Test Your Reflex

Drawing from the earnest, stadium-ready rock of 1980s icons such as U2, Peter Gabriel, the Police, and Simple Minds, Test Your Reflex reshape that era’s sonic blueprint to echo present-day outfits like the Arcade Fire and the Faint, sidestepping straightforward post-punk revivalism. The ensemble originated in 2004 in Thousand Oaks, a suburb outside Los Angeles, California, when singer-guitarist Ryan Levine assembled the lineup that also features lead guitarist R.C. Clark, keyboardist Andrew Ampaya, bassist Agustin Sanchez, and drummer Sal Cortez. Their striking teen-idol appearance paired with a sharply nostalgic atmosphere quickly sparked a modest label bidding contest, which Sony BMG’s RCA imprint ultimately claimed. Early in 2007 the band issued its first full-length release, The Burning Hour, after introducing the lead track “Pieces of the Sun.”