The States are an accidental band in a contradictory age. After spending his childhood playing violin and singing in Hollywood movies, Chris Snyder (vocals and guitar) started the band with two friends in 2002 in his Harvard dorm room. He wanted to make brainy music. The band moved to New York in 2004, and soon after, Joe Stroll swapped in on drumming duty. Joe is basically a madman, and he wanted to make punk/acid jazz/prog metal music. In 2007, the band lost founding member Previn but found bassist Pete Connors, who turned out to be entirely reasonable and not at all insane. He said, "Why... (+) expand

The States are an accidental band in a contradictory age. After spending his childhood playing violin and singing in Hollywood movies, Chris Snyder (vocals and guitar) started the band with two friends in 2002 in his Harvard dorm room. He wanted to make brainy music. The band moved to New York in 2004, and soon after, Joe Stroll swapped in on drumming duty. Joe is basically a madman, and he wanted to make punk/acid jazz/prog metal music. In 2007, the band lost founding member Previn but found bassist Pete Connors, who turned out to be entirely reasonable and not at all insane. He said, "Why don't we stop fighting and just make brain punk?" Thus was born the band as we all now know it.

The States are a political band, but not in the typical sense. The States exude a comfort with ambiguity and nuance often lacking in politically charged music. For one thing, the topics they cover seem pulled from the New York Times -- “The Architect” (nation-building), “Black Jack” (lobbyists), and “New Land” (gentrification) -- and for another, the lyrics are laced with hints of self-deception. These songs are populated by liars—warmongers and lobbyists, in addition to that garden-variety deceiver, the ambivalent lover. The States might be angry, but they aren't hopeless. Even in the darkest lyrics, the band’s music remains exuberant and joyful.

The States have played at:
* Summerfest 2008 (Milwaukee, WI)
* Seaside Music Festival 2008 (Seaside Heights, NJ)
* South by Southwest 2006 and 2007
* Dewey Beach Music Festival 2007
* Midpoint Music Festival 2006
* CMJ 2006

They won some awards:
* Winners, 2008 Internation Songwriting Competition ("All the Salt in the Sea")
* Grand Prize Winners, 2007 John Lennon Songwriting Competition ("Black Jack")
* Top 10 New York Bands of 2007 according to Q104.3's Jonathan Clarke

They have played with:
* Candlebox (Silent Majority)
* French Kicks (Vagrant/Startime)
* Aberdeen City (Dovecote/Red Ink)
* Be Your Own Pet (XL)
* Catch 22 (Victory)
* Landon Pigg (RCA)

They have other websites, too:
Myspace: www.myspace.com/thestatesonline
Blip.tv: www.thestatesonline.blip.tv
Official: www.thestatesonline.com (-) collapse