In a story of sweet kismet, My First Earthquakes fateful meeting and subsequent popularity among the indie elite of San Francisco seems ripped from the pages of an underdog serial. The quartet is made up of Rebecca Bortman (vocals/lyricist), Chad Thornton (keyboards/bass/composer), Andre Salcido (drums/resident native), and Dave Lean (guitar). Bartman, Thornton, and Lean all attended Carnegie Mellon University, although the trio was not musically involved at the time. They were reunited years later in San Francisco, the latter two reformed techies for Google and Apple, respectively, and Bortman having completed stints with metal groups and electronica artists. Salcido was discovered through a Craigslist ad and rounded out the geek chic rock groups 2006 debut.

With new-wave flair, My First Earthquakes tongue-in-cheek take on the self-imposed standards of the hipster scene led their first EP, 2008s Tremors, and full-length debut, Downstairs, into the hands and ears of local music industry giants. MFE has played all the major indie spots to rave reviews, and has been featured at NoisePop, Popscene, and the 2009 closing ceremonies of San Franciscos International Film Festival. In a turn of true DIY rocker status, the foursome turned down a major labels advances last year and took to the fundraising site Kickstarter.com to finance their latest release, a four-song EP Crush, that was released for free via the bands website. My First Earthquakes infectiously smart pop will have even the most jaded hipster tapping their toes