Jacob's Ladder

The Miami Beach-based trio Jacob's Ladder knows that hard, relentless work is the backbone of an, errr, ascent to success. This Thursday marks the beginning of the young band's fourth recent monthlong East Coast tour, bringing the band's career performance count close to 300. Seriously these guys have played everywhere, from an episode of the Jamie Kennedy Experiment TV show, to a local stage at the most recent Van's Warped Tour. Did we mention the band members' average age is about exactly 21?

As for the music: It's not just guitarist/frontman Oren Maisner's hairdo that owes something to the Mars Volta. His axe work, too, is full of that duo's trademark surging, plunging, proggy clouds. But Jacob's Ladder has a serious grasp of pop hooks. That, and the sort of feeling-soaked lyrics that have made the band a natural choice as openers for national acts like the Ataris, Fall Out Boy, and fellow Miamians-made-good Glasseater.

Meanwhile they're regulars on the band-benefit circuit. This time around, a portion of proceeds from the entire tour will go to the Daily Bread Food Bank, the South Florida affiliate of the national nonprofit America's Second Harvest. So Thursday night at the Office equals quality local music plus karma points all around. It's a winning equation. — Arielle Castillo