Pity Sex

Pity Sex are a four-piece indie rock/emo band from Ann Arbor, Michigan that began in 2011. Before I say anything else, I must say that I absolutely love this band and suggest that everybody listen to them right now, regardless of anything, 'cuz they're the bestest best band in the whole wide world.

Pity Sex was formed in 2011 by members Brennan (vocals/guitar) and Sean (drums), who had played in bands together before, and soon added Brandan (bass) to finalize the line-up that recorded the demo. During the writing process for Dark World, Britty (vocals/guitar) was added to the band to finish writing and recording the EP. The four-piece signed to Run For Cover and put out their debut full-length Feast Of Love in 2013.

This band's sound is probably most defined by its huge influence from 90's indie/alt/emo bands. The emo influence is probably displayed most prominently on the demo/self-titled thing, and they progress into more indie/alt territory with each album. The guitar tones are quite reverb-heavy, and often switch between being very clean, jangly, to thick, heavy, and distorted. The lead guitar melodies are very reminiscent of J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) and vocals tend to sound fairly downtrodden, though catchy because of the great melodies and harmonies (especially with the male-female dynamic). They've also got a very shoegaze/lo-fi (akin to My Bloody Valentine or Black Tambourine) kind of vibe going, which you can probably tell from the descriptions. It's time to throw a bunch of band names around: Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk, Built To Spill, Archers Of Loaf, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Black Tambourine, Braid, The Promise Ring, and Mineral should give you a good indication as to where they're coming from influence-wise. As comparisons to more modern bands, a few might be Tigers Jaw, The World Is A Beautiful Place..., Dikembe, Dowsing, Brave Bird, Snowing, and Katie/Allison Crutchfield-related projects. Enjoy one of the best bands around now (I don't care if I say that a lot, it's still true):

 

Demo (2011)

1. Ever Green

2. Finding Sleep

3. Bloom

4. Pillow Talk

Dark World (2012)

1. When You're Around

2. Dogwalk

3. Hole Away

4. Coca Cola

5. Glue

6. Flower Girl

Feast Of Love (2013)

1. Wind-Up

2. Keep

3. Drown Me Out

4. Smoke Screen

5. Hollow Body

6. Sedated

7. Honey Pot

8. Drawstring

9. St. John's Wort

10. Fold

Off The Board: A Studio 4 Family Compilation (2013)

12. Euclid

Note: Full comp here

Adventures/Pity Sex (2014)

1. Adventures - Flowing Through

2. Adventures - Behind This Wall (Turning Point cover)

3. Pity Sex - Acid Reflux

4. Pity Sex - Gigantic (Pixies cover)

White Hot Moon (2016)

1. A Satisfactory World For Reasonable People

2. Burden You

3. Bonhomie
4. September

5. What Might Soothe You?

6. Plum

7. Nothing Rips Through Me

8. Orange And Red

9. Dandelion

10. White Hot Moon

11. Pin A Star

12. Wappen Beggars

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