When influential independent radio station KCRW announced they would offer podcasts of their popular show "Morning Becomes Eclectic", the first band they picked to feature was Los Angeles' Goldspot. I downloaded the podcast, but never got around to listening to it. That's actually what's happened with the majority of podcasts I've subscribed to, but that's a subject for another day.

Even though I ignored their podcast, I did some research on Goldspot and found their unlikely combination of influences intriguing. "I grew up listening to whatever my parents had in their cassette decks - Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh," Goldspot's founder and singer Siddhartha relates in the band's bio. "And then one day when I was 14, I figured out that if you flipped the switch on the stereo from 'tape' to 'radio' you could hear music with English words. That's when I heard R.E.M.'s Green, and it was my first introduction to Western music."

The influences of Indian music are not immediately striking on Tally of the Yes Men, Goldspot's impressive debut album. Rather, the band's most distinct element is Siddhartha's quivering and passionate singing. His unaffected vibrato, which owes much to Roy Orbison, infuses Goldspot's highly melodic and upbeat sound with a surprising amount of emotional intensity. It's almost the same effect Morrissey's expressive crooning had upon The Smiths' charming golden pop.

But as it was with the Smiths', Goldspot's wouldn't be memorable without the accompaniment of interesting music. Their hook-laden sound is centered on the chiming guitar playing of Derek Horst and Seth McLain, but interesting effects and instrument choices embellish throughout. Lo-fi synth loops and sitar-like guitars highlight "Cusp", while a moving string arrangement on "Friday" adds heft to the song's climatic finish.

Goldspot are in New York this week for CMJ. I hope they get a great East Coast response and return again soon. If they can get the right exposure, they won't be L.A.'s little secret for long.

Check out Goldspot's MySpace page for streaming audio and information on their CMJ shows.