Singing Their Scales

The Austin Lounge Lizards are frequently labeled a novelty act, and that’s understandable, given that their repertoire includes such oddball songs as “Gingrich the Newt,” “Jesus Loves Me (But He Can’t Stand You)” and “Put the Oak Ridge Boys in the Slammer.” Satire and just plain silliness are also part of their shtick, with side-splitting between-songs patter abundant at their zany live shows.

But besides being a hoot, these middle-aged Texans can really play.

Formed in 1980 and well versed in a variety of genres including bluegrass, country, rock, folk, funk and Cajun, the acoustic quintet mixes four- and five-part harmonies, smartly drawn political and social observation and instrumental proficiency in forming its distinct musical personality.

Weird Al Yankovic they ain’t.

“Being called a novelty act is a mixed bag,” offered singer-songwriter-guitarist Hank Card during a recent phone interview. “On the positive side, it does give people the idea that we’re funny. Yet, it kind of sounds like we don’t play very well and wear funny hats. And people get the impression that we take other people’s tunes and write funny lyrics to them, which we don’t.

“Sure we’re funny, but we pride ourselves on our professional musicianship, too. If you just have humorous material that you don’t play particularly well, it will get old for both the audience and the band.”

With political puns and newspaper headlines losing their immediacy sometimes overnight, the challenge for the Lizards is to keep material topical and fresh-sounding. The band, which also features Conrad Deisler on lead acoustic guitar, Tom Pittman on banjo and pedal steel guitar, Richard Bowden on mandolin and fiddle and Boo Resnick on bass, will perform both new and older songs tonight at Shade Tree Stringed Instruments in Laguna Niguel.

Timed to this year’s presidential election, the group’s just-released sixth recording, “Live Bait” (Watermelon Records), offers more of its trademark irreverence. Definitely leaning to the left, the six-song collection includes two likely candidates for spirited debate, “Gingrich the Newt” (“I was shocked he became Speaker of the House!” Card said) and “Teenage Immigrant Welfare Mothers on Drugs.”

“We weren’t ready yet to put out a full-length CD, but we wanted to get ‘Welfare Mothers’ out there before the start of the election season,” explains the soft-spoken, bespectacled, 41-year-old Card. “We felt it captures the prevailing campaign strategy of blaming the other guy, preferably someone who can’t fight back.”

Pointing fingers beats accepting responsibility in the country-tinged single. Backed by a lively mix of banjo, mandolin and acoustic guitars, the deep-voiced Card lashes out: “Who’s to blame for things we’re so angry about? / Who’s to blame for that backwards-cap-wearing craze? / It’s those teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs.”

Not limited to the political arena, the Lizards do branch out thematically with songs ranging from brainless shenanigans in “Shallow End of the Gene Pool” and “When You’re Dumb” to suffering through the wretched road cuisine of “Highway Cafe of the Damned” and putting up with a blabbering old-timer inhabiting a dusty roadhouse in “Old Blevins.”

One older song titled “Pflugerville,” as Card explains it, has even been transformed--with input from a boisterous fan--from a bleak family yarn of murder and mayhem to an unintended drink-until-you-drop party anthem.

“It’s kind of an odd, darker song full of fright and mystery,” Card said. “Well, one night we were playing in Nashville, and this guy created what’s called the Pflugerville Challenge, which requires taking a swig of beer each time we sing the word ‘Pflugerville’ during the song. I don’t really recommend it.”

The dawning of the Lizards dates to 1976, when Card and Deisler, then history majors at Princeton University, met and started writing songs together. Both went on to attend law school at the University of Texas. By 1980, they’d hooked up with Pittman, a string player with a philosophy degree from the University of Georgia. After adding mandolin and bass players, the newly formed band started playing local gigs.

While playing throughout Texas, the band members initially kept their day jobs in such fields as social work, administrative law and construction. But by 1987, the band was touring nationally and has since played at many folk-music festivals. Only Card still has his day job, working about half the time as an administrative law judge in Austin.

“Back in 1980, we were just goofing around when we started out,” recalled Card, whose sources for musical inspiration include country legend Merle Haggard; the harmony-driven Crosby, Stills and Nash; and the bizarre but innovative catalog of Frank Zappa. “Then, our idea of a raise was getting an extra pitcher of beer.

“But we’ve learned to be professional without getting uptight. We do draw on a lot of other people to create our material, but I don’t think there’s anyone else doing quite what we do.”

And how does his job as a serious-minded judge compare to the often frivolous antics of the Austin Lounge Lizards?

“Playing in the band brings me far greater creative satisfaction,” Card said. “The charge that you get playing live--that energy and interaction between the audience and us--is such a thrill.

“You know, that kind of thing is hard to come by hearing cases for the state about the fairness of insurance claims and rates.”

* The Austin Lounge Lizards perform tonight at Shade Tree Stringed Instruments, 28062 Forbes Road, Laguna Niguel. 7:30 p.m. $15. (714) 364-5270.