How A Queer Punk Duo Took Over The World

EDIT: The article posted here was before the group faced sexual harassment allegations and before the release of their album ‘Pageant’. This article does not represent my feelings on that subject. For the article where I talk about my thoughts and feelings on the accusations, you can read here. This article talks about the high hopes that I had for the band and the appreciation for their music.

Dust off your fancy dresses and break out the glitter because we are about to venture into the past, present, and future of one of my favorite bands…PWR BTTM!!

Bringing new ideas to timeless music, Brooklyn’s PWR BTTM has gone from just another college band to the voice of a generation. With each show being a memorable episode filled with all the random fun one should expect from such a colorful group, the songs for their newest album start to show a more focused sound compared to their first release Ugly Cherries.

From what we’ve seen of the singles for their sophomore album, Pageant, the main members of PWR BTTM (Liv Bruce and Ben Hopkins) are putting forth a more mature record with tighter arrangements and better production. With the single ‘LOL‘, the melody draws from the same glam induced vein as Ugly Cherries, but once the second verse kicks in, operatic background vocals fill the once open space and create a colorful and out of the ordinary palette for a modern rock band. Even sneaking in some french horn to decorate the guitar chords adds just enough push for the epic crescendo of their fun filled finale.

The recent singles (and more than likely entire album) don’t just show a band that is growing in size, but artists that are willing and wanting to grow beyond their original roots. Songs like ‘Answer My Text‘ and ‘Big Beautiful Day‘ have the familiarity of past tracks such as ‘Dairy Queen‘, ‘All The Boys‘, and ‘I Wanna Boi‘, except this time there is a certain refinement and focus on structure and emotion.

Their recent show at SXSW showed everyone that PWR BTTM is here, queer, and always looking for fun!

Look out for Pageant (dropping May 12) and don’t forget to catch one of their legendary shows at a city near you!