BUZZ BANDS

Visuals to go with the music

Shows by the fledgling band SoftLightes promise to be a feast for the eyes as well as the ears -- and even fodder for the heart, judging from the quartet’s first single, “Heart Made of Sound.”

The brainchild of San Diego-based Ron Fountenberry, SoftLightes are an outgrowth of the Incredible Moses Leroy, the persona under which he released albums in 2001 and 2003. His new work, “Say No to Being Cool -- Say Yes to Being Happy” (due Feb. 13), exudes the cinematic quality of Mercury Rev and the bedroom vulnerability of the Postal Service, with a touch of Flaming Lips psychedelia.

But live, SoftLightes are not just another four-piece. With the players in shadows -- where Fountenberry likes it, he says -- the band projects stop-animation videos to each of its songs. “So many people do the band thing better than we do,” Fountenberry says of his stage presence. “We can’t be U2 in a stadium, but we can make it interesting. We live in an age where people are seduced by television. The videos are something people can wrap their brains around.”

Conceiving, making and editing the videos “is incredibly laborious,” says Fountenberry, a rabid thrift-store shopper. And there is another pitfall, of course: “I hope people don’t walk away thinking the visuals were stronger than the music. I think we’ve produced an album that I’m really proud of.”

SoftLightes perform tonight and the ensuing two Thursdays at the Silverlake Lounge.

Gigs for bands with Biola roots

Gearing up for the Feb. 6 release of its debut “Between Earth & Sky,” the Colour is playing two residencies this month. The L.A. quintet, whose members met when they were students at Biola, is holding forth on Thursday nights at Spaceland and on Monday nights at the Detroit Bar. Singer Wyatt Hull says he is proud of how the long-awaited album -- a sturdy hunk of classic rock -- came out. “When you have too much time to spend with something, you always find things you want to fix,” he says, “but overall I can’t complain.”

Cold War Kids -- another L.A. band with roots at Biola -- have bicoastal residencies. The quartet returns to the small club where its buzz started, the Silverlake Lounge, for shows Friday and Jan. 19. Both dates sold out quickly, but the band has another show, Jan. 26, at Spaceland -- not to mention three midweek gigs in New York City.

Meanwhile, the free Monday night residencies at Silver Lake venues offer an array of flavors. The Broken West, the five-piece formerly known as the Brokedown, play at Spaceland; its debut album “I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On,” comes out Jan. 23 on Merge Records. The sublime pop duo the Submarines are at the Echo (where Nick Castro opens this Monday). And raucous, experimental pop outfit the Pity Party play the Silverlake Lounge.

Fast forward

The Plug Independent Music Awards (to be handed out Feb. 10 in New York City) are sponsoring local shows in major cities -- Saturday’s lineup at the Little Radio warehouse in downtown L.A. features Great Northern, Foreign Born, the Gray Kid and a “Tribute to J Dilla” DJ set by the folks from indie label Stones Throw.... I See Hawks in L.A. headlines a great lineup of country-leaning bands Friday at the Echo....Hard rockers Warner drive hit the Viper Room on Saturday....The Hotel Cafe marks its six-year anniversary Friday night with a roster full of regulars, including Jim Bianco and Cary Brothers.... And next Wednesday at the Knitting Factory, there’s a strong lineup of emo and pop bands: Daphne Loves Derby, Meg & Dia and Ronnie Day.

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Kevin Bronson

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On the Web

Visit the Buzz Bands blog for more about these artists and others: latimes.com/buzzbands

* Watch the SoftLightes video for “Heart Made of Sound” at www.youtube.com/watchvsuNVb3kQaUM

* Download the six-song “Benefit at the District” EP by the Cold War Kids at coldwarkids.com/news.htm