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Audiofile Kid Tested, Mother Approved Stunt Monkey Tastes Like Chicken Sometimes people just need something to smile about, and Stunt Monkey understands that need. This irrepressible local trio offers some of the peppiest, poppiest, silliest punk around (a la Blink 182 and Home Grown) and is getting tons of attention. LIVE-105 promotes the heck out of Stunt Monkey, spinning songs from the group's first disc, For the Ear (most often "White Trash Puppet Show," which is included on this album as well), and showcasing the band on the local stage at BFD. Delivering delightfully juvenile lyrics, the band also incorporates a fun surf-rock vibe into "Stay in Bed" and "Martian Girlfriend." While Stunt Monkey enthusiasts seem partial to "White Trash Puppet Show" and "Martian Girlfriend," "Hypochondriac" jumps out. Vocalist and guitarist Aram Sarkissian worries, "Double mocha heart attack; one cigarette my lungs are black, gin martini, liver's shot, I don't know how much time I've got." Maybe it's a song only a fellow paranoid can fully appreciate. (Sarah Quelland) The Road Kings The Road Kings Surfdog Records When it comes to slicked-back, souped-up modern rockabilly with a kick, this bad-boy greaser trio from Texas can't be beat. The Road Kings (Jesse Dayton on guitar and vocals, Jason Burns on upright bass and Richie Vasquez on drums) have a real knack for writing catchy, high-energy songs with lots of attitude. Standouts on this exceptional debut include "Boystown (Nuevo Laredo)," a sultry south-of-the Border-styled song about a boy's rite of passage inwhich Dayton croons, "Instead of love, I'm sold lust instead," and the hip-shaking "Casting My Spell," a dark and superstitious traditional Cajun love song arranged by Dayton that finds "zombie love and the black voodoo" in its chorus. The sexiest song on this swinging album is the scorching "Hot Wired," a ditty about fast cars and fast women full of double entendres. (SQ) [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]