*** Grand Mal

MALEDICTIONS

(Slash)

This New York foursome's time-capsule nostalgia sounds a lot more quaintly charming than they probably intended. Channeling the glitter-flecked polyester pose of Mott the Hoople and T. Rex through the junkie punk of Richard Hell, Johnny Thunders, and maybe the Only Ones, songwriter Bill Whitten (late of the St. Johnny) and his young dudes have made an album that's absolutely disposable -- and often fun as hell to listen to. Which, if we've learned anything from Ian Hunter and Marc Bolan, is probably the point.

The Bowie/Iggy-esque opening track, "Superstars," pretty much nails what's in store: Grand Mal's is a cheap wine-and-Ecstasy world of "neon boys," "broken androids," and Whitten sneering and feeling "like Dracula's teenage son." This theater of seedy scenarios is backlit by a lot of flashy production -- shuffling Madchester percussion, fuzzed-out Jesus and Mary Chain guitars, and little electronic noises that tell you it's a '90s recording. The wholesale Pavement ripoff "Picture You (As Always Falling)" is only one of the best things I've heard this year, and the equally blatant Stooges cop "Fun Fun Fun" is the kind of tune D Generation would give their leather jackets to have written.

-- Jonathan Perry

(Grand Mal open for Imperial Teen this Sunday, April 4, at T.T. the Bear's Place. Call 492-BEAR.)