It's not a given that tales of tequila-soaked, wayward forays into Tijuana would play well with Milwaukee's "beer and a shot" sensibilities.

But when you consider that Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers (RCPM) have arguably produced some of America's most clever, engaging pop rock over the past decade, it's no surprise this vastly under appreciated band has a fiercely loyal following in Brewtown and beyond.

"Roger and the boys are always one of our top draws of the year," according to Big Dave Vnuk, proprietor of Cudahy rock club Vnuk's. People come from all over the Midwest to see them and they never disappoint."

Hailing from Arizona, rock legend Alice Cooper has proclaimed RCPM his favorite band. And while they are the only independent band to debut in the top 10 on Billboard's Internet Sales Charts for six consecutive albums (including two No.1 entries) -- many people haven't heard of RCPM.

They may know them from their previous incarnation as "The Refreshments," which had minor hits with "Banditos" and "Down Together" from their record "Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy," or from the twangy theme song they wrote for Fox TV's "King of the Hill."

But for much of the past decade, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers have blazed their own independent path, eschewing traditional music industry convention and have been slowly, steadily building a national following through their amazing live performances coupled with bold innovations in recording and getting music into the hands of fans.

RCPM's two most recent projects were pioneering efforts in exposing fans to the creative process and the use of new media. "Turbo Ocho" is a project where the band wrote and recorded a new song every day for eight days -- then Webcast daily audio and video of the recording process -- culminating with a sold-out concert in Cholla Bay, Mexico.

"Being an independent, sovereign, autonomous band affords us the ability to take risks like we did with "Turbo Ocho" and our latest project "Glow In the Dark" -- by really going as quickly as we could and directly as we could to what matters -- which is the fans," said Clyne.

In February, RCPM put out the web-only "Glow In The Dark," which debuted a new song (in both video and audio formats) from a RCPM live show recorded at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, NJ. The project released a song per week for 14 weeks -- ultimately capturing an entire RCPM live experience.

"It's undeniable that both of these projects were kind of a 'curveball' to our distributor and to radio. Ten thousand copies of 'Turbo Ocho,' for example, were already out and in the hands of our fans before it was in the stores. And that wasn't a very popular move amongst conventional outlets of retail and radio. We were almost ignored by the industry because it was so immediate, so accessible and such a revolutionary act.

"The vibe I got back from those folks was that there was no way to embrace this because it would destroy the industry -- so of course, we decided to do it again with 'Glow in The Dark.'"

But Clyne emphasizes that the exercise of doing "Glow In The Dark" and "Turbo Ocho" were not specifically to break convention -- but just to expand what still really works in music -- that is cementing the connection with their audience.

"We're thrilled with the results -- 'Turbo Ocho' is highly regarded by our fans -- many consider it their favorite episode in the RCPM history," said Clyne.

It's that type of maverick mentality that has positioned RCPM to thrive in a brave new, wildly unsettled music industry.

"I hope the industry can come around to embrace that sort of quickness and spontaneity and I actually think they are," said Clyne.

"Paul McCartney recently did something similar with a band called The Firemen -- which I think was 13 songs in 13 days. Billy Corgan and Smashing Pumpkins are now turning cameras on and making their creative process available to fans for a fee -- ours was gratis -- but it's happening. The artist / audience connection is the most sacred thing and if one can honor that and integrate with it in commerce, I believe that success and happiness can be found for all."

While widespread popularity is still on the horizon for Clyne and the band -- he's comfortable with the space he occupies in industry and RCPM's incendiary live performances only enhance that position.

"This is a choice -- we could have chosen some other career," said Clyne. "After somebody asked last night 'where are we headed?' our guitarist Jim Dalton said -- 'it doesn't matter -- wherever it is, it's going to rock.'

"We've been to Vnuk's six times in past few years and we always receive a warm welcome in Milwaukee. The vibe, the, culture, the crowd reaction -- it's the same in Cudahy as it is in Tempe, Az.

"Our show is different every night -- we make it a point to sit down together and actively create separate set lists for every venue we play," said Clyne.

"There are definitely some mainstays on there -- Counterclockwise, Bandidtos, Mekong -- but we keep it high energy and spontaneous.

"It's our job to blur the line between artist and audience and bring everybody together. We're in an emerging world community and my little American rock and roll band is doing its part to bring unity and peace to the world -- one show at a time. That's why we call ourselves the Peacemakers."

So grab your sombrero and head down to Cudahy on Thursday night for some tequila, tunes and a little rock and roll unity -- courtesy of Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers.