My Denton Music spotlight: The Paper Chase

by Josh Hogan of My Denton Music

Let me take you back to the year 2004. The Boston Red Sox were about to complete the most amazing comeback in modern baseball history against the hated Yankees, eventually winning the World Series. The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King won best picture at the Oscars, and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below had just been named best album at the Grammys. And I was just a junior in high school with a taste for the Deep Ellum music scene.

Back then, Deep Ellum still had some life in it. Trees was still open and it was the place to be for me and my stoner friends who were all looking for something to do on the weekends. Every Friday and Saturday night, we would pile into my car and make the short trip to downtown Dallas for an evening of live music and debauchery. And one night, in friendly confines of Trees (which I am happy to say is making a comeback) two bands went on stage that changed the way I hear music. The first was Baboon. I had heard some of their stuff prior to this evening, but had never seen them live. It was a treat to say the least. And the second band was The Paper Chase.

This was the first time I had ever been exposed to the mind bending sounds of John Congleton and his band mates. I was hooked by the end of the first song. This particular show was in support of their newest album at the time, God Bless Your Black Heart, which I snatched up immediately and had on a continuous loop in my CD player for weeks to come. In fact at one point a year later, I sheepishly wandered up to Congleton outside another of their shows with that same copy in hand and asked for an autograph for my girlfriend, who was too starstruck to do it herself.

Since then I have met John Congleton and can laugh at the fact that at any point I was nervous to talk to him. He is one of the nicest guys around, and the same can be said for the rest of the band. Also since then, I have become convinced that Congleton is nothing short of a musical genius, and the Paper Chase is still among the greatest bands I have ever seen.

Since the release of God Bless Your Black Heart, the Dallas group has released two other full length albums. The first was Now You Are One of Us (2006), followed by Someday This Could All Be Yours Vol. 1, which was released just over a month ago and is yet another spectacular piece of work in the band’s history.

If you are new to The Paper Chase and ask what sort of music they play, the answer is not a simple one. Experimental rock is a favorite of mine to describe the band, but I always say it with just a little bit of hesitation. It's as if by describing them as experimental, I am neglecting the brilliance of the composition or the depth of the lyrics, which I never wish to do. I’ll just say that listening to The Paper Chase is hypnotic and riveting, and should be experienced live to fully grasp exactly what I mean. They play at Dan’s Silverleaf in Denton on Friday, July 10.