Apache Beat are a five-piece from NYC that play partly-cloudy pop, synth-wave style. This punk-ish band comes armed with a kind of melancholy edge, and it's powered by the ominous alto of singer Ilirjana Alushaj. She sets the tone. Apache Beat's dark-ish melodies are accentuated by forlorn bass-thumps and murky keys.

The band doesn't have a label, or even a proper album for that matter, just a few demos. But they do have a really good jam in the song "Tropics." (Klaxons recently called it one of their favorite songs of the moment.) On the strength of that catchy (in a gloomy way) song, and a handful of other good tracks, they lined-up up an autumn European tour supporting Deerhunter. If you like Celebration, you'll like these guys.

Apache Beat play Saturday, November 17th (with Enon!), at Knitting Factory, and Sunday, November 18th, at Glasslands.