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Paper Rival

Who? Formerly known as Keating, this four-piece laysdown cascading, dreamy guitar pop. Singer Jake Rolleston, bassist CodyMcCall, and guitarists Patrick Damphier and Brent Coleman came togetherin late 2005 when their previous two bands split up (Damphier playsdrums in the studio, though Dillon Napier’s been handling the sticksmost recently). The band’s self-titled EP is out now via the PhotoFinish label; a full-length recorded concurrently, One Not One, is due in early 2008.

What’s the Deal?Paper Rival spins lush tunes that don’t fall into the usual trappingsof overacted melodrama. “Home Is Right Out Your Window” pushesstuttered emo-light guitars to stirring effect, while the lazy”Alabama” unfurls through a gentle swell into a release worthy of themost touching of movie scene soundtracks. Even when the balladry of”Pacing the Cage” paints fields of daisies and marigolds with itscharming keyboards, handclap-only percussion and lulling cello, theeffect is more blush-inducing than cringe-worthy.

Fun Fact:The Paper Rival name change took place after the band members touredthrough Edmonton, Alberta, Canada as ‘Keating’ and found themselvesstarting at a roomful of concertgoers expecting to see a completelydifferent band playing live.

Now Hear This:
Paper Rival – “You’re Right” DOWNLOAD MP3

On the Web:
Paper Rival at MySpace
paperrival.com

Talk: Can Paper Rival come off the page to be a real contender?