It has been less than a year, but the five musicians known as Parallex aren’t planning on waiting for anything to come to them. The group came together last January as a serious band for a serious songwriter, and has made a quick transition from a project to a stage-experienced act.

It’s not hard to see that it takes a strong connection to bring together such a diverse bunch.

“I’ve always had this dream of being a rock star. I had this serious goal,” says guitarist, keyboardist and singer Josh Lizer, junior in pre-veterinary animal science. “I wanted a serious band that would take me as close as I could.”

A straight question to the band will get five very different answers, some of which reveal its less-than-serious side.

“I’d like to think we are pretty serious,” Lizer says.

“We are moderately serious,” says vocalist and guitarist John Rundall, sophomore in pre-business.

“Moderately your mom,” guitarist Tom Mroz exclaims.

Mroz, sophomore in pre-business, is more than likely to cop a polar opposite opinion from Lizer in most cases, but they still seem to be on the same page and never seem angered by the differences.

“I bring a funky messing around side; I like to have fun because that’s what I’m in it for,” Mroz says.

The sound, which Lizer describes as “pop-ballad hard rock” (“With a hint of funk,” Mroz chimes in), is something Ames has been missing for a while.

Influences of members run the length of the musical spectrum, with names such as U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gene Krupa, Incubus and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath. Sitting among the local bands that run the fuzzy guitar, bass, drum mix to the ground, Parallex really does stand out as a breath of fresh air.

“I’m really surprised it’s been received as well as it has,” Lizer says.

He is quick to tell you that he’s not satisfied yet, though.

“I hope we get somewhere,” he says. And if they don’t?

“There is no don’t,” he quickly fires.

The band spent its summer playing and recording, and if it is going to make its own sound in the scene, it might as well record its first CD on its own terms as well.

“We’ve been doing a lot of the recording this summer at my apartment,” says bassist Corwin Colebrooke, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication.

“I have a lot of recording equipment. We’ve been experimenting with different mic positions and EQs,” he said.

The band’s first four songs were written by Lizer and one was written by Mroz. Since then, though, each member has started writing his own part to fill in the gaps in songs.

Though Lizer and Colebrooke still do the majority of the publicity and booking work, it cannot be said that anyone is falling behind in the music.

“John [Rundall] brings spectacular lyrics and vocal melodies,” Lizer says. “I’m not being sarcastic when I say that. He has a gift.”

“Any jackass can sing,” Rundall responds.

“But not any jackass can sing in tune,” Lizer adds.

Drummer Dave Restko, sophomore in mechanical engineering, whose tardiness has been postponing the night’s practice for an hour, finally decides to show up and share his thoughts on his purpose in the group.

“I give a good solid foundation for everyone to work on – and colorful commentary,” he says.

“I bring sort of catchy bass lines but with some . ,” Colebrooke says as he is mildly distracted by Lizer who has announced he shall fart “old school flavor.”

The band has yet to see any real highs or lows, the guys cite the open mic night performances at the Boheme and the welcome atmosphere there as the best part of it so far, but their only fault may have been doing too much at once.

While playing a live show at KURE, the band suffered what it considers its worst performance.

“I was doing the mixing and running the [radio] show at the same time,” Colebrooke says. “I was kind of doing it on the fly. It wasn’t very good.”

If that’s a fault in a band, it is nowhere near as bad a fault as just sitting, complaining and waiting for shows to come knocking. Parallex has a show Friday at the Knapp/Storms commons with The Rock’s house band at 9:30 p.m., a show on Sept. 13 in Ottumwa and an October performance at People’s Bar and Grill all lined up.

Not bad for one of the newer bands on the scene.

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