If there existed such a thing as an aural dictionary, Martha Davis of the Motels’ voice would be a nice choice under “longing.” The Los Angeles-based singer’s stellar vocals (filled with the kind of subtlety and late-night pathos someone like Courtney Love would kill for) were on full display Monday night at Spaceland in a rare live gig announced just days ago and not on the venue’s official calendar.Tipped off by my co-worker Kevin Bronson, I jumped at the opportunity to see the band at the Silver Lake club. Growing up in Denver, I was weaned on a steady diet of Motels videos (and a host of other L.A.-based new wave acts, such as Berlin and Missing Persons, but the Motels somehow out-classed other L.A. bands from the era, even the Go-Go’s), thanks to a weekly public television show called “Teletunes” on KBDI-TV.I have nothing but fond childhood memories of watching earnest yet well-crafted early videos like “Suddenly, Last Summer” and “Only the Lonely” from the Motels during the early 1980s, before MTV became a vehicle for higher budget videos from genres other than rock, a la Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Despite overwhelming odds, the Motels briefly were stars in the early 1980s, scoring a Top 10 hit with “Only the Lonely” in 1982 and even performing on “Saturday Night Live” in January 1983.And while nothing can match my memories of a young Davis on SNL and “Teletunes” on a decidedly down-market RCA screen at my childhood home, Monday’s concert came damn close.

Davis’ new band blew away the small audience lucky enough to catch the set. Who’s in Martha’s new lineup? An immensely talented bunch of lads, including Clint Walsh on lead guitar (Gnarls Barkley’s touring guitarist), Eric Gardner on drums (Gardner is also in the touring version of Gnarls), Jon Siebels on bass (a former Eve 6 member) and Nick Johns on keyboards (who often tours with Ben Lee).

The embarrassment of riches on display served Davis well; as her backup band perfectly meshed with Davis’ pent-up vox on several classic Motels tunes such as “Only the Lonely” and the show opening “So L.A.” The only complaint? No “Take the L” and a somewhat abbreviated set (the Motels were stuck on the bill as the first of several acts at Spaceland).

If you have the chance, try and catch this lineup the next time they play in the area (Sept. 19 at the L.A. County Fair). The band’s manager, Jason Burkhart, says they are “working right now on putting together some more [earlier] dates for L.A.” We’ll keep you posted.

– Charlie Amter