I had the pleasure of hanging out with 4 members of New Orleans’ Empress Hotel for 45 minutes or so on Thursday evening, chatting with them about their upcoming debut full-length album — out in early 2012 — their tour plans, which of the Rogers brothers their mom loves best, and their thoughts on Treme. Their videographer got the whole thing and I hope to be able to share it with you in the next few weeks, because they were funny, smart, and supremely charming to the maximum, and I’m really thrilled to have even gotten that much time with them now, since I think they’re about to blow up in a big way.

Before they do, though, you should make sure that you listen to their first self-titled EP, which is streaming here. It’s some of the most carefully, thoughtfully, catchily composed indie pop I’ve heard in ages, and I absolutely cannot wait to hear the full-length they’re dropping on Philly’s Park the Van Records (home to indie darlings Dr. Dog, among others) next year. It’s the kind of record that you’ll sing in the shower and at the fax machine while doing a little dance that makes your boss ask if everything’s okay (not that I would now, um) for weeks after you hear it. It’s that good. Get on it early, because these guys are not to be missed.