When was the last time you heard some honest-to-goodness "violin-laced rock reggae punk"? Yeah, I know, it's been at least a few days for me, too. Don't sweat it: it's Rhode Island-based ZOX to the rescue! With a driving, quasi-ska rhythm and crazy interludes on violin, this up-and-coming band should be next on your breakout bands list.

Begun as one of those college-type bands in a Brown University dorm in 1999, ZOX has since grown into a full-time act, touring when and wherever they can with more intensity than any "big" band you can name. Originally, the guys had never been too serious about becoming a professional band. According to lead singer and guitarist Eli Miller, ""I've always loved music and loved playing music, but never thought about doing it professionally until pretty late. After college." With their album, Take Me Home, it's obvious that these guys have been busting their butts to become a professionally touring band but always keep in mind their love of the music. As Miller says, "Some days, you feel like things are working, you're really developing an audience. Some days, you feel like you don't want to play this song again that you've played every day for the last year. The four of us are pretty committed...it's kind of like being married. It's hard sometimes, but if you have the support of each other, it does help...we're all 23, 24 years old...at this stage, it's like 'What else would I rather be doing?'" The guys are determined not to lose any element of fun.

ZOX, made up of Eli Miller on vocals and guitar, Spencer Swain on violin, John Zox on drums, and Dan Edinberg on bass, seem determined to create something entirely unique and utterly defiant of the passing fads in rock today. There's an element of the "screw you, we're playing what we want" attitude in just about every song, as the guys don't hesitate to add poppy riffs, intense lyrics, and unbelievably catchy rhythms. Their music is augmented by the incredible addition of violin which is not only showcased, but is also laced within the music of nearly every song, creating a vital, but generally well-blended element to the band's songs.

Not to mention, ZOX can bounce styles quicker than you can say "rock!". Songs like "Butterfly" create this insatiable urge to get up and rock out, and despite the song's slightly depressing lyrics, its happy tone and great musicality create this warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Then, there's "Homebody," which showcases Miller's exciting, driving guitar riffs and talented songwriting. Don't forget John Zox's so-simple-it's-complicated drum work, which is impressively apparent in every song. And who else to round out the band's fantastic sound but Dan Edinberg on bass? Edinberg's bass riffs provide a key element to ZOX's sound, working with Zox's drums to create the beat that keeps us bouncing. The most outstanding of all their songs, though, happens when these guys come in with probably the most incredible rendition of Pachelbel's "Canon in D" I have ever heard (and I've heard a lot of them). Swain does a masterful job of interpreting the normally boring, wedding-esque classical tune, and Miller's guitar skills definitely come into play. "Canon" is the song that shows just how ballsy and unique these guys are-who else is willing to interpret a classical piece and turn it into something so danceable and upbeat? ZOX has managed to create a type of music that keeps your heart pumping and your spirits lifted, no matter what your mood was.

Currently, Eli, Spencer, John, and Dan are constantly touring the country and undoubtedly causing a storm. ZOX has the power to make any mood a happy one, and the guys' unique style is impossibly endearing. So feed your rock-reggae-punk craving, and let's give these guys the credit they deserve. Visit ZOX's official website for more information. Last of all, let's leave with some parting words from Miller: "I think we're doing something different, and I think that, you know, we're really into the idea of touring around and building a fan base that way, so if we come through your area, you should check it out. You'll enjoy it...and [to entice some of you] our drummer looks almost exactly like Legolas, the elf from Lord of the Rings." Legolas or no, ZOX is most definitely a band worth checking out.