Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast: "I feel like my cat gets talked about in my interviews more than music."

A song like Crazy For You's opening track "Boyfriend," with its pining lyrics that border on obsession, sounds like the work of someone desperate. But Cosentino denies this. "I don't write songs about boys because I'm needy. I'm in a relationship. I'm not a sad girl," she says. "I write about guys because it's something I'm influenced by. A lot of people have been saying, 'Oh she's so needy, she needs a boyfriend.' That's not it at all."

Like any rising celebrity, Cosentino of course has hobbies, and they often involve smoking weed. Or sometimes they involve deepening her Internet footprint. She maintains a Twitter account (www.twitter.com/bestycoastyy) that is a curio of hilarious tangents plus a blog with Ali Koehler where they rate and discuss the showers in their hotels on tour.

Cosentino also has a Twitter account for her cat, Snacks, who modeled for the album cover of Crazy For You. She's loathe to dwell too much on Snacks in interviews. Still, it's part of the ever-growing Cosentino mythos. "I feel like my cat gets talked about in my interviews more than music," she says. "But I'm happy about that because he deserves it."

Best Coast is a testament to how bands are favored and, conversely, dampened by the Internet and the hype it creates. All the meme-momentum built up for Best Coast, dating back to its early demos, might not benefit the band in the long run, but it sure is fun for now.

Crazy For You arrives at a perfect time in music, since retro-bedroom rock is the style du jour. But Best Coast is like your summer romance. Once September hits and you've had your kicks, you'll be ready to say goodbye and end things in a peaceful way. Yet your old flame, since she's a little Crazy, might try and stick around longer than you'd like.

BEST COAST

October 26, 9 p.m., $15

Great American Music Hall

859 O'Farrell, SF

(888) 233-0449

www.gamh.com