The Paper Chase

The Paper Chase (also written "the pAper chAse") is an alternative rock band band from Dallas, Texas, formed in 1998. Its current lineup consists of John Congleton (lead guitar, vocals,) Sean Kirkpatrick (synthesizer, piano,) Bobby Weaver (bass guitar,) Jason Garner (drums.) In addition, there are session musicians Kris Youmans (cello,) Becki Phares (violin,) Elliot Figg (piano,) Danna Berger (viola,) and Tony Scholl (horns.) Two previous members are Aryn Dalton (drums) and Matt Armstrong (piano.) Their music blends noise rock and emo with jazz and a classical structure, the end result being lots and lots of High Octane Nightmare Fuel.

Discography:


 * Essays (EP) (1999)
 * And the Machines Are Winning... (EP) (1999)
 * Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know (2000)
 * Cntrl-Alt-Delete-U (EP) (2001)
 * Hide the Kitchen Knives (2002)
 * God Bless Your Black Heart (2004)
 * What Big Teeth You Have (EP) (2004)
 * Now You Are One Of Us (2006)
 * Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1 (2009)

Tropes featured in the pAper chAse:

 * Animal Motifs: Pigs, fish, and vipers.
 * Arc Words: "And no matter who you are, it's out there, and it's going to get you." Among many others.
 * Body Motifs: Hands, hearts, teeth, and kidneys, to name a few.
 * Break Up Song: "Goddamn These Hands"
 * Concept Album: Several. Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1 is, for example, about various natural disasters and/or the apocalypse, and Now You Are One of Us seems to be about fear.
 * Creepy Monotone: "I Tried So Hard to Be Good"
 * Dying Like Animals: Some form of this is present in nearly every song from Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1.
 * Fading Into the Next Song: Inverted. "This Is a Rape" ends with the beginning segment of "The Small of Your Back the Nape of Your Neck".
 * Fridge Horror
 * God Is Evil: Comes up in various songs.
 * Spoken Word in Music: Oh yes. Usually from movies, but other sources have been used.
 * Signature Song: "Said the Spider to the Fly" and "We Know Where You Sleep."
 * While Rome Burns: "I'm Going to Heaven With or Without You (The Forest Fire)" seems to be about this, at least in part.
 * Your Cheating Heart: "aliveralungakidneyathumb"