To many, Orange County is equally known as the suburban Mecca that nestled in between Los Angeles and San Diego, the television shows that kind of sort of depict life there and of course, the music scene. Punk bands like Social Distortion and Bad Religion are pioneers in their respective genres, while No Doubt has blended punk and pop and taken both to an entirely different of mainstream acceptance. That’s not to say that there’s not a few reverb heavy, vintage throwback bands in the area either. At the forefront of this movement are The Growlers.

Formed in 2006 in Dana Point before moving to Costa Mesa, the quintet has become known for their sound, which blends the brooding vocals of Brooks Nielsen and Matt Taylor’s fuzzy lo-fi, reverb-heavy garage rock with gothic psychedlic surf rock. On the surface that may sound a bit confusing and perhaps even a bit incomprehensible, but these guys make it work and have built up a strong following in the process. To describe the many moving parts of the sound, the band coined a new genre: Beach Goth, which is probably the best and only way to describe it and would make Roky Erickson proud.

Known for the energetic and often times, theatrical live shows, the band has toured and played with some of the biggest bands and festivals across the globe. While on one hand opening for the likes of The Black Keys, Dr. Dog, Devendra Banhart and Julian Casablancas is an accomplishment in itself, it’s another for said band to leave a lasting impression on the fans of these acts. Yet when you perform wearing wigs, heavy make-up, women dresses and assorted props, how can you not be noticed? The Growlers live show specializes in a sort of weird mix of indie and glam, which is definitely something that few if any bands in their ilk are doing. But it’s working and they’re gaining fans, so their doing something original that’s clicking with fans.

The Growlers have released three albums, with the most recent, Hung at Heart, landing on people’s computers and vinyl collection last week. The build-up to the album has been strong, with a Fall tour to build anticipation, which got fans excited about the album. Though they initially recorded with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, the band scrapped those sessions and ended up producing the new album themselves in Costa Mesa.

A band’s third record can be the make or break point. On one hand, it can be the moment where everything comes together and they manage to find their way after navigating the murky waters of finding the delicate balance between an artistic vision and seeing what fans want. The Growlers seem to get that, and that’s why their steady climb into the psyche of music fans have been so interesting. With the new Southern California sound that’s been emerging over the past decade, this band’s interesting sound could help them build an even bigger, more mainstream audience.