You won't see Milwaukee band Jackie Cooper playing live anytime soon.

The five-piece group would much rather whet your appetites with its first album on No Karma Records. "The New Mood" is a seductive and appealing mix of Joy Division or The Cure's "Disintegration" and the Brit-pop of today. The album's seven hypnotic tracks were recorded over a four-day period during the spring of last year in Port Washington, and create a unique mood.

The quintet formed in spring 2001 when vocalist and guitarist Mike Tietjen and keyboardist Jason Irish, formerly of the group Cup 388, wanted to form a group with friend and fellow Sheboyganite, guitarist Kenny Buesing. Vocalist and bassist Christopher Beck and drummer Eric Sazama, both from Milwaukee, joined soon afterward.

Jackie Cooper quickly cemented its reputation for moody live shows, entrancing the audience and creating an environment all its own, adding on extra layers to already deep tracks, giving fans of the local scene an alternative to the deafening garage rock usually offered to listeners.

"There are some bands that are just about being as loud as you can," Sazama says. "It's all about moves and it's all about acting like you are into their music. We go up there to play and create an environment and put the audience in the same groove we are."

The lyrics, usually written by Beck or Tietjen, fit the music like the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle, perfectly matching the musical mood of the song and adding a sincere dimension.

"The lyrics come from everywhere," explain Tietjen, "I find the best love songs come from people who aren't in love, but trying to find it."

The band remains hungry, and is already working on new tracks for another album, which can be expected next year.

"I see us maturing more, adding on more keyboards and techno," Beck says, "We would like the album to be more cohesive, something that will have the listener playing all the way through, instead of searching for a favorite track."

So, as hungry for success as the band is, why aren't they playing any live shows right now? The explanation stems from the group's frustration with the present state of the local scene. Sazama explains:

"The whole idea of a rock and roll scene in a town is that bands that are in the scene help the other bands out. Without that help, there isn't much of a scene. There also seems to be a lack of interest from people outside of the scene to participate inside the scene. Therefore, nobody goes to see shows. So, a lot of local bands play over and over, like three or four times a month in the city, and there becomes a laziness with the rest of the scene to go see them because fans can say, ‘Oh, I can go see them next time.'

"We rather not play as often and create anticipation for our shows and make them an event."

Jackie Cooper's new album, "The New Mood," is available at Atomic Records, Rush-Mor Records, and at www.nokarma.com.

As for when they will be playing again, wait with anticipation and check www.jackie-cooper.com for more information.