“The Family Johnson” was a hip band on a meteoric rise when front man Bugs (Royce Peterson) flamed out in the usual way.

Later, post-rehab, he tries to reconnect with a former bandmate (Wilder Selzer) who is rocketing to stardom of his own accord in Cara Maria O’Shea’s urban fable Aesop’s Diner.

Aesop’s Diner is anchored by two solid performances; Royce Peterson is all bruised charisma in a nuanced role, and Wilder Selzer gives a uniquely mannered twist to his character that would leave even Crispin Glover scratching his head. They are complimented by polished production work throughout.

But where the short really zings is with a clever, pitch-perfect score, a raft of radio-ready tunes that are not only memorable but advance the storytelling in deft ways. The cast perform as musicians in the real world, adding great value to an already interesting work.

Freshman director O’Shea reportedly has hopes to expand Aesop’s Diner into a feature, delving more into the bandmates’ lives. After this initial salvo, such work would be welcome.

• Director: Cara Maria O’Shea
• Writer: Cara Maria O’Shea, Peter Kohl
• Cast: Royce Peterson, Wilder Selzer, Mary Micari, Farzana Razak
• Running Time: Approximately thirty minutes
• Score:****
• More Information: http://www.aesopsdiner.com
• Genre:Drama