dios (malos), with Swords and Go Spread Your Wings

Suburban Hawthorne, California (next door to El Segundo, where Q-Tip left his wallet), was the birthplace of the famously acid-damaged Beach Boys. Now dios (malos) has emerged from the same drug-drenched milieu.

Formerly known as just dios (Spanish for "god"), the band reluctantly added malos ("bad") after a cease-and-desist order came from Mr. Holy Diver himself, Ronnie James Dio. And whether they like it or not, dios's shimmery dream-pop sound crests over the Beach Boys catalog, occasionally tripping over into the Flaming Lips' Oklahoman bongwater on a few tracks. The new album, dios (malos), is "loaded" with pretty piano ditties, singsongy melodies and, yes, lots of reeferences. No fewer than four songs blatantly express their devotion to drugs, including "Feels Good Being Somebody" ("Sing a little song for marijuana in the sun"), "So Do I" ("I get high, but I don't remember why"), the muddy lo-fi "No Dance Now" ("I wish I was on acid, and I am right now") and "My Broken Bones" ("Alcohol leave me cold / Mary Jane take me home"). While we recommend you leave your chronic at home, there's always a chance to make friends with the guys before the show. They're traveling in a van, dude.