Nerd Parade: The sound of Revenge

Nerd Parade's debut album, A Delicate Bashing, is an inventive slice of indie pop. It switches gears effortlessly from the jangling Grand Royal funk of "Kenny Rogers Tune" (which breaks into a country run on the chorus) to the frizzy Brit pop of "Kitten." The vibe is effervescent and happy, even as the group explores the nuances of being a young adult trying to establish successful personal relationships.

"I'm into far too many types of music, and everyone in the band has such varied interests that I think we would just sell our compositions short if we didn't explore the possibilities of these various styles of music," says group leader Randy Garcia. He speaks from somewhere in the Northeast; the group is currently on a two-week tour.

Some Southeast music aficionados may recognize him as the producer who helps run the IDM electronic collective Nophi Recordings and records under the name R. Garcia. Born and raised in South Florida, Garcia relocated to Atlanta in 2006. "I broke away from [IDM music] just to take a break. I did seven albums in a row and went on a bunch of different tours all over the country," he says.

Garcia conceived the side project that would eventually become Nerd Parade in 2003. He recorded several tracks with an unnamed vocalist who he says didn't work out, and then found his current muse, Abby Wren. Together the two collaborated on what Garcia calls a coming-of-age album. "You'll identify with a lot of the music in there if you suffered from the teenage condition," he says. Although the subject matter covers "My So-Called Life" territory (the opening track is called "Yr Horrible Stupid Life"), the sounds are buoyant, silly and fun. "We want to convey a positive message."

With the onset of live concerts, Nerd Parade expanded to include instrumentalist John Jacobus, bassist Rich Wilson and drummer Buddy Buttram. Formerly a solo vehicle for Garcia to express his neuroses, it has grown into a full-fledged band. "I'm already working on my next electronic album," he says. "But I have no intentions of stopping doing the Nerd Parade stuff."