E-Mail This Article to a Friend Unchained melodies Court springs Sandbox; Cave In rejoin Hydrahead; Averi steal your girlfriend BY CHRIS RUCKER

A federal court in New York declined to issue an injunction against local label Hi-N-Dry last week, thus clearing the way for the delayed release of Sandbox, a boxed set of unreleased material by late Morphine leader Mark Sandman. Morphine’s label, Salem-based Rykodisc, had sought the injunction against Hi-N-Dry while the court considered its argument that it owns portions of the material slated to be included in the set. Rykodisc’s motion had compelled the label to remove Sandbox from record-store shelves. But following last week’s ruling, Hi-N-Dry — the studio/label formed by friends and bandmates of Sandman after his death in 1999 from a heart attack — again began offering Sandbox for sale on its Web site, www.hi-n-dry.com. It’s also now available at Newbury Comics, Tower Records, and Virgin.

After extricating themselves from their major-label deal with RCA last year, Cave In have re-signed with former homeboys Hydrahead to release an album this summer. The disc is expected to compile the studio demos recorded last year with producer Andrew Schneider, demos that were intended to become the basis of the group’s next RCA disc. Hydrahead honcho Mark Thompson was apparently too busy fielding Billboard interview requests and doing Vice’s blow to return our calls, but watch this space for updates. We love Cave In. And you too, Mark — just kidding about the blow.

The five guys in the local band Averi are never going to win any points for blazing originality: they’re regular dudes who look like soccer players, the kind of guys you’d find drinking at the Burren or slugging back shots at the Joshua Tree. But their headlining gig at the Paradise earlier this month sold out three weeks in advance, their self-released sophomore disc, Drawn to Revolving Doors, landed in the top-sellers list for the month of February at Newbury Comics, and they’re setting their sights on playing the Roxy next month.

In a town that deifies the hip and obscure, Averi are one of those bands who seem to hide in plain sight, quietly making inroads while pampered scenesters grumble in their drinks at the Middle East and Great Scott. (And if you’re one of the haters, I don’t exactly blame you for your dissatisfaction: yes, Averi sound like a Barenaked Ladies–ish frat band, but the songs are as catchy as a Frisbee on a hot summer day.) "Music that is not ‘cutting edge’ will never get the respect or cred of the media and the hipsters," admits the band’s manager, Ralph Jacodine, "but as far as Averi is concerned, that’s okay. We try not to pay attention to what’s cool or not. The guys in the band work hard, and this band is built on that commitment."

And they may be about to steal your girlfriend. Jaccodine says that Averi’s demographic is "16 to 30 years old, 60 percent female" — a marketer’s wet dream. Orders for the new CD have come from 35 states and 12 foreign countries, and he claims the band are fielding calls from majors and indies alike. But for the time being, Averi are concentrating on expanding their grassroots regional following, with an emphasis on pounding Eastern Seaboard markets as far south as Atlanta and as far north as Burlington. "The band is committed to touring non-stop to spread the music the old-fashioned way," Jaccodine says. "And it’s working."

Taxpayer, the shining stars on last year’s Lunch Records 4x4 compilation, are heading into the studio next month with Paul Q. Kolderie to record an album that’s due on Lunch in the fall. And Mishima USA return tonight (March 17) after a year-long layoff to play a benefit for tsunami relief at T.T. the Bear’s Place. They recently completed a new album, tentatively titled The Truth Tonight, with Bob Logan at his Small Church studio; look for a summer release.

Chris Rucker is the host of New England Product, which airs Sundays from 9 to 10 p.m. on WFNX 101.7 FM.