Gathering a Zebraheadful of Steam

Sick of one-dimensional ska bands but unwilling to let go of zippy rhythms and a boisterous vibe?

What you need is sprouting right now from Orange County’s fertile, ever-more-varied music scene. Young bands Dial-7 and Zebrahead are making headway with an ambitious, amalgamated rock sound that equals or surpasses the energy of ska without sacrificing sonic complexity and imagination. Both feature a stoked, emphatic rapper playing off a capable singer who supplies catchy pop appeal. Instrumentally, at least in peak tracks, the bands achieve a deftly arrayed and unpredictable patchwork of metal riffing and grooves from old-line funk or reggae.

After putting out an EP last year on its own label, Laguna Beach-based Dial-7 recently signed with Warner Bros. Following a similar path, Zebrahead, a five-man band from La Habra, is starting on a grass-roots level with a debut EP for Dr. Dream--the first release under that long-running, Orange County-based alterna-rock label’s new ownership.

Even before releasing the EP, Zebrahead had signed with Columbia for its first full-length album, due in September.

With 10 tracks that fly by in 27 minutes, “Zebrahead” almost qualifies as an album. But it’s more of a calling card, a sampler of what the band can do, than a cohesive, fully realized work. Rapper Ali usually favors the mile-a-minute machine-gun delivery of Rage Against the Machine’s Zach de la Rocha, but with a lighter note in his voice and--as far as one can tell from the rush of rhyming--no political agenda in his lyrics.

The band’s nasally tuneful singer-guitarist, Justin Mauriello, provides sung refrains that anchor songs a la 311, one of the bands that established the commercial potential of a rap-punk-metal-pop pastiche.

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Zebrahead’s speediest stuff offers a jolt of energy spiked with a bit of melody--the best example is the disdainful “Check,” which trots out some heavy, squawking bird-of-prey guitar sound effects reminiscent of Korn and Hed(p.e.). The best tracks slow the pace, gaining coherence without losing a danceable groove.

“Bootylicious Vinyl” is an enticing combination of funk and catchy hooks, and the arrangement is colored by some nice surprises--a bit of wolf-whistling slide guitar (echoing Steve Miller’s “The Joker”) and some rambunctious R&B; piano riffs out of the Ray Charles songbook.

“Crome,” which offers a youthful seize-the-day exhortation, combines fast-flying rapping with a pop chorus that rides jangling guitars and sounds like one of the Cure’s more feathery moments.

“Hate” signals a willingness to tackle pointed subject matter, skewering a fellow who slavishly lets “dear old dad” infect him with racist and homophobic attitudes. The musical monologue’s ironies aren’t exactly subtle, but in making a tromping metal guitar get along splendidly with a funky drummer, the song makes its own argument for the fruits of diversity.

Albums are rated on a scale of * (poor) to **** (excellent), with *** denoting a solid recommendation.