Chris Riemenschneider: 3 new bands, 1 sorta-new bar

T hese are the best kinds of columns to write: Three new bands, all with release parties this weekend, and all worth paying attention to. Here's how their CDs stack up.

THE STNNNG, "Dignified Sissy": Already known as one of the most dangerous bands in town -- their CD artwork includes a note from First Ave's Sonia Grover politely asking that they not break any equipment -- the Stnnng ("stunning") accomplished the hard task of capturing its frantic energy on record.

The quartet's chalkboard-scratching, wall-bouncing brand of rock is a melding of At the Drive-In's bursting noise with the Minutemen's seemingly random, breathless songwriting style. Its lyrics live up to the band name, like shout-outs to various antiheroes in "National Anthem," but some lines are just plan stpppid and tritely raunchy (see: "My Golden Oldie"). Worry more about covering your face than your ears when you see these guys.

Release party: Saturday at 7th Street Entry.

THE CARDINAL SIN, "Oil and Water EP": Even with only six tracks, this disc at times manages to echo each of the members' past bands: Cadillac Blindside (frontman James Russell and drummer Rebecca Hanten), Song of Zarathustra (bassist Mark Shaw) and the Crush (guitarist Jon Ness). That means a lot of emo-y guitar-blaring and overwrought singing, but the band has a mightiness to match its drama.

Russell and the band especially make a convincing S.O.S. on "A Call for Help," while the title track ends the EP on a climactic note that leaves you wanting more. The cover of "Bastards of Young" in between -- C.S. did a Replacements tribute set on Halloween -- seems out of place, but not because it's musically all that different. The rest of the songs are strong enough to stand on their own.

Release parties: Saturday and all-ages Sunday at the Triple Rock.

IDIEDAILY, self-titled: From Cardinal Sinners to holy rockers, burgeoning Christian rock band Idiedaily (pronounced "I die daily") has all the muscle and hipness to play any rock bar in town. Frontman Troy Hillstrom even sounds a lot like Dave Pirner, and echoes of Pearl Jam fill the CD.

Thankfully, the band doesn't hide its religiosity behind vague mysticism á la Creed or anything that would make it an easier sell in secular venues. Its disc's rousing opener "My Name" and the acoustic rocker "Bigger" are simple lean-on-me anthems, but most other tracks delve deep into Christian themes, especially the standout track "Loser" with its refrain, "I wanna lose it all." In retail terms, the band already has God on its side: Target stores will sell the CD in its "One Spot" bins for a scant $1.

Release party: Saturday at Club 3 Degrees.

NOMAD'S MAD-DASH REDUX

Last weekend was the first for the smoking ban and the second for the newly opened Nomad World Pub, and I found they had one negative trait in common: body odor.

Of all the feared by-products of the smoking ban, plain old Speedstick-challenged b.o. -- which would have been covered up by smoke a week earlier -- was the biggest problem I noticed Saturday night at the West Bank club that used to be the 5 Corners Saloon. At least one employee and one patron at the Nomad were smelling the place up worse than Mexican pot at a Widespread Panic show.

Other than that, the Nomad itself was quite nice. The new owners accomplished a lot in their daringly short 22 days of renovation: installing booths, refurbishing the bar and adding a lot of fancy touches like hi-fi beer taps that suit their European brands such as Hoegaarden and Beamish. Mmm.

The owners -- one's an attorney, his partner is a property-management kind of guy -- have a lot of great plans, like their "prix-fixe" menu: one Jägermeister shot, one Pabst, and one Camel smoke for $6.50. More seriously, their DJ nights on Mondays and world-music shows on Tuesdays are good ideas, as is the patio that's supposed to be built in time for a May 5-7 opening weekend. You gotta believe they'll get it done in time, too.

The one thing the owners need to work on to get the hip rock club they aim for -- besides the simple task of announcing who's playing there (I found out about tonight's Jeff Hanson gig from a publicist for the Oregonian opening band Dolorean) -- is the sound system. The venue's high tin ceilings and big front windows are a soundman's nightmare. You can only imagine the bouncing reverb on Saturday when Ouiji Radio played its otherwise fantastic cover of the Amboy Dukes' "Journey to the Center of the Mind."

NO SMOKE, NO FIRE

As for the smoking ban, it seemed to go off with only a few hitches at music clubs. The 400 Bar had problems dealing with rowdy and messy smokers hanging outside its door, and a couple of First Avenue's hard-working employees were jonesing for a smoke. Louie Sirian said that Lee's lost some of its daytime customers.

However, the turnout for Jimmie Dale Gilmore on the first smoke-free night at Lee's was as good as or better than Gilmore's First Ave show two years ago, and about the only person complaining was Gilmore's guitarist, Rob Gjersoe.

"Anybody got a smoke?" Gjersoe yelled as he left the stage. Very funny.

RANDOM MIX

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival could add "& Music" to its name, what with all the live gigs it's hosting at the Suburban World Theater. They include Crush Collision Trio and Felonious Bosch tonight (9 p.m.), Askeleton and Rivulets on Saturday (10 p.m.) and lots more during the day and all week. See the full lineup at www.mnfilmarts.org/m-spiff/2005. ...

The Owls' little record from early last year, the eight-song EP "Our Hopes and Dreams," turned into quite a big hit locally, especially now that it's getting spun on the Current (89.3 FM). The jangly boy-girl pop quartet, which returns to the stage tonight at 7th Street Entry, is hard at work on a new CD with Darren Jackson as engineer, said co-leader Brian Tighe. Look for a fall release. ...

Someone else whose CD we've been waiting on -- Tina Schlieske -- will be at the 400 Bar on Sunday to preview her disc, "Slow Burn," due out this summer. Besides her South by Southwest pal Garrison Starr, the disc features such MVP session players as Elvis/Jerry Lee guitarist James Burton, Heartbreaker Benmont Tench and drummer Don Heffington. Wow, no wonder she didn't record it here.

Chris Riemenschneider is at chrisr@startribune.com.