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THE BAND: Mira Radar

THE MEMBERS: Abra Schnur, vocals; Vanessa Reveles, keyboards; Paul Mata, guitar; Marc Montoya, drums; Sandy Bradshaw, guitar

THE SOUND: Beat-driven indie with strong keyboard melodies. “We have a brooding P.J. Harvey sound,” Montoya said. Schnur, who founded the band, cites Garbage as the main influence.
The song “Anti-gravity” is about a boy who wants to live on the moon; “Another Day” is about the broken promises of anti-depressants. “Tuesday Night (Living to Die Young)” is about “being a socialite in small-town San Antonio,” Schnur said.

Live, the band performs their songs in a specific order. “We tell a story not necessarily by the lyrics but by the progression of songs,” Schnur said.

THE WEB: myspace.com/miraradar

THE BACKGROUND: Formed in August, Mira Radar (named after Schnur's dog) is a highly conceptual project. The music has numerous references to outer space, and the live shows reflect that theme: Reveles, a fashion designer, created amp covers from green felt to look like aliens, and video or stop-motion animations are projected onto a screen during each song. The crowd can bat around balloons decorated to look like meteors.

Mata, Montoya and Bradshaw play in the grunge rock band Autosuggestion, and Montoya and Mata performed in “As Filthy as It Gets” at Jump-Start. Schnur is the host of “Culture Club” on Texas Public Radio.

WHERE TO SEE THEM: With Ledaswan, Kick It! and Elevision at the Rock the Ovaries benefit for the Battered Women and Children's Shelter of Bexar County at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, at the Limelight.

THE 210 TAKE: Mira Radar provides thoughtful songs you can bob your head to. Look for the EP We're All Stardust, due in early summer.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA Contributor