Articles. Quotes. Stuff.
June 30, 2010 A Troubador's Redemption by Rob van Alstyne (City Pages)
"With a reedy conversational singing voice that recalls Television's Tom Verlaine, a degree in working-man's rock riffs from the Drive By Truckers school, and hard-won wisdom to spare, Plewacki and his band are rapidly rising on the local roots-rock scene. The ascent should only hasten with this week's release of a new rough-and-tumble digital EP, the Cute Souvenir Sessions." Read More
June 30, 2010 Ryan Paul & THE ARDENT EP release party by Secrets of the City
"Buzzworthy indie popsters Ryan Paul & The Ardent... will have you hanging on their poetic, enamoring words and toe-tappin' along with their sweet melodic arrangements." Read More
June 2010, Indie Music Finds: Cute Souvenirs EP by Sophie Stratford (London, UK)
"The EP exhibits an impressive development in craftsmanship, as well as a much darker character that has acquired comparisons of such opposing artists; The Cure, The Smiths and Arcade Fire."
May 2010, Heroes of Indie Rock: Ryan Paul & The Ardent - Minnie Souvenir Hunters
February 2010, The Onion A/V Club
While Ryan Paul & The Ardent’s debut album, 2009’s La Vita Nuova, was pure neo-Americana, don’t expect a repeat performance on the follow-up..." Read More
November, 2009
Metro Magazine
METRO 100 "Ryan Paul & the Ardent serenade the 331 Club" photo by emily j. davis
August 3, 2009
Manchester Music
Rating: MMM1/2 out of MMMM
"This full length album is an expansive affair, illuminated with country, blues and ballad driven love songs. The guitar work adds an edge throughout gelling well with the lively drums to supplement Paul’s strong but reflective vocals." - Manchester Music
June 19, 2009
KARE 11 - live on Showcase MN
June 16, 2009
Metromix, Twin Cities
"The scene here in the Cities hasn't exactly been suffering from a lack of stalwart alt. country acts but that doesn't make the arrival of a major talent in the genre any less worth celebrating. Ryan Paul and the Ardent traffic in the sort of dusky primarily acoustic folk-pop that's long had its bread buttered here in town. The arrival of their debut full-length, "La Via Nova," comes after Paul spent some time living in New York City, so perhaps that explains the slightly urban and gritty quality to the work that separates it out from the legions of Jayhawks imitators in their midst. Paul and his backing band—which makes prominent use of steel guitar and mandolin—will headline a hoedown celebrating their debut release tonight at the 331 Club alongside Brian Just and Eliza Blue."
May 28, 2009
HowWasTheShow.com features an exclusive preview of "It's You" from the forthcoming CD La Vita Nuova - click to listen
Shhhh. I’m healing.
January 16, 2009 (10:51) by Ruby Vox.
Journalistically speaking, reflecting on 2008 more than two weeks into January could represent career suicide. The deadline for any self-respecting retrospective should be mid-December at the latest, if we’re to believe the savvy editorial calendars of the good folks of the Star Tribune and its ilk, and the first half of January should be reserved for making predictions and offering much-needed advice about the upcoming year. Had I been more on-the-ball, I would have made my prediction for the “Top Musical Trend of 2009” a month ago, along with the “4 Hot Superfoods Guaranteed to Make You Scrawny for the New Year.” But 2008 was a noisy year, and between reports of election-year drama, economic disasters, Ponzi schemes and Palin spoofs, I couldn’t even clear my head enough to identify the “Top 10 Up-and-Coming Musical Trends You Don’t Want to Miss.”
And so here I am, a day late and a dollar short, with only one thing to request from the rich and wonderful world of Twin Cities music: Shhhh. We’re healing.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen some remarkable shows in the past 12 months that included refreshingly boisterous plunges into the world of experimental sound. But the music that has most saved my soul from being sucked into the CNN Spiral of Cultural Death consistently has been deliberate, simple and pure.
That’s why I’ve fallen so hard for Ryan Paul and the ARDENT in recent months. Formed last May for a one-time gig, RPTA stuck together and spent the year gently soothing a lucky few who sought to escape the cacophony of American culture circa 2008. With a sound as comfortably familiar as a favorite quilt and as fresh as a hot cup of coffee, a Sunday morning spent with RPTA playing on my iPod is among the most therapeutic musical experiences I can imagine—and they’ve yet to release their debut album.
Featuring a notable list of veteran Twin Cities rockers and jazz musicians, the band includes drummer Steve Goold (the Bill Mike Band, Cloud Cult), Jaim Zuber on pedal steel (Rare Medium, Captain Yonder), mandolin and guitar player James Plewacki and bassist John Holtze (both of Ashes for April). A former rocker himself, Ryan Paul cut his teeth on the Twin Cities music scene with notable bands like God Johnson and King Freud, making his newest endeavor a surprising one to anyone who’s followed his career. Though RPTA’s country-Americana vibe is a historical departure for the singer and songwriter, Paul is quick to point out that the evolution was as natural as they come. “I had a couple of very challenging years, and the circumstances required that I learn to take a more honest look at myself,” he says. “When I started writing music that reflected that, it sounded like this.”
Onstage, it’s evident that Ryan Paul’s persona is every bit as authentic as the music the band creates. Paul’s masterful composition offers THE ARDENT a chance to show off their capabilities within the framework of intricate melodies and hauntingly beautiful guitar licks. Goold’s drumming is among Minnesota’s finest, and Plewacki’s mandolin playing is innovative without showing off.
Lyrically, Paul reveals vulnerability without being angst-filled or precious, humbly exploring themes ranging from societal nonchalance about war to reclaimed innocence. In a musical climate where critics have spent years in adoration of music with “soul”, Paul’s music is brimming with his spirit. It’s unassuming, uncensored and pure.
So let the world remain abuzz with inaugural gossip, Mid-East skirmishes and alarming unemployment rates—I’m not listening to that. I’m lost in a track that’s both classic and timely, waiting for the first full-length release from Ryan Paul and THE ARDENT this spring. You should be, too.
Catch RPTA this Friday, January 16th, at the 318 Café in Excelsior, or next Friday, January 24th, at Bunkers in Minneapolis.
www.ryanpaulandtheardent.com