Listening to Night Panther is like being trapped in the pornographic portion of Chad Valley's brain. The Doylestown, PA group formed by two best friends Farzad Houshiarnejad and Michael Cammarata probably wouldn't have too much of a problem with that description. Their latest single on the Guess I'm Floating / yvynyl label Small Plates, “Pleasure To Meet You”, sees them pick right up with the falsetto, synths and self-proclaimed “sex pop.” With a few more crescendo's, “Pleasure To Meet You” might signal a directional shift towards a more balanced and hard-hitting electronic sound. Less chillwave, more contextual; as though Night Panther has moved on from the foreplay straight to, um, banging.
I dragged Farzad “The Farz” Houshiarnejad out of Mercury Lounge after a recent NYC performance to ask him a few questions.
If not Night Panther, what would you guys call yourself?
Black Panther
Really?
Yes.
Have you ever considered getting a real life panther to be your mascot at one of the shows?
We tried that, but it scared the crowd so…
You've been compared to bands like Grizzly Bear, Scissor Sisters. Who would you love to be compared to, and who would you hate to be compared to?
Those are both great bands to be compared to, but also wouldn't mind Rush.
Who would you hate to be compared to?
Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin? That’s a random name, why?
Because of the shirt I’m wearing.
You've covered The Beatles and Grizzly Bear, who or which song do you want to cover next?
Not sure off the bat. Perhaps a song that is on the opposite side of our sound spectrum.
I picture you guys performing in silk leopard print robes, can we make this happen?
We take our style seriously. The answer is yes.
Be on the look out for Night Panther's new work coming out some time in 2014. You can grab a copy of their debut LP on iTunes or the limited edition Delta 7″ from Small Plates now.
