Despite the fact that I write as a Santa Cruz-based author, I am a Los Angeles native and still find it hard, at times, to keep up on my new area's local music scene.

Enter Sweet Plot, a San Francisco-based (close enough to Santa Cruz, right?) rock n’ roll band with plenty of soul. It's comprised of five members, self-described below:

"Cole 'Dr. Krow' Kromer is the band’s frontman. His family originally hailed from the Bayou country before moving out West to the Barbary Coast. He’s a mean lead singer with a twangy guitar tone that brings you straight back to Bourbon Street. His cascading licks are equally as impressive as his ability to sit in the pocket and blend perfectly in any style of music."

"Daniel 'Billy Joe' Plautz is a S.F. native notorious for both his drumming abilities as well as his soulful vocal techniques. His beats seamlessly fuse Rock, Funk, Hyphy, and Reggae and are guaranteed to make you move. It’s straight beat soup infused with 100% vintage tone sauce."

"Dan 'The Medicine Man' Beckerman, the 3rd core member from the 415, is a slick bassist and vocalist with the funkiness and soul that’ll take you down to the riverbanks of Muslce Shoals, Alabama. His warm tone is sweet like jelly and smooth like butter. Together with Plautz, they form a formidable rhythm and harmony section with a groove so deep it’ll shake your bones."

"Evan 'Q-Stiq' Cuellar, the king of keys, hails from the woodlands of Redding, California where he grew up on a farm. His licks remind the listener of his country roots and a time when what you had was the land out back and homegrown corn on the cob for breakfast. Let him slather some sonic butter on your eardrum."

"Don 'The Don' Nguyen, the sultan of synth, grew up in the Haight-Ashbury in the 1960's during the heyday of San Francisco Rock n' Roll. His unique outlook on life lends itself to Sweet Plot's affinity for vintage tone while injecting a healthy dose of modern-day psychedelic swagger back into the mix. The tandem of Don with Q-Stiq cues the creation of a dynamic keyboard section with a relentless groove."

Sweet Plot the type of music that you can really groove to—you can sample a collection of their singles, including their breakout mixtape "Interstate Plot", on SoundCloud. Part of their good ol’ rock sound stems from their ideals about the current state of music, industrialized by way of digital production and a sense of artificiality. They try hard to “handcraft” their music for an authentic sound full of passion and musicality from their very talented members. And while some of their songs are just simply fun, with a lyrical focus on good times with good people, others highlight a range of political and social issues: staying true to the Americana style that relied on traditional Western narrative structures and folk histories. Equal parts Rock n' Roll, Bay Area Funk, and California Feelin', the group's timeless tunes cultivate the best of tradition with their organic yet refined style.

As of now, the band is touring and gearing up to release its first full-length album (as they spend numerous days laboring in the studio), and a number of other tracks on iTunes. Check out their Facebook page or website for more info and to stay up-to-date on future gigs and musical releases. Keep on Plottin'.