VENTURA COUNTY WEEKEND : ROCKTALK : Recover From Christmas Carols With Dose of Live Music : Local clubs offer a wide range of sounds to accompany the making and breaking of resolutions for 1996.

On New Year’s Eve, expect the usual amount of fa-la-la, clug-clug, ha-ha, auld lang sayonara and consequent DUIs. There’s plenty of live music to choose from while you ponder your New Year’s resolutions such as more beer, 24-hour Johnny’s and (if you happen to be a UCLA fan) Northwestern 73, USC 0.

* Alexander’s (1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura, 658-2000). Down With Three plays classic rock down near the harbor.

* The Bar (281 W. Main St., Ventura, 645-1504). Bloody Mary Morning is east Ventura’s numero uno party band, and Alkaline, besides being the unconscious favorites of Detroit Tigers fans, won a Battle of the Bands contest this year.

* Bombay Bar & Grill (143 California St., Ventura, 643-4404). Those Silver Strand party dudes, Ska Daddyz, will shake it up at the place they love the best and play the most.

* Cafe Voltaire (34 N. Palm St., Ventura, 641-1743). Lots of stuff happening here tonight with mostly blues from Lang Street and Ashford Gordon plus country and rock from Jimmy Adams and his musical pals, plus jam rock from Groove Universe. Coffee enough to jangle the world and all sorts of beer here as well.

* Champs (1900 Victoria Ave., Oxnard, 984-8015). Sound Effect plays classic rock.

* China Seas (1105 Seaward Ave., Ventura, 643-9477). Jackie Lomax used to hang out in his native Liverpool with those Beatles, now he’s playing rockin’ blues at a Chinese restaurant for the local Pierpont stumblers.

* Corrigan’s Steak House (556 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., T.O., 495-5234). Last Call plays classic rock.

* Doubletree Hotel (2055 Harbor Blvd., Ventura, 643-6000). The B-Sides play classic rock.

* Holiday Inn (450 E. Harbor Blvd., Ventura, 648-7731). The Doug West Band will play originals and covers for the tourists.

* Java Joe’s Coffee & Espresso Bar (2950 Johnson Drive #125, Ventura, 642-4332). The Solimar Cafe Review is several local acoustic musicians who put out a pretty cool tape that would not scare Mom.

* Joe Daddy’s (211 E. Santa Clara St., Ventura, 643-3264). Jimmy O, a man who can sing an autograph quickly, has got those blues and a new CD, too.

* Joe-Joe’s Brewing Co. (1397 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, 522-7725). According to one of the actual Joes, Cactus Jack plays everything from classic rock to blues to jazz.

* Johnny Dingo’s (2789 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-1917). This place used to be Garfield’s, and with a new stage and a new sound system, the joint is clearly rockin’. Simple Phunkshun is what’s left of Lion I’s, and most importantly, that means keyboard player, frontman, songwriter and blond guy Guy Jeans. They’ll no doubt play your song, “Beer in My Hand.”

* Jolly’s Cocktail Lounge (640 N. Ventura Road, Oxnard, 983-0213). The Rick McCarty Band will play originals and covers at the neighborhood bar in the shopping center.

* The Keynote Lounge (10245 Telephone Road, Ventura, 647-9390). The Brian Faith Band play classic rock.

* Maxie’s (101 Short St., Oak View, 649-9931). Local favorites Cynic’s Picnic play classic rock.

* MVP Sports Bar (1030 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, 520-6015). Don’t expect a lot of Simon & Garfunkel covers tonight from Metal Shop.

* Nicholby’s (404 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-2320). Big Bad Voodoo Daddy packs this place, so if you’re not early, expect a lot of stair time waiting to get in. These Swing music masters also have a new and cool CD with some Christmas songs.

* Pineapples (364 S. California St., Ventura, 643-5333). Wait a minute, I thought no music was allowed here since Charlie’s went away to be replaced by this tourist trap where you can buy a Hawaiian shirt with pineapples on it for just 50 bucks. Maybe tourists need a soundtrack, too; “light rock,” says their ad describing Southern Cross. So when is Raging Arb going to play there again?

* Radisson Suite Hotel (2101 W. Vineyard Ave., Oxnard, 988-0130). The Rhythm Rangers will play country and classic rock in the bar, Mullarkeys.

* Red Cove (1809 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-1101). The bikers will probably be so busy playing 25-cent pool, they’ll probably think the jukebox is just going off. Nope, it’s Randy Rich & the Ravens, the best rockin’ blues band in these parts.

* Schooner Time (5710 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, 526-1488). Tree of Love is a local alternative rock band.

* The Townhouse (132 W. Harvard St., Santa Paula, 525-4914). Premonition plays original rock in a town that seldom rocks.

* Ventura Theatre (26 Chestnut St., 648-1888). Gregg Allman has that classic country bluesy rock thing figured out, and openers Big Sugar do those rockin’ blues.

* Victoria Restaurant & Pub (1413 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, 650-0060). Bill Coffey is a singer-songwriter with a few pals backing him up. If you’re nice, he might do a couple of Mudheads songs, and definitely a few from his upcoming CD.