Latest from San Diego punkabilly band has urgency of the group's live shows.

— Contributing Editor Colin Devenish

Speedo, frontman for San Diego punkabilly act Rocket From The Crypt, knows exactly what distinguishes the six-piece's latest recording, R.F.T.C., from the group's previous efforts.

"Tedium. It was just complete tedium," said Speedo, a.k.a. John Reis, of Rocket's previous, self-produced recordings. "It starts out being so much fun, with so many good ideas coming out, but then, by the end, when it comes down to mixing, it's like, 'I've got an ulcer and I'm stressed out and I think this sucks.'"

This time out, Rocket turned to producer Kevin Shirley (Dream Theater, Aerosmith), who encouraged them to try and capture the frantic feeling of their live shows for the 13 songs on this album, which was recorded at Avatar Studios in New York and will be released on June 2.

"I think I brought out the best in them by maximizing and optimizing their live performance," said Shirley. "For me, listening to their previous albums, I didn't get the sense of urgency I felt when I saw them live. I think you can hear it more on the new album."

While Rocket From The Crypt's previous records established their sound as a hectic blend of dirty punk with a touch of brass, R.F.T.C. -- their fifth -- comes with a more subdued sound. It continues in a direction indicated on the band's 1995 album, Scream, Dracula, Scream!, with new tracks such as "Break It Up," "Lipstick" and "Let's Get Busy" drawing on a sound that's more Motown than earlier Rocket works.

"The band has always evolved and always was kinda pushing in this direction that we're in," Speedo said. "Right now, we're even pushing further [into a soul-music sound]. I think a lot of that music represents good times. Soul music -- unlike other kinds of music that could be called good-time music, like AC/DC -- offers ... an emotional heaviness that ... can be so much more appealing."

Shirley said the San Diego sextet brought in noted producer Jim Dickinson (Big Star) to play organ and Dream Theater's Derek Sherinian to handle keyboards, complimenting a lineup that usually features Speedo and N.D. on guitar, Petey X on bass, Atom on drums, Apollo 9 on saxophone and J.C. 2000 playing trumpet.

"'Break It Up' sounds huge," said Shirley about one of his favorite tracks on the album. "I love the way the horns interact with the guitars, and you almost can't tell the difference between them. It's kind of like the Phil Spector 'wall of sound.'"

Bill Litfin, 26, a resident of Columbus, Ohio, webmaster of the RFTC website and an avid fan of the band, has already seen the group play six songs off the new LP in concert and thinks the album might catapult Rocket From The Crypt toward the kind of commercial success that has previously eluded them.

"I'm excited to see if they can make it to the next level," said Litfin. "They've worked really hard for a long time, but they haven't made that leap yet. I think a couple of the new songs have that accessibility that other stuff has lacked and can get [the band's music] played on the radio."

"Live, they're amazing," said Litfin. "It's a full rock 'n' roll show, loud blazing music with all the showmanship that goes with it. They all wear uniforms, and they have a schtick that they do, where ... Speedo and N.D. [have a guitar duel]. It's scripted, but they make it seem like the show you're at is the only show [where] they do it."

Speedo endorsed Litfin's sentiments and listed the key ingredients for a quality Rocket From The Crypt live performance.

"To us, a great show is not necessarily three hours with a bass solo, a drum solo, two guitar solos and a whole bunch of 'How you doin' Clevelands.' It's 45 minutes to an hour of over-the-top music with sincerity and integrity that can entertain on more than a musical level, that can be a spectacle or can be something that draws people in -- maybe even scares them."

The complete track listing for R.F.T.C. is as follows: "Eye On You"; "Break It Up"; "I Know"; "Panic Scam"; "Made For You"; "Lipstick"; "You Gotta Move"; "Your Touch"; "Let's Get Busy"; "Dick On A Dog"; "Back In The State"; "When In Rome, Do The Jerk"; and "Run Kid Run."