Zebra Junction

On Orange Porridge, Zebra Junction breaks out the Zappa-esque noodling, the ragtime Deadhead harmonies and even some Butthole Surfers schizophrenia. The players seem to enjoy the notion that their zany eclecticism is somehow throwing the listener a deceptive and sneaky curveball. Despite the fact that any jam-band fan worth his patchouli saw this pitch coming a mile away, songs such as "Waitress Blues" and "D.N.A." work -- not because of the kitchen-sink approach, but because Junction avoids the overplaying and sterility of the Boulder-band genre. The group succeeds in simply delivering a catchy tune.