Relationship of Command At the Drive-In

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

Rockers who run their own labels are often in search of the Next Small Thing--acts that can appeal to cult audiences first, and if they go on to something bigger, fine. At the Drive-In hails from El Paso, Texas, and is slowly building a larger--though not necessarily large--following. The group's new CD, Relationship of Command, released on the rap group Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label, deftly combines punk ferocity with artful though sometimes inscrutable lyrics. Like heavyweight champs, the band works the head and the body and scores points in both areas. Drummer Steve Shelley of the underground rock band Sonic Youth met Christina Rosenvinge, a Spanish singer, while he was traveling in Europe. Frozen Pool, her debut for his label, Smells Like Records, boasts an elegant cool, with Rosenvinge's crisp vocals breezing along like winter winds over smooth snowdrifts. The listener, chilly but charmed, is carried away. --By Christopher John Farley