North Carolina's ‘Paper Tongues' Bring a Mixture of
Rock, Hip-Hop, and a Little Country Charm to Omaha
By: Audrey Kay

Whether you are a fan of Paper Tongues, not really, or never heard about them till a week ago, one thing EVERYONE will agree on is that their songs are catchy and you just can't get them out of your head. I've been asking people for rides to California all week (okay not really), but I have been singing "Ride To California" to them all week. I guess that's the same thing?  "Ride To California" is the only song I heard by them a few weeks ago, and intrigued me enough to download the whole album (Download it at amazon.com). Sure enough, every song keeps their signature hip-hop infused beats intertwined with some edgy rock chords, while at the same time, it keeps your attention.  There is nothing in the world I hate more than boring music by boring musicians who sing about their dog dying every other sentence, and this band is the complete opposite.  So I was thinking several weeks back that it would be pretty cool if we could bring these guys out to Omaha and ironically I heard on 89.7 The River a few days later that they were coming to The Waiting Room (Score!). My friend has an extra ticket for me (Double score!). Things worked out pretty well for me there.

The place was packed for the opening bands, but it was obvious that the Paper Tongues were who everyone came to see.  It was amazing to see the energy in the crowd; the second the guys took the stage everyone rushed up from the bar to see the band like it was Black Friday.  As everyone piled up front the crowd became more and more energetic with each song, proving that this group really knows how to grab an audience's attention and lock it in.  Paper Tongues eclectic sound and vast experimentation combining all different genres really makes their uniqueness shine through.  Aswan North, lead vocalist for Paper Tongues, explains how all the band members have different musical interests, from R&B all the way to rock, and they use those personal influences to make music that jives.  I really dig an artist or musical group that can kind of say "You know what, I don't want to get stuck with the title of R&B artist or rock band...why not put together a bunch of sounds and see what works?"  I think a big element in what divides a good band from a great band is the willingness to take risks and try things out even if its' out of the ordinary.  And Paper Tongues are anything but ordinary. Give them a listen at http://www.myspace.com/papertongues and see for yourself.

Audrey xxx

2.23.10