While categorized mainly as rock, the diversity of the New York City-based band Atomic Brother’s musical influences are apparent in their ability to master a number of different styles–from rock to metal to punk, from blues to country to pop, Spanish influenced songs and even toward slower songs and ballads–producing cohesive and balanced songs that are uniquely Atomic Brother. Atomic Brother is James Melillo on guitar and lead vocals and S.A. Sebastian Gnolfo on bass and vocals.

Melillo and Gnolfo met on their first day of college; their instant bond began with a mutual love for music, which developed into a close friendship and professional alliance. Over the years, they have been in numerous bands together–they travelled to Europe to play in the Montreaux Jazz Festival, they played on Nickelodeon, and the even played live from the back of an 18-wheeler in front of over one million spectators.

The musical partnership that became Atomic Brother brought the duo to Lausanne, Switzerland, where they recorded their debut album See Me Comin’. The album was recorded at Soundlake Studios, owned and operated by the band’s close friend and former music partner Patrick Aeby. Aside from co-producing and mixing, Aeby also played drums on the album.

The band felt that getting away from New York and their normal day-to-day in order to record helped them concentrate on the quality of their music–and their dedication shows in each of the 12 original songs on the album, which was released worldwide on iTunes on July 4, 2007.

Listeners are often surprised at the wide range of musical styles found on See Me Comin’. After the heavy riffs in “Not My Fault” and the title track “See Me Comin’,” it’s refreshing to find that the band is also capable of playing punk rock tunes like “Employee of the Month,” and even slow ballads such as “Home in the Sky” and the Spanish-feeling “Never Home.” Many listeners compare Atomic Brother’s music to Disturbed, Megadeth, Alice In Chains, Henry Rollins, Ramones, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.

When writing music, Melillo and Gnolfo pay no attention to the style each song turns out to be. According to Gnolfo, they were “tired of hearing bands both live and on CD that sound the same from start to finish,” so they decided to focus more on writing good music and less on keeping it within a particular genre. “If it sounds good and we both like it,” stated Melillo, “we’ll use it. Period. A good song is a good song.”

But being in a rock band in New York City can be difficult; Atomic Brother fans can get a glimpse of what life is like for the band backstage on their podcast, “Wastin’ Time with Atomic Brother,” which is available free of charge on iTunes. These videos follow the band through shows and rehearsals, giving the audience an idea of the trials the band must face daily.

While on the topic of videos, be sure to check out the music video for the song “Take You Away.” The videos-as well as the podcasts-were directed and edited by sometime Atomic Brother drummer, Mike Carrasquillo.

To find out about upcoming shows and projects, log on to atomicbrother.com, or check them out at myspace.com/atomicbrother. If you haven’t already, be sure to pick up a copy of their album, See Me Comin’–but be prepared to hear some diverse, extraordinary music, and make room on your calendar, because this is definitely a band you’ll want to hear live.