With James Jenkins of Mama Loves Daddy moving to Portland; the increasing irregularity of Drug Purse and Paris Spleen shows; the switch ideologically and title-wise from the Elephants to the Nightgowns; and with lots of people just getting their shit together - it seems as if the last vestige of the dirtbag, Tacoma-centric, Team Unicorn Records spirit is being maintained by Umber Sleeping. It was by way of Team Unicorn Records and adjacent bands (like Umber Sleeping) that I was first introduced to local music. At the time, Tacoma seemed littered with Carlo Rossi jugs, hand-rolled cigarettes, banged-up NES systems and Free Design record albums. Nowadays, the shows aren't as unhinged, the people aren't as reckless or snobby, the stakes for partying aren't as high and the repercussions aren't as monumental.

But Umber Sleeping (and yeah, they were called Follow the Kites for a second; more on that later) still have that smoky air about them. With every introduction Umber Sleeping frontman Peter Tietjen makes about the next song being about Three's Company or He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, I feel a tiny kick in the back of my head from a phantom swig of Carlo Rossi. Every stab from a buzzing synthesizer makes me feel like I'm waiting outside a convenience store for my older friend to come back with cigarettes.

If you haven't heard Umber Sleeping before, the sound is a little tough to describe. It's rock ‘n' roll without the rave-ups, synth-pop that doesn't shimmer and art-rock about the eminently disposable. Beginning as a two-piece, with Tietjen on drums and Chris Jones on keyboards, Umber Sleeping erred more on the jazz fusion side of things.

"We played a lot of stuff that was free-form, noisy, kind of Bitches Brew, Miles Davis-era stuff," says Tietjen. "Then we got into structure a little more, and began recording stuff."

When Jones left, Tietjen took the opportunity to expand the outfit, and in doing so found more of a focus in the songwriting and shifted the band toward its current sound. The drummer for Umber Sleeping, Tietjen also sings lead vocals for the group.

"We've had some better singers come through the group, but since I usually am the writer, I write things that I would want to hear my kind of vocals on," says Tietjen. "I'm really influenced by the Zombies, old David Gilmour, the tone of those things. But I like a lot of Krautrock, and even Philip Glass, these kind of repetitive things on the vocal. Kind of the ‘anti-soul' way of thinking. The vocals are just another instrument thrown in there."

Last fall, long-time Umber Sleeping guitarist Doug Morse left the group, and the band changed its name to Follow the Kites.

"You know, things aren't always perfect, and (Morse) left for a bit," says Tietjen. "Out of respect, I said, ‘Let's change the name.' I definitely didn't want it to appear to everybody that Doug was kicked out of the group, or anything like that, because I knew that he would probably come back around, because in the long-term we're all friends. And I didn't really want people to compare (the new band) to Umber Sleeping. Some people like Umber Sleeping, and some people don't. ... I didn't want to be compared for the good and for the bad."

Of course, Doug Morse is back with the band, which is back to being Umber Sleeping. Saturday, Umber Sleeping will be performing at a show called Oddio (co-founded by former Volcano scribe, Chuck Dula, and Aaron Whitfeldt) - the first in what is intended to be an annual event bringing together like-minded bands. Sharing the stage will be fellow oddballs Not From Brooklyn, Fields Without Fences and Goldwing.

I'll be there, drunk on cheap wine and covered with loose tobacco. Tacoma, you should do me a solid and join me.

Umber Sleeping

with Fields Without Fences, Goldwing, Not From Brooklyn
Saturday, June 4, 8 p.m., $5
Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
253.759.6003