Somewhere in a secluded corner of a small pub in Dublin, an old man is regaling tourists with the story of five kids, known as cover band The Hype, who would play in front of that very bar almost forty years ago. “They were crap,” he says. “Sounded like a box of kittens being tossed from a roof.” Those five became four and that band, of course, is now U2. They’re no longer crap.

The element of discovery is particularly incredible when it comes to music. Happening upon true artistry today is like finding a three-headed unicorn in the middle of Michigan Avenue. Last Saturday, I found a three-headed unicorn.

Paper Thick Walls is a band you should know (and maybe you already do). Their 2011 debut album “A Thousand Novels” was touted by journalism giant Rolling Stone and received positive reviews from over 100 other sources. Comprised of Chicago based multi-instrumentalists, PTW’s storytelling style may remind you Death Cab for Cutie. Their lyrics are just tormented enough to beckon nostalgia without inducing chronic depression.  Again with the comparisons, PTW’s instrumental prowess is analogous to that of Montreal’s Arcade Fire. Hopefully, this description doesn’t downplay the Chicago band’s exceptionality. They’re as entertaining to watch live as they are to listen to at home.

Refreshingly, real music does still exist. It’s just so independent that you have to look for it and support the mess out of it when you find it.

Expect new music from Paper Thick Walls this year.

Paper Thick Walls at Navy Pier