Brooklyn-based Pela’s debut "Anytown Graffiti" is the summer album you spent weekends meandering around town in your flip-flops looking for but never found. It’s filled with a burning, yearning hopefulness ripe for fueling rooftop soirees, or that bubbles through your apartment walls making you wonder what your neighbor is listening to and whether he might be cooler than he appears in the hallway. On tracks like "Waiting on the Stairs" and "The Trouble With River Cities," Billy McCarthy’s swoon-worthy lyrics yelped over some of the catchiest melodies east of the East River call to mind Jarvis Cocker beating Brandon Flowers to a pulp for not keeping his eye on the ball. Fortunately, the darker, more desperate corners of this record are still painted with colors warm enough to bring warmth this winter, with vocal alarms and guitar riffs that will crunch right through those snow-covered streets.

You recently had a song in an episode of "Scrubs". In an era when musicians rarely get royalties off record sales, how hard do you laugh when people see this as "selling out"?

I remember the whole Shins / McDonalds scandal a few years back. At the end of the day, the business is so crippled; bands are in need of exposure more than ever. Next time you hear a song on TV, be happy for them – it’s the sound of food in their refrigerator.

It used to be that tours were used to support the album; and increasingly it’s the other way around. What does that mean for Pela?

It’s too early to tell for us. Change happens -- Myspace and blogs have filled in a gap that was widening. But the shelf life of bands is frighteningly short nowadays. Or maybe it’s the fans’ attention span because so much is getting thrown at them all the time.

Over the years, what would you consider your worst day job?

I worked at a porn joint when I was 19 -- the kind with the video booths. It’s very dark selling butt plugs to Joe Public. The loneliness was staggering.

How is "Anytown Graffiti" most different from your previous studio efforts?

It’s a full length. We paid for it with no label help, did all the art and produced it. It took over a year.

In the album’s liner notes, you give individual shout-outs to each of the members of Rainer Maria. What was your response when you heard they were going their separate ways last year?

It sucks because we are fans and they were amazing tourmates and friends. But ten years in a van is quite a mirror to look into I’m sure. You either want to keep on keepin’ on, or you don’t.

What rock or pop star’s success is the most baffling to you?

I am not baffled in the least anymore about anything. There is no rhyme or reason to the success of bands. I’ve seen shit factories make it and talented bands wither away.

You wrapped up your most recent tour at the Bowery Ballroom. What stands out about that show?

The fact that we drove from Minneapolis and had no idea what to expect headlining there. It shocked us to find out it was a sold out night....what a dream come true.

Bowery Presents has been seriously expanding – more shows, new venues, etc. Are they running the risk of becoming our own home-grown Clear Channel?

They have been so good to us since we started. Let’s face it, they have good venues, and develop relationships with bands. If people don’t like nicer venues to go see or play music in, there are a multitude of shit clubs in the West Village to try out. For those who like: Vicente Fernandez, Black Francis, Color Me Badd

Relevant info:

Released record on Great Society Recordings in May. Pretty much trying to stay on stage as much as possible.