This column covers independent records by...

This column covers independent records by Los Angeles and other West Coast acts.

“THE GREG BURK JOKE BOOK.” Greg Burk. No label. “WOULDN’T YOU BE AMAZED?” b/w “DEATH IS FOR STIFFS.” Dred Scott. Red Spot. Dred Scott has stayed steadfastly on the fringes of the L.A. scene, remaining aloof from the bar wars, label courting and other channels to success. The quartet seems to spend more energy on periodic dispatches from its corner of the underground, containing caustic and cryptic commentary on the state of things.

In a rare burst of activity, the band has a single out and leader Greg Burk has released a long-play solo cassette. The former is composed of two terrific songs: “Wouldn’t You Be Amazed?” is a taste of hard-bitten optimism with a gentle R&B; kick; “Death Is for Stiffs” is a rich, rousing affirmation. Both gain strength from the unflinching world view that frames them, but both deserve much better production--the music sounds as if it’s covered by blankets. Here’s where Dred Scott’s lack of output hurts: They should be far beyond this rudimentary recording level by now.

In “Joke Book,” the pensive and pugnacious Burk pulls a Leonard Cohen, singing nine songs with only his own guitar accompaniment. The bare-bones format lends the tape a living-room intimacy, and its austerity perfectly complements Burk’s acoustic astringents. Like Cohen, Burk makes the best of a limited voice; it’s mainly tough and flinty, occasionally going ragged or assuming ominous quiver. With their art-folk melodies and lively imagery, his songs bring the cosmic and the mundane into the intimate contact they have in real life. For information on the cassette, call (213) 467-0469.