By: Nora Lindner

Rating: 10/11

Ladies and Gentleman, mark this down, because The Anti-Job are here. Made up of a rag-tag bunch from across our great nation, Amanda Jones, Martin Lopez-lu and Katie Troy are poised and ready for their debut, We are the Anti-Job, set for release on July 15.

The legend of The Anti-Job began one drunken night at the liberal arts college Vassar in Poughkeepsie, NY (just two hours outside of NYC). Jones and Lopez-lu had often wandered the same social circles, like two ships passing in the night -- that is until they discovered their mutual passion for music.

As Jones explains it, “A mutual friend encouraged us to jam. We went to my room and I picked up my electric guitar, Martin used my acoustic and our friend was singing...and there was this moment of pure ecstasy! When we snapped out of it, I looked at Martin and Martin looked at me, and we were like, ‘Shit...let’s play together’.”

Although they could not have come from more different places -- Lopez-lu hails from LA, while Jones is a Virginia native -- their love of guitar was mutual. Lopez-lu started to play in middle school, when an “old hippie” taught him the basics, which he followed up with a few years of formal lessons by a British guitarist who played island reggae. Jones picked up the instrument in high school when she borrowed one from a friend, mimicking the classic rock greats like Hendrix and Lynard Skynard by ear. Unlike Lopez-lu, she had no formal training until college. Both had been in bands in high school, but neither had gone very far in pursuing their musical careers until they met each other.

Since that first epic jam session, it’s been upwards and onwards. Starting by playing at local coffee houses and open-mics around the college campus, Jones and Lopez-lu soon realized that they’d need a name. Says Jones on the christening of The Anti-Job, “The name has a few meanings. In one sense it represents our collective understanding for never wanting to work a 9-5 job. It’s also a play on words meaning, ‘a passionate pursuit,’ – i.e., your time away from work.”

A few months later (and just in time for the band’s first NYC show) the band added drummer Troy to the mix. Another Vassar student and close friend of Jones’, Troy had played percussion in her middle school orchestra, and when she bought a full drum kit on Craigslist her junior year in college Jones and Lopez-lu were happy to add her “unique vibe” to fill out The Anti-Job sound.

With the lineup complete, the band started on their first EP. Recorded in the basement of the college music building, the five tracks are a musical statement from an undeniably talented and refreshing group. “My favorite song off the EP is probably ‘The Bug,’” says Lopez-lu, “because it’s the most fun for me to play. I get to go from little cowboy licks to a smooth groove and then to a raging chorus. I guess I just really like the transitions of that song.”

So how do you describe The Anti-Job: folksy, psychedelic, classic rock smeared with the modern grit of garage punk, topped with the unexpectedly sweet, soulful powerhouse of a voice from Jones. From the haunting charm of “Love Strange” to the tongue-in-cheek rollick of “Watch out, Panda,” no two songs are alike, yet they share a surprising high caliber for a band’s first recording.

And the future? “We hope to play festivals, great gigs, meet other artists, record more music, and just have fun.” And after they graduate, the band hopes to make this passionate pursuit into a real Job.

The Anti-Job’s EP, We Are the Anti-Job will be available on the band’s myspace for free download on July 15.