They're heavy, but not metal. They're based in L.A. but possess a Midwestern zeal and originality. The songs are pop, but the guitars are cranking, a punk sensibility lurking not far in the background. Clearly Frankie Machine are somewhat of a wonderful enigma: the tattooed and hard-boiled band image is belied by ultra-hooky pop sensibilities, loud, visceral guitars and rampant, barely contained musical fervor. "We wanted to make pop hooks, but with heavy guitars prominent. Not like Deftones-heavy, you know, but hard, combined with tons of backing vocals and melody," explains singer/guitarist Ryan Martin. Like the Foo Fighters or Cheap Trick before them, Frankie Machine are keenly aware that in order to play forceful pop-rock with loud guitars, strong songs, originality and major melodies are mandatory.

And on their Mammoth debut, One, it's a lesson clearly mastered. On the 11 memorable songs that define Frankie Machine's crisp, enduring sound, the spirit of their incendiary live shows is deftly captured. One, produced by Marshall Altman and Bryan Carlstrom (Offspring, Alice in Chains), kicks off with the in-your-face, irresistibly edgy single, "Sell Me," and is highlighted by a stellar cover of Split Enz' "I Got You." Other fervent favorites include the mosh-able yet toe-tapping "Surveillance," "50/50," and "Second Guess," all rife with memorable choruses and boundless energy. As for the cool cover? "We chose the Split Enz tune as sort of an 'undercover' cover," explains Texas-bred guitarist Creston Funk. "It's not that well known of a song, so it helps us own it a little more. We play it as if it was a song we wrote."

The members of Frankie Machine exude a command and musical originality born of years of seeing shows ranging from Black Sabbath to Elvis Costello to Journey (?!) to X, paying dues in hometown bands before gelling in Los Angeles in 1997. Martin moved to Hollywood from his native Chicago in the early '90's, forming the core of Frankie Machine (under a different name) with drummer Gary Benson, a Salt Lake City native and punk-rock fan. To make ends meet, Martin was working in international sales for renowned skateboard/clothing company Fuct (a far cry from his days at the Sunset Strip's Gil Turner's liquor store!), while Benson was "flipping burgers for stripper's parties or something like that," laughs Martin. In 1997, enter guitarist Creston Funk (a respected photographer who has shot numerous bands including the Crystal Method and Bad Religion for album covers and magazines). With Funk and a different bass player, the band gelled into Frankie Machine, playing only about 20 gigs before inking with Mammoth. The band name comes from the title character in the film noir-ish gem, "Man With the Golden Arm," where Frank Sinatra shines as Frankie Machine, a drug-addicted drummer. "There's no giant meaning attached to the band name," Martin explains. "You just wanna get a name you can stick with, and your name becomes you eventually."

And eventually, post-recording of One, the right bass player also became part of Frankie Machine. Riley Baxter, a well-known Hollywood tattoo artist, met the Machine men while inking Benson and Martin. Then, shortly after completing One in late 1999, Baxter joined the band, forming an inviolable foursome. Though Frankie Machine are in the exalted position of having One released by Mammoth, this hard-working foursome are aware this is merely the beginning. "I'm happy to be here, I gotta tell you that," Martin concludes, adding, "Now the real work begins!"