In less than five years, Lucky Boys Confusion has gone from a relatively unheard-of suburban garage band to an almost instant icon of the rock and punk scene all over the Chicagoland area.

Now a regular favorite at Chicago’s House of Blues, entertaining sold-out shows full of loyal 420 Geeks (their hardcore fans), the Boys are continuously gaining the notoriety their band deserves. Lucky Boys Confusion is the conglomeration of several different local Chicago bands, resulting in the five-man powerhouse whose members all hail from the Downer’s Grove/Naperville area of Illinois.

After receiving praise for its first two albums, Growing Out Of It and The Soapbox Spectacle, the group signed with Elektra Records and released Throwing the Game in May 2001.

Some of LBC’s more notable accomplishments include playing at the Vans Warped Tour, receiving heavy rotation on Chicago’s alternative station Q101 (especially for its popular single “Fred Astaire”), a brief stint touring in Japan and gaining a regular spot playing on the College Television Network tour this past year.

With a rapidly growing and somewhat “fashionable” new popular interest in pop-based punk, LBC will become the refreshing change you need from the trend of three-chord-based, stagnant, repetitive, whining musical efforts of other young bands.

Its songs are catchy and fun without any hint of the trite and overly simplistic non-musical “noise” of other pop-punk and emo bands heard on the radio or in clubs these days.

Although its sound has been compared to Sublime, 311 and others, LBC’s trademark is its ability to stretch genre limits until all rules are broken.

The lyrics in LBC’s songs speak to everyone, representing the realities of living in suburbia. It manages to infuse some songs’ lyrics with all the silly playfulness of clever tongue-and-cheek humor, yet manages to remain honest and introspective about more difficult times in the members’ lives and stays true to the idea of questioning authority, founded in the punk tradition.

The band puts on an impeccably tight live shows, showcasing its professionalism and furious intensity. The hallmark of an LBC show is that intensity; it never lets the energy stop.

In an interview with The Badger Herald, lead singer Kaustubh Pandav said, “It’s a rock show with a lot of energy. And what else is there to do on a Thursday night besides your typical night of trying to find a party? Our party is already set up.”

He continued, “We have been writing new songs all year, and we have just started to play them this tour, and we are getting great response from them. You will, of course, hear a few off of Throwing The Game as well.”

When questioned about the new album, Pandav explained, “It looks like after this tour we are going to head out to L.A. to record the album. We aren’t 100 percent positive, ’cause anything can happen in this industry, but we are shooting for a summer release.”

Sounds like good news for the fans.

At LBC’s party, this is what you’ll hear. Frontman Pandav’s controlled vocal power and musical accuracy is not your average raging rocker’s wailing, throaty screams. His rhymes are tight and his singing flows from delicate to dangerous in the same song, backed up by rhythm guitarist Adam Krier’s delectable harmonies that rival the soulful sounds of Bradley Nowell.

Joe Sell’s lead guitar riffs are exhilarating, yet you’ll never catch him “showing off.” His solos perfectly complement each song’s instrumentation with sophisticated melodic expression.

Jason Schultejann’s bass lines are complex and invigorating. Ryan Fergus’ loud drumming flows flawlessly in and out of various meters and styles and gets the crowd jumping and dancing, adding exciting fills and intense musical builds.

With no weak link in the group, the chemistry on stage is a sight to behold. It’s rare to discover a band with such raw talent that possesses the kind of drive, hard-working enthusiasm, down-to-earth attitude, genuineness and such dear appreciation for their fans back home and for each other.

Pandav also commented on the band’s eagerness to play in Madison: “Three-fifths of us are newly single. No, I’m playing. We love coming up to Madison and playing. Actually, we were just there for a week writing and demo-ing up new songs. Out of anywhere in the country we could have gone, we picked Mad Town — now that’s love.”

Lucky Boys Confusion will play with The Stereo and Saving Face tonight at the Annex, 1206 Regent St., at 6:30 p.m.