Egocentric Plastic Men

Pop-Punk three-piece from Philadelphia, Egocentric Plastic Men, are dropping their brand new single today, “Hazelnuts”. The track is the second release off their upcoming full-length, “Weeks! Months! Years!”, due out in 2017.

Hazelnuts has a soft air to it that echoes the time of year of its release; things are cooled down, laid back, and there isn’t always a rush to finish things. EPM make awesome use of an early-blink-sounding riff that kicks off the song and pops back in before and after choruses. Matched with the simple chug of guitars, feathery drums, and shaker that nudge the verses along, Hazelnuts will have you bobbing your head without a doubt. Choruses hit with an open sound- guitars strumming out and drums picking up speed- that balances out the mellow verses and drives the song in a way that feels natural.

Bassist/Vocalist of Egocentric Plastic Men, Anthony Piergiovanni, mentions, “the song is actually an idea we had a few years ago and then finally got around to finish it for the new album, and our producer Michael Trycieckyj helped us in the studio with the writing process of the song”. Trycieckyj also plays in the Philadelphia-band, Andorra.

If you like what you’ve heard, come see Egocentric Plastic Men playing some upcoming shows in the Philadelphia area:

October 14th – Live at 5PM on Radio 104.5
October 22nd – Center Theatre, Norristown, PA
October 28th – The Fire, Philadelphia, PA

Do yourself a favor, download Hazelnuts by Egocentric Plastic Men, and blast it on your next drive to Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts/(coffee location of choice) with the windows down. You’ll thank me later. - Pillar Collective

"I'm not a hipster, I just wear the glasses." That was it. Those were all the words it took for me to get excited about this post. I've been looking for local artists to feature on here for some new content! The first band featured is a pop-punk/alternative band from Philadelphia, PA called... Egocentric Plastic Men.

If you're like me, you might not recognize that phrase at first. You might think it's three randomly strung together words but alas, you are wrong.

Let me re-direct you all to "Chump" by Green Day: "Magic Man. Egocentric Plastic Man. Yet you still get one over on me."

There we go. The three magic words. Anthony Piergiovanni, the band's vocalist/bassist, says that's where the name came from.
"We always thought it was cool how bands got their names from other bands lyrics or song titles and we see that a lot today."

Just a quick reference point: All Time Low ("Head On Collision" - New Found Glory), Death Cab For Cutie ("Death Cab For Cutie" - Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), Panic! At The Disco ("Panic" - Name Taken), Man Overboard ("Man Overboard" - Blink 182). The list continues.

The trio met because of school. Piergiovanni met Billy Pfeifer (Guitar/Vocals) during their Freshmen year of high school and decided to have a jam session. They both grew up listening to the typical pop-punk starter pack: Green Day, Blink 182, Sum 41, etc., and Billy brought his long-time friend, Dom Russo to play the drums. The rest is history.

The guys released their debut album, "Batteries Not Included," on December 21, 2013. It doesn't take much analysis to hear the group's obvious musical influences. The songs pay homage to some of their favorite bands from Foo Fighters to New Found Glory and from Yellowcard to Motion City Sountrack. They even threw a little Weezer in there, too!

I love that these guys are bringing back the "old-school" sound to the scene. This album isn't overly-produced. You're not going to hear a lot of synths or auto-tune. The guitars are loud, the bass riffs are awesome, and there are gang vocals! You can't go wrong.

As I listened to this album, I started writing down little notes. Most were the band that a specific song reminded me of, not including track number 5 where I wrote: "Save the Queen... perfect little Blink/NFG baby". I'll let you have that one. But there were some where I pointed out lyrics that I loved or songs where I felt a lot of people could relate.

"Letters To Emily," is heartbreaking in it's own right. The song is urging Emily to keep pushing forward despite the things she is going through. "Dear Emily, You're fading fast From all the paper faces that will make your sorrow last."

A song everyone will feel connected to is "Daydream." A song which Piergiovanni feels is the group's favorite song off the album. The song about the pain of unrequited love. EPM still make sure to throw that song in the current setlist.

Just take a look at the second verse: "My dream always has to come to an end / I lose my lover, I find my friend / She loves me not but I love her so / I open my eyes and she lets me go." In a personal opinion, this is my favorite song (lyrically) on "Batteries Not Included."

The guys are in the studio working on a new album which is sure to be an even bigger ode to the alternative/punk scene. The new record will help them gain some different types of fans as they broaden their influences.

"We want to be a diverse band that can appeal to a lot of different music tastes," Piergiovanni said, "it's something we always strived to be since we started."

The band's next single, "We're the Ones," doesn't have a release date yet, is sure to be done by the end of May. As to what fans can expect, I'm told it is a "fun and catchy song that'll be stuck in their heads for the rest of the day."

When they're not playing shows, the guys are still in school, earning degrees in their respected fields. Piergiovanni is studying culinary arts at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, Pfeifer is studying computer engineering at Villanova University, and Ross is studying mechanical engineering at Temple University.

With that being said, they've been building their fan base steadily over the last 6 years.. Right now, they're focused on making their name in the Philadelphia scene. Eventually, however, they do plan on doing some touring.

As with every interview, I asked Piergiovanni if there was anything he wanted people to know about EPM. I'm confident his response is all you really need to know about them.

"We'll give everything we got as if it was our last show every single time."

I have a link to the Egocentric Plastic Men's Facebook Page as well as their bandcamp page if you guys want to know more. They are playing a show at The World Cafe Live in Philly and if you're in the area you definitely have to stop by. - Fountain Head Focus

i love this! i love this! and these guys will be here NEXT Friday for Live at 5! Introducing...Egocentric Plastic Men! They were one of the Final Four bands to open up for Blink-182 on the beach (sadly the whole show was canceled) but that doesn't stop these local bands from turning out the jams. and i love this song. it's reminiscent of something so simple from back in the day when punk/alt rock was way way way fun! Take a listen to Egocentric Plastic Men's new song "Hazelnuts"- and be sure to tune in next Friday to hear them live! - Radio 104.5

In the aftermath of destruction that Hurricane Harvey wreaked onto the Texan coast — and as Florida grapples with the fallout of Hurricane Irma — Philly’s DIY creatives have been working in full force to support disaster relief by putting Bandcamp’s philanthropic possibilities to test.

From the full-bodied compilations of Good Behavior Records and DIY for Houston, to a release from fresh Items Tagged Philadelphia find, Nymphaea, and a new track from The Residuels, there’s a lot of chances for you to support Houston while also supporting the local scene.

Good Behavior Records’ Hurricane Relief Compilation features twelve artists ranging from the various sounds of Dane Galloway, TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb, Mock Suns, Grubby Little Hands, and more. In addition to downloads, the comp is available in CD form, with all-format proceeds being donated to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

DIY for Houston’s three volumes each feature 18 different songs and artists, some of which include Volume 1’s Egocentric Plastic Men, Pretty Words, Tentative Plans, and Peripheral Sounds; along with Volume 2’s Figure Eight, Kate Dressed Up, Andorra, and Old City Revival. Organized by Brian Walker of A Day Without Love, all proceeds from DIY for Houston downloads will be going to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy from now until September. - WXPN's The Key

Local pop punk group Egocentric Plastic Men have a new release out at the end of the week. Weeks! Months! Years! dives into the push-pit goodness of punk rock, touching on girls, 90s culture, and, well, girls.


Between Billy Pfeifer’s Motion City Sountrack-esque vocals and a guitar that bootlegs Modern Baseball’s Sports, the trio of singles create a spectrum of rock and roll through anthemic choruses and high energy. Parts in “We’re The Ones” scream Lookout-era Green Day, while “Hazelnuts” has an almost Violent Femmes folk-punk vibe. All songs are catchy at its core, and EPM’s new record will give Philly another group of sad men to keep an eye on.

Listen to the singles below, and catch the band celebrate the record’s release with a gig at the wonderful Micheal Jor- er, I mean JJ’s Diner (more information can be found here). - WXPN's The Key

Pop-punk band Egocentric Plastic Men released its latest single, “Veronica,” in support of its upcoming album “Weeks! Months! Years!” Light hearted and catchy, the single from the Philadelphia-based band is pop-punk in its purest form. Comprised of vocalist and guitarist Billy Pfeifer, vocalist and bassist Anthony Piergiovanni and drummer Dom Russo, Egocentric Plastic Men is charismatic and upbeat. The band’s recognizable sound is reminiscent of pop-punk legends, Blink 182 and Green Day–two bands Egocentric Plastic Men cite as its greatest influences.

“Veronica” is telling of the band’s appreciation for the biggest names in the genre. The song’s upbeat, simplistic instrumentation paired with its catchy lyrics are a nod to the early 2000’s pop-punk wave that gave notoriety to fast paced, danceable, teenage anthems. That being said, it is best to consider “Veronica” as 2017’s “Josie.”

When it comes down to it, drummer and Temple student Russo says that Egocentric Plastic Men, “like to have fun and play jams.” If you are interested in keeping up with all of the fun and jams Egocentric Plastic Men have to offer, listen to their upcoming album, “Weeks! Months! Years!” coming out Feb. 17, available to listen at https://egocentricplasticmen.bandcamp.com/.

To listen to “Veronica,” check out https://egocentricplasticmen.bandcamp.com/track/veronica-2. Upcoming shows include Feb. 9 at 1fiftyone gallery + art space, Feb. 10 at The Fat House and Feb. 17 at JJ’s Diner. - WHIP Radio