Way back in the Spring of 2011, we started the “Local Sounds” series to highlight the wealth of music that NYU kids make in their spare time. Now, over a year later, it has come to our attention that a new crop of talented NYU musicians has emerged. We want to give these artists the attention they deserve with photos, interviews and links to their music.

As always, let us know in the comment section below if there are other great acts we should check out. You can also email us at nyulocaleditor@gmail.com

“Yeah, there’s a school in Manhattan with the same name as us, but there’s also a band called The Devil Wears Prada, and that’s a much more egregious offense.”

CAS Senior Patrick Smith smirks over a one-dollar beer as he tells me this, responding to a question he’s no doubt heard repeatedly. The singer/guitarist’s wry sense of humor sneaks its way into his lyrics by way of quips like “I know I look like shit, but I feel alright,” from the fittingly playful “Darling Threads.”

A Beacon School also features the talents of bassist David Miller and ex-Fiasco drummer Jonathan Edelstein, who bring a breath of punk air to Smith’s poppy indie rock, with the end result sounding like Real Estate with balls or Deerhunter if Bradford Cox starting enjoying life.

Smith is the only surviving member of the original incarnation of A Beacon School, founded in Fall 2009 by a foursome of Founders-residing freshmen (anyone who’s ever looked out of a South-facing Founders window will recognize the cover of the band’s first demo). Though the band has changed its lineup several times, many of the songs written in the infancy of the band will soon see the light upon the release of A Beacon School’s self-titled EP, which is slated to drop in a few weeks’ time. The six songs that will be included are “the most cohesive set of songs we’ve been playing,” said Smith, citing their upbeat nature and lyrical themes as unifying features.

In an age where Macbooks sometimes outnumber actual instruments on stage during concerts, A Beacon School’s music stands out in its rawness and simplicity. “We tried to keep the elements as simple as possible: guitar, bass, drums, vocals,” said Smith, “we’re not using crazy studio gear.”

New York has had its fair share of dudes with guitars playing some form of rock music (The Strokes, The Ramones, Television and Interpol to name a few), but today it seems there is a distinct dearth of musicians who are not indebted to electronic music in some way. A Beacon School will fill that gap in your life for you.

Here’s another song that will be on the EP!