A Eulogy for The Paper Chase, My Favorite Band

More than six years ago, on a now-defunct Internet fan-forum for the band The Mars Volta, I was introduced to The Paper Chase. "For fans of the weird." was the only description given, but it was all I needed to give them a listen. I downloaded God Bless Your Black Heart, their third -- and at the time most recent -- full length.

The opening track to that album, Said the Spider to the Fly, builds until at one point it sounds like the entire world is pounding out a beat together, as singer John Congleton spits out frenzied lyrics that sound like they're coming from an impassioned madman about to shoot someone. Keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, and a host of sound bytes that are nearly impossible to discern all meld into one gut wrenching pulse that causes an inescapable feeling of...dread. I didn't know why at the time, but I was hooked before the song was over.

Said the Spider to the Fly


It wasn’t until I brought in their follow-up to Black Heart, into the music class I was taking at the local community college that I understood why the sound appealed to me. The professor wanted us all to play him some of our favorite music, and at that point I was fully obsessed with The Paper Chase. I had him put on the first track, which starts with a somewhat famous clip of a panicked caller to a paranormal radio show. It segues into the repeating of a piano melody, which is built upon with each repetition by the sounds of scissors cutting to a beat, people screaming faintly in the background, and spooky moans. This is of course before the creepy strings come in, and soon after the song kicks into gear.

We Know Where You Sleep


By the time the chorus came around, the uncomfortable feeling in the room was apparent. My professor was wide-eyed the entire time, but he made it through a portion of the second verse before turning it off. Dissonance; that was the first word he said. A combination of notes that sound harsh or unpleasant to most people. He told me that there was clearly some artistic reason behind it, but he couldn't listen anymore or he'd have nightmares. He was impressed with Paper Chase's ability to craft an atmosphere of discomfort though, which is when I finally realized why I liked them so much.

Every single one of their releases is a concept album, meaning it tells a story from beginning to end. Each song is another chapter in the story. I absolutely love when a band I like releases a concept album, because it sucks me in even deeper. With a lot of bands though, the story behind the album doesn't always fit so completely with the rest of the elements of the band. The Paper Chase however, fit perfectly with their stories because the stories they tell are dark as hell.

Congleton writes about pain, hurt, death, fear, and sometimes the apocalypse. And nothing fits those topics better than a low chugging bass-line, creepy keyboard melodies, frantic lyrical delivery, and a thick atmosphere of dread. Not to mention the fact that the demented imagery he thinks up is wickedly genius in its own right. It's hard not to be drawn in, if you're into tales of a more macabre fashion.

Since that day over six years ago I've made a point of purchasing and pre-ordering physical copies of every one of their albums, pored over lyrics to songs, drive to see them live for four consecutive years, and have told countless people about them. It's safe to say they are my favorite band, which was always a distinction I had trouble making with any of my favorite bands before them.

Sadly, they recently broke up. But it's alright, because John Congleton forges on with his new band, The Nighty Nite, who sound equally as creepy. Besides, five amazing albums and one great EP are nothing to scoff at as far as band careers go. It remains to be seen, but I don't think I'll ever come across another band quite like The Paper Chase.

The Nighty Nite - Dimes in their Dimples