Bio:
Based out of Albany, N.Y., Palatypus draws from the best of the Country, Bluegrass and Folk music genres to create a distinct melodic and harmonic sound. Their songs evoke a spectrum of emotional states, ranging from the lament of loves gone wrong to the simple joys found in sharing a few drinks with friends. The duo focuses on well constructed vocal harmonies layered over the rhythm of Mike’s and the melody of Matt’s guitar. The songs are story driven, simultaneously metaphysical and visual, and captivate their audiences with deft acuity in their sensibility. Always entertaining and engaging, Palatypus continues to gain musical recognition and win fans across the Capital Region and in the greater North East.
Press:
While many like acts overcompensate for the lack of a backing band by playing loud and aggressive, Palatypus chose to explore the softer dynamic possibilities of two acoustic guitars. Matt Durfee’s melodic finger-picking is the perfect counterpart to Mike Poulopoulos’ Spartan folk strumming, and their two voices blend like gin and tonic on a summer day. Bring a blanket when you catch one of their performances – Metroland, Best of 2007
It’s almost a choral arrangement with four-part harmony; between the voices and guitars, all four parts are covered phenomenally. A freshly unique, yet achingly familiar sound – Erin Harkes, UPSTATE magazine
Their Americana, singer/songwriter style evokes the open spaces of Durfee’s upbringing in rural Schoharie County, while Poulopoulos’ lyrics draw on, in part, literary characters such as Francis Phelan from William Kennedy’s novel “Ironweed.” Durfee’s finger-picking style adds a completely innovative melody to Poulopoulos’ Americana chord structure – Philip Schwartz, The Daily Gazette
