Nifty Breed

    After forming an alternative rock band in 2008, Matty was desperately trying to rid the band of the name they all seemed to hate. "I was trying to think of something that seemed both interesting and kind of silly." Nifty Breed, looking good on paper, was the band's new name.
    Long Island has many small scenes all around, mostly dominated by pop-punk and hardcore bands. "Beyond that, there are some less popular but functioning alternative/indie scenes that would be more our style, but lately it seems everyones making the big move to the city, a move we aren't able to make yet. We kind of drift between every scene and don't really have roots in any particular one and I'm okay with that." Says Matty, the band vocalist and guitar player.

    This Long Island alternative rock band is made up of two pairs of lifelong friends. Matty and the band's drummer, Jordan, have been friends since they were toddlers. Alex, the band guitarist, and Brian, the bassist, have been friends since birth. "Originally Jordan and Brian were not in the band. Alex and I were playing a show together with a brand new drummer and no bassist (due to unfortunate circumstances) and Brian had come to see us play. Since we had just lost our bass player and I recently learned he played bass, I announced at that show that he was to be our new bass player. After another drummer or two, Jordan found his way into the band and it's been this line up since 2009." recalls Matty.
    The band's influence is drawn from bands like Nirvana, At the Drive-In, 311, Incubus, The Beatles, Silverchair and a lot of other bands from several genres. "We are a very diverse bunch. Our sound is really all over the place. We try not to stick to a distinct style when we write. Musically, some songs are heavy and some songs are more lighthearted, but overall it's all about melody. A lot of the songs lyrically are kind of dark and some may tie into others by chance but each song is able to stand on it's own. All the lyrics are personal and relate to me in one way or another. Sometimes I don't realize this until long after a song is written. Hopefully people can take what they want from our songs because they aren't written with any specific people or messages or themes in mind." Says Matty.

    Talk Before You Speak, the band's debut album, will hopefully be made available in early 2012. "We spent a solid month just tracking everything, and now it is just a matter of making everything sound good and balanced. We are having fun experimenting with different ideas that we couldn't really do on the demos due to time constraints. Crazy ideas like strings, bongos, cowbell and insane noises, stuff we normally wouldn't have taken the time to try out. The public can expect an album that is basically us. Our heart and soul was put into this record and it will be very pure and very raw but still sound good, which is what I think every band strives for in an album."
    The band expects to continue playing shows and reach a wider audience. All the band truly wants out of their experiences is to be heard. Be sure to check out the band's Facebook for updates on the band and upcoming debut album, Talk Before You Speak.

The Trabajabas

    The Spanish word "trabajaba" loosely translates to "used to work." One alternative ska band thought it would be clever to name their band, The Used-to Workers, thus calling themselves, The Trabajabas. The Pittsburgh band really stands out from the small predominantly pop-punk music scene in the area. Their large band and band instruments aren't hard to spot, and their wide variety of ska and indie songs are easy to notice among the other bands. "We're that unique band that kind of throws people off a bit when they see us. In a good way, of course." Says the band.
    The first ska band attempt was a no-go, the band was attempted and quickly failed. The following year in November 2009, the band tried again. This time taking it much more serious and it worked. "It all just started off as a group of somewhat strangers that got together through some mutual friendships. We basically just wanted to start a ska band." The band didn't truly evolve into their current sound until the addition of Aaron Rodden in the fall of 2010, bringing the member count to 9. "Having a band with so many talented people is definitely a plus. But it's quite difficult to match up our schedules and get a full band practice together. And since the age range is so vast, two of us being in college and the rest still in high school, it's necessary to get stand-ins so that things can continue to run. The major benefit of having such a big band is that there are endless possibilities when it comes to making songs. We are all versatile musicians and it's always exciting to put together something new."

    Their are several music influences for many of the individual members, but as a band, they are influenced by bands like Streetlight Manifesto, Arctic Monkeys, Rx Bandits, and The Shins. "It's also interesting to see how each of us has our taste in music and how we apply it to the band as a whole." says the band. Using these influences, the band sculpts and interesting blend of ska, indie, and even some funk. "Our sound is almost indescribable. Some songs are quite funky (like "Strawberry Jam") and others are a mixture of indie and ska (like "Deep Sea Diving"). The beauty of our band is that we just play the music we feel like playing. We don't chain ourselves down to a single genre. But if i had to specify, I would say we are indie rock alternative and ska. Some recurring themes in our songs are references to sea life and horses...just because." Says the band.
    Winning the Mr. Smalls Next Big Thing Tour competition in Pittsburgh is among some of the band's many accomplishments. "25-35 bands were selected to be on the tour and each band was given about 15-20 of set time. The show ran from 11am to 11pm. We played at 7pm, and by that time there were about a good 1000+ people there. At the end of the performances a group of judges selected by the Mr. Smalls staff got together and announced the top three places, in which we won first, and $750." The band also played The Altar Bar Battle of the Bands, winning their first round. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, the band was unable to play their second round, but they received a high quality recording of their live performance.

    The band was very proud to share the stage with Fishbone, one of the first innovators of new wave ska music. The band opened for the ska legends at the Altar Bar, where the show was sold out, but things have a tendency not to go as planned. "Unfortunately, it was the same day of a huge snow storm (about 2 or 3 feet of snow accumulated). It was a huge let down because it would have been packed otherwise. Either way, we enjoyed opening for such an innovative band and later watching them play." Says the band. "They are phenomenal performers."
    Tonight (Monday, November 7th, 2011) the band will be opening for The Supervillains @ The Smiling Moose in Pittsburgh. The band has some big shows planned for the holidays, where the band plans to play lots of new material live. "This coming summer is also going to be a big one. We will probably spend less time in the studio and more time playing shows. And with college coming around the corner for more members of the band, we don't know how much longer we will be around." So get your dose of The Trabajabas before it's too late! Check out the band on Facebook for updates on the band's activity!   

Dreams From Gin

    With a unique and fitting name, Rochester alternative rock band, Dreams From Gin, has racked up quite the interesting resume. The band opened for Local H, which happened to be guitarist/vocalist Tyson Prince's childhood rock n'roll band, in Syracuse and opened for Grammy-nominated artist, Chris Trapper in fall 2010. The band was also featured in the PS3 and PC video game, Beat Hazard Ultra.
    The band's home base is Rochester, New York where they are very proud with their local music scene. "Rochester has a popular local music scene lurking beneath the surface. We have two popular radio stations, 90.5 WBER and 89.7 WITR that constantly plays local indie music. We have several clubs, including the BugJar, that constantly books national and local bands of all flavors." Although the band has a hard time fitting into the prominent genres in the area.

    "Instead of being left out, we use it as a strength. Dreams from Gin is flexible and it has allowed us to covertly play what would be considered "scene shows." We are angry enough to play with "hardcore" bands, fun enough to play with the punk bands and our pedal boards are large enough to play with the indie bands. It has allowed us to form a lot of relationships with a lot of different types of bands." Tyson Prince, guitarist/vocalist, and Travis Hafner, drummer, formed the band in October 2008 during college, but before they could start a band, they needed to find a practice space. The band found a legendary practice space, one that could go down in history as the coolest makeshift space.
    "We ended up renting a large abandoned gas station as a practice space. It was a pretty interesting time, we would have these incredible parties with dozens of musicians and spectators, passing around gear. It was a really creative place, we had art drawings on the wall and used the special of the wipe board to write lyrics. Soon enough, our bassist extrodonaire Christian came by and Dreams from Gin was born." Unfortunately, the band's space wouldn't last forever and after both landlords died, the gas station was taken by the bank and the band had to move on. Since forming, the band has replaced Travis with Nick Manka on the drums.

    The band has many influences and they feel that it reflects in their music. The band's tastes are extensive and range from grunge, Mclusky, Nirvana, Modest Mouse, to Folk, Fleet Foxes and Two Gallants, to Instrumental, Explosions in the Sky and Russian Circles, to Pop, Hooverphonic and Red Hot Chili Peppers." The band describes their music as "cynical, sometimes angry depressed, sometimes maybe even happy but mostly tongue in cheek."
    "I think we represent the duality and hypocritical nature of the human experience.  For better or worse we don't stick to a specific formula or genre.  As far as a message, some songs have a specific meaning and others just convey an emotion or feeling, most of the time it's both.  Occasionally, a chorus to a song is completely unrelated to the verse. I think it's like a little snippet of life, it doesn't always come at you in a neat little package with a easy translated message.  Sometimes your witnessing or contemplating something and then another issue or event comes up in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you get a Non-sequitur." Says Tyson.

    Recently, the band released a "hits" compilation album titled Rabbits Run in Prides. "It is free on our website and is a great starter to anyone interested in Dreams from Gin. I think it represents our best material and the diversity of our material. Songs range from the energetic and clever "Typewriter", the thoughtful and lyrical "Stoic" to the slightly strange anthem that is "Stereo Fire!"  It also includes our take on a pop hit "Mad about you."  The album's a strange beast, a duck billed platypus, weird to experience at first. Soon though, your addicted to the strange delicacy, and you just can't get it out of your head."
    The band is currently on a short hiatus, taking time off to work on an album's worth of new material. "We have about half a dozen songs written now.  The song writing process has been a lot of fun and the chemistry is right.  We all tend to be jokesters, laid back and little cynical, so the songs come together very easily.  I intend this album to have a slightly bigger budget than in the past, which means we can finally fit in everything we want.  We will most likely start performing again in December. Also, we really want to push Dreams from Gin to be involved in more media projects, video games, online movies, etc.  I think our music is perfect for it; we have a diverse catalog of songs and generally let anyone use our music for free.  The internet has given us a chance to reach fans all over the country (and world).  I really enjoy all of the fan mail or tributes we receive.  If we managed to scrounge enough funds we'd love to do a cross-country tour.  You never know what's in the card, we've come a long way from our humble beginnings in an abandoned gas station."

The Eversea

    If you sift through the hardcore and pop-punk bands that make up the music in Boston, MA, you'll find indie rock band, The Eversea. The band came together in October 2010, just over a year ago, and have since released several singles, have been on the radio and are currently working on a 5-song EP which they hope to release in spring.
    The scene in Boston, again, is filled with all kinds of hardcore and pop-punk bands, making it difficult for bands of a different genre to get a foothold in the scene. "We try to play any show we can get and keep ourselves out in the scene with new material every time." Says the band.

    The 3-piece came together fairly easily, but after some trouble they decided to part ways with their original vocalist. Clay Taranto (lead guitar) and Aron Blye (drums) brought Joe Cook on board after seeing him perform at an open mic night at Bridgewater College, completing the band line-up.
    Each member of the band has different music taste, but collectively, the band is influenced by bands like Pearl Jam, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Foo Fighters. Using these influences, the band creates their indie alternative rock. "We try to take a little bit from every band we listen to and mix them into the songs we make. We try to have a distinct sound. Something you don’t hear too much from bands now a days."

    When the band plays a show, they try to keep it high energy. "We try to get the crowd involved, we really feed off the crowd and if they're having a good time, it really effects us positively on stage." The band has released several singles that they perform at their shows, but the band is currently working on their 5-song EP.
    You can keep your eyes peeled for the band's EP this spring. "We’ve been playing on a few radio stations and have been writing a lot, just trying to get the name out there and working on our EP!"

Streets Ahead

    In Bedford, NH, you'll find optimistic alternative indie rock band, Streets Ahead, which came together in October 2010. The band decided on their name because it implies looking forward towards the future and the band likes to keep an optimistic view.
    Bedford recently built a high school in town and the band played the high school's Battle of the Bands. "It's all really new and traditions are kind of in the works. We did play a show at our school's student run lock-in and also the poetry night, so I guess we are pretty involved when people need a band for a school function. Aside from that though, most of our shows have been at least 20 minutes away from home."
    Cara Bernard (vocals) and Miranda Sealander (drums) were in a rock cover band together, which was made up of trumpet players from the school's marching band. It wasn't until they found guitarist, Matt Cambria and bassist, Dylan Kiely that the band branched away from the cover band and started writing original music as Streets Ahead.

(Photo: Rene Morrison)

    Each of the members have different influences from Paramore to Radiohead and Muse to Johnny Foreinger. With such broad influences, the band naturally hass a broad sound. The band writes with emotions and write music based on how they feel, not how they want to sound.
    When it comes to playing shows, the band puts on an energetic set. They enjoy jumping around on stage and just having a fun performance. " We try to keep an open invitation for the audience to join in since that is generally why people go to concerts, to have fun."
    The band released the Open Doors On Sinking Ships EP in early March 2011, and it was the band's first recording. "it was all kind of a bit of a learning experience. At the time we recorded it, we were still growing as a band and still trying to find our sound. The songs all kind of have a theme of reflecting on past mistakes and learning from them and using them to build a brighter future. The overall sound is a bit more mellow than our current set list."

(Photo: Rene Morrison)

    Currently, the band is working on their next ep. "We have grown a lot as a band since our last EP and improved our musical abilities. Me and My Affections has a darker, yet more energetic sound. We are all really happy with the outcome and feel that it represents what you'll hear from our band much better than our last EP."
    With all the band members away at college, the band is writing music seperately. Once the band is on break, they will try to squeeze in as many shows as they can. Be sure to check out the band on Facebook for EP updates and more!

The Scars Heal In Time

(Photo: Southern Envy)

    In the heart of the Houston, the largest city in Texas, you'll find two young musicians doing what bands twice their age have yet to accomplish. The Scars Heal In Time, which had their first practice in late July, 2010, have played over a hundred shows since forming, have opened for Bad Company in front of over 10,000 people, and have released an album titled Twisted Truth. What makes all of this even more impressive? They've accomplished all of this before their 18th birthday.
    The band consists of sisters 16 year old Kayla(guitar/bass/vocals) and 13 year old Tayler(drums/screams) Smith. Their young age comes at an advantage and a disadvantage. "Being a young two piece, people don't want to take a chance on us playing at their bars and clubs. But once we get in we are always asked back. People tend to underestimate us because we're young and look cute and innocent." Says the band.

(Photo: Southern Envy)

    The girls are influenced by Nirvana and many female fronted bands. Joan Jett is a huge inspiration for them and the girls also look up to local Austin band, One-Eyed Doll. "They have helped us out a lot and are really great people."
    When asked to describe their sound, the band had trouble coming up with a straight forward answer. "That's hard... Cause we are so many different things. Something along the lines of Alternative / Rock / Punk / In Your Face."
    The local Houston scene is very metal, according to the girls. "There are a few bands around who don't fall into the category but the majority of them are metal. Strangely, the metal crowds love us. We are very involved in the local music scene. In order to gain respect and support you have to give it. We go out to other local shows whenever we can. We love our local music scene."

(Photo: Rhonda Austin Meredith)

    Recently, the band released their album, Twisted Truth, in April 2011. The band talked a bit about the album.

"If you ask ten people what our sound is you will get ten different answers. We once got "Heavy Mellow" Not quite sure what that means but we like it! We write from the stuff we see and hear about daily. Since we are so young we don't really have a lot of life experience so we put ourselves in other peoples shoes. 

The songs on Twisted Truth are mostly about relationships but not what you would expect from us. We've had grown men come up to us and tell us they can relate to our songs which is an awesome feeling.

So far we haven't taken it online. We should be doing that soon though. We have sold quite a few actually. We have received a lot of airplay on internet radio shows. One of the songs "Love Or Death" (Which is a Romeo and Juliet type story) is the fade out song on the internet TV series "Cyphers" starring Debrianna Mancini.  She is that actress that was in "Crazy Hearts" with Jeff Bridges."

(Photo: Rhonda Austin Meredith)

    Clubs, concerts, festivals and even motorcycle rallies, the girls play it all. "We've played over 100 shows with as few as 20 people and as many as 15,000.  Obviously, we enjoy the bigger shows more, but we just love playing." Their shows are loud and awesome. "Expect it to blow you away. And definitely expect the unexpected."
    The band is really itching to get back into the studio "We have some new songs we want to get recorded.  We are starting to play more dates out of town. Some not too far like Dallas, San Antonio but we are also going to Colorado and in December we will be in Nashville."
    Be sure to check out the band's Facebook!