Formed by three friends from California -- Jordan Topf on vocals and guitar, Corey Mullee on guitar and synths, and Alex Pitta on bass -- Mainland made their base in Brooklyn and soaked up the vibes from direct (and indirect) influences like the Velvet Underground, the Strokes, and Interpol. Their debut EP (with former drummer Dylan Longstreet), Girls Unknown, was released in 2013. However, it wasn't until their 2014 EP, Shiner, that the band's vision started to develop. A blistering four-song set, the EP (named after their preferred Texan brew, Shiner Bock) was recorded in Austin, Texas, with Spoon's Jim Eno. Even though they weren't in the city, the New York sound permeated each track with jagged riffs, head-bobbing beats, and disaffected vocals that would make Julian Casablancas proud. After signing with 300 Entertainment, they recorded a follow-up EP, Outcast, inspired by British new wave and released in late 2015. Produced by Kevin Augunas (Cold War Kids, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) at the former Sound City Studios, Outcast included exuberant singalongs and a funky jagged strut on tracks like "Fading Friends" and "Not as Cool as You." ~ Neil Z. Yeung