I'm still scratching my head over a pre-CMJ review that I read that likened Appomattox to the Rolling Stones. After listening to the band's 5-song EP "Appmttx" (which was released last month), I'm hearing moody, atmospheric post-punk so I'd suggest that a closer point of comparison would be Gene Love Jezebel.

Appomattox are a three-piece band out of Brooklyn with a seemingly proletariat political agenda. Where some of their "political punk" contemporaries will pummel the listener with the intensity of their music and/or vocal delivery, Appomattox's music is refreshingly clean and precise. Vocalist/guitarist Nick Gaynier sings in a warble/wail similar to Gene Loves Jezebel's Michael Ashton and his guitar lines are reverb-drenched and sound similar to some of the 80's post-punk British bands like The Church and The Chameleons. Bassist Dave Nurmi keeps a steady rolling bass-line beneath the guitars and James Mello's drumming is extremely crisp. In a recent interview, the band described their music as "sweaty distorted political pop hooks echo".

Appomattox recently played an invite-only show at The Bunker Studio in Williamsburg and here is a live video of "Speculators" from the new EP.



In a recent interview with Ascap.Com, the band were asked "How does a Brooklyn band set themselves apart from all the myriad other bands in the most band-filled borough of New York?" Nick answered "One thing that makes us different is we sing about things that we think matter to people right now, [political content]. I just don't think many Brooklyn bands really address that stuff, and the ones that do tend to be 'all message, no hooks'." I have to have to give the band credit as I listened to the band's song "Olympia Snowe" which contains the lyrics "If I let go / Would you keep taking money from every lobby in town? / If I let go / Would you keep making money for everybody who keeps us down?" and spent some time tonight reading about Ms. Snowe's voting record.

Appomattox's post-punk, guitar-driven sound gives the band's music a distinctive ring and, based on the energy of their live videos, the band sounds like they would be a lot of fun to see live.

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Appomattox