Ever since word got out that it was Sonic Youth who sweet-talked their record label, DGC, into signing Nirvana, every musician who ever rubbed shoulders with Thurston Moore has had itchy palms. And with good reason: Now that guitar-based rock once again has some commercial clout, the majors have been beating the bushes for young, loud and snotty types with the same je ne sais quoi as Kurt Cobain's crew.

Gumball, led by Don Fleming (longtime ringleader of the Velvet Monkees and most recently a member of Dim Stars, a Sonic Youth spinoff), is the latest band of lucky punks to benefit from its underground connections. Super Tasty, produced by Butch Vig (who coproduced Nevermind, natch), has all the right ingredients for a 1993-model alternative band from New York: a scrappy-sweet sound that neatly balances grunge and pop sensibilities, a half-assed veneer of irony, guest guitar solos by Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis. Problem is, there's a decided lack of substance beneath the surface; listening to Super Tasty is like biting into a chocolate-covered éclair and finding nothing but air inside. With the possible exception of the wispy ballad "Marilyn," not one of these three-minute songs reaches out and grabs the listener the way a great three-minute rock song should. Personal to Fleming: You're too hip, baby; come back when you've written some songs.

Cell, another New York band, is a different animal entirely. Protégé of – who else? – Thurston Moore, the foursome rocks with an angular precision that often recalls the double-guitar interplay of Television. Slo-Blo is a pleasant surprise: It doesn't fit comfortably in the grunge-rock or new-metal axes – it's too nuanced for either genre. With its mix of poignant melodies and ocean-size riffs, Cell echoes the spirit of My Bloody Valentine's noisy dream pop, which it smooths out and cleans up. Guitarists Jerry DiRienzo and Ian James play with passionate restraint, and songs like "Fall," "Wild" and the gorgeous "Hills" ring clear and true, as timeless and immediate as rock gets. Anyone willing to clean the grunge out of their ears and give Slo-Blo a listen will find it to be a stirring debut by a band well worth getting worked up about. (RS 650)

TOM SINCLAIR