Playing SXSW for the first time, Monty Are I [ tickets ] takes a cinematic approach in describing its music. The team, lead by singer/guitarist Steve Aiello, dubs it "action rock." "It's kind of a term that we use because people always ask us what we sound like and you can't just say 'rock' because that's boring," Aiello told LiveDaily. "You have to say something that's either going to confuse them or intrigue them. So we came up with 'action rock,' a term for over-the-top, bombastic, crazy, dynamic, melodic music that sounds like a soundtrack." The band has been showing off that sound to legions of fans on its US tour in support of "Wall of People," its second major-label album. --Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Performs 9 p.m. Thursday, March 15, Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St.

http://www.montyarei.com/