Funeral Party is a five-piece band that formed late one night in a park. Hardcore bands and metal bands dominated the local music scene at the time in Whittier, California, an East Los Angeles suburb comprised of mostly working-class enclaves. In the East Los Angeles neighborhoods adjacent to Whittier however, a post-punk dance-craze revival was emerging and Funeral Party began gigging every weekend.

The band quickly developed a following and a D.I.Y. ethos that encapsulated East Los Angeles’ rich musical history. Initially, the band didn’t even own equipment and had to borrow it from bands they played with at East Los Angeles backyard parties and warehouses. Funeral Party quickly achieved a mythic stature in the Los Angeles underground. Lars Stalfors, engineer for Mars Volta, invited the band to record in Volta’s studio in East L.A. The sessions yielded “Chalice”, which immediately became East L.A.’s theme song and could be heard bumping on iPods throughout Southern California.

What is unique about Funeral Party is the band’s universal appeal; there exist numerous infusions in their music. This band is crucially important as they have created a visceral music that encapsulates the experiences of contemporary youth. Funeral Party’s sound is shaped by disparate realities, manifested in the band’s musical approach.