A capsule look at Pittsburgh bands making news.

Members: Singer-guitarist Mike Ummer; drummer Kurt Threlfall; and twin brothers Mike Bechtold on bass and Brian Bechtold, keys and percussion.

Style: Dark, atmospheric synth-rock reminiscent of The Cure.

Formed: Around 2003, taking the name from a volcano on Mars. Says Mike Bechtold, "We all grew up in the same neighborhood [Plum], went to the same elementary school, and started getting into music in high school. Once we graduated from high school we started taking things a little more serious." They all went to Pitt together, where they wrote the songs.

Debut album: By their senior year, they were ready to capture it in the studio. "We finally decided to buy some used recording gear and started teaching ourselves how to use it," Bechtold says. "Once we moved into our studio in Market Square in the spring of 2007 we started to record the record. The process itself was a good time. We would just try out different things until we liked the sound and we finally got it to sound just like our live sound." It was mixed and mastered at Studio 412.

The result: "Olympus Mons" harks back to '80s British rock, with shades of the Cure and Joy Division. The bass is heavy, the vocals are mournful and it's all drenched with foggy keys and shimmering guitar. "We never really like to classify ourselves, as our influences come from all sorts of music. It is just what comes out when we all get together."

Release show: 10 p.m. Saturday at the Rex with Donora and Shade. $5. www.myspace.com/olympusmons.com.

-- Scott Mervis