J.J. Ipsen and The Paper Crown – Entertainment Ordinaire
A small group of handsome and talented young gentlemen is getting ready to show the country that Woodstock, Ontario is much more than just the Dairy Capital of Canada. Originally hailing from that bucolic seat of Oxford County, JJ Ipsen and The Paper Crown have just released their debut full-length record, Entertainment Ordinaire, on Guelph-based Label Fantastic! And the folks that have heard an advance copy, from kids in skinny jeans to Woodstock city councillors, are already calling it a pop tour-de-force and spreading the buzz faster than bees in summer.
On Entertainment Ordinaire, JJ Ipsen’s background as an English Literature nerd shines through: the lyrics, exploring themes of home, common objects, cool cats and living underground, are cleverly constructed and delivered, and often both wry and heartbreakingly sad, managing to achieve that perfect balance between being incredibly specific and universally understandable.
Not to say that The Paper Crown are slouches when it comes to the music side of JJ Ipsen’s beautiful universe. Featuring Aaron Curtis, AJ Johnson, Thomas Hammerton and Justin Nace (members of The Two Minute Miracles, Cuff The Duke and The Magic, among others), this band cuts JJ’s raw songwriting talent down to hard perfect little diamonds; nothing is wasted, and it sounds like every note, every beat, every hook on this record was designed by polite scientists, winking as they subtly, cleverly re-write chapters of the pop music textbook.
The cherry on the cake here is the gorgeous production talents of The Paper Crown’s own Justin Nace, who has worked with Great Lake Swimmers, Jenny Omnichord and Jim Guthrie, and brings to Entertainment Ordinaire a level of subtle polish and sonic sophistication that compliments the maturity of JJ Ipsen’s perfect pop songs.
MP3: “DaDaDa” from Entertainment Ordinaire:
http://pigeonrow.com/JJIpsenDaDaDa.mp3
Hi-res photo of J.J. Ipsen and The Paper Crown:
http://pigeonrow.com/JJandPaperCrownHiRes.jpg
