Innerpartysystem. Type that name into Google. Go on. We’ll wait.

Not much there, right? A few shout-outs, like “Innerpartysystem deftly toe a thin line between anthemic pop-rock and melodramatic electro-pop” says Spin, something about China’s inner-party factional politics and a few torrent streams. Otherwise, the band seems to exist in an ether.

And that’s the point.

“We don’t want attention on us,” says…well, one of the members of the band, who refuses to go on record – and for good reason. “There’s no one leader, no frontman – this is a collective. We’re not concerned about who we are outside of the music. In a way, the less people know about us, as people, the better. Hey, even on stage, we’re backlit, so we just show up as silhouettes.”

After being forced to change their name from The Takeover, the group started playing around with monikers that came closer to describing both its sound and philosophy. Innerpartysystem, the winning title, was adapted from the George Orwell book “1984″ (in that dystopian novel, the Inner Party was one of three classes of people in Oceania; the Party is the highest end of the hierarchy and controls the government, and by extent, the media).

Explains IPS: “As a band, we were fascinated by that concept. It ties into the world of today, the hierarchy of celebrities that people worship.” That anti-celeb swipe is most prominent in the searing “Don’t Stop,” which features Nissley railing against the TMZ-inspired world of fake celebrity. (”I feed the rich and fu*@ the poor,” the frontman chastises over a harsh electro-punk beat.)

For the new record, the band recruited a number of A-level producers and mixers, including Joel Hamilton (Book of Knots, Sparklehorse, Blue Tip), Mark Needham (The Killers, Pete Yorn), Spike Stent (Bjork, Arcade Fire), and Alan Moulder (Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Jesus & Mary Chain, the Killers), all of whom brought new ideas on sound and instrumentation to the group.

As the band preps its first video for “Don’t Stop,” they also plan to spend most of the spring and summer touring, including several stops at SXSW. And, for the group it’s where the true nature of the band can be found.

Says Innerpartysystem: “We’re keeping it DIY, doing shows wherever and whenever we can. When you see us, there’s a real aggressive vibe in some ways to what we do, and then there’s also this party atmosphere. It’s that old 10 pm to 6 am kind of vibe. The lights never stop. It’s a huge party…and it takes the spotlight off of us, and puts it on the music, where it belongs.”

Listen to this new track from Innerpartysystem – their full length is due out June 2008 on Island / Def Jam Records:

“Transmission” by Innerpartysystem

Innerpartysystem shows at SXSW:

March 12, 2008
Innerpartysystem
Purevolume Party
Time: 3am (Thursday early morning)
Venue: The Purevolume Ranch
323 E. 2nd St

March 15, 2008
Innerpartysystem
Purevolume/Official SXSW Showcase
Time: 10pm
Venue: Habana Annex Backyard
E. 6TH & Red River

Innerpartysystem band members:

Patrick Nissley – vocals
Jarred Piccone – drums
Kris Barman – synth, guitar
Jesse Cronan – synth, samples

For more information, go to:

Imeem Profile
Innerpartysystem Official Website
Innerpartysystem on Myspace