LA.CityZine brings you band, Pistol Pistol, as part of our Know Your LA Bands series. Hailing from Redondo, these young guys should come with a warning label. Their music is rebellious, edgy, raw and almost too much to handle as the band is compiled of extreme intensity as well as a wide range of genres. If you are looking for a fresh and upcoming band from the South Bay area, Pistol Pistol is the band that’ll give you a sense of serious rockability and standing up for what’s right with a little devious feeling afterwards. Everyone likes to be bad and this band is not afraid of consequences.

With stylistic writing in hip-hop to swing to punk and a sound of The Strokes going metal on skateboards, Pistol Pistol is shooting into Hollywood at the Universal Bar & Grill this Sunday, July 13th - 10:00 PM. With an emphasis on realism and none of that commercialized structure, the band will give you a taste of what it’s like to be bold for the common good. The band’s frontman, Ash Riser, was cool enough to take a moment and talk about his theories of reality and revolution with us in the interview below. Check it out.

Could you give a brief description of your music?

We take influences from the good times, the old, the new, the raw, and the polished. We’re a band who loves good music and we love to make good music. We have a raw sound with a fast heartbeat and a heavy soul. It’s wild, man. It’s seriously like we’re not even trying. It just comes out; It’s magical. 

How many of your MySpace friends do you actually know?

Honestly, like 500 - 600. We know a lot of our fans through shows and different meetings who either love us or want to help us along the way. We’re surrounded by a lot of really positive people and we’re super blessed for that. 

Where did the name of your band come from? Were there any other contenders? If so, what were they?

Well, Kian and I were walking back to our car from The Roxy late one night just talking about how lame the band we just saw was, then two men came out of nowhere in the parking lot with a gun to each of our heads. When we told the story, it just kind of came out somehow. We were in a couple of other bands before Pistol Pistol, but this name was the best. 

Do you prefer gearing up for a tour or coming home from a tour?

Gearing up, just leaving town is always nice. Getting away, sleeping in the car because I don’t drive, haha. It’s just good to bounce every once in a while. 

If you could play a different instrument in your band, what would it be?

Any - We always switch instruments at practice and just mess around. It’s fun. 

Your MySpace page says Pistol Pistol is “revolution.” What is your definition of revolution?

Our “revolution” is being a part of a movement that is bigger than us. History repeats itself an when the “big bad commercial tastelessness” starts to take over then real artists emerge and take back what really belongs to them. The music today, for the most part, isn’t music at all. There are some really good bands and artist out there but for every godo musician/performer, there’s 10 that don’t deserve it. People that shouldn’t be plaguing the world with their horrible excuse for art. It sucks how much crap is being force fed down middle-America’s throat. 

What would be the best compliment someone could give you about your music and why?

When people tell us that our music gets them through their day or helps them through the struggles of life, that’s it. It’s unexplainable and it’s why we do what we do. 

What would be the best piece of advice you could give someone trying to break it into the music business?

If you’re real and you know it, don’t give up - ever. Network, network, network and don’t burn bridges. The music should get you where you want to be.

Dead or alive. What 5 acts would you have play with you at a festival?

Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, The Clash, At The Drive-In, and Pink Floyd. 

What’s your favorite song to play live and why?

“Pills,” man. That song is SO fun for us. 

If you could rid the world of one song, what would it be?

Anything by Soulja Boy or Lil’ Mama. Haha, anything like that for that matter. There’s a lot of stupid nonsense available these days and a lot of people are tricked into liking it. 

What do you hope your listeners get out of your songs?

If anything, I hope that the listener understands the struggle in our music. We’re trying to target a sense of realism and hope in all of the pressures and corruption that today’s youth is faced with. 

Who would you like to see open for one of your shows?

I’d love to play alongside of many great bands, open though? I don’t know. We’d love to play with a lot of bands but to say I want a band to open for us almost insinuates that we think we’re better than them… I don’t have any off the top of my head. 

Where is your favorite place to see a band play in LA?

The Derby or HOB. Chill spots. 

What’s your favorite LA radio station and/or DJ and why?

I love 88.1 FM but for what’s hot, I like to listen to Indie. Jonsey’s Jukebox. Dude, he was in the f***en Sex Pistols! He knows what’s up. Ha. 

Do you support any local charities? If so, who? If not, would you like to?We constantly do Darfur benefits. It’s a really good cause. Recently, we started the “Poor beach bum kids who love rock music and skating so give us money” foundation. It goes towards kids who are broke. Give us money!What’s your guilty pleasure?

I like Maroon 5 and Kanye West. He’s the man. 

What’s the best cure for a hangover?

My friend Jack Daniels and a wholesome hardy meal at Jaxx in Hermosa followed by a blunt. That will make anyone feel like a million bucks. 

What would be your perfect LA day?

Cruising down Melrose in a baller cadillac, getting mad panties thrown at me, Dre and Snoop in the back chillin’ hard and Natalie Portman like all over me. That woud be tits. 

What are the three things you could not live without?

My guitar, my dog, and my friends. 

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

That’s a really hard question, you know? It’s not my place but I’d stop this war and legalize pot, get our economy back in order and put certain politicians in jail for robbing everyone in American blind. 

Tell us one thing about yourself that we probably don’t already know.

I’m super intense. I love with all of my heart and hate with all of my heart as well. If you wanna talk shit, I’m right here. 

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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