The Time Flys

Fly (Birdman Records)

Revivalist rockers the Time Flys have perfected the art of throwback on their latest release, Fly, with a commonality and primitivism that not only pays homage to low-fidelity and nonchalance but also pulls the threads of the garage punk sound. Although the songs are unrefined and crude, the explosive enthusiasm of the music is palpable. The opening track, "Smokin' Dope," flaunts the band's trashiness with an omniscient look at the fated life of a faded rock star. Juxtaposing downcast lyrics ("I've seen the innocent carried and buried") with upbeat power progressions and smudged rhythms, the group begins its journey seriously enough but unfortunately downgrades to sillier ideas that offer nothing to the band's credit as lyricists. ("My Daddy got caught by thos e gooks in Vietnam ... now I got a chimpanzee for an uncle.") This kind of rambling is common among proto-punk bands, but it still doesn't excuse the Flys from these thematic inconsistencies. The rest of the album, however, is full of refreshing surprises; the band even throws in a bubblegum doo-wop track with a sharp edge ("Teenage Tears"). a puppy-eyes tribute to a love lost but not forgotten. Although at times quirky and unpredictable, Fly remains true to classic garage punk and shows the world that the Time Flys are here for good. (Justin Yu)

Lydia Pense and Cold Blood

Transfusion (DIG Music)

Lydia Pense, the missing link between Timi Yuro and Teena Marie in the pantheon of great blue-eyed soul women, is back with her first album in 29 years. In the late '60s, the petite Peninsula belter had a rep as the toughest white "chick" singer in the Bay Area – badder than Janis Joplin, many contended. Joplin herself was a fan and recommended Pense and her band, Cold Blood, to Bill Graham, who signed them to his label, San Francisco Records. Cold Blood's horn-fueled brand of soul was quite similar to that of Tower of Power. Indeed, the two groups have swapped musicians over the years, and the new Cold Blood is augmented on the deliciously funky Transfusion by several current and former ToP members, including drummer David Garibaldi and vocalist Lenny Williams. Pense and Williams duet on a gorgeous love ballad penned by coproducer Skip Mesquite, who contributes a Coltrane-esque tenor sax solo, and Michelle Shocked turns up on another track. The focus throughout is on Pense, who's as soulful as ever, though she no longer screams. Her gritty alto pipes project newly subtle nuances, at times suggesting a Bettye LaVette influence. Lydia Pense and Cold Blood open for Tower of Power Oct. 15, Fillmore, SF. (415) 346-6000. (Lee Hildebrand)