Paper Lions @ CMW 2008

BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: ?Formerly known as Chucky Danger, these four scruffy young roustabouts boast enough technical prowess to weave all the folk, dance and punk influences they please into their searing indie-rock stylings.

Grade: 92

Comment: When these guys showed up onstage all wearing ties, I should have known they meant business. Paper Lions are cracking musicians, marrying catchy, shout-along pop with madcap showmanship. These guys have been nominated for multiple ECMAs; it's only a matter of time before the rest of the country starts to notice.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: E
Pronunciation: E
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: E
Image: E
Appearance: E
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: 
If there's one thing Paper Lions can do, it's work a stage. There were andclaps, "hey!"s, looping pedals, guitarists playing the cymbals with their headstocks, hand drumming on a kit, rock kicks, and a drum solo that used four sticks at once. That was just during the first song. These dudes could have just bowed and left right there, and it still would have been the set of the evening. Thankfully, they stuck around.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving: E 
Teamwork: E
Work Habits: E
Organization: E
Audience Participation: E
Sound: G
Composition: G
Songs: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:
At their most raucous, the band kicked out some deft, angular post-punk jams perfectly suited to guitar-beating and microphone-dashing. Their sky-high skill level allowed them to take some gleefully high-wire risks — like breaking into a few bars of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the middle of one of their songs, cooing in four-part a capella harmony and then ripping out the heavy riffs. They later pulled out the barbershop harmonies on a mid-set foray into the middle of the crowd, strumming guitars and mandolins and demanding sing-alongs on an indelible "la-da-da" chorus.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Problem Solving: E
Teamwork: E
Sexiness: G
Haircut: E
Indie Rock Footwear: E
Nods To Disposible Fashion: E
Cool Equipment: G
Level Of Inebriation: G
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: 
They can sing, they can write songs, they can pull off a bitchin' Queen cover with all the technical panache it requires, and they can get a tuckered-out 1:30 a.m. crowd moving, clapping, and singing in three-part harmony with no effort at all. Those of you who went home in the blizzard to sleep or shovel your driveways have no idea what you missed.