Copyright 1990 News World Communications, Inc. The Washington Times November 13, 1990, Tuesday, Final Edition SECTION: Part E; LIFE; ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. E3 LENGTH: 664 words HEADLINE: Jellyfish rides '70s tide to fresh sounds, success BYLINE: Ken McIntyre; THE WASHINGTON TIMES BODY: Hey, don't knock consignment-shop pop. Among the tired rock retreads a tenacious consumer may stumble upon some fine new bands that, wearing polyester and paisley threads, wield sharp nostalgic needles to fashion some of the freshest sounds on the marke t. Charisma, a scrappy subsidiary of Virgin Records, is pushing two of the most satisfying of these new no-kidders on the block: the San Francisco-based 1970s throwback Jellyfish and the iridescent Irish import Something Happens. Both bands burst with catchy melodies, inventive arrangements, delightful harmonies and a vaguely familiar guitar- and keyboard-driven pop sound. Part of the fun in listening to "Bellybutton," Jellyfish's solid debut, is pinning down the bits of mid-period Beatles and Beach Boys, Queen, 10 cc, Cheap Trick and Who (and, some insist, Partridge Family) swirling in this shimmering mix. Their manager had dismissively informed Jellyfish that demo tapes recorded by the band in June 1989 were lusted after by Albhy Galuten, the industry pariah who produced "Saturday Night Fever" and a dance floor full of other classic Bee Gees tunes. "We're like, 'Oh, my God, perfect!' " recalls keyboardist-vocalist Roger Manning, 24, who founded the band with high-school friend Andy Sturmer, 25 (he sings while standing behind his drum kit). "We knew if anyone could realize the record we wanted, it w as probably Albhy." The match indeed proved beatific. Mr. Galuten helped the duo polish and arrange some of the dozens of tunes they had worked on, sometimes by mail, while Mr. Manning was getting his degree in jazz studies at the University of Southern California. With Jason Falkner (a Manning buddy from college) stabbing out George Harrison- and Brian May-style solos, and "Sergeant Pepper"-era strings plunking in the background, "Bellybutton" punches most of the right pop buttons. "There's a lot of different styles we tackled on the record, just diverse things back to back," admits Mr. Manning, who first took his mandatory piano lessons seriously during the Scott Joplin craze of the mid-'70s and then discovered Elton John. "We w anted to make it very sing-along, kinda exploring classic pop styles." No sterile sequencers and synthesizers here, although Jellyfish didn't play live until the record's release in August. That forced younger brother Chris Manning onstage with his bass. "It was pretty scary," Mr. Manning says of opening for World Party for its third live gig. "We didn't know how to work the audience yet." And what about those trademark psychedelic outfits? "Eventually we'll have a 24-hour Jellyfish seamstress making costumes," the piano man predicts. Something Happens, meanwhile, dons flowered shirts but is less ostentatious about shrugging on yesteryear's sounds. Still, a Byrdsian guitar jangle and soaring harmonies propel "What Now," "Hello, Hello . . . ," "Kill the Roses" and other superior tracks on the Dublin quartet's U.S. debut, "Stuck Together With God's Glue." The record's personal, love-burned lyrics re flect the fragility of that title even as the band's tight ensemble work belies it. Something Happens, in Washington 10 days ago before returning to Ireland to prepare another album, swept aside U2's big-picture pomposity last year by topping that country's major music poll. What counts here is Ray Harman's infectious, immediate guitar work backing Tom Dunne's diverting lyrics and clear, friendly vocals. "Sometimes the things that take longest to do are the best things," Mr. Dunne, whose degree is in mechanical engineering, says of the band's U.S. prospects. "Also, it gives people who are able to get into [the band's music] the great opportunity to feel elitist for a long time." So stop browsing. Try on these two fab bands for size. ***** WHAT: Jellyfish WHERE: 9:30 Club, 930 F St. NW WHEN: Tonight at 10 TICKETS: $5 PHONE: 202/393-0930 GRAPHIC: Photos, A & B) Ireland's Something Happens (left) and San Francisco's Jellyfish