The beautiful thing about the music business is that it’s full of surprises. For instance, over a year ago, Jeff Treffinger and Brendan Gallagher, two of the Mermaid Lounge’s owners, discreetly slipped us a plain metallic copy of the Geraniums’ Little Houses In Space. These days, we are handed CDs as often as businessmen pass out business cards. If a CD doesn’t turn us on within the first 30 seconds, it lands atop a towering pile of rejects nearly seven-feet-high. The Geraniums CD went into our player 14 months ago and it still resides there.

Although we knew Jeff was an accomplished guitarist (formerly with Tribe Nunzio), we had no idea that Brendan was such a singer and lyricist. It was like discovering that the mailman is a great novelist. We were shocked. Erstwhile Iguanas bassist Rene Coman and drummer Brent Newman (who is better known under a stage name we have pledged not to reveal) are a perfect rhythm section. The production on the album, by Malcolm Burn (who also contributes backing vocals and keyboards, and who has previously worked with Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Shawn Colvin and Lisa Germano), is rapturous. We are not being hyperbolic when we say that this is a modern, New Orleans version of The Band’s hallowed Music From Big Pink.

Concerning Brendan’s voice, Jeff says that during the Little Houses recording sessions, the influence of the artist born Robert Zimmerman was everpresent: "We came up with this joke: Do you want more Dylan or less Dylan?"

"Now, I kind of go for that schmaltzy sound," Brendan confesses. "Bob Dylan is an inspiration. A lot of times I’m surprised somebody’s not suing us for plagiarism. All the songs are a big amalgamation. We really want to be compared to Al Jolson. I love Al Jolson."

As for performing, Brendan is a veteran–somewhat: "I read an Arbor Day poem in third grade at Maplewood grammar school in Valley Stream, Long Island. I’ve always written poems. I used to be a messenger in New York and walk around and mumble things, moving my lips. Usually it was going pretty good because it had the cadence of walking. By the time I got home, I couldn’t remember the words."

"What’s interesting about the collision between us is that oftentimes, it creates this built-in irony," Jeff explains. "What I’m playing on guitar might suggest something hopeful and Brendan might come up with tragic lyrics. The two of them together create this interesting, ironic context for the song. Whereas, if we sat down to write a happy song or a tragic song, it wouldn’t happen. It’s really potluck–I bring something and he brings something and we both never show up with a tuna casserole."

"Looking Up," a song about optimism, is typical of the Geraniums’ ironic bent: "The police–they don’t like me and me–I don’t like them, but my wife–she sicked them on me and ran off with my best friend!"

Live, the Geraniums consist of Gallagher, Treffinger and violinist/harmonica player Tom Marron. At the group’s CD release party on November 16 at the Circle Bar, both Coman and Newman are expected to join the ensemble.

"Brendan’s style of singing is, at certain times, stream-of-consciousness," Jeff surmises. "Some things we do are really formal and we stick to the arrangements. There’s other things that we do that a drummer could never follow."

Brendan concurs: "Usually, at the Circle Bar, by the third or fourth gin and tonic, we go on to this experimental stage where I improvise a scenario–a talking bit…talking over the music." Since the days of artist/conversationalist William Hogarth (1697-1764), gin has been the preferred lubricant of both talkers and poets.

As for the group’s name, Brendan says the Chiselers was the original choice, vetoed by Brent Newman: "Brent said, ‘Oh, I like the Geraniums–geraniums are beautiful but they’re poisonous!’"

Brains & Bodies

No band or performer simply plays a gig anymore–it’s always a "CD Release Party." Of course, when you show up, it’s usually just another gig. Rarely do we encounter party hats, blondes popping out of red velvet cakes, buckets of caviar or anything that would signify a real party. And we’re still waiting to salute the act that releases a CD sans party. That would be novel.

In the meanwhile, we have extremely great expectations for The Consortium of Genius (also known as C.O.G.) party on November 11 at the Howlin’ Wolf, celebrating the birth of the Kenner-based band’s Free Brains & Dead Bodies CD, a 27-track album featuring guest appearances by Dead Rebecca guitarist John Marasich, Violet Era guitarist Johnny Brashear and pianist (and OffBeat columnist) Robert Fontenot, Jr.

Lewis D’Aubin (also known as Dr. Milo T. Pinkerton III) is the genius behind The Consortium of Genius and might we say that we have never seen a band press package quite as comprehensive as the one provided by young Louis. Besides the CD, he included a video infomercial, a biography and a hilarious song-by-song analysis. For example, here’s what he has to say about the song "Bow 2 Me":

"The first track on the album is one of our more modern-sounding tracks, lampooning the current ‘drop tuned’ trend of growling atonal ‘alternative’ sludge with vehement screaming about nothing. We achieved this Korny sound in part by tuning the bass down an octave so the strings just flopped around and scraped against the pickups. The electric drill guitar solo, distorted vocals, and a wall of dissonant rhythm-guitar angst also don’t hurt. This has become our signature song."

As for the band, Louis claims as inspiration Morgus, Alice Cooper, Jerry Lewis, the Three Stooges and Monty Python. Furthermore: "You can dance to anything we play!" Plus the show is free and features special guests Antarctica vs. The World and Villa Diodati (named in honor of the house where Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein and featuring our favorite J.P. girl-rocker Melissa Crory). If you can resist this, you have entirely too much will power!

Teedy Treats

While her vocal cords are mending and after seeking advice from the doctor that told Julie Andrews not to submit to the operation which wrecked Ms. Andrews’ voice, Sista Teedy has gone into the catering business, providing healthy, wholesome victuals via her Kaya Catering (314-1578). Teedy and her associates (many of whom are musicians) deliver the eats Monday through Friday in the CBD, Uptown and Downtown. As Ms. Boutté counsels, "If ya gotta munch, it might as well be healthy!" We’ve sampled her petite pies and they are scrumptiously tantalizing, much the same as the songstress herself.

Back That Hula Skirt Up

Now that we’ve entered the Festive Season (approximately October through late July in New Orleans), you’ve got to have the right sounds to get your guests off the couch. We can imagine no more body-provoking CD than Party @ The Luau, featuring the Take Fo’ Superstars and including the Hawaiian-esque title track by Junie B., Big Al and Li’l Tee, DJ Jubilee’s original and often-imitated "Back That Ass Up," Willie Puckett’s "Doggie Hop" and 2 Sweet’s "Where My Old Man At?" If you desire sociological insights into the mating habits of the denizens of New Orleans’ various neighborhoods and housing projects, look no further. To quote Mr. Puckett: "Magnolia ho’s like the pussy pop while them St. Thomas ho’s like to doggie hop!"

London Calling

The death last month of Julie London was the cause of much personal grief. We spent many childhood hours fantasizing over our father’s copy of Ms. London’s Calendar Girl album, a masterpiece which included pin-up portraits of the singer depicting each of the l2 months as well as a photograph entitled "The Thirteenth Month" with the singer clad in a wisp of ermine. We loved the album so much we never even bothered listening to it until recently when we secured a CD version (available as an English import). All we can say is that Julie London was the sexiest vocalist to ever seduce a microphone.