This Richmond-based collective appears to have around ten members, and its sound is similarly diverse. Kinda like the way the Grateful Dead took elements of blues, rock, folk and passed them around in a bong, Piranha Rama collects the indie-rock debris of the last 40 years or so and throws it into a psychedelic churn.

Piranha Rama Omniscient Cloud Cover (Brokers Tip Records)

Kinda like the Flaming Lips, except without the punk bones. Many of these songs incorporate the sedate feel of modern shoegaze--even as they throw in sounds and ideas that run totally counter. The tempos are definitely modest, but the range of ideas seems to blossom as each song wanders on.

Oh, and then the gears shift again. I suppose the most rational modern reference would be Lambchop, but PR draws from many more wells and doesn't always take care to put a finishing touch on their songs. A lot of these pieces aren't fully-baked, which increases their charm in my ears. To that point, if you're gonna have a horn section, why not have it play totally out of range and sound like a herd of castrated elephants? I'm down. (And please don't lecture me on elephant social structures; this is just a rancid turn of phrase)

Totally satisfying? No. Piranha Rama isn't that kind of band. Rough edges abound, and sometimes songs stop for no obvious reason. I'm pretty sure the idea is not to make sense. But the feel of the band is intuitive and inviting, and once inside the walls of these songs, it becomes apparent that rational thought isn't everything its cracked up to be. Drop your defenses and surrender.

Jon Worley