Elsinore

Elsinore hails from Champaign, Illinois, but the quintet plays in St. Louis so often that it's tempting to claim the band as one of our own. Ryan Groff leads the group with a voice that can kick out heavenly power-pop falsettos or turn as tender as the best piano-ballad crooners. Ben Gibbard and Coldplay's Chris Martin are vocal touchstones for Groff, but thankfully he and his bandmates craft alternately delicate and ebullient rock songs, giving each track its own distinct flavor. Elsinore just released The Chemicals EP, which features a clattering, synth-heavy remix of "Yes Yes Yes" by Gentleman Auction House's Eric Enger. A teaser for an upcoming full-length, the six-song disc is a tidy holdover of nervy guitar rock, stacked harmonies and turn-on-a-dime arrangements.