Paramore – Riot!

They hail from Franklin, Tennessee, and they possess that irresistible charm of a guitar-fueled rock band hell-bent on seeing how far a few high-energy songs and absolute dedication can take them. And that seems to be pretty far, because last year you could marvel at PARAMORE on the Warped Tour 2006 and on an extensive UK tour, and that even though parts of the band haven't even reached club age yet: The youngest of them is just 16 and the oldest is 22, and yet the quartet is currently rocking its way into the starry skies of the US scene's hard-hitting newcomers. Frontwoman Hayley Williams, a lively redhead who is even cuter than Avril Lavigne, immediately catches the eye. Cute doesn't necessarily mean well-behaved, though, and so the 18-year-old blurts her lyrics into the microphone with all the power of self-assertion she can muster. At her side is band founder Josh Farro (19) on guitar, who started PARAMORE four years ago with his brother Zac (16 - just 12 at the time), and the bass is played by Jeremy Davis (22), who joined the band in 2004. Consistent performances, especially in nearby Nashville, led to a rapidly growing fan base until Fueled By Ramen founder John Janick happened to see them at a gig in Florida. The rest is history...