I stumbled on New York electro-rock-tronica trio BM LINX last week and knew right away I wanted to: a) ask them some questions and b) not leave town for the May 2-4 weekend to check them out live.

They're equal parts hair metal and electronica. They list Hendrix, Rush and Daft Punk as influences. Lead singer/guitarist/producer Tony Diodore sings like Jon Bon Jovi at times and rocks huge power chords over big beats and solid electronic programming.

BM LINX headline an early show at the Drake Saturday with support by two quality local bands: Clothes Make The Man and Fighter/Lover. I spoke with Tony about his band's influences, the New York music scene and their (literally) explosive first show in the UK.

blogTO: Where in New York are you from? What do you like best about your neighbourhood?

Tony Diodore: I'm originally from Indiana, but I currently live in the West Village in NYC. It's an older section of the city and the architecture is amazing.

What inspired you to blend rock with electronics?

I have a bunch of gear laying around and I wasn't really doing anything with it so I wrote a record. It was pretty new wave and I wanted to go more rock so after we got signed we were able to go into a proper studio and get some drums down and really combine them with the electronics. Still figuring out the right balance between the two. I really like what Kasabian does... Pink Floyd was very electronic too and they've always been a big inspiration.

What albums first made you want to be in a rock band?

Led Zeppelin 4. Living Colour - Vivid. Various Allman Brothers and Hendrix, Loads of Pink Floyd. Nirvana - Nevermind. Metallica - And Justice For All (my favorite record ever).

Which producers, DJs or songs first got you into dance music?

Richie Hawtin - huge influence really. His Plastikman downtempo stuff is and will always be amazing. The stuff he did with a 303 is mind-blowing. Also Jeff Mills, Daft Punk, Laurent Garnier, RZA. There's so many....

What's your favourite guitar?

Gibson Les Paul.

Your favourite synth?

Roland TB 303.

What's the music scene like for you in New York?

It's cool. It can shift on a dime so you gotta keep on your toes.

Your album is also out in the UK. And you played some shows over there? How did that go?

Good. We blew up our gear during sound check at the first show. All the electronics, my rented guitar amp and some other stuff. Sound guy sorted me out with a 15 watt practice amp but it sounded pretty sweet so the show was OK. Crowd was fun and that's the most important thing...

Can you think of any US acts we should check out?

Township from Boston. Freshkills from Brooklyn. Paparazzi from LA.

Is this your first time playing Toronto? Are you looking forward to doing anything in particular while you're up here?

Yeah, first time. Just meet some cool people, drink some, avoid getting arrested and blow up the show. If we happen to come across some people that know what to do and where to go we are portable.

What can people expect to see/hear/feel at your show this Saturday?

We're loud live. Expect a rock show.

BM LINX, Clothes Make The Man, Fighter/Lover
Saturday, May 16
The Drake Underground
1150 Queen Street West
Doors: 8pm
Tickets $10.50 advance at Rotate This, Soundscapes, Ticketweb

Call & Response is a series of Q&A's with bands from or playing in Toronto. Photo: Rob Brooke.