BUZZ BANDS

Investing 2 years and $1,500

When they started making music as the Clean Prophets, Jerrold Balcom, Dave Koenig and Johnny Sleeper shared a vision -- the sound of ‘60s psychedelia as filtered through the noirish Britpop underground of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

Two years, dozens of shows and $1,500 later, the L.A. trio has a finished album, “Praise Is Poison,” which takes those influences, adds a splash of Americana and rides Balcom’s authoritative vocals to a satisfying finish. The trio, only now starting to shop the album to record labels, will open for stoner-rock gods Dead Meadow on Friday at the Troubadour.

“It’s not produced in a way that screams psychedelia to you,” Balcom says of the album, a do-it-yourself affair made on the cheap in three studios and held together by Nic Jodoin’s mix. “There’s definitely an emphasis on melody; I’m very into making sure the songs have traditional elements.”

Balcom, the former frontman of Sunstorm, credits his band mates and their pedigrees -- bassist Koenig spent three years with the Brian Jonestown Massacre; drummer Sleeper played with the Superbees -- for keeping the project focused. “It has all worked, chemistry-wise,” the singer-guitarist says.

With the wistful stomp of “Tambourine Crown” creeping onto indie playlists and a gig set in March at the South by Southwest Music Festival, Balcom is hopeful: “There’s a small groundswell right now.”

Evolving into

a new identity

Seems as if every independent radio DJ in town is spinning the Tender Box’s “Mister Sister.” KROQ-FM’s Rodney Bingenheimer and various Indie 103.1 jocks (including Cha-Cha on the Latin music program “The Red Zone”) have taken a shine to the number, an infectious dance-rock track that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on the Killers’ album.

The song anchors the Tender Box’s debut, “The Score,” which the L.A. quartet will self-release next week before it kicks off a mini-tour of the West. The album and recent shows at Boardner’s reveal a polished, swaggering sound from the guys who met at South Gate High and until a year ago made music as Silent Gray. “It’s been a long process for our sound to evolve into what it is now,” drummer Chuck Gil says.

Silent Gray attracted some label interest, but a deal never materialized. So when Gil, singer-guitarist Joey Medina, guitarist-keyboardist Ric Moon and bassist Steve Mungarro went back into the studio, “we found our sound has changed a little ... we got away from our influences a bit,” Gil says. “Mister Sister” was written in those sessions, and by the time recording (with Warren Huart and Phil Jaurigui at Swing House) was over, the foursome had a new name and a new direction.

Fast

forward

Touts: Behind its garagey, pedal-to-the-metal power pop album, “Fire, Blood, Water,” the Illinois-based the Living Blue visits Spaceland on Wednesday.... Texas six-piece the Black Angels hits town for a host of shows (included: tonight at the Silverlake Lounge and Tuesday at Spaceland).... The 88’s show at Spaceland on Friday is sold out (some tickets will be available at the door), but the L.A. quintet is playing Saturday too -- with the Muffs at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.... And a couple of February residencies offer a taste of new music by up-and-comers: Foreign Born will perform Wednesdays at the 3 Clubs in Hollywood, and Sabrosa Purr will hold forth on Thursdays at Spaceland.

Shouts: To the keglers -- that’s bowling, not beer-drinking -- at Epitaph. The label’s foursome of Mike Dunn, Jeff Abarta, Barry Reynolds and Dave Hansen beat out 167 other teams to win the 8th annual Punk Rock Bowling Tournament at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas on Jan. 22. Strike!

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Kevin Bronson

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Recommended downloads

* Download the Clean Prophets’ “Tambourine Crown” at www.cleanprophets.com.

* Stream the Tender Box’s “Mister Sister” at www.myspace.com/tenderbox.

* Stream the Living Blue’s “State of Affairs” and “Murderous Youth” at www.thelivingblue.com.