Bol Second drunken voyal for punk rockers Bowlih uey Tony Ding Johnny, the new album has much Daily Arts Writer less love-strung lullabies and a great deal more spunk. In 2000, like Magellan discover- Eighteen full-length tracks fill the ing passage to the Pacific, iber-pop CD to its max, with the album music label Jive Records found the opener "I Don't Wanna Rock" Texan quartet Bowling For Soup erupting off the top in seismic nd with them dove headfirst into drums and guitars. The song instan- the unpredictable waters of pop- taneously showcases the band's sig- punk. With a dynamic name like nature sound - a distinctive march Jive however, whose of rhythmic, iambic ranks boast not only beats, accompanied by N*Sync, but also The earnest, "conversation- Backstreet Boys and **** al" vocals. In line with Britney Spears, the its name, which boarding of the pop- DRUNK ENOUGH implies both literal and diva ship by Bowling TO DANCE figurative meanings, For Soup cries out Bowling for Soup the song is witty yet blasphemy. It's a risky JieRcrs simple. move for the label and JiveSo much of this new the artists, but fortu- BFS album partakes in nately, the journey has so far been - mockery and humor that its multi- smooth sailing. ple love-related songs all seemed to Fast forward to present-day reali- have been given the Bloodhound ty. Now the punk cowboys of Bowl- Gang treatment. In "Emily," a not- ing For Soup push off on their so-remarkable ballad about the girl second voyage, with a new Jive who's hard to get over, the anger album to be released Aug. 20. Char- and hurt conveyed through the acteristically named Drunk Enough song's lyrics are glazed over by the To Dance, the album is titled after band's happy-go-lucky attitude. No the phenomenon when drunken matter how much lead vocal Jaret folks unconsciously lose their pro- Von Erich expels his heart to us, hibitions and humility. Unlike their repeating Emily's name all night 2000 Jive release Lets Do It For until the rooster croaks, it still " sounds like a joke and simply doesn't garner any tearjerker points. But perhaps that was the intended effect...I mean, its only a girl right? Bowling For Soup's knack for sugar-pop hits cul- minate on this album in "Girl All the Bad Guys Want," a song which Von Erich explained as being about the babysitter all men had as a kid and their effective lust of said care- PJs RECORDS & USED CDS 617 Packard THE MICHIGAN Upstairs from Subway DAILY ISN'T A Paying $4 to $s for top NEWSPAPER, ' CD's in top condition. Also buying premium A CANOE WITH LP's and cassettes. WINGS! Open 7 days 663-3441 763-0379. T 11,t The selection is ENDLESS ART; t-. Ti,, Mi 0,hi i,, __na is Mnri, 5,,Aiiirt 5. 9009 )- 11 S , flu Ivilutligmi vary - iviVIiuay, HUg'UZA LVVL -.L1 WL-O-RAMA ge a strike g for Soup taker. With an algorithmic two-four beat and one-liner end rhymes fit for Mother Goose, the song march- es in a giddy procession that'll make you drum the gas-peddle, if you're driving, or want to jump out- side and play hop-scotch. It's remi- niscent of the BFS gem "Dance With You," from Lets Do It For Johnny, inciting fond memories of Mrs. Petersen's fourth-grade Thanksgiving square dance show all over again - except this time, the puppy love is over and you're gawk- ing at a chick that "creams over tough guys." Time and again, it's evident that the addictive nature of Bowling For Soup's songs aren't necessarily thanks to ingenuity in their lyrics, which are often elementary drib- bles, but when embraced within the band's uncanny ability to generate interesting arrangements and melodies out of plebian rock music instruments, standard factory tracks like "Self-centered" and "The Hard Way" ends up with the luxury sunroof and Bose surround- sound'package. There are also pleasant surprises in Drunk Enough, such as "Where to Begin," which stands out as the offbeat breakaway track of the album, with BFS abandoning their familiar tempo for a decent trial of soft harmonies and long, strained floating notes. In "Cold Shower Tuesdays," which resonates haunt- inglv close to some Green Day numbers, bassist Erik Rodham Clin- ton strums solo cutovers that gener- ate images of roaring Harleys and 40-ounce steaks, served up by roller-girls with flowing golden locks. Hints that Bowling For Soup's sound is genuine Americana. The Texans' south-of-the-border influence slips in during "On and On", with Von Erich passing a line or two of roughly pronounced Espanole. Similarly, the cheeky nar- rative "Running From Your Dad" could haveve been the soundtrack for a certain Seinfeld episode with Kramer on the farms. The follow-up track "Scaring Myself" is also graced with just a hint of that old hickory Southern jive - long enough to spice the song with iden- tity, but brief enough to not risk sounding like country. A bonus track has also been tucked away at the end of the CD, sneaking in an acoustic version of Bowling For Soup's "Belgium," a compelling, heartfelt love song. Bowling For Soup is definitely a prime catch for Jive, and with their distinctive dance-prone elements and ultra melodic, ultra rhythmic pace, the songs are perfect for a freestyle shuffle. They're a treasure chest hidden in the pop-punk world and much deserving musicians in a league bursting with pop-divas and poster-pinup idols. Perhaps it's because of their older age that they're not outwardly attractive enough to an overrun market. Or their anonymity may simply be a result of a cautious, low-key PR campaign from the band's appre- hensive new home. Earn up to $15 per session in negotiation experiments being held in the business school throughout May, June and July. Experimental sessions last under an hour. You will be eligible to participate in more than one experiment and possibly more than one session in the same experiment. Days: All seven days of the week Times: 5:30 and 7:00 PM. To be included in the pool of possible subjects, register at: http://ddm.bus.umich.edu/summer02 To participate, you must be over the age of 18.