If someone didn’t already like Fredalba, one phone conversation is enough to change a person’s perspective on the band.

From joking around about drummer Blair Shott’s penchant for a certain kind of underwear, to guitarist Tiffen “Rooster” Roley declaring his eternal love for touring (and tour buses), the band members exude a comic and totally unpretentious manner.

The band may joke around, but their new album “Uptown music from the Downtown Kids”has a serious kick. Rhythm, bass, flute, ripping guitar and a whole lot of charm underscore the deeply philosophical lyrics and a take on life that puts things in a whole new perspective for the listener.

Pigeonholing the type of music the band plays isn’t really their thing.

“It’s a big collage of many different musical styles,” Roley said.

Flutist Charmain Callon said the bare bones definition of Fredalba is rock, but it’s not run of the mill.

When the band adds in the Latin, funk, fusion and jam components, they put forth an most interesting product. The mysterious, compelling sound comes in part from the flute — not a traditional instrument for a rock band — and adds an element of mystique.

The lyrics, penned mostly by lead singer Eric Balfour, sounds as though he’s literally bearing his soul in songs like “Progression.”

“Slide your Breath” is an incredibly erotic song both lyrically and rhythmically. The band released “Uptown Music from the Downtown Kids” on Oct. 26, staging its release party in Hawaii.

The response to the music was reportedly outstanding, with a crowd very receptive to the Los Angeles sound.

Balfour is quoted on the band’s Web site as saying they “sound like L.A.” and it holds true on the album.

“Everyone moves to L.A. to get their career going — there’s pretty much every influence you can think of,” Roley said.

Balfour in particular seems to have a firm grasp on what it means to ooze a certain sound that bleeds the city, judging from his insightful lyrics. The title track of the album incorporates aspects of L.A., New York City and a little bit of earthy, Native American sound to bring a perspective of roots home for listeners.

“It’s really combining the worlds,” Roley said.

Balfour is probably the most widely known of all the band members for his fame as an actor. From a hippie kid in the movie “Can’t Hardly Wait” to a character in the 2003 remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” Balfour’s acting career includes appearing in 20 films and guest-starring numerous times on several successful television shows.

His popularity could be seen as an obstacle for the band, but Roley says aside from annoying scheduling conflicts, that’s not the case at all.

“He tries very hard — it’s a difficult balancing act, but he’s done a pretty good job of making himself a name,” Roley said.

Roley said the band is happy and proud of Balfour for his success as an actor, and that being a musician is a whole different part of life for him. Because of the musical explosion in Los Angeles, Roley said that it takes a lot to make a name in the music industry.

He said that sometimes it feels like a duty to go to different shows and pay homage to different bands — even just to see what other people are doing — because there are just so many talented bands in the area.

The guitar and flute combination, with the turntables added in, go a long way to give Fredalba its unique sound, but the band claims it would be nowhere without the backbone or as Callon put it, the “meat and potatoes” of its sound, the rhythm section.

There’s Shott on drums and Paul Trutner on bass, creating thumping backbeats mixed with enough funk and fusion to be interesting as well as catchy and danceable, without too much pop lameness.

“Without them, we’d be musically jerking off,” Roley said.

Fredalba is still playing live, and if Roley has his way, hitting the road for as much touring as it can do with the scheduling difficulties. Callon said that playing different venues outside L.A. is fulfilling and entertaining, and Roley expressed his intense desire to just tour forever, apparently a dream of his.

For those interested in the band, its new album or upcoming tour dates, visit www.fredalba.com.