Mainland

Mainland fused the raw edge of New York with California’s melodic leanings to shape punchy garage and post-punk numbers that nodded smartly to ’80s new wave, ’90s alternative, and the early-2000s sound of bands whose names began with “The.” Three Californian friends—Jordan Topf handling vocals and guitar, Corey Mullee on guitar and synths, and Alex Pitta on bass—established the group in Brooklyn, absorbing inspiration from the Velvet Underground, the Strokes, and Interpol both directly and at a remove. Their first EP, Girls Unknown, arrived in 2013 with former drummer Dylan Longstreet aboard. Only with the 2014 release Shiner did the band’s direction come into sharper focus. That taut four-track effort, titled after the Texas beer Shiner Bock, was captured in Austin with Spoon’s Jim Eno. Although recorded far from New York, the songs carried a distinct local imprint through angular riffs, propulsive rhythms, and detached vocals reminiscent of Julian Casablancas. Following a deal with 300 Entertainment, the trio cut the next EP, Outcast, which drew from British new wave and surfaced in late 2015. Kevin Augunas, known for work with Cold War Kids and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, produced the sessions at the former Sound City Studios; the resulting tracks featured buoyant group choruses and a jerky, danceable groove on cuts such as “Fading Friends” and “Not as Cool as You.” After supporting Marianas Trench and Jukebox the Ghost in early 2016, Mainland issued a string of singles that opened with the catchy “Beggars” and continued with the brighter “Permission Slip,” “Empty Promises,” and “Dummy Test.” Largely inactive through the first half of 2017, the band resurfaced in September with the single “I Found God.”