Park Ranger

 “Under NY Trees” by Park Ranger, from Safe Without Sound (Parrot on a Porch Records):

If Death Cab for Cutie can put Bellingham, Washington, on the map, there's no reason that Park Ranger can't do the same for New York's Hudson Valley. Both exurb-rocking bands languish in slower tempos and produce more pronounced crescendos than their big-city peers, emphasizing clean guitar tones and nuanced melodic turns. The power trio has at least as much stage experience as Death Cab, albeit in smaller rooms with fewer Proactiv prescriptions per capita. The group's debut LP, Safe Without Sound, also recalls bands such as Minus the Bear and Matt Pond PA – metropolitan contemporaries who share Park Ranger's penchant for robust, chiming pop.