Veterans of the Fargo/Moorhead rock scene, The Nina! The Pinta!, have been working the Sioux Falls', Fargo and Twin Cities' scenes for years. And this five-track EP has been a long time coming.

Originally formed in 2003 under the name We Kidnap Frisone This Afternoon with Aaron Pederson on vocals (Pederson's since left, but is still credited with the lyrics), the group shortened their name to the punchier The Nina! The Pinta! The punchier name goes well with the band's punchier sound. Opener "8-Bit," as well as the title track, are propelled by some dancey Bloc Party rhythm. At times, new lead singer Alan Erbach's scream-less vocals don't have the strength to keep up with the band's propulsive post-hardcore. On "40 By March," he spews out the garbled lyrics without the confident swagger needed to pull them off. One of the more interesting tracks is "We (Vs) Us," a largely electronic track arranged by Jacob Swogger of the Umbrella Sequence. It's an interesting, if unnecessary, bit of Radiohead aping that splits the album in half.

The title track, "Die Like a Nova," should attract some record label's attention. It's the kind of catchy, pounding song that, unlike the latter half of the EP, has a distinct personality which screams marketability. You can decide whether it's a good or bad thing, but if it leads to an influx of Newcastle and its eventual consumption, one can't complain. GB

www.theninathepinta.com