MUSIC PSYCHEFUNKAPUS : Mondo Syllables : The band will bring its songs about surfin’, Syria, too much TV, liars, banana slugs and ugly bouncers to Isla Vista.

Since many rock fans are stuck for an answer when asked a question that doesn’t begin with the word Duuuuude, a five-syllable rock band may be a problem, memory-wise. Psychefunkapus will probably end up being remembered as “that band with the funny name.”

“We all came up with one syllable each,” bass player Atom Ellis said during a recent phone interview. The band will play Wednesday at the Anaconda Theater in Isla Vista.

The band’s new album, with the nice short name “Skin,” came out a few months ago. The first single is “Surfin’ on Jupiter,” which solves a lot of problems for finheads. Of course, it takes a while to paddle out, but there are no southers there to hog your waves or steal your parking place.

The song sounds like something by one of those one-hit SoCal surf bands from 1965 or so. If it were then instead of now, Psychefunkapus would be surf gods instead of just another band with a funny name. Completing this time-warp scenario is the fact that “The King of the Surf Guitar” himself, Dick Dale, plays guitar on the finhead fandango.

“When we were recording ‘Surfin’ on Jupiter’ we were laughing and saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to get some surf guitar dude to play on this song, somebody like Dick Dale?’ ” said Ellis. “But how are you supposed to find that guy? Then Jerry Harrison, our producer, made a few calls and got him.”

“Skin” is the band’s second album. Their debut came out in 1990 with a different singer, the one and only--and now gone--Gene Genie. It was the usual reason--creative differences, or perhaps he couldn’t pronounce or spell Psychefunkapus.

The new singer (who can) is Manny Martinez. Ellis and guitarist Jon Axtell add harmony vocals. Mooshi Moo Moo hits the drums (and if you had a name like that, you’d probably hide in the back too).

Everybody likes to make fun of the radio these days, mostly because the stuff the stations play is so appallingly mind-numbing. Then again, if one of those hits is your band’s tune, well, that changes things.

And, according to Ellis, Psychefunkapus is starting to get some airplay.

“One of our strangest gigs was in 1990 in Virginia Beach when we were traveling up the East Coast, sort of making a name for ourselves,” said Ellis. “On a good night, we’d have 150 people. On a bad night, maybe 25 or 50 people. When we got to the Virginia Beach gig, it was an unusually large hall. But some local radio station had been playing us and there were over 800 people there. That was unprecedented.”

And yes, young rock-gods-to-be with MTV dreams, bands actually do get signed at gigs.

“We just kind of formed and were playing clubs and stuff,” said Ellis. “Primus used to let us open for them a lot--they had a great crowd to play to. A scout from Atlantic came up to us one night.”

And now, as the name implies, the band plays psychedelic funk music that rocks, when they aren’t playing metal alternative thrash rock. Whatever it is, it’s always with fine vocals.

“We do a pretty wide variety of stuff that is just an organic blend,” said Ellis. “No, don’t say that--they’ll think we’re Deadheads. We’re just a blend of our personalities.”

With songs about surfin’, Syria, too much TV, liars, banana slugs, ugly bouncers and like that, don’t expect a bunch of serious types trying to figure out The Meaning of It All. The band’s songs are about as goofy as their name.

“We don’t have anything to preach,” said Ellis. “We’re not a big message band; we’re an expressionist band.”

One song, “Hillbilly Happy Smash,” details the joys of the slam pit--the guts, the glory, the blood, and the angry bouncers bringing the business end of a fist, ready to end this boys-will-be-boys scenario.

This isn’t a slam music gig unless you’re really wasted and hearing Black Flag in your head. You won’t get wasted at the Anaconda Theatre in any case: no alcohol. It’ll be a kinder, gentler concert.

“We attract a pretty open-minded crowd,” said Ellis. “We don’t want to be part of making some sort of clique. Nobody feels out of place at one of our gigs. Besides, there’s nothing good on TV that night.”

* WHERE AND WHEN

Psychefunkapus Wednesday night at the Anaconda Theater, 935 Embarcadero del Norte, Isla Vista, $8. For more information call 685-3112.