Things began innocently enough, playing jazz and blues before they were even teenagers in Chicago (Brian) and Philadelphia (Matt)—cities with long-standing histories of both tough-grit soul music and artful punk rock. The two met during the sweltering summer of 2003 working on the set of a piteously dull MTV show in Los Angeles. A mutual appreciation of McCoy Tyner prompted their musical collaboration and subsequent exit from the soul-sucking world of television.

To Matt and Brian, music is best experienced live. And so for the next five years they sharpened their live act, eventually bec... (+) expand

Things began innocently enough, playing jazz and blues before they were even teenagers in Chicago (Brian) and Philadelphia (Matt)—cities with long-standing histories of both tough-grit soul music and artful punk rock. The two met during the sweltering summer of 2003 working on the set of a piteously dull MTV show in Los Angeles. A mutual appreciation of McCoy Tyner prompted their musical collaboration and subsequent exit from the soul-sucking world of television.

To Matt and Brian, music is best experienced live. And so for the next five years they sharpened their live act, eventually becoming a fixture of LA’s famed “eastside” scene. In 2007 the band set out to record all of their original material to date. Last Night in LA, the debut album, consists of 21 songs. It was intentionally recorded without the use of multi-tracking, overdubbing, or effects pedals. All the band offers in the way of a manifesto can be gleaned from a simple declaration on their MySpace page: “All our gear fits in the back of a Honda Civic.”

Lyrically, the album is dense, often eschewing the traditional use of repetition in the chorus to give the effect of snowballing “metaverses.” Thematically, the 21 songs touch on damn-near every facet of human experience, with topics ranging from the holy trinity of sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll (Tarantula Arms, Routine Hangover, and I’m in Love, respectively) to love (Ready to Love), loss (Now That It’s Over), war (Somebody’s Son), and both the power and folly of faith (Skyline Drive, Ghost Dance).

The album takes its title from one of the band’s rapid-fire compositions. Yet it could also be taken on its own, as though the lyrics were a form of reportage. And not in a simplistic, name-checking way, but in the way the songs somehow capture the color and rhythm of Los Angeles... It’s a party. You’re invited. (-) collapse