In these days of alternativerock mania, when groups that have played three gigs sign million-dollar deals, the bands that labor on indie labels come in two varieties: those doing something so perversely unlistenable that no one else will release it and those less interested in careerism than in following their own quirky muses. The Hoboken, N.J., trio Tadpoles fall into the latter category.

There's a timeless quality to the band's second do-it-yourself album: Tunes such as "Feel Like a Freak" and "At Least I'm Not Like Jonathan Carver" are equally influenced by Syd Barrett, the 13th Floor Elevators, My Bloody Valentine and the Flaming Lips. Taking the approach of all great psychedelic rockers, Tadpoles and producer Kramer (Bongwater, Galaxie 500) treat the studio like a playground, crafting minisymphonies from layers of weird guitars, six-string fuzz bass and impressionistic vocals. It's a heady mix that deserves to disorient a much wider audience.

Far Out is available from Bakery Records, P.O. Box 1996, Hoboken, NJ 07030. (RS 735)

JIM DEROGATIS