Party people in the place get hype-- K Records is serving up another disco plate piled high with well- seasoned elbow groove-a-roni. In his tireless quest to provide the perfect soundtrack to social gatherings of all kinds, indie rock legend Calvin Johnson has assembled the crack band of musical misfits known as the Dub Narcotic Sound System. Together, Calvin and the gang bump, grind, sweat, bop, twist, slam, slide, shimmy, shake, rattle and ride all over these eleven originals that sublimate each and every musical element to the groove. Aw, yeah.

Now that I have the masturbatory hyperbole out of the way, how good is the album, really? Let's just say that this fun and funky collection would light up your next bash like a salad bowl tossed with dusted fatties. It's got twisted takes on dub ("Papa's Got A Brand New Burnbag" and "Dub Narcotic's Delight," which also features some pretty melodica from Johnson) loose, propulsive jams ("Wicked Bad"), or the front- porch Crooklyn groove of the title track, which features Miranda July on vocals. And it's all in fun, y'know?

As players, this band is awesome, locking into the rhythm enough to fuck around with it in a manner that's bound to get your rump shaking. If there's one thing that Johnson knows it's how to record a rhythm section-- Larry Butler's drums sound crisp, clean and authoritative. And burrowing beneath the absurdly melodic, Jamerson- influenced bass guitar of Chris Sutton is Calvin's belching baritone voice, a perpetually acquired taste. Johnson sings every song like it's "The Monster Mash," but that's the way he was born.

It's that voice that will, as always, divide people. It works with Doug Martsch in the Halo Benders because it's always operating in contrast and doesn't have center stage. But with Dub Narcotic, Johnson's vocals are out front, almost daring you to get annoyed. Me, I think it adds to the oddball feel, and I can see through to the funk. But you'll have to make that call. While you're deciding, I'll be the out on the dance floor doing the Redd Foxx.

-Mark Richard-San