Cynically, the way newspaper articles about bands work is as follows: a) preview an act's upcoming show or record in hopes of getting future advertising or, b), if they're really lucky, do a review, which serves only the band's reputation (hopefully).

This is a little of both, and you'll understand why in a second. A couple weekends ago, a spectacular lineup of world-famous acts played Baltimore's Virgin Festival - the Beastie Boys; TV on the Radio; Spoon; Smashing Pumpkins; LCD Soundsystem; the Police; Peter, Bjorn and John; M.I.A.; Modest Mouse; Wu-Tang Clan and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to name a few. In other words, pretty much as good as a modern lineup can get - sorry Nickelback.

The sole Edmonton act amid such tremendous company was Shout Out Out Out Out, playing to about 2,000 in the dance tent, creating bizarre waves of human faces, like some overcrowded Japanese wave pool on the hottest of summer days.

This regal placement is big - huge, really, utterly evaporating what we call festivals here in town in terms of style. So while the six lads are indeed playing two shows in town, tonight and tomorrow at Planet Ze, all they can grin about is their recent tour, which included several stops in New York for the third time.

And the crowds are getting bigger. Mostly. Lyle Bell sums it up: "It was at once an ingratiating and 'humilifying' experience," he deadpans.

"I got a free haircut," Clint Frazier interrupts proudly at their cramped downtown studio. He's one of two live drummers in the band, the other being Gravy of Whitey Houston.

Gravy himself is telling us how, by slipping through a technicality, he got to shoot the Police backstage at Virginfest.

"Yeah, like about 200 photos," he laughs, explaining how security ignored him. Bell, meanwhile, is going on how good the reggae rockers were. "I'd heard they were total s--- here, so I was really surprised how good they were. The whole thing was just awesome.

Nik Kozub, Jason Trook and Will Zimmerman round out the tireless danceband, with synths, guitars and bass - plus a lot of distorted vocals.

Will happily raves about getting a free foot massage. "I'm like, I've just been playing for an hour, you sure you want to do this?"

This well-run gig was further proof that Edmonton music has a disproportionately detailed footprint in music today. And though that wave may have technically kicked off in modern times with Chad Kroeger's unit, remember that Cadence Weapon, Corb Lund and the Wet Secrets are all sticking our flag into far-reaching biospheres.

Hearing the guys' excitement and humility over the ups and downs of this last tour fills me with serious pride.

Trook and Kozub agree it's getting in the way of their record label but it's worth it. "Because we've had some degree of success with the band, doors are opening," Kozub says seriously, handing out beers that he bought for practice once again.

Notably, they just signed this weekend's opening act, Boston's one-man disco act San Serac, for Canadian distribution. "He's this awesome electro-disco guy who came up mostly around Providence. He wrote some records on Trevor Jackson's formative Output label out of London. I've been talking to him online and at one point he sent me his new record and Jason and I are releasing it in Canada.

"This is his first time playing in Edmonton," Kozub said.

The band laughs at any suggestion of moving away from here. Between them, they're in several other bands, doing important art shows, running the label and fixing their houses up. "We're just so set up here," Zimmerman - the only guy in town who could get away with looking cool while wearing Crocs - shrugs.

This is refreshing: you can almost prove a band's going to suck if their main goal is to run away. But what's really nice about this whole conversation is the heat of wonder and adrenalin that comes off them - they honestly, as their energy on stage proves by itself, are giddy fans of music. The trickle down is impossible to ignore.