With their second album, Villains, Million Dollar Mouth (MDM) refutes the myth that art and the three-and-a-half-minute pop song can’t get along. While the new record shares the same indie-rock spirit as its predecessor, Say My Name...Now Say It Again, it also marks a leap forward for the Los Angeles-based quartet. The tasteful melodies and no-nonsense arrangements that characterized their first album infuse all 11 tracks of their sophomore release, only this time with an expanded sound—no doubt a result of the group’s artistic growth and constant gigging. Since Say My Name debuted in early 2005, the band has been playing frequently throughout LA and across the United States. Once word of MDM’s brawny, grungy take on Brit-Pop and Mike Biscotti’s signature warm baritone and dizzying falsettos began to spread among club-goers, Say My Name slowly found its way to radio DJs and rock critics. KROQ DJ Kat Corbet called MDM “a band with impeccable taste and style,” while Lollipop magazine called the album “stylistically kicking the crap out of The Strokes while smoking Stone Temple Pilots' cigarettes and listening to the Marvelous 3.” Ultimately, most of the album’s 11 cuts made the spin list at a number of college stations across the country, which led to CMJ’s Top 200 Chart and film placements in the indie psych thriller “Dimples” and the cult favorite “Poker Bustouts,” and put the group on their younger fans’ radar. MDM also found time to write and record an original track for an Urban Outfitters commercial. Amid all the fanfare, MDM quietly earned themselves a nod as one of Music Connection’s Hottest Unsigned Bands and won for Best Alternative Rock Band at the 2007 Rock City Awards. Villains opens up with “Sadie,” which flashes the same natural hook-writing chops that made Say My Name’s “Stupid Like Me” and “Big Kiss” so addictive. Equally catchy are the sardonic anthem “Little Dog,” with its propulsive bass drumming and punishing chorus, and the track “Snakes,” which blends a heavy groove with pop-perfect hooks. But nowhere is MDM’s ensemble spirit more evident than on “Genuine Hoax,” which deftly weaves together Mike Wendland’s angular guitar licks, Kris Keane’s pummeling, yet sophisticated drumming, and 80’s frenetic basslines to provide the perfect support for Biscotti’s tremendous range and inimitable delivery. For all its up-tempo gusto, Villains has its quietly affecting moments as well. On the yearning “Return,” the band scales back its usually textured arrangements to let Biscotti’s robust vocals stand alone, while “Psychobitch” combines trip-hop-y verses with Prince-like choruses, punctuated by an explosive bridge and stormy outro. But it’s arguably “Last Day On Earth” that has grabbed the most buzz among long-time MDM fans, many of whom have clamored for an album version of this concert showstopper. After playing the song live for a while, the band finally laid down the definitive recording with the help of producer Bryan Marye, who managed to retain the live feel and capture the song’s unbridled energy. While Million Dollar Mouth have earned a reputation as first-rate musicians, they are also renowned for their tireless gigging, including performances all along the West Coast, across the Southwest, as well as various festivals as far away from home as Cincinnati, OH. Equally as important, they’ve won props for their easygoing nature and grassroots marketing, which starts with their official site, www.milliondollarmouth.com. The group’s MySpace Page (www.myspace.com/milliondollarmou provides an opportunity for fans to chat with the band members, meet other MDM devotees, post messages, and check concert dates. MDM are already in preproduction of their yet-unnamed third studio album, and plan to continue touring while posting new and unreleased work as well as live and alternate outtakes on MySpace, so that loyal followers and newcomers alike may see the band live and listen to the new material over and over.