The Young Leaves hail from Holliston, MA. Have you ever been to Boston? Good, cause they’re nowhere near there. Then again, they’re nowhere near NJ either, and yet somehow here we are. They say they formed in 2006, but I could’ve sworn when we first heard ‘em over at BLR that they’ve been around since 1993…or maybe even 1987 for that matter. Much like their geographical location, their sound too feels like it was born out of the middle of nowhere. They’re a pop band, but they’re not exactly pop; they’re a punk band, but they’re not exactly punk. And they don’t really like the “pop-punk” tag. A friend of the band describes them as, “Elvis Costello fronting Dinosaur Jr.,” and even that’s only sort of accurate. Archers of Loaf but sludgier? Buffalo Tom but fuzzier? It’s hard to put a finger on it, but bands like Superchunk, Jawbreaker, Husker Du, Leatherface and The Lemonheads come to mind even if only as points of reference. You see, despite their mostly aged influences, they have six feet planted firmly in the present, and are bringing something original to a scene bogged down in putting labels on EVERYTHING. If only one thing is for sure, this 3-piece will win you over with their catchy hooks almost immediately, and we’re happy to hear their newest release, “Alive and Well”. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.