It was February 2007. Michael Angelakos, a student and singer/songwriter at Emerson College, was looking for that special gift to give to his then girlfriend for Valentine’s Day. What he came up with were six songs recorded under the alias Passion Pit. The songs failed to woo his lover, but spread like wildfire at Emerson and caught the collective interest of the student body. It was then that Angelakos realized he had something big on his hands.

The six songs morphed into an EP named “Chunk of Change” and was officially released in late September 2008. On it was a song called “Sleepyhead,” which has since gained over 2.6 million listens on MySpace and over 1 million views on YouTube. The success of “Sleepyhead” led to Passion Pit landing a record deal with New York City-based Frenchkiss Records and Columbia Records in the UK. It’s also helped Passion Pit gain a full-fledged quartet for live performances.

As far as Manners goes, it brings to the indie-pop music scene a breath of fresh air. Twenty-one year old Angelakos and company have created of the most playful and danceable electropop tracks that I’ve heard since maybe MGMT. Manners is sure to be one of the anthems of your summer. You have to check it out.

Download Passion Pit’s Manners here

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