KINGS OF LEON 'Aha Shake Heartbreak' (RCA)

Caleb Followill still sings like Adam Sandler imitating Hong Kong Phooey singing old Tom Petty outtakes in the final stages of a head cold with the wrong set of Heartbreakers backing him up. Now, there are those who no doubt find that sort of presentation instantly engaging, which is fine. But most of us will have to look beyond it -- or learn to embrace it -- to see the appeal of this record.

		Records are rated on a scale of one (poor) to five (excellent) stars:

And there is a weird appeal to Kings of Leon that transcends the quirky vocals and the way the lyrics make you wonder if Followill thought he could snort the thin line between clever and stupid. Southern by the grace of God but schooled on scuzzy New York rock, second helpings of "Damn the Torpedoes" and over-caffeinated post-punk angularity, these oddly coiffured sons and nephew of a preacher man could easily outrock the Strokes. And on "Pistol of Fire," "The Bucket," "Razz" and "Four Kicks," in particular, they do just that, with a reckless abandon that only a fool or liar would deny.

It's harder sailing on the slower tracks, though. And when Followill kicks into yodeling mode on "Day Old Blues," it's like a Sandler "SNL" skit, only funnier. But not on purpose.

-- Ed Masley, Post-Gazette pop music critic

THE VICTORIA LUCAS '5 SONGS' (SELF-RELEASED)

The Victoria Lucas kicks things off here sounding equally indebted to the Velvet Underground and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"

		The group returns to Pittsburgh -- specifically Gooski's -- Saturday at 10 p.m. with Centipede.

But "Narcissus" leaves its country-gospel roots behind around the time the singer hits the line "I sold my kidneys to the scientist." That's also where the horns come in, giving the whole thing a ramshackle Kinks "Muswell Hillbillies" vibe. Other highlights range from straight up VU rock 'n' roll (with hyperactive theramin) on "Back to Junk" to straight-up country-rock whose co-ed vocals tip a hat in the general direction of X ("Don't Talk to Me," which opens with the classic line "Don't talk to me about the genius of Steve McQueen"). And "Wheels of Commerce" brings the horns back in time for a raucous finale.

A Brooklyn band taking its name from the pseudonym Sylvia Plath used when she wrote "The Bell Jar," The Victoria Lucas includes three former Pittsburghers -- Randy Costanza, Kathy Horne and Nate Knaebel.

-- Ed Masley

PETRA HADEN 'PETRA HADEN SINGS: THE WHO SELL OUT' (BAR/NONE)

I'd love to know who signed off on an a capella version of "The Who Sell Out" with Petra Haden of That Dog doing everything from Keith Moon's drums to the madcap circus-music horns of "Heinz Baked Beans" to Pete Townshend's feedback squalls, using only her voice. But thank Mike Watt for putting such a dumb idea in her head. A ridiculous concept taken to ridiculous extremes, this bold approach to one of rock 'n' roll's true masterpieces is as entertaining as it is ambitious, which you could not say about the last big a capella album, Bjork's "Medulla."

There are flaws here -- lagging tempos, parts not syncing up, blown lyrics. How in God's name, one might wonder, did she miss the final line in "Heinz Baked Beans"? And Haden's otherwise endearing take on "I Can See for Miles" suggests her sight is better than her hearing when she hits the line "The Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal are nice to see on clear days." Actually, they're "mine" to see on clear days. Or maybe she meant to sing it wrong in subliminal tribute to what Roger Daltrey would have done at Leeds, where he famously blew the words to nearly every song he covered, in which case, as Haden should sing on her next one, she is "forgiven, forgiven, forgiven, forgiven, forgiven."

After all, what she's done here is capture the spirit of the Who at the band's most spirited and somehow found a way to make it sillier without abandoning the heart that's allowed it to hold up alongside other artists' more "serious" stabs at pop art from the '60s. The Who would never make a better album and chances are, neither will Haden. As Townshend himself has said, "I love it. It is exquisite." Which is not to say this album is a substitute for the original. In fact, there's no reason to hear it at all unless you know "The Who Sell Out."

Nice cover concept, too, with Haden in for Townshend, Daltrey, John Entwistle and Moon.

If only I'd been there in the studio to see her doing all those backward horns on "Armenia City in the Sky" or Townshend's bent-string leads and low-note drones on "I Can See for Miles," using only her mouth. It's just amazing. Audacious, sublime and ridiculous. Like rock 'n' roll was meant to be.

-- Ed Masley

THE OCTOPUS PROJECT 'ONE TEN HUNDRED THOUSAND MILLION' (PEEK-A-BOO)

There's an almost Flaming Lips-like sense of grandeur to go with the skittering beats that kick off the Octopus Project's latest effort.

	Octopus Project performs at Garfield Artworks at 8 p.m. Sunday. $6. 412-361-2262.

Then again, it also sounds a little like Don Caballero after catching one too many shows on that last Rush tour. Either way, it's only fair to warn you that this album is a strictly instrumental outing, one that's not the slightest bit afraid to get a little post-rock in your electronica and vice versa, bringing blipping, bleeping, blooping electronic gear and traditional rock-band instruments together under one pulsating roof that doesn't even know how fast these kids can raise it.

There are chill-out tracks here, too, including the dreamy, robotic "Responsible Stu," the soundtrack to a killer film I fear has not been made. But most tracks sound like they've been dripping too much coffee on their laptops and/or samplers. In a good way. Also, bonus points for bringing trombone to the party.

-- Ed Masley