Synth-Pop Sunsets

I’d like to submit for consideration the quartet Parade of Lights

Parade of Lights
Parade of Lights

What makes for a quintessentially L.A. band? History tells us the answer is always in flux, from the pristine sun-and-surf pop of the Beach Boys to the hairspray and whiskey-fueled sleaziness of Guns n’ Roses and the G-funk-laced bangers of Dr. Dre and Snoop.

As for the present, you could make a case for Lana Del Rey’s Hollywood torch singing or Kendrick Lamar’s Compton revivalism, but I’d like to submit for consideration the quartet Parade of Lights.

What they may lack in popularity, they make up for in sound. The four-piece band — featuring founding members Ryan Daly (guitar, vocals) and Anthony Improgo (drums) along with Michelle Ashley (keyboard) and Randy Schulte (bass) — traffic in a big, bright, unabashed brand of SoCal synth-pop, a perfect soundtrack for a stroll down Sunset or Silver Lake.

Having taken M83 and early MGMT as its patron saints, the band’s look, sound and essence all seem tailor-made for a Coachella sunset or, if the band’s music videos are any indication, a road trip through the California desert shot exclusively in slo-mo.

Fresh off a run supporting Imagine Dragons earlier in the year, Daly and crew are now putting their weight behind the band’s debut full-length, Feeling Electric. Title track included, the record shoots shamelessly and often for big hooks, and largely comes away with a winning average. Expect the lights to be bright, the haircuts expensive and the hooks big.

New York’s alt-rock outfit Tribe Society joins Parade of Lights 8 pm Sunday, Nov. 29, at WOW Hall; $13 adv., $15 door.