The Paper Chase (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 in Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Founder | John Congleton |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Dallas , United States |
| Products | Alternative rock music |
The Paper Chase (presented as "the pAper chAse") was an American alternative rock group established in 1998 by producer and engineer John Congleton in Dallas, Texas. The band was affiliated with Kill Rock Stars and Southern Records. Their records God Bless Your Black Heart and Now You Are One of Us were additionally issued on vinyl through the Austrian label Trost Records. Their sound fused dissonant melodies with sharp-edged noise pop, characterized by Allmusic as "a jagged fusion of avant-garde jazz, noise, indie, and punk."
History
John Congleton was responsible for writing and producing the vast majority of the band's material, with a few exceptions: Bobby Weaver collaborated on "A Face That Could Launch a Thousand Ships" and "Off with Their Heads," both tracks from Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know. Mike Sanger co-authored "Throw Your Body on the Apparatus," while Elliot Figg contributed to "When You Least Expect It," also from the same album.
Their subsequent endeavor was intended as a two-part concept album centered on natural catastrophes. The initial segment, titled Someday This Could All Be Yours (vol. 1 The Calamities), was released on May 26, 2009 via Kill Rock Stars. However, the second installment never materialized due to the band's breakup.
Former members
- John Congleton – vocals, guitar, programming
- Sean Kirkpatrick – synthesizer, piano
- Bobby Weaver – bass guitar
- Jason Garner – drums
Session musicians
- Kris Youmans – cello
- Becki Phares – violin
- Elliot Figg – piano
- Danna Berger – viola
- Tony Scholl – horns
Previous members
- Aryn Dalton – drums
- Matt Armstrong – piano
Albums
- Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know (2000)
- Cntrl-Alt-Delete-U (2001)
- Hide the Kitchen Knives (2002)
- God Bless Your Black Heart (2004)
- Now You Are One of Us (2006)
- Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1 (2009)
Singles and EPs
- Essays on Frantic Desperation (split with E-Class and Lugsole) (1999)
- ...And the Machines Are Winning (1999)
- What Big Teeth You Have (2004)
- Split with Red Worms Farm (2004)
- Split with Will Johnson (2004)
- Split with Xiu Xiu (2005)
External links
- Official Paper Chase website
- Paper Chase on Southern Records
- [ The Paper Chase] on Allmusic
- Acoustic session with 'They Shoot Music - Don't They'
Interviews
- Welcome to Flavor Country interview with John Congleton (2002)
- SHZine interview with John Congleton (April 2002)
- Joe Wallace interviews John Congleton for Gearwire.com
- McMahan, Tim (2001) "don't be afraid of the paper chase", Lazy-I
Reviews
- Zac Johnson, "[ Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know Evaluation]", Allmusic
- Kurt Morris, "[ Hide the Kitchen Knives Evaluation]", Allmusic
- Marisa Brown, "[ Now You Are One of Us Evaluation]", Allmusic
- Russ Marshalek (2006), "The Paper Chase Now You Are One of Us", Stylus Magazine