Sleepyhead

Song: Sleepyhead
Artist: Passion Pit
Album: Manners






Passion Pit is an American electronic band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Formed in 2007, the group consists of Michael Angelakos (lead vocals/keyboards), Ian Hultquist (keyboards), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth/samples), Jeff Apruzzese (bass) and Nate Donmoyer (drums).

History

Formation

Passion Pit formed in late 2007. In 2008, after playing only a handful of shows, they were voted Best New Act in the The Boston Phoenix's Best Music Poll. Soon thereafter the band was signed to the New York City-based Frenchkiss Records and Columbia in the UK.

Chunk of Change (2007–2008)

The band's debut EP Chunk of Change was released on September 16, 2008. Originally, the set of six songs was a Valentine's Day gift from Angelakos to his then-girlfriend that became popular throughout Emerson College, which Angelakos was attending. The song "Sleepyhead" contains samples of the song "Oro Mo Bhaidin" by Irish harpist Mary O'Hara. "Sleepyhead" has gained media exposure through its use in a Canadian PSP advertisement as well as in MTVs 'What the Flip?' campaign. Pitchfork included the "Sleepyhead" music video, directed by The Wilderness, in its top 40 music videos of 2008 list. CMJ Music Marathon 2008 named Passion Pit one of the top bands resulting in an MTV feature. Passion Pit placed ninth in BBC's Sound of 2009 list of up-and-coming acts. The band is slated to appear in Josh Schwartz's online show 'Rockville' in 2009 which will air exclusively on TheWB.com.

On February 24, 2009, the American iTunes store released "Sleepyhead" as a discovery download song.

Following the band's exposure on the BBC's Sound of 2009, Sleepyhead has started to receive airplay on NME TV in the UK.

Manners (2009-present)

The band's first full-length studio album, Manners, was released on May 18, 2009 in the UK and May 19, 2009 in the United States and Canada. In celebration, the band played their record release party on the 18th in New York City on a Rocks Off boat cruise. In a preview article, ClashMusic.com commented that the album "has every chance to rank as one of the year’s best" and that "it reveals additional nuances with each visit: a sure-fire sign of an album with true longevity".

The band's live performances have also been received well, having opened for bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, RJD2, Girl Talk, and These New Puritans.

On April 21, 2009, Passion Pit released the official video for "The Reeling", the first single from Manners, on their YouTube page.

Manners is the debut album from the American electro band Passion Pit. The album was released on May 18, 2009 in the United Kingdom on Columbia, and May 19, 2009 in the United States and Canada on Frenchkiss Records. The album debuted at #19 in Australia.

A music video for "The Reeling" was released on April 21 2009. The song was released on May 11 2009, as the album's lead single.

"Sleepyhead" was originally a song on Passion Pit's debut record Chunk of Change EP, which was a belated Valentine's Day present that lead singer Michael Angelakos put together for his girlfriend.

Track listing

The official track-listing was revealed on Pitchfork Media's website on 27 February, 2009.

1. "Make Light" - 4:56
2. "Little Secrets" - 3:59
3. "Moth's Wings" - 4:16
4. "The Reeling" - 4:48
5. "Eyes as Candles" - 4:08
6. "Swimming in the Flood" - 4:59
7. "Folds in Your Hands" - 3:39
8. "To Kingdom Come" - 4:04
9. "Sleepyhead" - 2:55
10. "Let Your Love Grow Tall" - 3:32
11. "Seaweed Song" - 4:25

Reception

As with its predecessor, the Chunk of Change EP, released in 2008, Manners has thus far been met with generally positive criticism. Clash magazine awarded Manners a 9/10 score in issue 37 (the review was also published online), writing: "At its most adventurous, ‘Manners’ sounds like little else – a pop record that exists in a world of its own, carving a sub-genre niche which only fits their expansive, tonally decadent material." Rolling Stone magazine praised lead singer Michael Angelakos' ability to build on the success of the Chunk of Change EP, noting that "what makes the record are his loose beats, shamelessly fruity melodies and breathless little-boy vocals, all pushing skyward."

John Mayer also linked the song "Moth's Wings" on his website blog, saying "One of the best songs I've heard in a long time. It sounds like the hope I have for the Summer ahead."

Sleepyhead

The Reeling