Radio Birdman -- Zeno Beach

The opening track on Zeno Beach, the first Radio Birdman album in 25 years, might be the most appropriately titled song on any album this year: "We've Come So Far (To Be Here Today)." Not coincidentally, it kicks ass like Mike Tyson at a toughman competition. Radio Birdman formed over 30 years ago when Ann Arbor native Dennis Tek took his Stooges/MC5 influences to Australia where he met Soul shouter Rob Younger and proposed the creation of a visceral, elemental Rock band. Radio Birdman was generally reviled at home initially, but through perseverance they built a fiercely loyal following and a begrudging respect from the industry. After years of bad breaks and internal strife, Radio Birdman broke up in 1978 and thus began the legend. Starting in the late '90s, the band members would occasionally resurrect the band; finally the idea of a new album made sense. Zeno Beach is not your typical reunion album; with only a handful of singles and EPs and one legit full-length on their résumé, it hardly leaves room for comparisons. The band is every bit as vital and virile as they were in their prime, as evidenced by the howling-mad Punk shuffle of "If You Say Please," the thundering swing of "Locked Up" and the Surf-fueled title track. It's hard to imagine that any band could match the blistering greatness of 1976's "Aloha Steve and Danno," let alone the band that created it back in the day. Zeno Beach is no nostalgia trip, though. It's proof that Radio Birdman is as relevant today as they were three decades ago. (Brian Baker) Grade: A

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