New Artist/MP3: East Hundred

This five-piece band from Philadelphia are composed of brothers Brooke and Will Blair (on guitars and drums, respectively), Brooke's ex-girlfriend Beril Guceri singing, and the Blairs' good friends David Sunderland on bass and Susan Gager on Keys. It looks like a recipe for inter-band drama, and it was, as Brooke and Beril broke up midway through making the group's first album, Passesnger, to be released this week. Fortunately for them (and for us), "rather than derail the recording process...the resultant heartache and awkwardness produced a flood of new material and what was intended to be a minor EP soon became a full-fledged album," according to the band's bio.

The nine tracks on East Hundred's debut LP range from straightforward alt-rock tunes like opener "Slow Burning Crimes" and "Dear Blue" to the more delicate, indie shoegaze sound of "Sigh and Wave." The album has some great moments, especially "Autopilot," with its excellent mix of shimmering guitars and Guceri's clear, strong vocals and the haunting, meloncholy closer, "Afterlove." The band definitely have a knack for writing melodic pop rock tunes that grow with each spin. Get yourself introduced by downloading "Slow Burning Crimes" below and make sure to check out the video as well.

Slow Burning Crimes - MP3

Slow Burning Crimes - watch the video


Track listing for Passenger:
1. Slow Burning Crimes
2. Plus Minus
3. Deadpan
4. Autopilot
5. Pony
6. Along The Way
7. Dear Blue
8. Sigh And Wave
9. Afterlove