POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Disparate Bill of Alternative Rockers

Despite the Sub Pop band in the middle of the three-act show at the Whisky on Tuesday, the main theme was big-label alternative rock. And the dumping of these three disparate bands on one bill suggests a scramble in corporate offices to place this still unruly scene into a salable package.

Sloan, a young, shaggy-haired quartet from Nova Scotia, played swirling pop melodies and sang goofy, nice things like “You surely are special, I like you,” in sweet harmony. When the sugar-coated bouts of psychedelia exploded into warps of vibrant feedback, the band (whose first album was released last fall by DGC) broke into uninhibited twists and jumps. The few ballads were a bit too airy, but Sloan’s cartoonish take on ‘60s garage-pop was hard to resist.

Judging from Hammerbox’s major-label debut “Numb” (on A&M;), the headlining Seattle band should have been the most powerful act of the night. But singer Carrie Akre’s trained, Pat Benatar-like vocals seemed predictable in the context of the rough-and-tumble, high-speed music. The sound gelled only when dreamy interludes allowed her to drop in range and relax in low, creamy tones.

In the middle slot, the Portland trio Pond’s drowsy brand of heavy rock, marked by repetitive, Middle Eastern exotica, anesthetized the audience.