Bad Pilgrim, ‘Emily’ – Free MP3 Download

North Jersey punks Bad Pilgrim have an affliction -- but they don’t know it yet. The band’s single 'Emily' is filled with a deadly concoction of distorted ska and admiration for a manic pixie dream girl.

Trust us, you’ve seen it before: Man falls head over heels for a super-cool girl, writes a song about her and she disappears into the ether of the New Jersey punk scene. She’s claimed thousands of victims and inspired endless daydreams.

"Emily is that really awesome girl that everyone knows,” the band tells Diffuser.fm. “She has great taste in music, plays multiple instruments well, makes her own jewelry and clothes, has traveled to cool places, etc.”

While this imaginary hipster chick stands as an amalgamation of crafty and cool, Bad Pilgrim are much more simple. Led by guitarist Brett Niederman, they're ska purists, through and through. (The band released its self-titled debut last month.) 'Emily' leads off with a thudding bass line courtesy of fellow Pilgrim Dan Finn, as drummer Carlos Luna holds tightly on the snare. What follows is a celebration of triplets and surf tones, dancing around an unforgettable hook.

"My circle of musician friends had moved past this type of music, while I was starting to gravitate back to it,” says Niederman. “I posted an ad on Craigslist attempting to start a throwback punk and ska band, and that's how [it] started.”