Danger Coming, and May Be Here to Stay

First, let’s dispel a few myths about Harvey Danger.

Harvey Danger isn’t a person; it’s a band from Seattle. The quartet isn’t another grunge band, and contrary to published reports, it didn’t get its name from either soccer player Timmy Harvey or from the nickname of former major league baseball player Harmon Killebrew. Instead, Harvey Danger was named after a graffiti character drawn on a University of Washington wall.

What isn’t a myth is the buzz these rockers are generating with their major-label debut, “Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?” Originally released in 1997 on the New York-based indie Arena Rock Recording, the LP was reissued April 7 on London/Slash Records and is getting positive reviews. Its current single, “Flagpole Sitta,” has climbed to No. 18 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks.

Bassist Aaron Huffman says the band is cautiously optimistic about the recent attention afforded Harvey Danger, which performs Tuesday at the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana.

“We were terrified after London signed us,” confessed Huffman, 25, in a telephone interview from a tour stop in San Francisco. “Sure, we were excited, but we were a little scared too. We’ve seen it a lot . . . bands get signed to a major, put out an album, and then poof--they’re gone.

“But we’re OK about it now. We’re focused on the quality of the songs and continuing to write in the same way that we always have. We never planned on commercial success, and I think anyone who does is a fool. Any recognition we get is just gravy. . . . We can’t worry about generating hits. So much of that stuff is out of our control anyway. All we can really do is play songs that mean something to us and hope people respond.”

Before signing with London, Huffman and his bandmates--lead singer and lyricist Sean Nelson, guitarist Jeff J. Lin and drummer Evan Sult--attended the University of Washington, performed on a casual basis and worked part time for a Seattle weekly newspaper called the Stranger. The guys have since ditched their day jobs and are on the first leg of a nationwide tour.

Despite the group’s ties to the Pacific Northwest, its sound and style are closer to the edgy pop-rock of Weezer and the Replacements than the grunge-heavy Pearl Jam or Nirvana. A wonderful mix of pop and alternative influences inform “Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?,” which sounds like a ‘90s version of the harmony-laden Turtles one moment (“Flagpole Sitta”) and a noisy but catchy garage band the next (“Carlotta Valdez,” “Private Helicopter”).

But beyond its sonic pleasures, Harvey Danger rewards listeners who want thematic depth. Its cynical viewpoint, which covers youthful paranoia, relationship woes and image-obsessed pop culture, ranges in tone from disdainful to sarcastic.

Is sharing intimate details of someone’s personal life worthwhile? “Radio Silence,” a tune ripe for controversy and inspired by Fiona Apple’s revelation in a Rolling Stone column that she was raped, argues against the notion. Nelson lashes out: “Some people will surprise you with a real depth of feeling, others still may shock you with all they’re revealing. But one thing’s sure, there’s always more information than you ask for.”

“I think a good song is something that does come straight from your personal experience,” Huffman said. “But it’s a fine line, because when it crosses over into a therapy-like session--or the experience is used simply as a marketing tool--it changes from being an artistic expression to a [manipulative] device. That’s what ‘Radio Silence’ is all about.”

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While Harvey Danger doesn’t back away from criticizing ideas and people, the foursome refuses to wallow in negativity.

“I’d call us optimistic cynics,” Huffman said. “We try to bring a healthy skepticism to what we do, but we have our lighter moments too. Like ‘Private Helicopter’ . . . it’s a funny, kind of warped look at someone who’s obsessed with a past relationship.”

Harvey Danger’s songs are likely to reach a bigger audience since “Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?” was reissued. Still, along with London’s better marketing and distribution tools come more corporate involvement. But band members aren’t worried about having to sacrifice artistic freedom to meet the bottom line.

“You never know what could happen down the line, but we haven’t experienced anything negative so far,” Huffman said. “We have creative control. Plus, we’re involved with things beyond the music. Evan and I created the artwork for the CD sleeves, and we all designed the T-shirts for our tour.

“The label people shouldn’t worry about us. We’re not out on any real scary edge of music. We’re fairly conventional, really. We just try to add some measure of intelligence to the mainstream. Why should people have to settle for thoughtless pop music?”

* Harvey Danger, the Day and Oscar perform Tuesday at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana. 8 p.m. $8-10 (714) 957-0600.