Dios: Dios

The up-and-coming five-piece indie rock band dios is proud to hail from Hawthorne, Calif., which was once home to its idols, the Beach Boys. The group even claims to have funded the home recording of its self-titled debut album by selling pirated copies of the lost Brian Wilson masterpiece ``Smile'' on eBay. But the delicious eclecticism of its sound, which displays a sophisticated knack for melody, tempered with the earthy beauty of other dios heroes, including Neil Young, is totally modern. As is the band's place within the late-blooming multiculturalism of indie rock; singer-guitarists Joel and Kevin Morales are the sons of a well-known mariachi singer, and all of the members are Mexican-American. Their songs manage to blend all of these influences into a delicate sound that exudes quirky humor and the dark, moody side of indie rock and country. ``Nobody's Perfect'' is a gorgeously melancholy waltz, and ``Starting Five'' is a perfect pop confection, with a twanging vocal hook that gives it an oldies feel as the cascading chorus of ``Whoo ooh oohs'' evokes Weezer. Their cover of Young's ``Birds'' has a lush expansiveness, as a tart guitar slices through pretty piano, while the vocals retain a bit of the original's sweetly scratchy tone. ``You Make Me Feel Uncomfortable'' shimmers with an ethereal dreaminess that resembles countrified art popsters Grandaddy, with whom dios has toured. Dios enters the scene regally, with a lovely and refreshing dose of pop that's steeped in reverence for their forebears.