Outside of Baltimore

Yeah, guilty as charged. I'll jump in the car for just about any show I can make it to in Baltimore City, because every time I read about a band or hear about one, I find out they'll be in Baltimore soon. Case and point, Parts & Labor plays tonight at the Floristree Space in the H&H Bulding. I would do a lot to make it to the show, but I have no way of getting there (silly friends!). Next year a call should solve that problem. In tribute to a sorely missed opportunity:

Fractured Skies-Parts & Labor

Parts & Labor, along with rogue spins of Death From Above 1979's You're A Woman, I'm A Machine, ultimately satisfy me for a much louder heavier sound. Though DFA1979's sound owes a lot to metal and P&L owe a lot to punk, each of them satiate my appetite for something little more challenging and fast paced. What they offer is a punk version of orchestral noise, the track above in particular. A good exercise in melody while still anchored by drums that tremble on the edge of frantic.

However, my attentions have been gripped a band out of Cambridge, MA calling themselves Passion Pit. In what little valuable information available within the first 3-4 pages of a Google search, a few blurbs seem to try and label the band's sound in order to promote them. The truth, is that I don't even want to try, suffice it to say I find them very accessible. A friend who's taste deserves no criticisms beyond the fact that she doesn't listen to music enough sat in my room the other day and remarked on their sound, describing them simply as "fun and bouncy." They are not, however, anything really like the current champions of the indie world Vampire Weekend, but perhaps in the near future they'll garner just as much praise. It stands to reason that Passion Pit's sound is an extremely promising mix of dance and pop that is sure to snag the ears of anyone who appreciates a well-layered arrangement.

What I can do is offer a few ideas about how they sound, as opposed to who they sound like. On "Sleepy Head," the song that has garnered the most attention from yours truly, the band employs a healthy dosage of keyboard licks, mutated loops, and a very very dance-able beat. I recommend taking a listen.

Sleepy Head-Passion Pit

Contemplating how to characterize the sound, as per my statement above, is not something I really want to do, although I have to say I see the same potential for windows-down summer cruising with "Sleepy Head" threatening to ruin my car's speakers as I did for the better part of a year listening to Ratatat and their infamous mixtapes. What is really valuable about the Pasion Pit sound is the reinvention of a dance-pop song; I like to think about smushing Ratatat, El Ten Eleven, and Architecture in Helsinki all into one fun-loving sound.

I first found out about PP through Goose Got Me Loose and for that a hearty thank you goes out to Eli "Stoney" Stoneberg. A few months back he blogged about sitting in a Pasiion Pit rehearsal and from there I was hooked. There's mention in the post for a video for Sleepy Head and I really do hope it's available in the near future.

A number of other songs are available on and through the band's myspace, with my only lament stemming from the fact that they aren't coming to Baltimore anytime soon! Come on boys! Don't make me wait until the summer when Cambridge is just a 2 hour drive away!