Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are more like a collective than a band. Fronted by L.A. rocker Alex Ebert, who is the former frontman for the punky pop band Ima Robot, and Jade Castrinos, the original American Apparel “It” girl, the band took stage at the Black Cat Monday night, with at least seven other people on stage.

The band released their first LP, Up from Below, this summer and have been steadily gaining credibility and fans ever since. With an appealing folksy sound backed by upbeat rock ’n’ roll, nothing was clearer Monday night than the fact that this band likes to have fun — and will do so at all costs. Prior to the album release and tour, the band had been touring the country in a bus, Merry-Prankster style, playing high-energy tunes about 40-day-long dreams, deserts and ancient Babylon.

They started off their set with the album opener, “40 Day Dream,” one of the strongest tracks, which highlights Ebert’s booming, earthy singing and well-tuned ear for directing such a large band. This was followed by “Janglin,” which allowed the band to display their impeccable timing and impressive synchronicity — whether through lots of rehearsal or merely an organic common goal, it was clear that all the members of the band were on the same page and could weave their different roles together to create a clean, practiced sound.

While Ebert is a dynamic frontman, engaging the audience like he’s preaching to them and invoking the heavens with his eyes turned upward and his arms outstretched, the hidden jewel here is Castrinos and her glass-shattering, powerful voice. Previous to this concert, I was skeptical; admittedly, an American Apparel model and L.A. scenester deciding on a whim to become a singer set warning bells ringing in my head that scream “Miley Cyrus! Leighton Meester! Run away!” But her voice is incredible and larger-than-life, and even after hearing it in each song, it remained a pleasant surprise each time she took lead vocals.

Castrinos herself is totally captivating; with a pixie haircut, glowing smile and a no-holds-barred, confident stage presence, the crowd was swooning over her antics. This was especially true during “Home,” by far the best track from the album and the live show, where Castrinos and Ebert engage in an endearing back-and-forth call-and-response: “Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my Ma and Pa / not the way that I do love you,” Castrinos sings, to which Ebert responds, “Holy moly, me oh my / You’re the apple of my eyes / Girl, I never loved one like you.”

They are totally into each other, and it is delightful to watch. It was after this number that my friend, who had never heard the band before, remarked to me, “This is the best band in the world. I love them. I want to be them. And I love her. I want to date [Castrinos.]”

Indeed, it seems the only way to describe Edward Sharpe’s sound is to tell someone, “You will love this music.” The best part about their music is the way it eludes every genre tag eager critics try to pin on it. It’s too carefree and upbeat to be folk music, too globally influenced to be Americana and too easygoing to be punk or hard rock.

But there are strains of each in the music, which is above all exuberant and purposeful, blending Cream-like influences of ’70s Brit rock and the jingle-jangle bells and whistles of Jefferson Airplane and the Haight-Ashbury scene. It’s surreal, pleasant, mystical and exotic, and this unusual blend explains how a still-emerging band from L.A. sold out a Monday night show on the other end of the country.

Check out Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on Myspace at www.myspace.com/edward-sharpe. Their tour continues through mid-December.