BUZZ BANDS

Laptop parody

Every generation needs its Eminems and Conor Obersts. But, kids, there’s something to be said for having a Weird Al Yankovic too. And laptop-rapper MC Lars -- the alter ego of 22-year-old Bay Area native Andrew Nielsen -- might be closer to Yankovic’s parody than Marshall Mathers’ paragon.

“Part of what I’m trying to do is to make people laugh and not take things too seriously,” says Lars, who hits town tonight as the opening act for rockers Bowling for Soup and American Hi Fi at the House of Blues. “But I’m trying to make hip-hop educational, to inject some social commentary.”

On his debut “The Laptop EP,” the beats for which were recorded in his dorm rooms at Stanford and Oxford, Lars rants about being part of a “walking demographic” in “iGeneration” and improvises on a familiar line: “I hope I die before I get sold.” But the EP’s nugget -- especially for those who follow the industry -- is “Signing Emo,” the tale of a trend-chasing record-label scout and his catch, the fictional band Hearts That Hate. Its career arc is told in primitive rhymes, segueing into the big-guitar chorus for the fictional band’s fictional song “Cry Tonight.”

“Two of my friends had been in an emo band, and I asked them to write the most generic emo chorus ever,” Lars says. “We arranged the song around it.” Don’t be surprised if the parody takes on its own life -- thanks to Lars, Hearts That Hate has its own website and a full version of its over-the-top song, “Cry Tonight,” might soon be available.

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Fast forward

* The Stratford 4, a Bay Area outfit with ties to other shoegazer bands such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, has broken up, but its third album, “Keep Your Crazy Head on Straight,” might see a posthumous release. The Ric Ocasek-produced record was made in January 2004 before the group was dropped by Elektra, which turned the album back to the band upon setting it free. Guitarist Jake Hosek says the Stratford 4 is looking for an indie label to release the album. As for the band, “It’s done,” he says. “It was a lot of hard work, and then nothing.” Says frontman Chris Streng, “I just kind of bottomed out on it.”

* DJs from KCRW-FM (89.9) take center stage at 6 p.m. Friday when the radio station celebrates the release of “Sounds Eclectic 3,” a collection of 13 recordings from on-the-air performances by artists such as Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Paul Weller, Sarah McLachlan and the Flaming Lips. The KCRW personalities will appear at Santa Monica’s Starbucks Hear Music Coffeehouse, a retailer that in addition to selling CDs also allows customers to burn personalized CD mixes from a digital kiosk. Already mixed, for “Morning Becomes Eclectic” fans: host Nic Harcourt’s personal compilation.

* The Slow Signal Fade, fronted by Sri Lanka-born singer Marguerite Olivelle, will join Pink Mochi at a Saturday night benefit at El Cid for victims of the tsunami.

* Key Club regulars American Eyes, the Tints and Clear Static join a DJ and four other bands Sunday at a promotion called Trippblake, which will be hosted by KISS’ Gene Simmons and his son, Nick.

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-- Kevin Bronson