True to their name, though, Atlanta's Luddites brandish disrespect for their Web-based benefactor on the 12-song Hydrophonics of the Soul, riddling the disc's MP3.com "Artist Info" template with frivolous entries. Under "Band Description" they write only, "last seen fleeing into wooded area," and under "Musical Influences," they list the Three Stooges and "the interstate at rush hour."
This spirit of irreverence spills over into many of their songs. "Watch the Donut Not the Hole" glistens with absurdist lyrics such as, "If I had more time/I'd write for you a shorter song." Clever word games continue in "Acronimity," an offbeat love tune constructed almost entirely of initials ("Watching WWF on the TBS ... I'll get back with ya, baby, ASAP"), and the group outdoes itself with "Once is Philosophy (Twice is Perversion)," featuring couplets such as, "Uncuff me now from this little diversion/When is it love when is it coercion?"
Though propelled by the rollicking piano of Wolfram Verlaan and jaunty guitars of Pete Mastin and David Frank, these entertaining songs unfortunately sound a bit flat when played through a computer. Drop the disc into a conventional CD player, however, and they come alive with dramatic increases in volume, clarity and presence. It's a phenomenon bound to warm the hearts of technophobes -- and, yes, Luddites -- everywhere.
The Luddites play the Red Light Café Fri., March 16.
