N.Y. Rock 'n' Roll: Sopranos' Michael Imperioli

WHEN MICHAEL IMPERIOLI was 25, he played a hustler in the film "Postcards From America." On the set, Imperioli befriended one of his co-stars Michael Tighe. Tighe's brother, a then 8-year-old Olmo Tighe, was also in the film.

The elder Tighe eventually went on to play guitar with Elliot Smith and when Imperioli ran into him a few years ago, he asked how Olmo was doing. Michael said Olmo was playing drums, and Imperioli, who had recently been interested in playing music for the first time since 1992, saw a perfect opportunity. He called Olmo, who brought along bassist Elijah Amitin — and La Dolce Vita was born.

Imperioli, now 42, might be famous for his portrayal of Tony Soprano's screw-up of a nephew, Christopher Moltisanti, on "The Sopranos," but he's actually a musician too — you just wouldn't know it. La Dolce Vita has no Web site and no recorded music — they don't even have a MySpace page. But Imperioli doesn't mind.

"We play shows, we write songs and we practice," he said. "I don't really have a long-term goal that I've set out to do. But we're kind of doing what we wanted to do, which is have some songs together and play out and stuff. There's no overreaching thing, just to be in the moment and to do what you're doing."

Imperioli is no stranger to music — he's been playing guitar for more than 20 years and was in two bands prior to La Dolce Vita, although neither were anything big. His first band, formed in 1989 was an instrumental quartet, which had a very angular sound, Imperioli said. He sang in his other band, but they never actually played a show.

"I didn't play with any other people for a long time [after those bands], but I played on my own," Imperioli said.

La Dolce Vita played its first show in Lisbon, Portgual, in June 2006.

"I was working there at the time and we had been together for about three months, which is probably a mistake, it was probably immature, but it was really, really fun," Imperioli said of the band's first show. "I hadn't played music in front of people for 20 years; I had never sang in public ever except since maybe I was a kid in school. We had only been playing a few months, so it was immature and very scary, but ultimately fun."

Nearly two years later, Imperioli sees a drastic difference in the band since that first show.

"We're much better," he said. "We're much more cohesive. The songs have gotten more specific. There's a lot we've written since then but the songs — we've just developed our sound better ... two years is a long time. We've played a lot of shows since then; the sense of being on the stage the comfort level is more relaxed."

The band is also recording its first EP, although don't expect to see it in stores anytime soon.

"There's no [release date yet]," he said "I don't even know how it's going to be released; we need to figure that out."

Some music critics who have seen the band liken its sound to the early days of former New York City punk club CBGB and artists such as The Clash and Patti Smith. Others have thrown in Nirvana and Pixies comparisons. While Imperioli cites those bands as influences, he describes La Dolce Vita much more simply.

"It's New York rock 'n' roll, that's how I put it," he said. "All those things are very big influences on me, whether or not we sound like that is another story."

And just because he's touring right now doesn't mean Imperioli has put off his acting career — his next big role is as a detective in Peter Jackson's adaption of the novel "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. The film, due in 2009, is about a girl who's murdered and then watches from heaven as her family goes on without her. It's a nice change of pace for Imperioli, who said he's "not anxious to play a mafia guy any time soon."

As for the rumors about a possible "Sopranos" movie, Imperioli says he knows about as much as anyone on that front. And, considering his character's death in the final season of the show, he may not be the best person to ask.

"I've heard rumors about it from the press, but nothing from inside, like [series creator] David Chase saying, 'Hey we're thinking about doing it,'" Imperioli said. "Nor, if I'd even be a part of it, which I might not be. Someone floated the idea of a prequel and James Gandolfini said, 'What are we going to do, wear wigs?'"

But Imperioli still keeps in touch with his former castmates, and he even invited co-star Steven Van Zandt, who knows a little bit about being both an actor and a rock star, to a show.

"He said I was a very brave man," Imperioli said of the longtime E Street Band guitarist. "He knows the kind of negativity [regarding actor-musicians], the kind of thing that can prevent you from what you want to do."

Lets hope Imperioli takes Little Steven's words to heart.

» Jammin' Java, 227 Maple Ave.; with Patti Rothberg, Mon., 8 p.m., $20; 703-255-1566.