Nerdy is cute, cute is cool. Our How To: Pull In The British Library plays on this very fact. Back at college everyone wanted to fuck that girl/guy who spent far too long reading Brett Easton Ellis, and geeking out to Pavement. Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are four of those totally fuckable kids rolled through some Brooklyn chic, and spat back out in a mess of dreamy retro-fit indie pop. They’d be as at home sharing a tea-cake with Belle & Sebastian in a hazy-aired Glasgow cafe, as they are in NY’s hippest borough.
CHERYL BURNS shared a cocktail with the band during their recent whistle-stop visit to the UK, and let us know what the hell they chatted about.
Apart from being in a famous band, what’s your claim to fame?
Peggy (Vocals/Keys): They were making that film, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist around the corner from where I lived. I walked down the street and saw Michael Cera and was like “OMG! There’s Michael Cera.”
Are you fans of British music?
Alex (Bass): I read the NME actually, so I know all the British haircut bands and stuff. Bombay Bicycle Club and stuff. Bands are hyped in the UK that never make it in the US, it’s kind of fascinating to see what’s out there.
If you could create a super-band who would be in it?
Peggy: Kim Deal.
Kip (Guitar/Vox): Brett Anderson from Suede, he’s the singer.
Alex: I’ll say Fab from The Strokes because he seems like a true bro. He likes to get high and hang out but he’s also really hot.
Kip: Jarvis dude! He can sing. I feel like Jarvis and Fab would hang out and be bros.
We asked the guys and girls from Pains Of Being Pure At Heart to take some shots while on tour in Germany late last month, here’s what they sent us. Seems either they, or Germany, have a heavy obsession with Morrissey and the kind of food portions that’d make even Beth Ditto quake in her quasi-lesbian boots.
