Smiles From the Sneetches

Band: The Sneetches.

Personnel: Mike Levy, guitar and vocals; Matt Carges, guitar; Daniel Swan, drums; Alec Palao, bass.

History: Americans Levy and Carges hooked up with Englishman Swan (a veteran of the Bristol punk band the Cortinas) in San Francisco in 1985, taking the name from a Dr. Seuss story. Unable to drum up label interest in the United States, the Sneetches released a 12-inch single (“Only for a Moment”) and an eight-song mini-album (“Lights Out”) through the English independent label Kaleidoscope Sounds. Though recorded in 1985 and intended as demos, the records caught the interest of the British rock press, drawing such positive analyses as “Herman’s Hermits meets the Lovin’ Spoonful with the Beach Boys in the background.” The band’s first full album, “Sometimes That’s All We Have,” was released this year on both San Francisco-based Alias Records and the English Creation label. Palao joined just in time for the current tour.

Sound: This is what smiling sounds like. Even the bummed-out “Another (Lousy) Day” is a sure-fire grin-inducer. For all the references to the likes of the Strawberry Alarm Clock and such ‘80s descendants as XTC that fill the band’s press clippings, the closest analogy is fellow Frisco-ites Sopwith Camel, whose lone hit (1967’s “Hello Hello”) shared the sunny music-hall flavor that the Sneetches sometimes favor. There’s also a touch of Turtles-ness to some of the more elaborately arranged numbers, like the horn-driven “Unusual Sounds.” But, in the end, it’s the Dr. Seuss connection that provides most rhyme and reason for the Sneetches.

Shows: Friday at Bogart’s, Saturday at Club Lingerie.