Shiner

Later this month New York City based band Mainland will be self-releasing their Shiner EP. Led by singer/guitarist Jordan Topf, the proto-punk group (referring to the punk sound from the 1960's through the 1970's) traveled down to Austin to record with the renowned Jim Eno (Spoon) at his Public Hi-Fi studio. The result is four accomplished sounding tracks with some awesome guitar work and an up-and-coming lead singer that rock fans simply need to hear.

Opening track "Savant" begins with a familiar surf-rock riff that I wasn't expecting from an East Coast band (I later discovered that most of the band members are originally from California). Topf's vocal delivery is decidedly 70's punk, yet at the same time it’s polished and accessible to a larger audience. Appropriately, "Shiner" is the standout track revolving around drinking - nothing new to the punk genre. An incredibly catchy hook aided by the guitars of Topf, Corey Mullee, and Alex Pitta truly make this song punk for the masses. The exact same compliment could be applied to “Heaven” as well. “Leave The Lights On” is the only small disappointment on this EP. The song is a tad repetitive lyrically and just doesn’t seem to fit with the other pieces. Regardless, if you’re a rock fan who loves the sound of 60’s-70’s guitars and want to hear an extremely talented lead singer, Shiner is for you. Highly Recommended.