Boys will be Boys
By Rick Koster Published on 5/22/2008

Any time new tunes cross this desk and the first reaction is, "Hey, that sort of reminds me of what it would sound like if Tony Williams and Martin Barre played in the Meters" - and it's not Barre and Williams playing in the Meters - well, a few things spring to mind. As was the case when I first heard "Stump" by New London band the Lawn Boys.

But in the time it took to type this, the next tune was up, and it reminded me of Zappa playing in Los Hombres Calientes.

So what we have is the Lawn Boys - a seriously great amalgam of players who aren't so serious that they can't have a great, witty time cross-pollinating a variety of styles in a fashion that's challenging but also instantly accessible. Fans of the very fine Incognito Sofa Love will really enjoy the Lawn Boys, and an excellent opp to see the Boys happens Saturday when they play the Oasis Pub in New London. And as you'll assuredly learn, music as created by the Lawn Boys is enthusiastically and gleefully its own reward.

- Rick Koster

The Lawn Boys, 9 p.m. Sat., the Oasis Pub, 16 Bank St., New London; $5; 447-3929.