For as young of a band as Pride of Kenya are, they have roots extending back a number of years. Every member of the band has shared the stage with another in some incarnation of a different band, mostly as part of the burgeoning Highland Park scene under the umbrella of the Heard of Elephants collective.

Their music is an amalgam of textured shoegaze wrapped around tightly written rock riffs supporting catchy melodies. They’re a band that focuses on the simple aspects of songwriting first and then concerns themselves with layering new aesthetic on top afterwards. I’ve heard the band compared to such acts as Autolux and The Velvet Teen, and they’ve already played a show on KXLU’s Neuz Pollution radio show. Their music utilizes range to great effect—Their music oscillates between intense and pretty, operating in some undefined space just slightly ahead of the curve and rendered difficult to pinpoint.

Bassist Paris Patt and guitarist Alec Owen share lead vocal duties, often harmonizing melodies. The aforementioned, coupled with guitarist Mike Allison’s searing guitar playing and drummer Dan Melancon’s crashing energy, have impressed crowds ranging from their native Highland Park to the Knitting Factory in Hollywood.

On one of their newer tracks, guitarist Alec Owen plays only a pitch shifter pedal (without a guitar, I mean), and to quite good effect. Using alternating pitches to create a melody line, Owen’s out-of-the-box instrumentation idea is an example of how the band utilizes influences from the past and the present while keeping a steady pace to drive their sound into some undefined future. They’re a band that can go from unrestrained noise to pretty melody to rocking riffing to ominous chord progressions in a matter of seconds—and this isn’t even to mention their newfound propensity for opening their sets with jams in the style of Kenyan benga music. Perhaps they’ve begun to take their name a little more seriously.

Pride of Kenya are an integral component of Heard of Elephants, an art/music collective recently formed and boasting a stuffed roster of talented artists. Pride recently headlined a Heard of Elephants show at the Unknown Theater in Hollywood, drawing over 100 people. Quite a feat considering that the band has only been gigging for a few months. Catch them tonight at Future Music in Highland Park. I think it’s a secret show, though, so don’t tell anybody lame.

www.myspace.com/prideofkenya