Rude Rock rocks on second album

"No No No... Yeah," the long-awaited second album from Rappahannock's Rude Rock Family, is a chance for the band's true blue fans to take home all the songs that they have broken a sweat to at shows. It is also a chance for the uninitiated to taste a home-grown mix of rock, ska, reggae and a genuine love for music.

Cooked up over the span of three years at Rude Rock's practice space and studio in Castleton, the album somehow carries the impression of late night jokes and song-writing sessions for the tight-knit band. The songs hint at an array of influences, with variety that reveals a disregard for the comfort of a unifying genre.

The first song, "Shovel Head," opens with western-tinged guitar intertwined with subtle trumpet notes, evoking deserted Mexican towns or lonely saloons. The theme is sewn hauntingly into later tracks "Best Western," "Drained" and "Santos," and serves to beg Rude Rock's trademark explosions of cymbals, distortion and raucous vocals.

Reggae and ska are infused into a number of the songs. A ragged bass line and rim shots set the rhythm for "Muddy River," while guitar chucks and a dark trumpet line reminiscent of the Specials create the mood in "SubAtomic Man."

Much of "No No No... Yeah" feels like you're at a pot luck with the members of Rude Rock and they've ladled dish after dish onto your plate, with all of the food mixing and overlapping deliciously.

But a number of the album's songs embrace boundaries. "New Wop" is an unabashed doo-wop tune, with "doo-wop" actually sung in the backup vocals. There is also a cover of Dick Dale's surf version of "Misilou," made famous by the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. "Me Gustas" is a straightforward drum-and-bass fueled dub track, and "In Your Head" could easily have come from a Clash album.

Granted, you won't often find four songs spanning those genres on a single album.

Rude Rock's punk and ska influence is easy to pin on Noah Waggener and Mark Reiter, who played in the well-known punk band the Daycare Swindlers. But that would be too simple. Each of the band's five members brings his or her personal tastes, and all of them stress collaboration.

"There's a little more variety to the songs when everyone can give their input," said Waggener, the lead vocalist.

He and guitarist Chris Moyles started the band modestly, playing their first show to the accompaniment programmed drum beats on a laptop computer.

"It wasn't even supposed to be a band," Waggener said.

By 2003 the duo were playing out with a full line-up.

Rude Rock has kept busy lately, playing five weekends in a row starting in December. They have two shows lined up for February and March, one of which, a Valentine's Day bash, will be at Rae's this Friday.

And live performances are really where Rude Rock's energy comes through.

"People come up to me and say: 'You guys look like you're having so much fun'," said Trista Scheuerlein, who plays trumpet for the band.

She readily admitted that they do have so much fun. As did bassist John Whissel.

"When there's a big crowd and a lot of energy, we feed off that," he said.

Live performances allow the band to stretch out the grooves that get cut short on the studio versions of the songs. They will read the audience, and play as long as there are feet moving on the dance floor.

"We just like having fun," Whissel said.