It’s not every day you hear a band criticize Congresswoman Olympia Snowe in a song. The moderate Republican usually scores high marks from liberals, but then Appomattox is no moderate band. The power trio – one of the best live bands in town – is taking pop music’s ultra-digestable format and cramming politically charged lyrics head-on down its throat. A welcome change from the usually passive temperament of modern pop, this band has found a way to stand out amongst Brooklyn’s crowded backdrop by turning the form on its head and back to its roots as a countercultural force for change. But don’t worry, singer/guitarist Nick Gaynier makes the medicine go down easy. With incredibly catchy hooks and dub-soaked vocals, you’ll easily forget the politically charged backdrop in chants like “Where’d the money come from?” in ‘Speculators.’ The entire 5 song EP (Appmttx) could be mistaken for a less vitriolic groups’ output like The Chameleons, until you hear what’s really going on and realize a closer kinship could be made to Gang of Four’s political spirit. Check out new single Radiator (streaming below), in which our singer extends his rage toward an anonymous Julia, in a way you wish he was talking about you. They just played with Joe Lally from Fugazi at Knitting Factory. Sorry if you missed it, but don’t worry… these proletariat punks aren’t leaving NYC anytime soon. - Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)