Robbers on High Street

By calling itself Robbers on High Street, this Brooklyn band dares you to guess its influences, and many of them are fairly obvious. There's snarling guitar reminiscent of the Kinks, vocal harmonies inspired by the Beatles, and a lead singer who could double for the Zombies' crooner Colin Blunstone. What's remarkable, however, is the skill with which Robbers on High Street blend these sounds into something all their own. Cryptically named tunes such as "Spanish Teeth" and "The Price & Style" embed themselves in your mind after a single listen, with Ben Trokan's inventive keyboards adding unexpected textures as he moves from the sound of a baby grand, to Fender Rhodes, to calliope.