Maybe it's the pointed, pop-tastic guitar line that opens up Music for Animals' self-titled debut. Or the way the songs are instantly infectious, forcing parts of your body to shimmy and shake uncontrollably. Or the way the lyrics range from heartfelt to heart-wrenching to tongue-in-cheek to downright hilarious.

There's something different about this band; you can tell at first listen. Maybe it's the pointed, pop-tastic guitar line that opens up Music for Animals' self-titled debut (released by Three Ring Records in 2007). Or the way the songs are instantly infectious, forcing parts of your body to shimmy and shake uncontrollably. Or the way the lyrics range from heartfelt to heart-wrenching to tongue-in-cheek to downright hilarious. Never a dull moment with Music for Animals in the house, that's for sure.

But the uniqueness goes beyond mere beats and lines; it is, in fact, the bedrock upon which the San Francisco-based Music for Animals—Jayson Martinovich (vocals), Eli Meyskens (bass), Nick Bray (guitar) and Ryan Malley (drums)—is based. "This band is the most collective band any of us have been in," explains Eli, "meaning we all write the songs, lyrics, chord changes, drum beats. Our best songs come from long jams where we pick out the sweet spots and form them into cohesive songs."

These four divergent yet focused personalities lend diversity to Music for Animals' sound. It's not that the songs aren't cohesive; rather, they're unique, wholly formed beings, able to stand on their own merit. From the highly danceable "Worry" to the humorous "Bi or Curious" to the reflective "Red Cells" to the political "Rice Fields" to the sultry "Justine," each of the album's ten tracks is a standout.

But in this topsy-turvy world of a rapidly changing music industry, it's no longer enough for a band to simply have killer songs. The Internet presents a double-edged sword—wide distribution and exposure for independent bands means more opportunities to be heard, but also exponentially more voices clamoring for attention. It takes more—a captivating live show, videos, band members with personality as well as talent—to get noticed. That broad appeal is what earned Music for Animals the Live 105 Sauza Tequila Battle of the Bands crown, and also saw them sharing stages with such acts as OK Go, Mando Diao, The Lashes and Cloud Cult.

This spring, they'll be hitting the music mecca that is SXSW then heading east, so you'll have plenty of chances to immerse yourself in the Music for Animals live experience. "MFA's role in the big picture will be to try and utilize the new resources in technology to spread the music as far and wide as possible without any major support from a company or record label," says the band. "And tour, tour, tour; give people what they can't get on YouTube: an electric live show."

Also on tap in 2008 is writing the follow-up to their debut, with an expected fall release. Yup, they're a different kind of band, those Music for Animals boys. And we listeners are all better for it.

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