“Every album I have put out has at least two songs that describe Three’s Company episodes,” explains, in all seriousness, Peter Tjetjan — the brainchild of Tacoma’s most unique and under-appreciated band, Umber Sleeping. “For instance, the last track on Music from "Science Film," our latest, yet-to-be-released album, is titled ‘Christmas party’ and has a sort of halftime modality and an overall esoteric feeling. Its seriousness is leveled out by lyrics which describe an episode at the end of season two where Jack, Janet, and Chrissy spend Christmas with the Roper’s.”



For the past couple of years, Umber Sleeping’s constantly rotating cast has created some of the most beautiful and psychedelic hybrids of late ’70s new wave to be heard anywhere. The current lineup consists of the aforementioned brainchild, Tjetjan, as well as Doug Morse on guitar and James Jenkins on synths.



“This is the best lineup we’ve had to date,” states the band’s stoic leader.



As Tjetjan and I chat I can’t help but let myself be hypnotized by the Adam West-era Batman button that has seemingly attached itself to the ridiculously talented drummer’s lapel. As I stare into the lugubrious trinket of the past while surrounded by a hopeless future personified by an endless array of coffee beans and espresso machines found in the Sixth Avenue Starbucks, I can’t help but hear the crying out of lost synths and organic drums found on almost every single track ever written by Umber Sleeping. Imagine a 30-year reunion of the death of such timeless keyboards as the Juno 16 and Juno 2. Every album is both a celebration of these lost machines as well as the tragedy of their passing. It’s as if Tjetjan’s chamber-esque, reverb-laden vocals are helping interpret into words what his esoteric keyboards cannot.



Inside Starbucks the cash register is still ringing and the milk steamer is still hissing as I try to fathom how any influences could be recited for this form of music.



“I was influenced by Miles Davis, early new wave, The Weather Report, Jan Hammer, and 1960s Tony Williams. The reverb I use on my vocals is influenced, in some part, by the Mama’s and Papa’s. In fact, the tenth track on our forthcoming album is titled ‘Des Liavism,’ which is an anagram for Miles Davis,” says Tjetjan.



“Were you just staring at my button?” he suddenly asks.



I need to move on before I lose all credibility.



Umber Sleeping is a mixture of iron oxide and clay — a fairly analogous description of the band’s seemingly organic compositions driven by inorganic keyboards. Although their forthcoming album, Music from "Science Film," recorded at highly renowned Pacific Studios, won’t be released for a couple of months, you can find some of their new tracks on the band’s MySpace page. I highly recommend checking out the track titled “Christmas Party.”



Also, if you are really nice and ask the band politely on their page, they might play “Television Babies” from their first release, Psychedelic Sci-fi New Wave Fusion Band Vol. 1, at their show on Friday, Dec. 12 at Hell’s Kitchen with Mono in VCF. This is not a promise, of course, and I beg the reader to not tell anyone from the band that this was my idea. If they gain knowledge of this they will most probably infiltrate my headspace again, and this isn’t something I would even wish upon that guy from the UPS ads. The song in question features Trevor from The Elephants on vocals and is so hauntingly beautiful that it just might help you find your recently deceased soul mate.



Here’s the bottom line: If you are reading this article you should go see Umber Sleeping at Hell’s Kitchen. And, oh yeah, Umber Sleeping is currently unsigned, so if you work for a record label you should jump on the opportunity to sign them immediately. Tell someone you’ve never met that Tacoma’s sonic future can be heard for $5 ... and then run for your life.



[Hell’s Kitchen, Mono in VCF, Umber Sleeping, The Painkillers. Sons of Ivan, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave, Tacoma, 253.759.6003]