My first exposure to Old Age took me by surprise. The opening, titular track of their latest release, Rain Won't Ever Come, begins with a ragged lead vocal surrounded on all sides by boozy oohs and la las. The track is slightly reminiscent of the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down," all shaggy and full of feeling.

Old Age have a way about them - a way of conveying that they have all of this feeling but not the right instruments for letting that feeling out. If they were a bunch of virtuosos, you know they'd prefer it, but they have what they have and in the meantime there's a whole lot of heartache to get out there.

When I spoke with lead guitarist and singer Matthew Ulm, he was on the side of the road in the deserts of Washington, having just gotten done doing a show in Boise. He was soft-spoken and to the point, more comfortable downplaying Old Age, but quick to compliment others. There's a humility to Ulm that reflects in the music of Old Age.

"About two years ago, we were in another band, lost a member, and then we started Old Age," Ulm says, matter-of-factly. "The bass player Dustin Daniels and I had been working together for about ten years, and we decided that we weren't gonna stop. So, we just found some new players and kept going. We're not gonna stop."

Just like Rain Won't Ever Come might suggest, Old Age are somewhat enamored of classic rock. There's a lot of attention paid to simple melodies and heartfelt deliveries. At times, Old Age begins to resemble that odd mixture of classic rock idolatry and '90s sensibilities that defined groups like Oasis.

"My songs start out as poems, basically, and then I get a basic melody and collaborate with the guys," says Ulm. "I really like late '60s, early '70s rock to listen to, so I guess that's probably what I'm influenced by."

An understatement, yet again.

I feel comfortable telling you, my dear reader, that Old Age are just as charming live as they are on record. And how can I be so sure? Well, there's a company in Portland called Banana Stand Media. Basically, it's a house venue that records and releases live albums of bands that come through there.

"Those guys are good guys," says Ulm. "Louie Herr is the guy who runs it. He basically just puts on shows at his house and uses really nice recording equipment and gets some nice, high definition film people in there, makes a nice package, and then promotes the bands. Basically, he just does it out of the kindness of his heart. He's a good guy."

In addition to listening to Old Age's live album at Banana Stand's website, there are roughly one hundred other finely recorded albums available to listen to or purchase, pay-what-you-can style. It's a peak into Portland's music scene, which is an enviable one to be sure.

"It's the best rock 'n' roll scene I've ever been involved with," says Ulm, who hails from Corvallis, Ore. "Every time you go (to Portland), there's some rock 'n' roll group playing really great music. And it's just a bunch of friends. It's like a big family."

It seems clear to me that being nestled in such a flourishing and enriching scene is part of what helps Old Age to create the kind of straight-forward, heartfelt rock that they do. Yes sir, there's nothing like a vital, supportive music scene. Hint, hint, Tacoma.

OLD AGE, w/ Bandolier, the Nadines, 9 p.m., Friday, July 26, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St, Tacoma, $5, 253.572.4020