Fast-rising Kuma finally plays to the beat of a drummer

Kuma has a drummer.

This fast-rising, operatic rock band has toyed with the idea of adding to its singer-two guitarists-programmer formula and constantly heard, "You guys are great, but when are you going to get a drummer?"

The quartet — singer Bre Loughlin, guitarists Dave Dayton and Neal Hallmark and programmer/keyboardist Corey Paganucci — even tried out a few drummers for a rehearsal or two, but never found the right mix. Until Aaron Nicholes came along.

On Monday night, Nicholes was tucked snugly in a corner of Kuma's Georgetown rehearsal studio; this was fitting, as his restrained, occasionally expansive drumming sounded like a snug fit as the band raced through some new songs ("Dunes," "Ruby," "Melodic Interlude").

He joins the band at a key moment. Kuma is coming up on the biggest weeks of its young career. Kuma has two big shows this week, headlining at 9 tonight at the Crocodile ($7), then opening for Los Angeles post-punk veterans Concrete Blonde at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Showbox ($18).

After getting quite a bit of mileage out of two EPs, the electro-rock band, which has been compared to everyone from Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure to My Bloody Valentine, is finally at work on its first full-length.

And, as the producers of the event reach out to some fresh new local talent, Kuma has been invited to make its first appearance at Bumbershoot.

While things seem to be happening pretty quickly, this has always been a band with a plan, thinking big from its very beginning. Even when the band was opening for midweek headliners, they had a big light/effects show, snappy costumes, top-notch equipment and an intense performance. Over the past year-and-a-half, they've been turning places like Chop Suey, Graceland and the Central Saloon into mini-KeyArenas.

All around town, Kuma has been getting huge responses from Seattle's proud-to-be-jaded audiences; for those who think that only indie or punk-rock bands can get any attention locally, this is a strong argument to the contrary.

The music is a quirky mix, a love child of rock and electronica, with shades of goth. Hiding behind the guitar walls sculpted by Dayton and Hallmark, Paganucci introduces gradual changes that seep through the cracks and liquefy the wall, morphing the sound into a shape-shifting organism.

A typical Kuma song starts slowly, as Loughlin seems to be sifting her way through a fog. Gradually, the song gains momentum and suddenly explodes in rich textures of sound bouncing around like so many molecules.

The most startling thing about the band is its singer, Loughlin, who has a fine, rangy voice — but that's not all. She lets it hang out on virtually every note of every song, performing like her life depends on it. In concert, she is weird and wonderful, jerking like a rocked-out robot.

New material that Kuma created for its album sounds just as tight and powerful as songs the band has been playing over its short life.

Seattle Weekly readers recently voted Kuma "Best New Band," and Loughlin and company are starting to catch an underground buzz on Web sites such as www.bandoppler.com ("The light show, impeccable sound and savvy costuming, along with their gripping electro-rock feed us candy for all senses") and www.threeimaginarygirls.com ("Bre Loughlin entranced the audience like only a goddess in white micro shorts with the voice of an angel can"). The latter is producing tonight's Crocodile show, which also features the Bischoff brothers, two-thirds of the jazzy rockers Dead Science — another bold, riveting, highly talented Seattle band.

Around town

• If you caught Tommy Stinson on Craig Kilborn's late-night TV show recently, and thought those were some familiar faces in the background ... that was Alien Crime Syndicate, touring with Stinson and serving as his backing band on a national tour that begins at Chop Suey at 10 p.m. Wednesday ($10).

Stinson is the Replacements bass player who later joined Guns N' Roses. He recently released his own CD, "Village Gorilla Head."

• The Vera Project: Shaping young minds and bodies. Every Wednesday (7 p.m., $10) in August, the all-ages club downtown gives b-boy/b-girl dance classes, taught by members of Massive Monkees.

The Vera is hosting a hip-hop-flavored spoken word/open mike, featuring Beyond Reality and Piece, at 8 tonight (free).

Tom Scanlon: tscanlon@seattletimes.com