THEY ARE: Hyperbubble

THE SOUND: Energetic, sugarcoated synthpop

HE MEMBERS: Jess DeCuir, vocals, keyboards, drum machine; Jeff DeCuir, synthesizers, sequencers, vocals, drum machine

THE ALBUMS: Solid Pop (2004); Airbrushed Alibis (May 2007); dozens of remixed tracks and tracks on compilation CDs, including a 2006 Patty Duke tribute

THE WEB: hyperbubble.net; myspace.com/hyperbubble

THE BACKGROUND: In 2000, the DeCuirs, a husband-and-wife duo, began planning “a band for the new millennium,” and Hyperbubble is as much about the concept of a futuristic pop band as it is about the music. Jeff uses a Gateway laptop to compose and mix the songs, which range in topic from cats to cars to roller-skating. Their look also is part of the concept: Jess spends hours in Goodwill to put together outfits for gigs, aiming for “.'60s mod meets futuristic sci-fi kind of kitsch,” she said. Jeff wears dark clothing and sunglasses. “I'm dressing like my equipment,” he said. “Black and plastic and shiny.”

THEIR WORDS: There are definitely echoes of the '80s in Hyperbubble's sound (plus a nod to '60s bubblegum pop), but don't call them retro. “We thought guitars were pretty retro,” Jeff said and points out that today's technology allows them to go much further with electronic music than 1980s technology. “We've learned that language; we're using it to write these songs, but we're also doing things they didn't do back then.”

WHERE TO SEE THEM: At the Alamo City Rollergirls championship bout on Sunday, Sept. 23.

THE 210 TAKE: Hyperbubble is fresh, original and always a good time. The beat is ideal for dancing and the lyrics, though often simple and repetitive, are clever as hell. Jeff and Jess, who are in their 30s, also are artists, and they approach the band from that perspective. They're very careful about making their music, their clothes, even their Web site reflect their idea of a pop band of the future, but they're just as careful not to take themselves too seriously. “We're very aware of the superficial aspect, and we're in a sense parodying that, and that's part of the fun,” Jess said.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor