Passion Pit Have Everything Going To the Beat [Sold Out Ticket Giveaway]

Ahh, Passion Pit. A band named after a drive-in theater where prepubescents go to make out. The imagery pouring from their music indeed strikes feelings of school-kid age simplicity, fun and love of life, but there's something deeper: Beyond the synthesizers and electronic back beats, sincerity collides with a wistful narrative. They first hit the scene in late 2008 with their Chunk of Change LP, immediately snowballing into an "it band." By the time South by Southwest rolled around this year, the alliterated name was being muttered left and right and up and down. While Chunk of Change gave them a huge chunk of credibility, latest release Manners will undoubtedly bring them towards the top of year-end best music lists. Tonight, they'll keep us shimmying and moon-walking to their electro pop ditties at Emos. Consider this a nudge in the right direction toward appreciating great music while it's still slightly ahead ofthe popularity curve. Okay, maybe you're confident enough with your musical knowledge to not care about that sort of thing, but seriously—check these dudes out.

Tracks like "Sleepyhead" tote singer Michael Angelakos' falsetto to the max. "Live to Tell the Tale" displays theramin-sounding whistles layered with plenty of drum machine. Newer tune, "The Reeling," is a bit more melancholy with leading hooks of, "Look at me, Look at me/ is this the way I'll always be?" and "Here I am, Here I am/ When will someone understand?" but it still manages to sound poppy. No matter the track, Passion Pit serves as a release of tension and a surge of subdued euphoria.

Harlem Shakes, a fiery group from Brooklyn, will set the tone for the evening with cascading piano riffs, twangy vocals and zippy undertones. The group made some new friends and fans at South by and is sure to be an excellent appetizer to an evening of dance and fun.

Passion Pit [myspace] [official]
Harlem Shakes [myspace] [official]

It's a bummer that tickets are sold out, but a few lucky folks have a chance to win some. Enter below.