joe lapinski - press
---> JOE'S MAIN
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"Here Are the Postcards You Forgot to Send Me is a seriously delicious record that lives up to the Yummy label it lives on. Lapinski's Martin Tielli-esque vocals and gentle guitars melt in your ears."
- Amanda Putz, Bandwidth on CBC Radio One
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Earshot Magazine - Jan 17, 2005
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This 12 track mixed bag of tuneful lo-fi recordings is a gentle melange of pop country vs. slack vocals vs. tasteful instrumentation (guitars, vox, piano, synth, accordion, percussion) vs. potent songwriting & intelligent lyrics (Purdy sure was right / Oh Oh the winter / defines how / my car will start / And feel when plowed) served up by St. Catharines' own favourite downtown troubadour: Joe Lapinski.
The opening track "song for pascal" is a beautiful opening cut with tuneful gently strumming guitars, cleanly plucked piano lines, intimate moaning vocals, lush swelling accordion and barely audible groaning synths. All of these elements are skilfully pieced together into a petty poppy-pop-pop puzzle. Track #3, "night theme" is a creepy melodious instrumental with running water sounds permeating in the background. This track sounds like it would fit perfectly as the backdrop to a theatrical play, black and white home movie or something arty like that. The same could be said about the laid back orchestral sounds of "automobiles collide pt1", "automobiles collide pt2" and "matilda's fantasy". Wait a minute! (Upon glancing at the line notes...) Tracks 3, 9 and 11 were written and recorded for Suitcase In Point Theatre Company's original production of "Groundwater", made possible thanks to the Ontario Arts Council (OAC). So there you go. The song "uintitled" should be re-titled "wicked fingerpicking technique" as Mr. Lapinski shows off some of his finer guitar skills while bellowing lines like "Now you're trying way too hard / To impress those retards / You're crying in your sleep / Left alone, incomplete". Tear jerking poetry.
"here are the postcards i forgot to send you" is an excellent recording for anyone who's a fan of Eric's Trip, John Frusciante, Ron Sexsmith and soft-core bedroom pop. Lapinski has managed to sort out an excellent assortment of lo-fi ditties and he has struck a neat balance between the poppy numbers and the instrumental compositions. No doubt a critical member of the Yummy Records Team, Joe Lapinski's got the skills to keep the team in the game. Keep an eye on Yummy, there's scores of talent and good things to come on their roster.
By L Pounds
Jan 17, 2005
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Pulse Niagara
February 24-March 3, 2005
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Joe Lapinski has been a fixture in the local music scene for many years. I remember him carrying his guitar around in high school-a decade ago-sort of like the Ritchie Vallens of Niagara. He'd bust out a song or two at a session in a south end garage, sing and play a tune while sitting atop the escarpment by the Decew electrical generating tubes, or provide the soundtrack for a crackling bonfire at Municipal Beach. Back then, everyone played guitar. The thing about Joe's licks was they were always appropriate and always good; they hit the spot like that very last can of warm beer. Lapinski kept on with his music and, after years of working with a number of different combinations and in varying capacities, he's just released his first solo album, Here Are The Postcards I Forgot To Send You on his own Yummy Recordings imprint.
Lapinski's solo debut is a result of finding his true voice after exploring a plethora of musical terrain: working for years as a part of Palooka and Suitcase In Point Theatre Troupe, playing solo shows at NAC and The Merch as well as offering his mixing and marketing skills to likeminded local musicians through his label and studio, Yummy.
There's no doubt that the songs on the current album partly developed through the live solo sessions Lapinski hosted at The Merchant Ale House under the title, Joe Lapinski's Easy Listening Classics. The songs on Postcards are injected with a uniquely Canadian bent that will surely find a home on the airwaves through frequencies like the CBC and Campus Community radio stations. Acoustic and electric guitar work lay the background for inspired emotional and often funny lyrics. Lapinski's honesty and wit are punctuated by his straightforward vocal delivery coupled with flowing melodies and glowing harmonies. .... READ REMAINDER OF ARTICLE ONLINE
by Marinko Jareb
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