At the beginning of December every year, there's tons of talk about the best music that the previous 12 months had to offer. In 2012, when I asked my Facebook friends what their favorite albums of the year were one friend who I hadn't seen since college told me to check out Milo Greene's self-titled album because it was number one on his list. And, because he flip-flopped between SoCal and Denver that year, he'd gotten to see them live six times. I took his advice and was immediately bummed that it took me until December to hear Milo Greene. Lucky for me, they're making a stop at Southgate House Revival today with Kopecky Family Band, so I don't completely miss the boat. You shouldn't either. 

If, like I was until December, you're unfamiliar with Milo Greene, here's what you need to know:

What kind of music do they play? The band calls their style "Cinematic pop", but I'd call it "Cinematic folk-pop". Being on a bill with Kopecky Family Band really suits them. Others have said that you'll dig it if you're into Local Natives.

Where are they from? LA, heartland of all things cinematic.

Is there a song I should check out before I see them? Two, actually. Definitely listen to the lead single "1957", but also check out "What's The Matter", as it's more representative of the album's overall sound. Or, if you've got 40 minutes, watch the short film the band wrote and soundtracked, Moddison.

How many people are in the band? Five. One female, four dudes, and every member except drummer Curtis Marrero sings vocals -- they don't have a "lead vocalist". And not one of them is named "Milo" or "Greene".

How did they come up with the name Milo Greene then? In order to help the band get gigs in their early days, they made up a fake booking agent and named him Milo Greene. They didn't just give him a name, though. He also has a personality. The band told British paper The Guardian, "He's British. He wears a three-piece-suit. He wears a monocle. He's albino. He has chops, sideburns. He's confident, charming, well-read, well-spoken. He's a gentlemen, the kind of guy we all aspire to be." It worked.

What can I expect to see tonight at the show? Lots of instrument-switching. Milo Greene shares their instruments and band members tend play different ones on each song. The group's only female, Marlena Sheetz, particularly likes playing bass. 

Milo Greene w/ Kopecky Family Band
Southgate House Revival
7p Doors / 8p Show
$13 ADV / $15 DOS