Tonight in Oklahoma City, musicians from Norman and Texas will paint the town with an array of sounds.

The Starlight Mints' "Drowaton" album release show will be accompanied by the Octopus Project and Student Film at the Bricktown Ballroom at 8 p.m. Tickets will be $15 at the door.

The Austin-based and South by Southwest veterans, the Octopus Project, will be returning their experimental pop music to Oklahoma before heading out to California for the Coachella music festival.

The band that has gained notoriety anywhere from Pitchfork Media to www.playboy.com, is described by Student Film bassist and vocalist, Seth McCarroll, as "the bomb dot com" or "the bomb dot edu ... whichever one."

Perhaps what has helped the Octopus Project gain more and more force is their eight years of experience together as a band.

The band first met in its hometown of Houston before the members found themselves as students at the University of Texas.

Members include Toto Miranda, Yvonne Lambert, Josh Lambert and Brandon Durham.

Miranda knew Josh from high school and has known Yvonne since he was much younger.

This February, the Octopus Project made a new addition to the band, as well.

According to its Web site, the group recently signed on a new guitar player, Brandon Durham, who's in Palaxy Tracks. Durham's band is also on the same record label (Peek-a-Boo Records).

The tentacled troupe has released two albums, "One Ten Hundred Thousand Million" in 2005 and in 2002 "Identification Parade."

Miranda said they have plans for a new album that is in the process of being written and produced to be released in the fall.

"The Octopus Project is one of those bands I like because they seek to be different," says University College freshman Jenni Delee. "They also use ghosts on stage, I'm not sure why, but I think that adds their shows, which are very visual."

So what are the "ghosts" about?

"It's something different," says The Octopus Project percussionist, Miranda, "They (the ghosts) don't really serve a purpose, but neither does rock and roll. They cover up some speakers so we can hear the beats and we like dressing them up."

Miranda said it's the high momentum of their shows that makes up the experience.

"We are loud, fun, energetic, and try to get everyone involved as we can. Although it doesn't always work, we still try. We use visual elements and dress up the stage to add to the total spectacle experience," said Miranda.

Said McCarroll, the Octopus Project "don't disappoint."
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