SMUG kicks *#! Somewhere between a well-aged velvety cabernet and a sledgehammer to your face, this L.A. trio offers a welcome alternative to the corporate shlop heard on the radio. Comprised of touring and session veterans Bret Helm (bass/vocals), Rick Musallam (guitar/vocals) and Sean Daniel (drums), SMUG delivers well crafted songs with a rocking sound that is both hard and introspective. At times they sound like it would be difficult to find better musicians anywhere, other times they sound like a band of 14 year olds ready to fall apart. Either way, this trio will fill you up. Helm's lyrical cynicism runs rampant throughout while Musallam's masterful guitar licks and Daniel's aggressive drumming set the band apart. From the Ramonesque "It's Me" ..I've got something that you want / It's Me!..., to the Primus-like "3 States, 6 Days, 1200 Miles"… He made up his mind on a Monday / He quit his job on Tuesday afternoon / On Wednesday he had lunch with his girlfriend / Which is when he told her the news…, to the Neil Youngish dirge of "Shoulda' Wrote A Ballad"…Guess I shoulda wrote a ballad / But another dumb love song won't change the world. You won't believe the diverse personalities of this band! All music and lyrics written by Rick Musallam , Bret Helm and Sean Daniel. But don't take just take my word for it, here is what SMUG's fans are saying… "SMUG doesn't hold back...SMUG rocks hard in your face, hold on to your socks!" "SMUG sounds like a cross between the stylings of "The Minutemen" and the pop sensibilities of the "Foo Fighters" or "Queens of the Stone Age" with a lot of other facets thrown in." "SMUG is a progressive/avant-rock/pop-rock/American-punk style band that can be best described as "power-punk-rock-pop. We should call it "Progresso" - the music that eats like a meal." These guys warmed up for the SMUG debut album by playing on stage, in the studio and on the road with artists like Pato Banton, Jennifer Batten, Bryan Beller, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Doc Tahri, Thomas Dolby, Ferguson, Gerardo, Kevin Gilbert, Tragic Johnson, Sass Jordan, Mike Keneally, Bill Laswell, Barbara Morrison, P.i.L., The Roots, Diana Ross, Stevie Salas, Michael Sembello, Carly Simon, The Spinners, Gwen Stefani, Vynil, Alan White...to name a few.