Regular readers of this here fish wrapper are undoubtedly well aware that, as a rule, The Stranger is at best ridiculously unorganized, and at worst nearly completely inept. Hence my having this lame column re-thrust upon me just one week after having resigned from my post. The Stranger's excuse for this debacle: Jennifer Maerz, our recklessly scattershot new music editor (The Stranger's sixth in just 10 years--anyone wanna place a bet on how long she'll last?) needs more time to gather her marbles.

And so it was that I was forced to leave the Steinbacher compound last Thursday to catch the Scene playing at the Paradox Theater. Thankfully, the Paradox being one of those kiddie houses, the show began promptly at 8:30 p.m., so my evening's enjoyments (i.e., getting tanked and watching reruns of Magnum, P.I.) were not hindered.

Here's how the Scene breaks down: Jacob Arntson (vocals/ guitar), Mark Dejoy (keyboards/ vocals), Justin Ison (guitar/vocals), Adrian Bonar (bass), and Ramin Rasul (drums). Where would you file them on your relentlessly anal CD rack? Smack between the Cars and Weezer, which means, yes, they are excessively poppy and fun, yet hard enough to hold the interest of the handful of punks littered about the Paradox. In other words: tight, loud indie pop with a singer who sometimes sounds like Rick Ocasek, sometimes David Bowie.

So there you go. And if this write-up has enticed you to check out the Scene the next time it plays, then please make sure to do so. If it hasn't--if my tedious rambling has somehow turned you off--then you should still go, because the Scene is definitely worthy of better than whatever hack job I've given the band.

And with that, I shall wander off into the sunset once more. But to recap the excellent bands I've seen during my tenure with One-Night Stand, here are the groups you should remember: the Lights, the Building Press, and now the Scene. Please go forth and prosper.