The World’s Heaviest Swing Band will descend upon Des Moines tonight at the Val Air Ballroom. At least that’s the title members of Hipster Daddy-O and the Hand Grenades have given themselves.

And the description couldn’t be more accurate.

The band plays its own mix of swing that incorporates retro, ska and rockabilly — a style that is setting the trend for modern swing bands.

“We like to think of ourselves playing rock, swing style,” lead guitarist/vocalist Mike Edward said. “We emphasize the guitar more than a lot of swing bands out there. We still stick to the swing beats, but our songs have a more heavy and rockin’ feeling than a lot of other more traditional stuff you hear.”

This unique style is one that has developed a large following for the band in its hometown of Tucson, Ariz., and across the country. The group’s debut record, “Armed and Swingin’,” contains 13 original songs and consistently sells 1,000 copies per month as the band’s following grows.

But Hipster Daddy-O’s cross of styles has given rise to controversy among long-time swing fans.

“A lot of the swing Nazis out there say we’re not keeping true to swing since we’ve added our own personal touches to the music with the heavy guitars and all,” Edward said. “We are a different kind of swing, but people still seem to love it. We’ve had a tremendous response to our music.”

With the array of music involved in playing swing-style rock, people who aren’t familiar with swing have a chance to get involved. Heavy guitars and fast beats have attracted both ska and punk fans alike.

“A lot of the ska kids out there are looking for something new,” Edward said. “The ska scene got pretty saturated for a couple of years, and people began looking around. With the re-emergence of swing, it has given a lot of ska kids a chance to get into something new. We try to appeal to those type of people.”

Hipster Daddy-O got its start as an alternative band. Growing quickly tired of the traditional sounds and crowds associated with the alt-rock scene, the band looked to try something new.

With several members of the band interested in ska and jazz, the group added a three-piece horn section, taking it a step further to play swing.

“A lot of our decision to play swing music was influences from Royal Crown Revue,” Edward explained. “They were really the only swing influences that we had. They come and listen to us a lot, actually, and they like us. I think it’s because we didn’t try to rip off any of their stuff. We just kept to our roots.”

As swing continues to gain popularity among long-time swing fans and new fans alike, bands like Hipster Daddy-O will continue to innovate trends in the music, the scene and the fans.

Hipster Daddy-O will continue sticking to its roots and bringing innovation to modern swing when it comes to the Val Air Ballroom at 8 tonight with The New Morty Show. The show is free to Iowa State students with a school ID or $8 for others.