*1/2 Pimpadelic

SOUTHERN DEVILS

(Tommy Boy)

The funniest thing about the self-produced major-label debut by Fort Worth's Pimpadelic is that it's dedicated to Tom Landry. If the God-fearing Dallas Cowboy coaching legend weren't dead already, he'd surely keel over after one listen to the tawdry tales on this disc. Pimpadelic are a hard-rock power trio -- plus obligatory MC and DJ -- led by rapper/guitarist Easy Jesus, a Kid Rock clone who also calls himself YDB. Jesus shares Rock's obsession with porn and malt liquor, hip-hop and classic rock; and here he quotes everyone from Big Pun to G.G. Allin. On "Nasties Get Up," he even slips in a particularly choice reference to Head East's '70s stoner-rock obscurity "Never Been Any Reason."

Unfortunately Pimpadelic don't have much of their own to add to the cultural lexicon. "Vegas" is a suicidal ballad Rock would be proud of; the horny "So Damn Tough" is one of the few tunes with a groove dirty enough to justify all the foul language. Otherwise, Jesus's raps are sleepier than a church service, and the band don't distinguish themselves in either of their two modes, laconic or hard-hitting.

-- Sean Richardson