bleed their heaviness with even a fraction of the sincerity that Sarah changed the world with.”
The PAPER COWBOY tracklisting is as follows:
1. My Kind Of Crazy
2. B & E
3. Heart Don’t Know
4. She’s My Whiskey Drinkin’ White Trash Trailer Baby
5. Tonight
6. Angel
7. Baby Just Breathe
8. Never Bring Me Down
9. Oh Anna
10. One More Minute
11. Sleepin’ With Yer Mom
12. Purple Dress
13. Save Me
PAPER COWBOY Socials:
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