Kevin Bronson on April 23rd, 2014

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And the award for Best Opening Line of a Press Release goes to: “We’re horny. And we’re sad.” So goes the introduction to Los Angeles quintet Babes, who are only half-joking. The band – siblings Sarah, Aaron and Zach Rayne along with Bryan Jeffrey and Jeffrey John – hold that almost all art springs from those two motivational factors. And while you could argue that the former begets the latter, Babes are willing to discuss the matter. They’ve set up the “Babes Hotline” at (470-BABES-77). When a lonely soul dialed the hotline and left a message on Tuesday night, Sarah returned the call, saying, “We just want to talk to people.” And how about the calls Babes has received so far? “Let’s just say, a lot of people are sad,” Sarah explained. “More people are horny.”

Oh, Babes make music too, a lot of it oozing with the beauty and innocence of pop’s past – and perhaps shaded by the self-awareness that going there these days could lead to a substantial amount of soul-crushing. No matter. The band has been a work in progress for a couple of years, and on May 27 they will release a self-titled EP via Harvest Records. Their first single “Die” could have been worthy of a Hallmark video treatment, but it didn’t get it. Comedian Eric Wareheim of Tim and Eric stars, and if you don’t cry you’ll laugh. If you find yourself in tears, though, maybe somebody will pick up on that hotline.

||| Live: Babes perform Friday at the Bootleg Bar.