New Artist: Violens

Indie rock quartet Violens (pronounced vy-lenz) are a Miami-based group who are releasing their self-titled debut tomorrow. The four-song set showcases the band's catchy pop sound, a new take on the classic Brit-rock style of the sixties and seventies. In fact, it would be easy to mistake the group for hailing from across the sea, as they conjure the spirit of bands like The Zombies and combine it with a post-punk vibe that immediately caught my attention. The songs on Violens are quite good, enough so to make me wish there was more to love than just a compact 11 minutes.

The EP starts with the smooth, Shins-esque "Already Over," that grooves subtly along with reverbed vocal harmony and a sharp bass/drum rhythm. Next up is my personal favorite, the dark, funky "Spectator & Pupil," which features an absolutely stunning retro-pop chorus bringing me back to the old days of digging through my Dad's oldies collection, followed by the pleasant, bouncy "Doomed." The record closes with "Violent Sensation Descends," starting with a noisy, fussy intro before sliding into something quite reminiscent of The Byrds, but with a slightly more sinister edge.

Check out the band's MySpace to hear a a few songs and get yourself introduced to a band that will surely be making some big waves soon.