Please, sir, can I have Another?

Another Cynthia isn’t just another indie band.

The serendipitous collection of six–Ian Mackintosh (vocals, guitar), Abe Smith (vocals, guitar), Jason Mackie (vocals, guitar), Ian Mouser (bass), Jackson Coffey (drums) and Ben Braun (keys/sampler)–have something fresh to offer.

But unlike other bands, Another Cynthia aren’t banking on being merely unique.

“You can make something different, but can it also be beautiful?” Mackintosh asked. “I want to hear music that sounds like a cross between Prince, The Beach Boys, earlier Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin.”

He wants to create music that blows people away–and that’s what Another Cynthia does.

Working with contrasting musical styles and sounds often reminiscent of music’s historical greats, Another Cynthia have achieved their goal of making something like no one’s ever heard. Or rather, a hybrid of all the things they have heard and loved, mixed with a modern sensibility and their own flair.

The band recently completed The Mannequin EP, which is available for free download on their MySpace page and shows clear evidence of talent. The nods to the ghosts of music’s past and present are clear.

“Pushback,” the second track on the album, bears similarity to the electronic styling of Pinback and Electric President, as well as some of the vocal dynamics of ’80s and ’90s pop-rock. The third track, “Your Rhythm,” has Prince all over it. But such comparisons are only skimming the surface of why this band merits a listen. It may seem familiar, but the very real skill of the musicians shines through.

And there are a lot of musicians in this group.

“It’s like a family gathering just to have a conversation on the phone,” Mackintosh said about working with such a large band. He added that “we’re all in this together” and the music is the glue that holds them.

With so many voices, accomplishing anything would seem difficult, but the band manages very well. Smith and Mackintosh often initially collaborate to write the song.

“I write the music and he writes the lyrics. Great art pours from him [Smith]. I feel like we’re a team,” Mackintosh said. But that doesn’t leave out the other band members. Everyone is involved in the creation process, adding parts until finally a layered and complex song is created.

Each member brings that influence into performance as well.

“It’s a circus but it’s fun. Like a Chinese fire drill,” Mackintosh said of Another Cynthia’s performance style, which is a study of contrasts as much as their music is.

Performing has changed for the group in the past year. There are more people.

“For the first three or fours years, it seemed like it was just our friends. It’s better now. People have said that it sounds like we should be on the radio,” Mackintosh said.

Some of the positive response may be due to the EP. Mackintosh produced The Mannequin EP himself, and it sounds remarkably professional. The sound quality is clean and the balance is always right on, which is pretty amazing considering that Mackintosh is a self-taught producer.

He gives much credit to the advice of friends and the advent of the technology that allowed him to complete the project, which kept costs very low. Low cost equals even more accessibility and exposure to new listeners–exactly what Another Cynthia is hoping for.