Look at what I just got in the mail:

It came from a band called Golden Robot Army.

At first I was afraid to open it. I shook it a little—it didn’t tick, it didn’t smell like something dead or digested or poisonous—so I opened it.

Candy! And with it, a letter that said “We are the Golden Robot Army! What are we like? Well, we play a sort of gypsy rock, and are heavily influenced by bands like Gogol Bordello, DeVotchKa, the Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes, the Polyphonic Spree, and Firewater.”

There was also a CD among the treats, and I’m listening to it right now (when you send a spraypainted lunch pail to me in the mail, you get to skip ahead in the “to be listened to” line). As much as I appreciate the enthusiastic press kit (I really do), the music’s not really my thing—I’m not a huge fan of Gogol Bordello either. Golden Robot Army don’t have the same chaotic vibe as the Arcade Fire, the Polyphonic Spree, and the other artists they’re inspired by. They’re not loud enough, not lush with an mini orchestra of instruments, and the one song, “Breakdown Lane” is a little to early ’90s grunge band for me to get into. But that’s okay because they’re a new band, and I think they want to get there. These things take time.

But they do put together a hell of a press kit.

The band has songs posted at www.myspace.com/goldenrobotarmy and they’re playing September 25th at ToST. Might not be my bag, but maybe you’ll be into it.