Ever since we first laid our eyes on The Dance Party, we sensed we were going to get along just great with them. And, since we’re never wrong, we were right. From The Cat to 930 club to our relaunch party (and that Avril cover we still think about in our times of need) to 930 club again it has been all fun all the time.
And by fun we mean: some of the finest glam pop in the District, and PG county, (Imperial Drag would be soo proud), high kicks, intense catching of air, air brushed denim jackets, open bars, closed bars and more. You know, fun. Look it up.
So, to celebrate the release the release of their debut album “Friction, Friction, Friction” we decided to go all out: we had Lets French “interview” them, streamed the record for your getting-the-party-started pleasure and also spent a whole (rather excellent) morning with them tresspassing across the Washington Marina, shooting an all pastel colored, rolled up sleeved, all awesome homage to Miami Vice (featuring also their producer Drew Doucette, of Beauty Pill).

All, you have to do is listen, dig up your old prom clothes and come to their “Rock Prom” CD release celebration this Friday at the Cat. We were promised balloon arches, and we are holding them to it.

But, first things first:

The Interview

Dear The Dance Party,

Is it true that The Dance Party met on Craigslist’s “Missed Connections”?
No.

Same question as above, but this time answer honestly.
Yes.

What’s the best dance party in DC?
We’re the best fucking dance party in DC until Kevin starts running for mayor, groupie politics rears its ugly head, Danny Pearl-Harbors someone, or Jeff starts getting existential.

Do you prefer “the robot” or “the running man”?
Remember how that chick from C+C Music Factory danced? That’s what we prefer.

Did that guy “Kyle” have anything to do with your new album?
There’s a legend that this dude Kyle dubiously kicked the bucket and they buried him in the roof of Wonderland Bar. His ghost seeps into the iShuffles of all the scenesters, hipsters, scamps, skeezes, trick-ass-marks, mark-ass-tricks and scollywhaps and infests their playlists with Kajagoogoo and Shalomar and New Edition solo-project deep cuts. (Johnny Gill is where it’s at, by the way.)

Did hip-hop supergroup PG County have anything to do with your new album?
PG County the PLACE has everything to do with everything. The BAND PG County came to Reno with us once and we stole their women. They kicked our ass but that’s the breaks in the industry, nahmean?

How did Let’s French and The Dance Party become best friends forever (BFF)?
Homogeneous groupies.

Did you hear Let’s French is breaking up in August?
That sucks. But the make-up sex is gonna rule!

Any tour plans, marriage plans, new van plans, frosted tips plans, spelunking plans, hip-hopera plans, macgeyver marathon plans, or hands across DC plans that we should know about?
The most important thing people should know about is:
COME DRESSED UP TO THE BLACK CAT. WEAR YOUR OLD PROM OUTFITS/ORANGE BRIDESMAID DRESSES. GET PICTURES WITH YOUR DATES!!! PRIZES!!! COP A FEEL IN THE BATHROOM!!! IT’S ROCK AND ROLL PROM!!!!!

What’s the most unusual “instrument” that can be heard on your new album?
The robot woman who speaks to you when you turn on your Mac made it onto the album. She mumbles some incoherent robot ramblings on “Sex Disco.” You’d think since she’s a robot, she’d have her shit together, but it took her like 50 takes to get it right.

Write your own question, then answer it.
If you could be a color, which color would you be?

Crooked-edge, ass-wasted, neck-biting debauchery red.

Shut up.
No, you shut up.

I know those aren’t questions.
love,
Let’s French

then….

The Listening Party

1. A-list–When we started recording, the band came to Kevin and said, “Fuck, man! We need a party-starting, panty-removing RAWK riff PRONTO!” Kevin said, “Here.” Check Kevin’s outrageous finger-tapping solo at the end. GuhNARLY!

2. Ultra Radical–This song is about existentialism and probably also about sleeping around. Our friend Ash played drums on it and beat the hell out of ‘em.

3. Indie Beat–Danny, Jeff and I wrote this song years ago, just before Terminator joined the band. My brother, Disco Dan, said he liked the juxtaposition of the intro and outro. Thanks, Danny.

4. Renegade–This is a synthy song with big fat harmonies. It deals with mainly taboo subjects not to be discussed in public.

5. Lipstick–There’s a secret Bob Dylan interpolation in here–my favorite line ever from him. There are also interpolations of Big Daddy Kane, Rob and Fab, The Hooters and Gish.

6. Sex Disco–Check out the break-beats courtesy of our super-producer–Drew Doucette. Shit is hot. Indie-cred or party-cred? Indie-cred or party-cred? Party-cred all the way!

7. Nintendo Power–Stay in skool.

8. Sherri–Good old-fashioned punk song about groupie politics. Listen close at the end for some hectic punk piano played by our pal John Beckham.

9. New Wave Drugz–It’s cool how the synth blends with the guitars in the chorus. This song is about when we went to Vegas one year and Danny hooked up, got married, got divorced, and got sued–all in a 48 hour period.

10. Sing Your Song–We really like The Cars and we wish we could do a better job of ripping them off. Kevin’s guitar line is waaaay pretty. Very soon, the album starts over and you can continue making out.

and finally:

The vice

^{photos: Joel Didriksen www.kingpinphoto.com
styling: Morgan Hungerford of pandahead
art direction: Erik Loften vaktiva.com}

 Send to a Friend