by LORRAINE CARPENTER

"Of all the cities in America, this is my favourite," says Bravery guitarist Michael Zakarin of his adopted hometown, New York City. It's an obvious choice, with its wealth of culture and creativity, its ethnic and international flair, its musical heritage and media concentration.

Only bassist Mike H and drummer Anthony Burulcich are native New Yorkers, while the Bravery's singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Sam Endicott hails from Maryland, Zakarin from Virginia and keyboardist John Conway from California. The band's recently released eponymous debut album is a hearty, spunky summation of the Big Apple's post-millennial sound, from neo-new wave to modern rock 'n' roll to punk-funk. Like the most prominent of New York's prolific pop-art-rock scene, the Bravery have hit the covers of British magazines (where their fictional rivalry with the Killers is the talk of the gossip columns) and signed to a major label (Island).

"Bands like Interpol and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are signed and doing well because they're great - I don't think being from New York had anything to do with it," says Zakarin. "There's always been a million bands here, but now they're writing good songs. If you turn on MTV, it's all the same ass-rock and crap, and people are getting sick of it. That's got to be part of why bands are willing to cross over and get their music out."

In their nascent period of 2003, the Bravery preferred to keep their music to themselves until it was perfected in the rehearsal space and studio, because New York is always all ears.

"You want someone to see you and then bring two friends next time, as opposed to telling two friends you suck," says Zakarin, ranking word of mouth over press and industry attention. "We've had so much hype that a lot of times, when we're playing, people have heard of us but not heard us, so they actually want us to suck. But we do a really good job of winning those people over."

With Ash and Alaska at Studio Juste Pour Rire
on Thursday, April 14, 9 p.m., $17.50

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