Is it worth striving for perfection if it means losing your band along the way?

That's a question pondered over the winter by Eric Lovold during the tumultuous making of his locally adored pop/rock group's second full-length album. The Alarmists frontman shelved sessions from a big studio with a name-brand producer, which led to his band's breakup.

Somehow, though, all that bloodletting led to the reformation of the core trio that originally created the Alarmists.

"Was it worth it?" Lovold repeated in an interview last week. "It was, just to get to play with these guys again. But it wouldn't have been fair to any of the guys to put out a record I didn't believe in."

You can believe in "The Overhead Left," which comes out with a release party tonight at the Varsity Theater (the $8-$10 cover comes with a free download code for the album).

Over 10 richly melodic, lush but never overdone tracks fueled by piano as much as guitars, Lovold strips away the overambitious din of noise that marred 2007's "The Ghost and the Hired Gun," the group's first full-length CD. "The Overhead Left" is as cohesive as the Alarmists' tight-as-Jordache 2006 EP, but also shows a solid uptick in growth. No matter what went down, the end result is a great record.

Talking at the house he owns with his brother in St. Paul's North End -- where the new record was ultimately remade in his basement studio -- Lovold did not want to get into what did go down.

"The band's in a real positive place right now," he said, "so there's no point focusing on the negative."

Tonight's show is the first Alarmists gig since January, and the first ever with a lineup that includes original members Ryan McMillan (guitar) and Joe Kuefler (keyboard), plus new guys Mark Schwandt (White Light Riot's drummer), Brian Gruidl (So It Goes) and Randy Tomes (Victory Ship).

McMillan and Kuefler grew up with Lovold in White Bear Lake and formed the band with him in 2001. Kuefler left in 2007 to focus on school. McMillan quit right before the group headed into the former Flyte Tyme studio space in November to work with producer Andrew Lynch, who helmed the last two records by Los Angeles indie-pop band Earlimart.

"I had a strong feeling things would go to hell in the studio," McMillan said in a separate interview. "I was frustrated by personal stuff, but I also didn't think those songs were ready to be recorded."

During recording, the guitarist got polar-opposite updates from his former bandmates: "Eric would tell me how horrible it was going, and the other guys said they loved it."

Said Lovold, "Andrew and I didn't hit it off, and there was a lot of conflict. When we finished, I thought there was a lot of work that needed to be done to the record to bring it to the level it needed to be. And that wasn't work that everybody in the band wanted to do."

Jorge Raasch, who took over as the Alarmists' keyboardist in 2007, told a different story. He and the band's other castaways -- original bassist Tony Najm and replacement drummer Derek Jackson (who are starting a new band, by the way) -- felt Lovold was too narrow-minded and unwilling to compromise in the studio.

"There was a power shift when we were working with Andrew, and Eric couldn't handle that he wasn't the one completely running the show," said Raasch, who coincidentally was center stage at the Varsity Theater last weekend -- for his wedding reception, though, not a gig.

When the band hit a stalemate over the Lynch sessions, Raasch said the members agreed to quietly disband after performing at 7th Street Entry in January. The former Alarmists were none too happy to learn that Lovold re-formed the group and re-recorded the tracks without them.

"We collaborated as a band on those songs, and we all put our hearts and a lot of time and energy into them," Raasch said. "Eric altered the songs just enough or omitted just enough of what the three of us did to not have to give us credit now."

Lovold, however, contends that he completely overhauled the record over a six week period, during which time he assembled the new lineup (or is it the old one?).

"It was daunting to start all over again, but it seemed like the only way," he remembered. "That was positive in a way, too. It sort of felt like we made the mistakes already with the record, so we got those out of the way and made a much better record."

McMillan backs up Lovold's opinion of the finished product vs. the shelved album.

"I was appalled it was that horrible," he said bluntly. "It was a band where all the players were really good, and I think that might've gotten in the way. It was disheartening to hear these wonderful songs all muddied up."

Whatever they were like before the re-recording, songs such as the Coldplay/U2-ish escapist piano ballad "The Country" and the "Wonderwall"-like "Watershed" now stand out for their crystal-clear, simplistic style. Even rockier songs such as the infectious "Hollywood's Not My Home" and "Car Crashing" are pretty basic and tight, with the Alarmists' gray-sky, melancholy melodies out front as the top selling point.

Even after finally crafting the record he fought for and assembling a new lineup, Lovold ironically says he's scaling back his ambitions for the Alarmists. He plans to go to law school in the fall instead of going out on tour. And while he hopes to work with a producer again, he won't do it with the intention of landing a record deal.

"We toured for two years and tried to get labels interested in us, but it's just so impossible these days," he said. "When you get rid of those kind of aspirations, though, it's pretty liberating."

In the end, Lovold's experiences making "The Overhead Left" only reinforced his love for playing in a band, he said.

"It feels really good just making records in our basement for very little money, and having a very good time doing it. This way, I can still be doing this when I'm 50."

The music scene is still in a shocked state following the news that indie-folk star Jeff Hanson, 31, was found dead at his St. Paul apartment last Friday afternoon.

Hanson's family has set a private memorial service Saturday afternoon at the Merrill Hills Country Club in Waukesha, Wis., where Hanson grew up. Meanwhile, St. Paul officials reported that it could be six to eight weeks before the cause of his death is confirmed. The family is also withholding theories now.

One thing that is certain: The willowy-voiced Hanson was a well-known and widely liked performer. The news of his death was the top-read story all last weekend on StarTribune.com (caused by readership from well beyond Minnesota). The story was also picked up by big indie blogs such as Stereogum and media outlets around Washington and Oregon, home turf of Kill Rock Stars, the pioneering indie-rock label that issued three albums by Hanson, including last year's stellar "Madam Owl." Clearly, a local tribute concert will be in order, though nothing has been set yet.

Donning Great Depression-era suits and holding up moonshine in the CD artwork, local rappers Prof and St. Paul Slim make light of the current economic crisis on a wild new album they recorded as a duo, "Recession Music." The disc was "executive produced" by Ant of Atmosphere, whatever that means, and features guest turns by Slug and Kanser's Big Zach in a wise-ass track called "Kelly Kapowski" (Tiffani-Amber Theissen's character on "Saved by the Bell"). P.O.S. also shows up in the frantic "Broadcasting."

The tracks are mostly playful and smirk-filled, but Prof and Slim are taking the recession gimmick seriously enough to offer a free download of the album at RecessionMusic.com, where you can also get free tickets to their CD party Saturday at the Fine Line (9 p.m.). "Kapowski" and one other track are only available on physical CDs, though, in stores for a still-economical $5.

Having fine-tuned its uncanny brand of orchestral roots music since 2007's debut EP, the Orange Mighty Trio finally has a full-length disc to tout, "Infrastructure," with a release party Saturday at the Cedar Cultural Center (8 p.m., $12-$15.) Violinist Zack Kline, who also plays in the Celtic group Piper's Crow, leads the group through 13 originals that rival Spaghetti Western String Co. in sweeping, cinematic quality. No wonder OMT earned a headlining slot at the film-centric Square Lake Festival (Aug. 15) along with some current work scoring a couple little indie movies. ...

Proof it was around before the word "blog" made it into Webster's, HowWasTheShow.com celebrates its seventh anniversary tonight at the Turf Club with a lineup including Big Trouble, Aby Wolf, Communist Daughter and Inwood Radio (10 p.m., $5). ... That other little blog, PitchforkMedia.com, recently debuted a new track from Mark Mallman's upcoming CD called "You're Never Alone in New York," featuring his old chum Craig Finn as a guest vocalist. Mallman will preview other tracks from the Aug. 11 album, "Invincible Criminal," at a Bryant-Lake Bowl gig Saturday (10 p.m., $10). ...

John Kass is hosting another "crate-diggers delight" record and memorabilia sale today through Sunday at Soo Visual, 2640 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. (free admission). ... Bob Mould will return to First Ave with his full band on Oct. 13. ...

After a long hiatus brought on by singer/guitarist Eva Mohn's move to Germany to be a professional dancer, Coach Said Not To is playing only its second gig back in action tonight opening for the Alarmists. Eva's sister Linnea Mohn and bandmates Lee Violet and Annika Johnson are carrying on without her. Or who knows? Eva might show up via virtual means like she did at another recent gig.

chrisr@startribune.com • 612-673-4658