What Made Milwaukee Famous, that cool band from that land of lakes – wait, they’re actually from that oven called Austin.

They do drink Schlitz, though (see below.)

Milwaukee, Austin, no matter. WMMF is simply a solid power pop band with an odd name and a great new album. Poppy and melody-driven, the tunes on “What Doesn’t Kill Us” recall Elvis Costello, Ladybug Transistor, Shins, and fellow Austinists Spoon. Currently locked into an upward trajectory, there’s a good chance they’ll be as big as Spoon at some point.

I reached singer Michael Kingcaid a few weeks back.

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RC: How long has the band been together?

MC: Around six years.

RC: Were you surprised that the band gelled so well after meeting through want ads?

MC: A few members knew each other before the ads, but yeah, it was strange that we meshed so well. We were able to write a demo of seven songs within the first three months. It was especially strange because we all came from very different musical backgrounds. It’s usually hard enough when band members know each other or are friends going in, so we were lucky.

RC: What is your musical background – have you been singing your whole life?

MC: Yeah, I’ve always been a choir boy. I was singing ‘Nuthin’ But a Hound Dog’ at age four. My mom was always encouraging. She had me sing at recording studios in the malls, which I just recently have been able to listen to again without being scarred. Just picture “Say You, Say Me” over loudspeakers… Music was good for me towards the end of high school because I was pretty wayward at the time.

RC: What were your favorite 1980s bands?

MC: The first tapes I bought with my own money were Combat Rock (Clash) and Run-D.M.C. My tastes were all over the map, though. For me, I like whatever is a good song. That’s how I wanted to approach this album. A good song is a good song, and it can’t be denied.

RC: Tell me about the new album.

MC: It’s more refined and focused. When we were first together, sometimes there was too much going on with everyone putting their two cents in. This time, we had a limited amount of time, so we had to get everyone’s best performances or we would have had to pay for more time. My goal is for the songs to stand the test of time and will still sound just as good in ten years.

RC: Do you ever drink Schlitz (“The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous”) just for the fun of it?

MC: We drink it whenever we see it. It’s funny, we heard recently that Schlitz is making a comeback. I like to think that we helped bring it back!

What Made Milwaukee Famous with Gentlemen Auction House and Black Joe Lewis

Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave.

Thursday, 9 pm, $10

www.offbroadwaystl.com