The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Pop on the Tracks

Welcome, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Kip: Hi Artrocker!

Do people ever pronounce your name wrong in an entertainingly bad kind of way?

Kip: When we were in Japan there was a big display of our album in a record store that said, "The Paints of Being Pure at Heart." That was pretty cool, so we took pictures of it.

How's New York doing - are there still lots of parties in attics and DIY indie clubs going on?

Kip: We mostly hang out at chain restaurants, but I'm pretty certain there's cooler stuff going on.

Obama seems to be in trouble - are the Republicans gonna kick his butt in November do you think?

Kip: We're more into puns than punditry.

Are the Tea Party Movement as weird as we assume they are?

Kip: I don't know, I drink coffee.

So this weekend - you're playing on a train. Is it your first time?

Kip: Yeah, we even asked to be billed as The Trains of Being Pure at Heart.

'Say No To Love'

What compelled you to play Indietracks?

Kip: It's unique in that it's a festival specifically for people who care intensely about the passionate, emphatic pop music that we love. It's not an excuse for frat boys to get drunk and take their shirts off and bro down... even if it's under the pretense of some hyper diluted notion of "indie."

If anything, this festival is a place for socially suspect kids with vinyl fetishes (mind, gutter - OUT!) to imbibe several adult beverages, remain mostly clothed and bro down (ever so politely) while watching bands like Allo Darlin, The Pooh Sticks and Veronica Falls.

It sounds like a good idea in theory, yes

To me at least, It sounds great in theory.

But what happens if someone gets drunk and decides to kidnap the driver and take control of the train?

Kip: Steven Segal will show up and save the day, natch.

Where else would be a good-but-strange location to hold a music festival?

Kip: I was thinking about one on boats. One time we played on a barge in Toulouse, France-- it was really cool. Imagine getting a few together and people could just take dingies to various boat/stages.

The bands playing could be The Wake, Boat Club, Go Sailor, Boat and Y.A.C.H.T. Maybe Saint Etienne could play "Sound of Water" in its entirety?