Kill Rock Stars’ The Paper Chase is not for the faint of heart. If John Congleton’s strangled, slightly manic vocals don’t turn you away; if you manage to listen through the nearly antagonistic bent of the fractured instrumental intrusions and dissonant structure; if you don’t wince at Congleton’s deeply troubled lyrical sensibility; if you’ve come this far, you’ve learned the secret of Congleton’s genius – all chaos has some structure. Buried within Congleton’s hammering pianos, sawing guitars, and cut-and-paste samples, layers of melody weave between and among the chaos, creating a tidal pull between the cacophonous and the downright catchy. Imagine the most agonizingly non-musical sounds you’ve ever heard; then imagine the catchiest melody you’ve ever heard. Now, run them through an auditory kaleidoscope. That’s The Paper Chase – beautifully disorienting. NICHOLAS HALL

Wed., March 31, 8 p.m., 2010