Though Tongues is a young group just now celebrating the D.I.Y. release of its self-titled debut, the sleaze-rock quintet has a celebrated pedigree, including two former members of punk heroes Apocalypse Hoboken, vocalist Todd Paglialong and drummer Andy Peterson, and a bassist, Erik Bocek, from Joan of Arc. They join impressive dual lead guitarists Sean Shipley and Francis Gilbert to create a hardcore but melodic metal/punk hybrid that seems to have been designed as the perfect soundtrack for the neighborhood biker bar or S&M club (that is, providing you live in that sort of neighborhood).

Thankfully, the only thing heavy here is the music: One look at the titles of endearingly hard-hitting tunes such as “Bukowski Dating Service,” “Meatgum” and “Scatalogically Speaking” is indicative of the group’s sarcastic lyrical take on its favorite debaucheries. “For fans of Roxy Music and Kyuss,” is how one fanzine summed things up, and it’s hard to find a better description.

Tongues perform at Gasthaus, 15 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin, on Monday with the Brokedowns, FIYA, 97-Shiki and North Lincoln and at Cobra Lounge, 235 N. Ashland, on Aug. 28. Visit www.myspace.com/storybookfuneralband for more info and a healthy sample of the group’s unhealthy but delicious sounds.