THE INSIDE SCOOP

Their kaleidoscopic pop is by turns biting and blissful, with sunbaked melodies and purring electronics set against themes of ennui and unrest. As such, the Big Friendly Corporation is one of Vegas' best bands. Drummer Mike McDonald gives us the inside scoop on all things BFC.

What does the Big Friendly Corporation sound like?

"We're kind of a mix between Pavement, They Might Be Giants and the Beach Boys. I don't know. How do you even answer a question like that? BFC is too eclectic and weird to accurately describe on paper. We just like to put good music out there. We'll leave the descriptions to you guys."

You recently added Skorchamenza frontman Timothy Styles to the band on bass. What does he bring to the fold in addition to some sweet feather boas?

"Timothy's our biggest fan. He's been lurking in the shadows at almost every show ever since BFC began. Go ahead and ask him, he's not ashamed to admit it. But seriously, in addition to his amazing level of dedication, he brings a boatload of energy to the stage. He's like our hype man, like Flava Flav!"

You guys have always embraced a warm, analog sound. Will you ever go digital?

"When those old Moogs get fired up, the sounds they create are absolutely unparalleled. There truly is nothing like it. However, when you're lugging a Rhodes down a flight of stairs in the rain, a digital keyboard can be pretty tempting."

"The Joy of Serving Others" is a great tune about getting by somehow, anyhow, without giving in. What are some of the worst jobs you guys have had to weather?

"It sounds so poignant when you put it like that. Mel (Marth, keys/vocals) and Jeff (Ford, guitar)'s jobs are actually pretty cool. They get to meet all kinds of celebrities. But as for the rest of us, Mike worked at an ice cream factory and a porn Web site, Tim jumped out of airplanes for our country and Ryan (Marth, guitar/vocals) used to work at the mall. We've all had our share of McJobs, too."

On your MySpace page, you list Squeeze and Ween among your influences. So, what's the biggest inspiration: "Pure Guava" or "Argybargy"?

"Ween is the best band ever. TJ and Mike have both covered Ween songs in the past. We always find ourselves singing 'Where'd the cheese go?' "

See Big Friendly Corporation at 10 p.m. Saturday at Case di Amore, 2850 E. Tropicana Ave. Call 702-433-4967.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.