by Maxwell Cavaseno
The very notion of a Perfect Pussy is so tongue-in-cheek, the tendons that hold the body’s most powerful muscle together would probably be damaged in describing that notion. In the hands of anyone else, you can imagine this sort of name would stigma an aspiring young band out of existence. But thankfully, the inheritors of such a title are too crafty to let the first impression be the last, and Perfect Pussy have come out the gate blazing. From humble beginnings in Syracuse, this hardcore quintet has managed to conquer the heads and hearts of a lot of folks with their debut album, Say Yes To Love.
It’s a reasonable reaction to their punky sonic whirlwind. Perfect Pussy can make you recall groups as disparate as your mind can wander. Depending on whom you ask, you can get Coil, Refused, Sonic Youth, or just about anyone you could grip onto as a point of reference while they whip around you. Hardly a typical sensation from hardcore, a genre that from it’s origins has always dealt with a certain amount of rigidity and expectation. But the band’s bassist Greg Ambler finds very little to be surprised by how he and his comrades fail to comply to standard hardcore perceptions.
“It’s just been around long enough to turn into a product so it’s branded with an image and if you don’t reflect the image some people project, they see themselves for the dicks they are and get scared and lash out. Human nature is stupid and you can sound however you want as long as you exemplify the values of the lifestyle you promote.”
Lifestyle is key for a band with Perfect Pussy’s background and reputation. Almost since they’ve emerged, focus has gravitated to the lyrics of Meredith Graves. From the arrival of their demo, I Have Lost All Desire For Feeling, eyes were cast onto the way the band’s vocalist navigated the saga of human relationships through a feminine perspective, riding upon the din supplied by her comrades for maximum impact. The aesthetic and messages of the band have been just as integral to winning fans as their sonic warfare. It’s easy to comprehend why the band would be seized upon by the music press and the ever dreaded Faustian HYPE that can bring lesser bands to their knees.
“It’s always nice to have a positive response to your art,” Ambler admits, “but it sometimes brings out some total assholes.”
It’s dealing with said assholes that can really undermine a band’s diligence. However, not only the fair weather sort of fan can emerge from buzz. The fact remains that Perfect Pussy have been painted as the new messengers of a better code of ethics by certain enthusiasts. And while the band members themselves are not your staunch moralists, they do swim amongst those who use their music to support entirely differing agendas. Put a bunch of bands with messages and themes of great personal value together, and sometimes you may see the friction in the air, or worse. So how does a band like them, with such a sense of values stay protected?
“We refuse to play with bands all the time for all sorts of reasons, usually scheduling,” Ambler admits when the subject of such circumstances is offered. “But definitely if we feel someone’s band politics are fucked we will just say no. There’s no reason to have us in the same room because I don’t surround myself with assholes and have always gone my own way regardless.”
It’s a simple message, but in a realm of bands whom over the ages have fallen into the apolitical, puts Perfect Pussy in the spot of being more than simply looking to rise to new heights. They also have a conscience, a code, a standard. However, it’s the gridlock of such a constantly pensive process while remaining in their state of unusual dissonance that’s fueled them this far.
“We are all five totally different people, but everyone in this band are examples of genuine goodness so it easy to have both. Music is something that is a part of our lives and our personal politics happen to fall in line with that, so we are very lucky.”
With such high spirits, and the band still relatively young, one wonders just how far Perfect Pussy can press on, and just how many people are going to have to wrap their heads around them.
See the band on 8/28 at First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia with Joanna Gruesome.
