*** The Muffs

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

(Reprise)

Now three discs into a career as one of LA's more enduring (and endearing) revved-up punk-pop outfits, the Muffs continue to distinguish themselves from dozens of like-minded bands by being just a little bit better, a little bit sharper, and a lot more plugged in to pop history. Singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck can sneer with the best of 'em, but she can also write the kind of simple, timeless melody that lingers long after the shower of sweat and spit has cleared. And though her songs bristle with serrated buzzsaw guitars and ragged vocals, they owe as much, if not more, to the cleancut ditties of Buddy Holly, the Beach Boys' sunny pop, and the Beatles covering the Shirelles and the Marvelettes as they do to the blitzkrieg bopping of the Ramones. Part of the Muffs' charm remains Shattuck's unbridled enthusiasm for loud, stoopid, raunchy rock-and-roll numbers (e.g., Birthday's "I'm a Dick."). But there's a lot more thought, care, and craft supporting kissoffs like "That Awful Man" and "Pennywhore" than you might at first suspect, or have any right to expect.

-- Matt Ashare

(The Muffs headline downstairs at the Middle East this Wednesday, July 23, with Chixdiggit and the Groovie Ghoulies opening; call 864-EAST.)