LA.CityZine brings you band, The Pity Party as a part of our Know Your LA Bands series. These two people, who are too good looking for their own good, can be compared to a Rilo Kiley pair. However, that’s just at a first glance. Forget the red hair comparison. The Pity Party brings you music that is moody, punk, pop and rock all at once. With both members playing multiple instruments (Heisenflei on drums, keys and vox and M on auto orchestra/electric guitar), this party is nothing to pity. Creating a sound that is almost ahead of our time (definitely not for those teeny boppers, but maybe for hipsters who have good taste and aren’t snobby about it), the Pity Party brings us music that is unfamiliar yet addictive.
The Pity Party has already gained critical acclaim as LA Weekly’s “Best Band in LA” in their weekly reader poll of 2007, Number 1 MySpace find by Supersweet Magazine, and NME’s Radar Band of June 2008. Being asked to play abroad isn’t unusual for bands in the states but The Pity Party is increasing their fan base in the US with each day as their multi-tasking inflict awe on their audiences. Don’t be fooled by all those instruments being set up on stage. There’s only two of them. If you want to get a taste of this futuristic punk as f*** band, head on out to the Echo Curio tomorrow on Thursday, July 3rd at 8:00 PM. The red hair, all their multi-tasking limbs and eerily fascinating Silverlake sound will be there. If you can’t make it out, make sure to purchase their first EP, Orgy Porgy, which is available through their myspace. The EP is eco-friendly and comes with 7 different covers featuring very lovely creatures designed by Ronald Dezerigian.
LA.CityZine was also lucky enough to have a hilarious chat with the duo. Check out the interview as well as their live performance video of “Yours, That Works” (via Rummage Series) below.
Could you give a brief description of your music?
H: Dark, pretty ugly, pretty, pretty dark, beatalicious, pop, the new pop.
M: The future.
How many fans do you have on MySpace? How many of them do you actually know?
H: About 12 fans. [Not true.] They are all my extended family.
M: If ($fans (not exists $know)) {die “I couldn’t really say./n”};
Heis, you basically use all the limbs you have to play your instruments. Have you ever been an octopus for Halloween?
H: No. One year I was “Not Alexandar Payne’s Assistant” though. Does that count?
Do you prefer gearing up for a tour or coming home for a tour?
H: I prefer to play rock abroad.
M: Me, too.
If you could play a different instrument in your band, what would it be?
H: The spastic amp-stack-climbing vocals
M: Simultaneous drums, keys, vox - AND harp.
Where do you see your music in 10 years?
H: Fed intravenously. Perfected to the point of total mass acceptance and universal cultural zeitgeist.
M: Heil Heis! Heil Heis!
What would be the best compliment someone could give you about your music and why?
H: “It’s pop music,” because then that means we might be able to make some money off of it and live the life of the Modern Rockstar (not to be confused with the Classic Rockstar). The Modern Rockstar is the baby and the nanny, both; the talent and the tour manager; the tantrum and the talk-downer; it’s a delicate balance.
M: “Your pants are really tight.”
What would be the best piece of advice you could give someone trying to break into the music business?
H: 1) Whatever you do, do it all the way.
2) Never second guess yourself.
3) Your path to Modern Rockstardom can never be the same as anyone else’s. (ie. Comparisons to friends’ bands will never serve you.)
4) Work your ass off and then know your worth.
5) Advice from others is never the direct answer to your question.
6) Bleed people for every ounce of information you can get.
7) Live for it.
8 ) Get good at making friends… real good.
M: Stand at a slight distance. See yourself walking through the door. When the door opens, be quick, but be calm. Do not make eye contact with anyone standing near the door. Walk through the door…
Dead or alive. What 5 acts would you have play with you at a festival?
H: Radiohead, The Who, Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, oh f*** it — The Strokes.
M: NIN, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, Metric, The Knife
What’s your favorite song to play live and why?
H: “Every Night, ” because it’s pretty and it’s a little sad and I usually can connect to it every time. Plus, it has a new meaning almost every time I play it.
M: “The War Between 8 & 4,” because I get to scream!
If you could rid the world of one song, what would it be?
H: “Sweet Home Alabama”
M: “Happy Birthday To You”
What do you hope your listeners get out of your songs? If anything.
H: Foot tapping, inspiration, surprise, challenge, worship reverence.
M: Cathartic release.
Who would you like to see open for one of your shows?
H: Radiohead. Maybe they wanna open for us at Spaceland or something in August. They could have the 10 o’clock slot. You know any of those guys?
M: HEALTH, because being healthy is important and because they would make me feel less weird and subsequently more confident.
Where’s your favorite place to play a show in LA?
H: The Hammer Museum
M: Our lockout.
What’s your favorite music website/magazine?
H: NME (Check this shit out: http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t79/thepityparty_photos/mail-1.jpg).
M: SUPERSWEET (www.supersweet.org) — because of the opening animation and the reader’s poll.
Out of all the different Orgy Porgy EP covers, which monster is the party animal?
H: Clearly, Naked Bear.
M: Wolf Eats Bird knows how to get down animal style.
Do you support any local charities? If so, who? If not, would you like to?
H: We did a fundraiser for Sweet Relief a couple months back. They provide musicians who can no longer play music with financial assistance. We also did a benefit back in December for Doctors Without Borders, but I guess that’s not really local…
M: I support the Legion of Dynamic Dischord. It’s not local, but I also support all charities and heavily support the idea of raising money for them through music.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
H: Peanut M&Ms, Brian Eno’s “Music For Airports,” self-absorption
M: Picking my nose in the car.
What’s the best cure for a hangover?
H: Don’t have one in the first place. Drink the hard stuff straight - no mixers, no chasers, no beer, no red wine.
M: Two glasses of water and two extra strength Tylenol BEFORE bed.
What is your idea of a perfect day?
H: Having a really solid internet connection, finding out someone is going to fly me to Tokyo to play rock, and waking up with a boy I actually want to have a conversation with.
M: Duh! The day of the singularity…
What are the three things you could not live without?
H: Whiskey, chocolate, water
M: Whiskey, water, my bicycle
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
H: Abolish planned obsolescence and compulsive consumerism!
M: Stop the sun from dying.
Tell us a fact about yourself we probably don’t already know.
H: My daddy is on TV.
M: When I was a child, I was on TV.
Photography courtesy of Timothy Norris and Rebekkah Drake
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