Giggle Party

San Francisco’s Giggle Party, who moved to the Bay from Dallas just over a year ago, recently released a three-song EP entitled This City Smells like Piss ahead of a headlining gig at Bottom of the Hill January 20th. The band likes to think of themselves as a strong live band, but their studio work is a lot of fun, too. All five members of the band sing (and sing loudly), with huge choruses and chants everywhere. Singer and bassist Jason Reichtel tells me that while their previous albums were primarily synth-driven, their time in San Francisco has led to more guitar-heavy songs, which is reflected in This City. Despite the slight change in style, they still sound like they can bring a party when they perform.

Listen to “These Vampires” off This City below and download or stream the rest from Giggle Party’s Bandcamp page. Giggle Party’s show at Bottom of the Hill is this Sunday night with support by Bella Novella and Spider Heart. - The Bay Bridged

We first covered Giggle Party last month, giving you the scoop on the SF-via-Dallas outfit’s latest EP, This City Smells Like Piss. Although I’d argue that only certain neighborhoods in our fair city smell like urine (hey nothing’s perfect, right?), that’s beside the point – Giggle Party brings an infectious brand of “spazzy punk/pop” that is a notable addition to the Bay Area scene, and they keep pumping out quality releases, one after the other.

Now, the band is back with a ridiculously awesome (and undeniably danceable) cover of the Pixies’ “Debaser”, the opening track off the legendary indie act’s sophomore album, 1989's Doolittle. What makes the cover (beyond the racing guitars and synths) is the combination of male and female voices, à la Black Francis and Kim Deal on the original; the song wouldn’t have been complete without that interplay, and these Texas ex-pats deliver in stellar fashion. Listen to Giggle Party’s take on “Debaser” below, and if you’re unfamiliar with the original, check it out here (and you’ll want to ask yourself why you’re unfamiliar with the Pixies – that’s a major problem).

Giggle Party plays a free (yes, FREE) gig tonight at Brick and Mortar with Turtle Rising and Guitar Wizards of the Future. You can grab copies of their cover of “Debaser”, This City Smells Like Piss, and the rest of the band’s catalog over on Bandcamp.

Giggle Party, Turtle Rising, Guitar Wizards of the Future
Brick and Mortar Music Hall
February 13, 2013
9pm, FREE
18+ - The Bay Bridged

(See link for Radio interview)

Giggle Party was formed in Dallas, Texas and after garnering a dedicated cult following for their raucous live performances and feel-good, borderline absurdest breed of pop-punk, they have relocated to San Francisco to share their musical celebration. Giggle Party’s recently-released debut LP Death and Other Unnatural Phenomena celebrates the absurdity of death and living each day like it’s your last. The record features a more polished sound than the band’s 2009 EP The Holes In Your Face Are Pleasing, but the frenetic urgency of their message remains clear: Have fun. Live Hard. Dance. Repeat. - Baghdad by the Bay

I saw Giggle Party at one of their first shows and they annoyed the shit out of me beyond belief. Matching outfits, unison singing and high energy were harshing my mellow. Surprisingly a month or two later I viewed a really slick and humorous video for one of their songs and apparently ended up liking it. Their hyperactive indie pop sounds like it has been polished to the bone with sugar, coming across as a hybrid of Apples in Stereo and Frank Zappa, sprinkled with a little Gary Glitter singalong pomp. A band certainly worth checking out for its healthy sense of humor. - We Shot JR Blog

Bad news, fans of things that are fun: Giggle Party is bailing on Dallas-Fort Worth for the greener pastures of San Francisco. Right after this weekend, in fact.

Turns out bassist Jason Reichl is headed that way for real-life, not-at-all-music-related career reasons--and GP keyboardist Kat Michie (aka Mrs. Jason Reichl) is moving with him, for fairly obvious reasons. So, too, is the rest of the band.

So, sadly, Giggle Party is headed for the Bay Area. But, thankfully, at least it isn't breaking up its good-time band.

Nor is it going to leave without a party. Tonight, at Reichl's Exposition Park home/DIY venue, The Handsome Kitten (824 Exposition Ave., Suite No. 8), the band, along with here Holy Spain, Young & Brave and Backflap, will host a going away party where it will also give its final performance as a Dallas-based product.

Earlier this week, we caught up with Reichl to find out the reasons behind the move and what the band hopes will come out of it.

... - Dallas Observer

But, of all the day's performances, Giggle Party gave the strongest visual, balls-to-the-wall show. Somewhere between pop-punk and anarchic electro-comedy, this mischievous quartet--and those brave enough to get close--were sodden with cupcake icing, malt liquor, silly string and sweat. The sticker on Jason Reichl's bass read "Sorry About the Mess" and perhaps best articulated the band's aftermath. - Dallas Observer

The synth driven dance punk quartet of Giggle Party is just screaming for attention. Nominated for Best New Act and already known throughout town for its fun, high energy live performances, the band also has a reputation for a phenomenal sense of humor (Google the band's animated video for its song "Jason Bought a Hatchet" for a delicious taste)." Dallas Observer pre-DOMA showcase review. - The Dallas Observer

Ever wonder what Girl Talk would be like if it was a 4 piece band, and not some guy standing at a card table with a lap top? Well, that is kinda what a Giggle Party live show is like, the Dallas foursome of Aaron Eash, Gabe Brenier, Kat Michie and Jason Reichl, pepper contemporary tracks into their hyper kinetic live show, making their party pop sound flow seamlessly above a crowd of manically laughing, dancing fans. I was able to get an interview with the band that half happened on twitter today/half happened through email, were we managed to discusse everything from Star Trek, trying to open for a band you love, and what’s like just trying to have fun through music.

... - Day Bow Bow Blog

Giggle Party to Death
January 20, 2010 at 11:39 AM | In songstuffs | Comments Off

Here’s their first self-released leak “Big Bang” which you can download for free RIGHT NOW, but will cost you a buck in about an hour and a half.

If this song is any indication, the band’s songwriting and production savvy have evolved in leaps and bounds. See for your own damn self…

It’s the same synth-punk dance party fodder we’ve come to love from GP, but any and all rough edges seem to have been sufficiently buffed. Fame and fortune is just around the corner. No doubt, it’s only a matter of time before they’ll be appearing in a national ad campaign where they’ll be blanketing a Pontiac G8 Sport Truck or an HP TouchSmart tx2 Notebook PC in silly string. - The Hanging Brain Blog

Dallas' frenetic, mad-genius punk act Giggle Party started setting up onstage at The Boiler Room by not only plugging in, but by blowing up balloons.

As such, its show started with cheers--plus drunken catcalls and pre-recorded instructions on how the audience could participate, go figure. In turn, long before the band started to play music, its crowd had swelled, its audience already jumping.

It wasn't altogether unlike the New Year's Eve-like atmosphere you feel at a Flaming Lips show--only even more hyper-charged.

Four songs in, immensely-talented guitarist Aaron Eash paused to strip off his pants and sneakers. He's overly animated, and nearly elastic, onstage. Bassist Jason Reichl and keyboardist Katrina Michie were also pants-less before long, and pulled some 20 people from the crowd on stage to jump with them before launching into abbreviated, and, OK, botchy covers of the Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right" and Blur's "Song 2." More than anything, though, these songs provided an entry into Giggle Party's own signature punk track, "Jason Bought A Hatchet," which saw the band passing out more party toys as it played.

As quickly as it started, though, it was over--and that much was signaled with a post-apocalyptic, colorful dust of confetti having settled over the stage while the band walked off in smeared clown makeup, and matching, sweat-soaked, turquoise underwear.

Per a decal on the bass guitar: "Sorry about the mess." No apologies for the fucking kickass live music, though. - The Dallas Observer

The less main, main stage featured a string of performers whose work skirts the boundaries dividing music from performance art. North Texas’s Giggle Party, who took their talents to San Francisco, were among the more ridiculous things I have seen in my life. The comedy/music act, in their monochrome pastel t-shirts with matching war paint, looked like a demented platoon of Care Bears or the Wiggles on a five day bender of malt liquor and Skittles. Giggle Party didn’t seem to mind that it was midday, that the balloons attached to the cymbals might be musically inhibitive or that the crowd was small. They were charmingly oblivious to everything, throwing giant cardboard cupcakes, inflatable whales and one of the more poorly-constructed bed-sheet/balloon octopi I have encountered – and I have encountered several. You could call them gimmicky and the most enticing thing about Giggle Party is that they would have the detached veracity to agree. - D Magazine

Cotton candy party punk with a bitter after taste, Giggle Party sound like Bis and are here to brighten up easter with a blast of Atari electro, schoolyard changing and manic laughter that goes by the name ‘Easter Tree. - The Devil Has the Best Tuna Blog