Lawrence.com

Choad's music is every bit as perplexing as its name (which is slang for 'penis'). If anything, the band's style might be described as "eccentric mid-'90s modern rock" (i.e. The Toadies, The Butthole Surfers or The Presidents of the United States of America). Lyrically, the band gets about as complex as the following: "Kill it / Kill it / Kill it / Kill it / Bash out its brains and make sure it's dead / Kill it / Kill it / Kill it / Kill it / Your girlfriend can't talk 'cause she's giving me head" (other titles include "Lobsters, cocaine and whores" and Cannibal rat").

Musically, the band is obviously talented. Guitarist Chris Tady competently handles lead and rhythm duties, working the fretboard with reckless abandon and crafting compelling chord changes. Tady's not immune to self-indulgence, as songs frequently veer into extended instrumental breaks and Hendrix-inspired wanking. Ed Epps is impressive on the drums and Re-Light is a busy yet tasteful bassist.

But where the heck is this band coming from? On a purely visceral level, some of these songs really turn out the rock, but on a cerebral level the messy bag of influences is more confusing than anything. The result is a sound that's too weird for the mainstream but too mainstream for the weird.