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New York art pop trio Elk City spun off from the alternative rock-era group the Melting Hopefuls in late 1997. Both groups feature drummer Ray Ketchem and singer/bassist Renee LoBue, but the addition of singer/guitarist Peter Langland-Hassan truly makes Elk City a different (and better) group. Indeed, Elk City (no connection to the western Oklahoma town of the same name should be inferred) began when Langland-Hassan auditioned for a new lineup of the Melting Hopefuls, an ever-shifting unit LoBue and Ketchem had led since 1990. His songwriting and singing gifts were such, however, that the trio decided to make a fresh start under a new name, with a new musical aesthetic that gave the two singer/songwriters equal weight. LoBue had been the Melting Hopefuls' sole lead singer, but Elk City quickly became a much more collaborative effort, with the pair sharing the lead vocals. (Most Elk City songs are actually duets.) The group, as yet unnamed, began recording its debut album in early 199...