On The Verge

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

New York, N.Y.
Realty Bites Back
www.thepainsofbeingpureatheart.com

“In high school we were the kids sitting in the diner drinking bottomless cups of coffee, drawing anarchy signs on our khaki pants, not being cool,” Kip Berman says about his aptly named indie-noise band, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Having found salvation listening to Sonic Youth in his mom’s station wagon, Berman and his friends Peggy Wang-East (vocals, keyboards), Alex Naidus (bass) and Kurt Feldman (drums) have tapped into the angst-ridden coming-of-age style made famous on the Reality Bites and Empire Records soundtracks. The group’s self-titled debut is vulnerable, insecure and triumphant with lyrics sung in quiet harmony over the static of Berman’s fuzz guitar and Feldman’s anthemic drumming. “A lot of the songs are about growing up in the suburbs, just natural stuff,” Berman admits. “Our ambition was to not have too much ambition—just to capture the songs that we love.” The band’s loud live shows offer a cathartic release for those too young or weary for a mosh pit. Berman also promises to play as many underage venues as possible so his teen fans aren’t confined to all-ages punk shows.