Ambassadors is one of those bands that are just impressive in some kind of good old way: band members who can play their instrument, strong and staright-forward onstage presence, interesting sound and songwriting – such a band 10 years ago would have easily been picked up by a major label. To us, their avant-alt-rock seems strongly influenced by a particular sound that emerged in the mid 80s – a musical era perceived as prehistoric (and therefore cool) by many twenty-somthings. It’s the era of Peter Gabriel’s pop rock experiments from the "SO" and "US" period, and of a particular drum sound that is huge but controlled – think of the drums from Robert Plant’s records with The Power Station. In a NYC rock scene that’s been mostly flirting with lo-fi, surf and shoegazer influences (without mentioning the hordes of rather generic alt rockers), Ambassadors’ sound is definitely a welcome addition. See them live at Brooklyn Bowl on August 2.
