MADISON, Wis. -- Pale Young Gentlemen is one of several local bands that will share stages with national and regional acts and represent Madison's music scene at the inaugural Forward Music Festival this weekend.

READ: Forward Music Festival Celebrates Midwest's Underground Rock Scene | VIDEO: Watch The Report

Since forming in Madison in 2004, Pale Young Gentlemen have honed their unique sound and self-released a critically acclaimed debut album in 2007.

The band, currently a quintet, features piano, cello and viola in addition to the standard guitar-drums-bass band setup. The Onion has described the band's theatrical sound as "a combination of Ben Folds pop, Tom Waits oddity, and Eastern European influences."

Madison's own answer to the chamber pop movement, Pale Young Gentlemen was named 2007 Band of the Year by the Isthmus and has received some national attention. The band was named a CMJ Sonicbids Spotlight Artist in January 2008.

In March, the band signed with Science of Sound, an independent record label based in Madison, and is holding a CD release party for its second album on Oct. 3 at Café Montmartre before heading out on its first national tour.

Pale Young Gentlemen brings its compelling sound to the Orpheum Stage Door at 11 p.m. on Saturday.

Channel 3000 caught up with singer/songwriter Mike Reisenauer to talk about the Forward Music Festival and the Madison music scene.

Channel 3000: What was your first impression of the Forward Music Festival when you heard about it?

Mike Reisenauer: I think it's awesome. I was actually really impressed and really excited. These kind of festivals happen only in a few cities a couple of times a year in the whole country, and for a town of Madison's size to be able to bring in a bunch of national acts for a festival over a couple of days is, I think, amazing.

Channel 3000: How did you get involved in the lineup for the Forward Music Festival?

Reisenauer: I've known (co-organizer) Jesse Russell for a long time -- I actually used to work with him years ago. And Bessie (Cherry), another one of the organizers, we used to play shows at Cafe Montmartre when she was booking there. And we've played (Wisconsin Union Directorate) shows (that another organizer) booked, so we had a good chance (laughs).

Channel 3000: What impact do you think the festival will have on the local music scene?

Reisenauer: As far as the Madison scene, the impact is really great for all the local bands. You get to share a bill with someone you've never played with before, or somebody who maybe has more contacts than you have or that kind of thing. It's kind of a great possibility for networking for local bands.

Channel 3000: Who are you most exited to see at the Forward Music Festival?

Reisenauer: The band I'm most exited to see is Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. But she's playing like right after we are at Montmartre, so I don't know if I'll be able to get over there. But that's somebody I'm extremely exited about.

Channel 3000: What can people expect when they come to see you live?

Reisenauer: Well, it'll be fun. Our set list is changing as we try to incorporate songs from our record that's coming out, so it'll be a different kind of set than we usually play. But it'll be good solid music and a lot of fun.

Channel 3000: How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn't heard the band before?

Reisenauer: I guess I would say that we do a lot of traditional things in untraditional ways. You might feel a familiarity to the music even if it doesn't sound familiar.

Channel 3000: How does the new Pale Young Gentlemen album compare with the debut?

Reisenauer: The first record has pounding piano, kind of like cabaret/dancehall stuff. Our new record is kind of paced a little bit slower. I wrote it on acoustic guitar, so it's a little more folksy.

Channel 3000: Has signing with the Science of Sound label in Madison changed the recording process for the band at all?

Reisenauer: It made things easier because we were able to spend a little bit more time in the studio. It was the kind of situation where we wouldn't be able to record this album without them, so I guess that's the main difference.

Channel 3000: So the band is starting its first national tour in October?

Reisenauer: Yeah, just the idea of being on the road for so long is exciting to me. We'll be playing the CMJ (Music Marathon) in New York in late October, so I'm excited for that. We're playing across the entire country, so I'm just excited to get out there and to make some new fans.

Channel 3000: What's your favorite venue to play in Madison?

Reisenauer: The High Noon. It's just a great space; the sound is always great. The stage is a nice size. It's just a nice place to play.

Channel 3000: What do you see on the horizon for the band after the tour wraps up?

Reisenauer: After the tour, I have a few songs I want to start working on that will be for the next record, and we'll just start looking at where we go from here.

For More Info::

Hear the music of Pale Young Gentlemen at the band's MySpace.com Page.
For more information on the Forward Music Festival, visit this Web site.