Panic at the Disco Shrug Off Poor Sales of ‘Pretty. Odd.’

It’s a disorienting time in the music industry. Panic at the Disco‘s sophomore album, Pretty. Odd., has gotten positive reviews all around, but it’s not exactly ruling the charts.

“It’s really hard to judge how the album is doing based on record sales, you know?” guitarist Ryan Ross recently told MTV News. “We look at that, and we don’t really know what that even means. All we can go off is being on [the Honda Civic Tour] and seeing that people are getting into the new stuff, and that’s the only way we can tell firsthand if things are going well or not.”

Hear that? RyRo wants to see your singing, smiling faces —not your money. OK, maybe some of your money.

“It’s a really weird time for music, and it’s hard to tell where you stand, and all the things that used to tell you about your band have kind of gone away. So how you perceive yourself has changed,” the often-mum drummer Spencer Smith added. “Luckily for us, rock bands have always been about playing live, [which is] good for us, because we’re a real band who plays our own instruments, so we love being able to do it. And luckily that’s always going to be there, because you can’t download the concert ticket.”

Aaaaactually, Mr. Smith, I have downloaded a concert ticket before. It just wasn’t free, obviously. Just sayin’.

I, personally, think a band should measure its success on the general public’s ability to play “finish the lyrics.” Or have some sort of worldwide alert system for every time a lyric is referenced in a fan fiction or in the creation of a screen name or … well, you get the idea. Something to prove the music has permeated a brain or 10, not just chilled as sweet frappucino coasters on various IKEA coffee tables.

Brush your teefs and get your warbling pipes ready if the HCT has yet to hit your hometown!