Sept_APR

4 new unsigned bands you should check out this month

Welcome to the fift installment of our new AP&R online series. Some of you may be thinking, “Wait. Isn’t this usually in the magazine?” Yes, it is, but we’re upping the ante with this section in our new issues by giving your favorite among our scouted unsigned artists an opportunity for a larger print feature in AP!

Check out our selections for this month and take our poll. Your votes determine which band is featured in AP Recommends! Be sure to comment with your favorite unsigned and independent artists. Who knows? They could be included next time!

Create your own user feedback survey

 

MYTH CITY 

HQ: Birmingham, England

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NOW PLAYING: Myth City EP 

ROCKS LIKE: Deftones, Rage Against The Machine, Enter Shikari 

 

English hard-rock and rap-metal outfit Myth City only formed at the beginning of this year, but have already stirred up quite a bit of buzz in their native UK, propelled by their bombastic self-titled debut EP and a series of high-profile shows. Former schoolmates bassist Matt Stephenson and guitarist Bhabs Alishah arranged a jam with Alishah’s friend, drummer Si Hutchings, and quickly discovered a natural chemistry. The trio joined forces with vocalist Maz after posting an online ad, and, with him, rapidly found a passionate internet following. “We started out just writing in a small dingy lockup, recording ourselves on an iPad to see how we could make each song better and stronger,” explains Stephenson, “[We] then started playing a few local shows around Birmingham.” Those shows led to a tour with Fearless Vampire Killers, which, in turn, scored Myth City a show with Enter Shikari. A string of festival outings followed, giving the band an ever-increasing audience as they gear up for additional touring, in the hopes of reaching more pockets of the world in the near future.

 

ISLES

HQ: Woodland Hills, CA

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NOW PLAYING: Isles EP

ROCKS LIKE: Skylar Gray, Gym Class Heroes, Linkin Park 

Isles are a band a decade in the making. Formed in 2005 under a different name and with a slightly different sound, the group have cycled through several members, attracted the attention of a handful of famous mentors, and, finally, settled into their current incarnation. After adopting the moniker Isles, all within the last year, they locked in their lineup, and released their self-titled EP,“Jada Pickett Smith found us in 2007 and helped shape our sound by hooking us up with our good friend and producer Eddie Wohl, as well as putting one of our old songs in her film, The Human Contract,” says guitarist and founding member Daniel Braunstein. At that time, they were only being fronted by rapper Casey Bisetti, but after scoring a meeting with famed record executive, Jimony Iovine, the group were advised to add a vocalist to the mix. Combining elements of pop, hip hop, punk, and alternative, the group, fronted by vocalist Olivia May, are aiming high, and are currently hard at work on their full-length debut. Citing a desire to capitalize on their newfound traction, Braunstein says Isles “want to be touring the world on a large scale and have our music be heard and felt by everyone.” Look out for new tunes soon.

 

HEAD INJURIES

HQ: Denver, CO

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NOW PLAYING: Bail

ROCKS LIKE: MxPx, New Found Glory, Simple Plan

While Head Injuries guitarists/vocalists Jared Russell and Zack Hill have been making music together since their pre-teen days, their latest project started in 2012, the result of years of experimenting in the realms of punk and pop punk. “Head Injuries came together to bring fun back to the scene, to write songs people can relate to and that mean something to them. We're here to tour our asses off, make a few records and try to make an impact,” asserts Russell, joking, “we suck at everything else.” Influenced by a variety of bands rooted deeply on both the punk and pop side of the coin, Head Injuries’ sound mixes nostalgic flair with contemporary pop sensibilities. With thousands of shows under their belt, both in their home state of Colorado and on the road, the band have proven a willingness to work hard for their success, organically building a fanbase through their DIY ethics. “[We’ve] slept on every black mold, flea-ridden carpet on the West Coast, froze half-to-death in a broken-down RV on I-25 in the winter, sweated our balls off in a hundred Wal-Mart parking lots on the East Coas and we couldn't be happier,” claims Russell.

 

CITYCOP

HQ: Akron, OH

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NOW PLAYING: Loner EP

Rocks like: mewithoutYou, Modest Mouse, the Human Flight Committee

“We came together because we were best friends and we are still best friends to this day. Nothing is better than playing music and touring with the people that are essentially your family,” explains guitarist Max Adams, on the formation of Akron, Ohio’s CityCop. Initially envisioned as a two-piece acoustic indie project, along with vocalist Eddie Gancos, and in the vein of Modest Mouse or Dear And The Headlights, CityCop transitioned into a full band in 2011 with the addition of drummer Cody Mikesell and bassist Todd Thompson. Taking pride in their weirdness—and pulling from a range of influences that include screamo, jazz, heavy metal, indie, and punk—CityCop balance acoustic, melody-driven song writing with aggressive, intense vocals, resulting in a sound unlike anyone else. Initially ill-received in their local scene—a product of never quite fitting in with other bands at shows—they soon found encouragement from local punk groups and touring artists. Since releasing their latest EP, Loner, in 2013, the band have spent the last couple of years crafting a new full-length. “Everything is basically written,” asserts Adams. While the record comes together, the band have plans to tour the East Coast towards the end of the year.

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