They believe in ‘Magic’

LIFE on the road can exact a steep physical toll on even the most seasoned bands -- those late nights, thrashed hotel rooms, drink tickets and groupie interludes don’t exactly promote robust health.

Performing in Philadelphia last month, Diego Garcia, frontman for ‘80s-leaning pop rock outfit Elefant, injured his ankle mid-gig, adding a new entry to the list of rock star war wounds.

“I was onstage,” Garcia said, “and toward the last song, I was attacked by a bear.”

Added Elefant’s bassist, Jeff James: “You gotta watch out for bears on the road.”

Right. Bears.

Wildlife and pop stardom go hand in glove -- especially if you’re Elefant, an indie darling and blogger favorite with a louche, atmospheric second album, “The Black Magic Show,” reaching stores in April. A six-week coast-to-coast tour that finds Elefant opening for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club visits the Henry Fonda Theater on Monday and Tuesday.

The Manhattan-based quartet (Kevin McAdams plays drums and the mono-monikered Mod handles guitar and background vocals), emerged in 2003 on the coattails of New York’s post-punk renaissance that also spawned the Strokes, Interpol and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

None of those bands, however, have reported any problems with woodland creatures. Indeed, James acknowledged Garcia’s ankle injury had more to do with the singer-songwriter’s foiled attempt to channel Van Halen-era David Lee Roth than any grizzly action.

“There was a speaker stack, a leap of faith, he jumped,” James said. “He landed it, but he blew out his heel. Diego finished the show from the floor with a bunch of people standing over him, taking pictures.”

Garcia, 27, has been on crutches since; on stage, he props himself up with the microphone stand. Not that it detracts from his appeal. Possessed of pinup-worthy looks and a goth-inflected singing voice, Elefant’s frontman could be a cross between actor Jared Leto and Bauhaus’ Peter Murphy.

After Elefant’s lengthy tour in support of their 2003 debut, “Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid,” Garcia maintains a philosophical distance from both injury and excess.

Touring, it seems, has colored his worldview, resulting in songs on “Black Magic Show” like “Sirens,” in which he croons about “sunglasses and vodka in the morning,” and the title track, on which he intones, “It’s always fun to lose control.” The lyrics seem to celebrate and skewer rocker excess at the same time.

“I’m definitely one of those who embraces life to the fullest,” Garcia said without irony. “So there I was, I had a record and I was touring the world. I was giving in to a lot of the temptations that come with that.”

Garcia was named one of New York magazine’s sexiest New Yorkers in 2003 -- and labeled a “modelizer” by the New York Post’s Page Six -- and he has been romantically linked to Lindsay Lohan, among other bold-faced names.

“My justification as a songwriter was knowing that my giving in to temptation was going to go somewhere productive,” he continued. “And that is ‘The Black Magic Show.’ This album is the sound of me giving in.”

Linc Wheeler, executive director of marketing for their Disney-distributed label, Hollywood Records, said that the band’s sound reflects the downtown New York lifestyle they lead. That sound has been crucial to Elefant’s appeal -- as well as their evolution.

“They’re a band that seems to reflect this nighttime existence,” he said. “ ‘Sunlight’ had a lighthearted feel to it. It represents that moment when you’re like, ‘What does the night have in store for me?’ Whereas ‘Black Magic Show’ is almost like the last part of the night, before the dawn. The taxi ride home kind of thing.”

THE band’s lust for nightlife aside, Garcia says Russian literature helped shape “Black Magic Show’s” dark guitar soundscape and lyrical content. Heading into the studio, he read Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” and “The Brothers Karamazov,” as well as Mikhail Bulgakov’s anti-Stalinist allegory, “The Master and Margarita,” a book whose protagonist, a self-proclaimed black magician, is actually Satan in disguise.

“Russian literature has a sinister streak, and I think that influence is very evident on this record,” Garcia said. “I was indulging myself with these books while I was coming up with ideas. Those books are so dark and real and not glam at all.”

It’s hardly Kid Rock’s nightstand reading list. But then, Garcia, who was born in Detroit to Argentine parents, boasts Ivy League credentials: He majored in economics at Brown University, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 2000. The singer moved to New York and formed Elefant after being offered a solo deal by a former classmate.

Although the group released “Sunlight” on indie label Kemado Records in 2003, Hollywood bought their contract and re-released the album the next year. For their second CD, the label brought in established producer Don Gilmore (hit maker for the likes of Linkin Park and Good Charlotte) to help Elefant find their sound.

“We’re on a major label, we have a big budget this time around, a big producer to work with, let’s do what we always dreamed of doing -- let’s push it,” James said. “Let’s see if we can do something really amazing. There’s no point in being safe.”

Spoken like a true rock star. And as any rocker who has ever seen “This Is Spinal Tap” knows, there’s no use in trying to look too far into the future.

“I’m just thinking about tomorrow night,” Garcia said. “I’ve never been a planner. I’ve always taken things day by day. As long as I’m honest to myself and as long as we try to make original-sounding music, I’ll be happy.”

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Elefant

Who: Elefant, as the opening act for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Where: Henry Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.

When: 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday

Price: $20

Info: (323) 464-0808; www.henryfondatheater.com