MUSIC SWERVEDRIVER : Motorvatin’ Beat : The name inspires mental images of Mr. Magoo behind the wheel, and the songs are louder than a car crash.

It’s an enduring American myth: Driving is taking freedom on a road trip.

Pedal to the metal, revved up, top down, tunes cranked, shades on, brain off, life in the fast lane, open road, no cops, eat my dust, I’m outta here, cool with a capital C .

There are lots of great rock ‘n’ roll drivin’ songs.

Most of them lie, however, because the good ol’ days are gone or never existed.

The internal combustion engine makes smog, which is killing the whole world.

No one can afford insurance--people can barely afford gas.

Half of us are driving on suspended licenses and every other car is a cop running a check on you right this minute.

Cars can go about 3,000 m.p.h but of course the speed limit is about 15 m.p.h. because of all the other traffic.

Anyway, there’s no place to park.

Mechanics and tow-truck drivers are greasy robbers without masks.

But getting away from it all in a swell ride still sounds awfully good.

Swervedriver, the band, has lots of car songs and car imagery on its debut album, “Raise.”

One of its gettin’-outta-Dodge songs is “Son of Mustang Ford.”

Of course, the band is from England, so what do they know about Mustangs?

And they drive on the wrong side of the road.

“The car thing came from twisting around rock ‘n’ roll imagery,” fashionably late caller and guitarist Adam Franklin said in a recent phone interview.

“Chuck Berry used to sing about cars. T-Rex used to sing about cars, and being in a car is just a good place to hear music. We know this drummer who has a Mustang, actually. We thought about letting him in the band so we could hang out in his car.”

The name Swervedriver inspires mental images of Mr. Magoo behind the wheel.

It inspires little confidence. Would you let them drive?

“On this tour, we’re in a tour bus. We don’t drive. Someone drives all night, and we wake up and we’re there,” Franklin said. “We just thought up the name, really. Also, swerve is a good word that’s never been used by any rock ‘n’ roll band.”

With two guitars, Swervedriver is louder than a car crash but with a better beat.

The English press has a name for a lot of these neo-psychedelic bands 25 years later: ethereal metal.

“Our music is loud. Noisy,” Franklin said quietly. “In England these bands labeled ethereal metal are bands like Ride, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, the Cocteau Twins. We’ve somehow been thrown in with them, but we’re more rock than they are.”

Swervedriver has been touring since January.

And the band just landed a spot with media darlings and loud A & M labelmates Soundgarden.

“We’ll be doing about a 45-minute set,” Franklin said. “I know when I go to see a band, if they play longer than an hour, your attention goes. And since we’ll be playing to slightly bigger crowds now, maybe we’ll convert some of the metal kids that come to see Soundgarden.

“We just got back from Japan, which was quite nice but expensive because the standard of living is so high. Sapporo beer costs more there than here or England. A glass of orange juice cost eight English pounds.

“Also, a lot of the gigs there were strange. The shows would start at 7 p.m., which is when we usually get up. At 5 minutes to 7, there’d be nobody at the gig, but at 7, the place would be packed. At 5 after 8, the place would be empty.”

Either they have watches or meaner bouncers in Japan, where punctuality is strictly enforced.

It’s all just another of the mini conflicts inherent in the ongoing rock wars.

Club owners versus bands.

Band managers versus band members and club owners.

Band members versus band members.

Bouncers versus the world.

Swervedriver has had some bouncer problems in the past.

According to the band’s bio sheet, some of its fans were mangled by the etiquette enforcement squad, adding to the notion that bouncers are some alien race sent here to torment us.

Maybe they’re in league with ticket scalpers and $20 T-shirt sellers.

“A lot of times bouncers get very abusive when there’s no call to,” Franklin said. “Maybe they’re on the offensive because they have a whole club that’s against them. At some gigs they actually stop you from having a good time. I’ve seen kids standing there terrified with all these beefy guys staring at them. At one gig in San Jose, the bouncers were actually throwing people out for dancing.”

So don’t drive, don’t dance, just shut up, have a great day.

Swervedriver will--they’re taking the bus.

* WHERE AND WHEN

Soundgarden, Swervedriver and Monster Magnet, UCSB’s Robertson Gym, tonight, 8 p.m., $15 for UCSB students, $17.50 for others. For more information, call 893-3536.