The “Musicians Wanted” Craigslist page reads like a digital version of the old corkboard tacked to the walls of neighborhood record stores and guitar shops. Between part-time promoters scamming for free talent, and vague ads seeking cover band axe men, it isn’t always the most reliable way to round out your musical brotherhood.

But for Columbus band Post Coma Network, the online bulletin board was twice the key break in their wild goose chase to find a reliable drummer.

According to lead singer and songwriter Chris Cope, the band had been looking for a new drummer for months before snagging Zach Rodriguez from their Craigslist ad. The audition was a snap: in style and attitude, Rodriguez was a perfect fit. And then …

“We lost his number,” Cope explained, laughing.

From there, the band tried to fit another drummer into their percussive slipper, but they all still had their hearts set on the erstwhile Rodriguez. Cope took to Craigslist again, this time with a special shout out for their long-lost bandmate – like a message in a bottle – hoping he might just stumble upon the message.

“I made another ad, but this time I put asterisks at the bottom of the page saying, ‘Hey Zack, we really dig your style but we lost your number. If you’re interested and see this please give us a call,’” Cope said.

The musical missed connection approach worked, with Rodriguez scrolling through ads one day on the other end of the line.

“I said out loud, ‘You motherf*ckers! I tried out for you guys three months ago!” he laughed.

Two years later, the bond that almost never was is as strong as ever in the group, as they jostled for airtime during our interview at the Kobo bar while munching some Mikey’s Late Night Slice.

“At the end of the day, we’re all pretty good friends,” Cope said. “Sometimes being in a band is kind of like having four girlfriends. It can get trying at times, but we’re pretty good at laughing off any arguments.”

Bolstered by their megajam “Queen of the Nightlife,” the band’s harmonic mix of island-tinged psychedelia and swirling indie pop has made its case to be the soundtrack to the current Columbus summer. (“Nightlife” is also being put to wax – along with “Wingspand” – for an anticipated 7-inch release from local studio Oranjudio.)

In the meantime, the foursome of Cope, Rodriguez, guitarist Josh Montgomery, and bassist Chris Kost are focusing on capitalizing on the city’s fertile local music base rather than finding the quickest way up the national ladder.

“It’s not really the era anymore of dreaming to awaken as a rock star,” Cope said. “It’s really cool how accessible we can be as musicians, thanks to the Internet. Columbus is great for that. You can go to a bar, hear some great live music that you may have heard online and end up having a drink with the band afterwards.”

Now, settled on what they feel is their definitive lineup, Montgomery joked that Post Coma Network serves as a backline for Cope’s musical concoctions.

“It’s like he brings a nice, juicy chicken, and we chop it up and mix it into a salad.”

Post Coma Network will perform at The Tree Bar (887 Chambers Rd.), July 28th. For more, visit www.facebook.com/postcomanetwork.