Speaking of New Jersey (see post below this one), Gates from New Brunswick play a genre that we would more easily associate with the Garden State, with its frequent emo references and "alt" sounding distorted guitars. But, by introducing textural post rock and ambient elements, the band forged a sound so intense and sophisticated that the resulting songs come across as sincere and heart-felt, which is what most emo fails to achieve. The quartet isn’t new to the scene, but last year’s release "Bloom and Breathe" (their third since 2011) has raised their profile quite a bit, opening the doors to a tour opening for The Dear Hunter. Check out their single "Not My Blood," streaming below.
