Paper Airplanes

It's infrequent (to say the least) for music fans to give props to Wichita, but even though it may sound odd, the local music scene there is burgeoning. Take Paper Airplanes, a six-piece whose roots to outsiders might seem closer to a place like Montreal than the 'Ta. Led by vocalist Marcus Stoetz, who often sounds like a more creative Brandon Flowers, the band's influences range from the Beach Boys to the Arcade Fire. Starting with basic prog-pop structures, the band's songs develop and flourish with the use of a variety of strings, banjos and looped vocals. The effect is surprising and beautiful — suddenly, Wichita just got a lot more attractive.