Introducing Protokoll

Maybe I'm getting more jaded as I get older, but I'm making more and more of an effort to not get to a concert until the last possible minute. I've seen enough so-so opening bands to last the rest of my life, and if I can avoid standing for a period of hours, I try to do so.

So I was surprised to find myself disappointed last night when I managed to catch only the last song by Protokoll. I'd never heard of them before, but was struck almost immediately upon entering the room at Mercury that this was a band that has its shit together. They were extremely tight, and played - for that one song, at least - with a huge amount of energy. And the lead singer's hair reminds me of Cedric Bixler of the dearly-departed At The Drive-In (and current Mars Volta), so that scored some points with me too.

Anyway, I looked around and found some of their music this morning. It's pretty good. Nothing earth-shattering, but some pretty good early-80's influenced rock that doesn't sound forced like most 80's-influenced bands. I'll definitely be checking them out the next time they swing through NYC.

Check out some songs streaming at their website and MySpace page.