A power-pop rock group with a borderline obsession with pop culture, The Vegas Nerve strut their stuff with 13 songs of electrifying rock songs that depending on your mood could have you annoyed one minute and completely delighted the next.

The song "1980s" for example is in-your-face in the way that Fountains of Wayne's mom fantasy song is ‹ you know the one, "Stacy's mom has got it going on" ‹ which sticks in your head to the point where you sing it at inappropriate times. Listening to the song, it's hard not to relate whether you like to admit or not, because we all remember trying to "sneak out to the big shows and work my way up into the front rows." Or maybe not.

But even if you can't recall wearing a pair of parachute pants, surely you've seen a pair of them hanging at the "Thrift Store" along with that Jim Croce record your friend snatched out from under your nose for a buck. And then of course, who can forget the garage where you wrote "Rock Songs," because after all, "anyone can write songs, anyone can write rock songs." Right? Want a little legend in the mix. How about the one about they guy waking up in a "Vegas" bathtub with his kidneys gone?

With a sound resembling '90s pre-the phenomenon NYC band The Figgs or any of the other countless bands labels used to try and cash in on Weezer's vibe back then, this California group proves that they can write songs better than just anyone. There's the previously mentioned numbers with the occasional cringing moment, but there are songs like "Stop," and "Parking Lot," that are essentially fancy distorted guitar numbers.

Still, at best Misery Loves Harmony is a collection of catchy rock songs (five mintues shy of an hour it's a bit lengthy) with a sense of humor that lack somewhat in the surviving beyond last call department.

posted 10.11.03

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Matt Ralph has bags full of bad CD's. Add to his collection at matt@tangzine.com