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Review Summary: In an era where all it took to ship a few million albums were sludgy verse riffs and overpoweringly melodic choruses, it really is a crime these dudes were left holding the bag. Although grunge ruled the world in the early to mid-90s, it didn't sniff Kansas. This isn't exactly a surprise as Kansas is only known for tornadoes, ribs, and only having a 2% inbred population, but it’s a Goddamn shame that one of their greatest exports, the grunge/Dinosaur Jr- aping riff band Paw, didn’t even taste an appetizer of success. In an era where all it took to ship a few million albums were sludgy verse riffs and overpoweringly melodic choruses, it really is a crime these dudes were left holding the bag. If there’s anybody that should have been jamming Paw hard (outside of Kansas), it would have been the pre-pubescent version of me; the one who unequivocally INHALDED grunge music like Jenna Jameson at a jizz-lobbing contest, but I didn’t even hear of these guys until the late 90s. You would think I would have been air-guitaring the riffs and melodic choruses of “Dragline” just like I did with the Badmortorfingers, Ten’s, In Utero’s, and Dirts of the world, but when I held my RIP magazine to the sky in reverence to the Gods of grunge riffs in my room with my 1 Disc/cassette combo ghetto blaster, Paw was nowhere to be seen.
One quick run through “Dragline” will prove that somebody in their promotion department seriously f*cked up. This album is absolutely loaded with the type of song structures that made millionaires out of a lot of downtrodden, halitosis breathing, and unhinged dudes in Seattle. The sound was there, and the structure (riff-based choruses, melodic, engaging choruses) were present in spades. Take a listen to the song “Jesse,” which aside from lyrics paying tribute to their retarded uncle’s coon hound, is an impossibly melodic, absolutely soaring exercise in grunge rock. The same goes for lost gems/jams like “Sleeping Bag” and the overpoweringly awesome “The Bridge.” Paw had the right idea about writing these songs in the time they did. it’s just that it never reached the people that mattered.
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Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
seriously jam this hard, especially Jessie
| | | your reviews are really entertaining man
| | | Good review, pos.
Also, the band is mentioned in this article:
http://noisecreep.com/bands-that-should-have-been-huge/
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Thanks Mena, thats my aim.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
The Bridge fucking owns
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Thaks Voivod, I guess the guy who wrote that article and I agree. Heres what it says:
Kansas City’s Paw rivaled Pearl Jam for taking grunge down a heartfelt, countrified road where storming guitars embraced a backwoods soul that made their 1993 debut Dragline one of the most overlooked discs of the early ’90s. A “Next Nirvana” bidding war band, Paw had a tender side that bellied its fondness for storming guitars. Songs like “Jessie” lamented the loss of a young boy’s dog: rasp-throated vocalist Mark Hennessy mustering a Vedder-like tenderness, sorrow and loss. Sadly, Paw eventually fell victim to record company indifference after sales of their second album failed to take root. Do yourself a favor and scour used CD shops for either Paw album. Few bands make music this menacing sound so honest and tender.
Read More: 10 Bands That Should Have Been Huge | http://noisecreep.com/bands-that-should-have-been-huge/?trackback=tsmclip
| | | listening to that song, i can see what you mean, if one of those bands that became big did it around that time people would be all over it like a cheap suit
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
the chorus in Jesse is the most fucking melodic thing ive ever heard.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Glad this album finally has a review
I've heard it all before, I know nothings gonna change
| | | forgot about this album. Nice review, I use to jam this when it came out. it really is a shame they didn't find more success.
| | | Have only listened to Jesse by these guys but nothing else I think. Good review Hans, pos.
| | | Will add to my dig list.
| | | Nice review, man. Pos'd. I have never heard of these guys, I will have to check them out. Adding to the never-ending list lol.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
This rules
| | | Why am I not that surprised you reviewed this?
| | | Hans has been on a roll lately.
| | | Hans loves obscure 90s grunge
| | | Paw was definitely an overlooked band. Seattle disciples no doubt.
| | | Hans, you ever listen to any Gruntruck or Skin Yard? Two great Seattle bands that never escaped obscurity, kind of like Tad.
| | | fuk, this crushes
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