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Paper or Plastic

Portland, OR

Biography

Paper or Plastic knows what’s playing on your iPod right now - they just don’t care. This piano-driven rock band eschews the sound of the week for their own infectious brand of rock ‘n roll. To call them a simple rock band overlooks the catchy pop sensibilities infused into each song. To call them a pop band risks underestimating the serious jazz influence hiding in plain sight under melodies you just can’t get out of your head. Their new release, "Ron Save The King," reveals a rock unit sc...

Paper or Plastic knows what’s playing on your iPod right now - they just don’t care. This piano-driven rock band eschews the sound of the week for their own infectious brand of rock ‘n roll. To call them a simple rock band overlooks the catchy pop sensibilities infused into each song. To call them a pop band risks underestimating the serious jazz influence hiding in plain sight under melodies you just can’t get out of your head. Their new release, "Ron Save The King," reveals a rock unit schooled in the trenches of parties and basement all-ages venues. “We’ve realized lately how to translate the party, the late-night conversations, the opinions, into sound,” says Pollock on the band’s process of coming into their own unique sound. Formed in 2003 while its members were still high school freshmen, Paper or Plastic began as, and remains, a group of friends creating music together. It took the five-piece a few line-up changes before finding the right musical chemistry of David Pollock (vocals, keys), Joey Harmon (drums), Ian Millhollen (bass), Ian “Sten” Christensen (sax), and Anthony Medici (guitar). Pollock reveals his multifaceted musical background in his vocals, piano melodies and the songs he sits down to write one month out of the year. Medici’s guitar rhythms remind you of everything you loved about 70s rock, while Sten’s sometimes-spooky sax parts mark this group as anything but your average college rock band. Jazz-schooled Millhollen and Harmon round out the rhythm section and hold this frenzied crew together with warbling bass lines and hard-hitting drum grooves. Their youth belies their ambition and achievement. In seven years they released five records, made two videos, opened for glam-rock legends The Tubes, graduated from high school and moved to New York City- all the while creating and playing music. Some band members still can’t buy a drink at the bars they play, but their dynamism clearly illustrates the power behind the sound. The group’s last full-length record, "Don’t Be Like That" (2008), filled a pop void left open in rock since the 80s. Pollock’s vocals sneer and grouse like Elvis Costello, while his piano lines drag your ear into the center of the mix. Harmon’s driving rhythms leave you powerless against the urge to move with the music. With just the right combination of snark and hook, this record delivers on all of its promises. "Break Your Bond" and "Postcards & Technology" found regular airplay on college radio stations as well as favorable reviews both on and off line. “Fun, sarcastic and insightful,” said Performing Songwriter magazine, “an irresistibly catchy crew,” sang The Portand Tribune, “somewhere between Ben Folds and Elvis Costello, or perhaps what it would sound like if Steve Nieve were the front man and Elvis C were one of the Attractions,” touted AbsolutePowerPop.com. "Ron Save The King" offers listeners a more mature sound without sacrificing the energy and thundering pace of previous releases. “Come Through” opens the EP and sets the tone for this romp through the best bits rock has to offer. Pollock’s vocals shift effortlessly from snarling to melodic. A fierce sax solo from Ian Christensen rips through the center of the track backed by a halting Medici guitar line. “The Honest Man” starts out slow but becomes a full on rock build piloted by drummer Harmon and bassist Millhollen. The song is a scathing call out to another Portland musician and former friend. Pollock turns his own lyrics against him. “Where will you go when you find out what the rest of us already know,” he croons sarcastically, “Where will you go when you find out nobody loves you anymore?” "Ron Save the King" came out of a completely different mind set from "Don’t Be Like That." Recorded and mixed to 2-inch analog tape over one weekend, after only two practice sessions, the record was an exercise in musical trust and pure interpretation. “There was no opportunity to move past instinct,” says Pollock. “It was purely a process of each of us interpreting the chords, melody, and intent, and we took advantage of our personal and musical trust and accepted the musical whims of our band mates as an exploration.” That theme of exploration followed in the story behind the EP's first video “Low Budget Film.” Art imitated art as the band rented video gear, stole a car and ventured into the Oregon wilderness to shoot the short video. In it we see the guys drink, run around in a field, climb a house and swing from the trees all the while singing along to the rock ballad. “We don’t know squat about lighting, and we don’t really give a shit about white balance,” read a post on their website on the day of the video’s Vimeo release. “We just want to give you something fun to watch.” More low budget films are on the horizon, as is a cross-country tour. Paper or Plastic will wind their way from hometown Portland, OR to their current home in New York City. In memory of the days before auto-tune, the band is also building an all-analog studio for their next release.

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