If the desert were known for its forgiving climate instead of its unrelenting heat and scorching sun, expatriate bands like Abcent Minded, living in Anaheim, Calif., would receive a tasty frozen treat from Victim of Modern Age as they roll through their West Coast Tour.

"I was thinking the other day about not having boudin available and how sad it must feel," relates Jason Decou, the band's bass player. When VOMA departs on July 16 for their West Coast tour, they plan on meeting Abcent Minded, formerly of Lafayette, Estereo and Jody Hates The World, formerly of Baton Rouge but now residing in Sacramento and Seattle, respectively. Although the properties of frozen boudin can't hold up to the conditions of a long road trip across stretches of intolerable heat, there are plans to pack a few pounds of Community Coffee and other non-perishables to deliver to their friends who are pining for Louisiana products. The payoff is a thank-you gift for helping them land gigs in their towns, JHW even getting VOMA a slot at Graceland - one of Seattle's best indie venues.

VOMA's tour is not just 10-plus shows spread across a couple weeks, nor a chance to reconnect with a few friends who have headed west: this is the tour scheduled for last August that fell by the wayside. At the time, VOMA was wrapping up the album, eventually called Channels Like Capillaries, and their label Universal Warning was flexing their promotional muscle to get crowds into their shows and buying their record. Before the band could hit the road, the original drummer called it quits, sending them into a tailspin. Since then they have reorganized, made a couple of line-up changes and played some out-of-state gigs. Now, for the indie rock band that originally came out of Lake Charles but made Lafayette its home, this tour is a way of proving they are back on their feet.

"Since then (the cancellation) we've been more than back to normal. This tour will prove it and prove that we're back on the road officially," says Allen Clements, guitarist, singer and second-longest running member. Clements also says they look forward to hitting California, an area where their label has helped them sell records. "We've never played there. It's definitely time we did that ... for ourselves and for our supporters."

Shawn Gachassin, the new drummer, agrees: "It'll get the band back into the gear it should've been in all along, plus I think the songs on this last album definitely deserve it. Being the new guy, I had absolutely nothing to do with the writing of these songs, but when Allen asked me to be a part of this tour and ultimately the group, I was 100 percent certain that these songs should be heard live now with a fresh energy to it. Hopefully that's what we'll bring."

The road finds them in good company among indie bands. In Southern California, Kut U Up - recently featured along side blink-182, Green Day and Jimmy Eat World on the documentary Riding in Vans with Boys - joins them for a show.

Before the last tour, the band spoke with The Times about hitting the road and the importance of such a tour when it comes to selling albums. Could, as these words hit newsstands, the same fate be in store for the quartet? If the thoughts of new drummer Gachassin holds true, West Coast VOMA fans have nothing to worry about.

"I'll say this, I'm not going anywhere,"Gachassin says. "These guys are family now.

"They're stuck with me."