Artist description The World's Loudest Folksinger plays folk, rock, jazz and politics.

Music Style American, baby

Musical Influences Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, John Martyn

Similar Artists Springsteen meets Charlie Parker at Woody Guthrie's place.

Artist History Metsa went solo in 1984 after leading the popular Minneapolis band "Cats Under the Stars". 1984 - Released "Paper Tigers" LP.1985 - Released "59 Coal Mines" single.1985 - Best Folk Artist, Minnesota Music Awards.1986 - Member of Politics and Music panel for New Music Seminar, NYC, with Nona Hendryx, Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, Reuben Blades and others.1987 - Released "Ferris Wheels On the Farm", single.1988 - Best Blues Vocal, Minnesota Music Awards.1989 - Best Blues Folk Group, MN Music Awards.1990 - Best acoustic guitar, Cabooze Showdown.1991 - Released "Radio Motel" CD retrospective.1992 - Appears at Willie Nelson's behest for FARMAID V.1993 - Featured songwriter on "Legacy II", Windham Hill/High Street Records, a compliation of americansongwriters.1993 - Released "Whistling Past the Graveyard" CDwith production by Bucky Baxter.1994 - Headlined sold out Guthrie Theatre show andreleased "Mississippi Farewell" CD of the performance.1995 - Commissioned to do research and write original music for documentary on the history of the SaintLouis County Fair.1996 - Featured performer and panelist at Tributeto Woody Guthrie, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame andWoody Guthrie Archives.1997 - Featured performer at MN State AFL-CIO rally with National President John Sweeney.1998 - Released "Lincoln's Bedroom" EP CD

Group Members Paul Metsa and a cast of dozens.

Instruments acoustic and electric guitars, vocals

Albums Paper Tigers, Slow Justice, Live at the Guthrie, Radio Motel, Whistling Past the Graveyard, Mississippi Farwell, Lincoln's Bedroom

Press Reviews ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS - Metsa is a beat-influenced motor mouth swooned on the rhythm of words, the jangle of phrases, the emotional bullseye that pricks the intellect on it's way to the heart of the matter. SPIN MAGAZINE - This outstanding effort from an astute Minneapolis singer-songwriter rocks intensely - sweetened by healthy doses of folk and country. Producer Bucky Baxter is well known as Bob Dylan's pedal steel player, and other notable contributors include ex-E Streeter Garry Tallent, as well as sidemen for Bruce Hornsby and Bill Monroe.(Whistling Past the Graveyard) RELIX MAGAZINE - For fans of Graham Parker or Bruce Springsteen-type singer/songwriters, Paul Metsa's Whistling Past the Graveyard should be of interest. Metsa writes intricate storytelling songs with complex lyrics and rich melodies that would do either of those artists justice, but Metsa is very much his own man. AUSTIN CHRONICAL - Paul Metsa sounds like John Cale sometimes and Van Morrison sometimes and occasionally even both though mostly he sounds like himself, like something special. Of course almost every singer/songwriter/folksinger/whatever of the past few generations who grew up after Dylan show that influence overwhelmingly and Metsa's no different but he isn't drowning in it. One song ran its drunken Tom Waits fingers up and down my spine reminding me of a night, a dark night, the music and a women who said no and then just kept saying no across a floor and through a series of rooms until niether of us could stand it anymore. That kind of music. American street poetry. SEATTLE POST- Metsa has long been at the forefront of the Minneapolis music scene but often has been overshadowed by rock bands such as Soul Asylum and The Replacements...terrific heartland-style folk-rock tunes.BOSTON PHOENIX- Paul Metsa is a Minneapolis songwriter who doesn't shy away from rocking out, who has a sharp ear for language, and who crafts melodies that express jazzy freedom as well as folk purity.ROCKBILL - He may be the most original acoustic-type ax player since - - well...the Guy himself.UTNE Reader - Think of Bruce with a Midwestern drawl. Though Springsteen comparisons come cheap these days, Metsa can claim E Streeter Garry Tallent on bass and compelling lyrical portraits of working class life.

Location Minneapolis, MN - USA

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