New York City’s Violens came together in 2007 and set music blogs abuzz immediately after their first live show in October of that year. The hype is merited; the group, which includes former members of Lansing Dreiden, earned apt comparisons to Philadelphia’s Lilys, but defies hard and fast categorization. The songs posted on the Violens MySpace reveals a band that is adept at combining bouncy ’60s-style melodies with haunting, echoing vocals and synth overtones reminiscent of ’80s pop — they sound like new wave revivalists one moment and Brian Wilson-influenced melody makers the next. What’s remarkable is that Violens sound comfortable playing in both modes, as well as combining the two. Their ease lends a palpable glee to their music — so much so that Good Magazine used an instrumental version of their song “Violent Sensation Descends” to add some cheer to a short film about the funeral industry.