ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Copyright 1993 Denver Publishing Co.
DATE: FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1993
PAGE: 23C
EDITION: FINAL
SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT/WEEKEND/SPOTLIGHT
LENGTH: MEDIUM
SOURCE: BY JUSTIN MITCHELL
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS STAFF WRITER
MEMO: SEE END OF TEXT FOR INFOBOX

MUSIC OF*JELLYFISH*'FOR PEOPLE WHO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS'
     Jellyfish, a San Francisco-based band that combines a '70s
schtick with some glorious '90s pop music, has returned with a new
album and tour.  But the band's junked the bubble machine.
     ''The colorful aspects always have been and always will be
important to our show, but, no, we don't have the bubble machine
anymore,'' said Andy Sturmer, who, with co-founder Roger Manning,
writes the band's material.  ''It was starting to ruin all our e
quipment.  The bubbles pop and the bubble juice falls between the
cracks of the keys and everything and it really causes problems.''
     The bubble machine lent a Lawrence Welk-on-Ecstasy mood to the
group's stage shows - the kind of trippy concert aura that made you
want to go home and dig out the lava lamp.
     The band's attention, though, is really on the music.  Once a
quartet, now a trio with new bassist Tim Smith, Jellyfish draws
from a diverse range of talents and influences that at times
recalls the likes of Queen, Squeeze, the Raspberries, the Beach Boy
s or Paul McCartney before the bloat set in.  Its debut album,
1990's Bellybutton, pushed a lot of critical and commercial buttons
with the songs The King Is Half Undressed, That Is Why and Baby's
Coming Back.  The new album, Spilt Milk, is a more lavish 
and lush affair; symphonic but never pretentious, sweet but not
cloying and crafted throughout with a sly, lyrical sense of humor. 
Jellyfish performs Saturday at the Mercury Cafe.
     ''Our musical tastes are so varied,'' said Sturmer.  ''The
last three CDs I bought are a perfect example.  I bought a Black
Sabbath CD, the one with Paranoid; a Bill Evans Trio CD and
Rachmaninoff's Vespers.  That pretty well spells out where we're
at.  
We're complete music junkies, and we make music for people like us
who fall through the cracks.  People who don't have collections
that are all grunge, or all rap or country, or all jazz or
classical.''
     Sturmer's (lead vocals, guitar and drums) and Manning's
(keyboards, guitar and vocals) skills have also been noticed by
others in the music industry.  They contributed to Ringo Starr's
last album, have worked with Curt Smith of Tears for Fears and,
throu
gh connections made with noted producer Don Was, also collaborated
with Brian Wilson for the ex-Beach Boy's upcoming solo album. 
Sturmer enjoyed the experience but also alluded to Wilson's ongoing
mental problems.
     ''We did a couple songs with him, one which he'll definitely
use called I Wish It Would Rain.  The other one doesn't have a
title yet.  Brian's an amazing guy and still has a lot of musical
ideas.  Him being one of my musical heroes, it was amazing to si
t in a room with him and at a piano and write for a few days. 
People ask me what he's like, and I've said he's like a really
powerful computer with a really bad printer.''

INFOBOX
IF YOU GO
Jellyfish and Antenna perform at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Mercury
Cafe, 2199 California St. Information: 290-8497. LIB8 LIB8