The Rebellion Is Here has an off-the-wall rock mentality, a "we're only in this for the fun" feeling. Between the band wanting to have a good time and the crowd wanting the same thing, this is simply a fun college rock show.

The wicked cover of "Pablo Picasso" blows not only Jonathan Richman's original out of the water but seriously rivals David Bowie's 2003 take on it. The classic rock of "Grub" sounds like an early Aerosmith take and the funky "Four-Minute Mile" has Bowie and Chili Peppers influences and some excellent guitar solos.

"Smoke" is a bluesy number featuring piano solos; not necessarily original, but a lot of fun and rather unpredictable. Much of the disc is that way, actually, capturing a DYI asthetic by way of arena rock meets the Modern Lovers.

Granted, this all-over-the-map approach doesn't result in a cohesive band sound; it's tough to get a feeling for this band's sound, since both their covers and originals involve several musical ideas. "Natural Selection" is a good example of this, sounding like a mini-Dream Theater rock opera with an organ, doom-laden-sounding vocals and heavy power chords. This gives way to the goofy "Now I Have A Job," which is led by a great bass riff, some cheesy Farfisa organ and an infectious spirit. Both of those songs actually appeared on the "tribute" album Everybody Wants To Be Like Jed in 2000, which featured several artists recording songs Jed Davis had written way back before the Hanslick Rebellion had ever formed.

After a couple of songs, Davis and his bandmates will bait the crowd with rock cliches; one band member tells the crowd that the next song is about rock and roll and love in the night, after which another band member shouts out a possible song title, "Rockin And Lovin' In The Rock And Roll Night Of Love." Trust me, it's funnier when you hear it.

As with any college-mentality band, the lyrics and mood can take a turn for the juvenile, such as "Rump (Da Butt)," "Big Hot Monday" and the incomprehensible ska "Leave Your Boyfriend," which is the only time Sublime and Deep Purple could ever be influences on one song (more of the former). "Vegetable Man" is a clunker, but "Sugar Smack" is a medley of random covers built around the Archies' "Sugar Sugar" (really). The disc closes with a cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway," because, well, why not? But to get to that is to hear the eight-minute tour de force "Why James Likes Indie Rock," which is led by fuzz guitar and strident drums, turning it into an elongated slow punk piece with a great instrumental fade-out.

This band will get no airplay except on the rare evening college radio show and YouTube (current video: "You Are Boring The Shit Out Of Me"). It's a fun little rock album, though, if you happen across it.

Rating: C+

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