By Christina Lee

Town Crier Editorial Intern

This summer, several local bands are stepping up to the microphone. Setting up with a guitarist, bassist and drummer, bands are taking over the garage for practices and jam sessions.

While the Billboard charts are buzzing with Britney Spears, Ashanti and Shakira, local artists are strumming music with a little more edge. The local sound ranges from classic rock to punk.

The Palo Alto-based band Lejaro started when a couple of the members started jamming together after school four years ago. Refusing to play covers (altering another band’s song by adding their own style), the Gunn High School trio - Peter Dietrich (vocals/guitar), Josh Kim (vocals/bass) and Evan Reiss (drums) - have their own array of guitar solos and creative lyrics.

Inspired by bands such as Pearl Jam and Pantera - Lejaro say their lyrics are primarily about “things that have impacted us all throughout the years.” Although they have a few ballads about girls, they are determined to stay away from the pop-punk genre that has labeled some bands, such as Blink-182, as sellouts.

Though the band is both talented and fun to watch, Kim said it’s difficult to gain recognition. “The local band scene is mostly - Green Day-esque. There are many bands in the area and very few accessible venues. Local bands really don’t get the opportunity to perform and make a name for themselves.” They have just finished a demo album, and the band plans on doing a couple of shows later this summer as well as recording a full-length album.

Another local band on the rise is Argyle, with members from Mountain View and Los Altos. Argyle has its own interactive Web site, where listeners can access pictures, lyrics, MP3s and book shows. The band members - Dan Strickland (guitar), Dan DuBois (bass/vocals), Doug Bellucci (guitar/vocals) and Jon Fu (drums) - have not only released an EP, titled “Let’s Get Political,” but will soon release their debut full-length album, “Intensity in Ten Cities.”

Influenced by groups such as Sublime and Strung Out, the band members have finished school and are fully dedicated to their music. Like Kim, Argyle members say there are some talented bands out there but the venues are diminishing every year. In addition, it’s harder to play at places if you’re not a huge band or are under 21.

Bellucci has noticed that “the people that come to the shows at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto (pretty much the only place to have shows around here) are always pretty enthusiastic and nice. The big problem is that all the bands in the area are calling it quits. Also, despite the fact that the kids are enthusiastic, not many of them show up for the shows, which discourages bands.”

Currently, Argyle is signed to the small record label Cavalier, where other local bands such as Plans for Revenge and Exhibit Q (featuring Bellucci on drums) have also been signed. The band members are both proud and surprised at how far they have come, and though fame is a goal, Bellucci said that for him the music has been “an outlet for me to talk about the ways in which one should go about cooking the perfect quiche.” (You’ll have to check out the band’s lyrics to understand that last comment.)

Despite the struggles with work and school, local musicians have faith in themselves and are working hard to gain recognition. Argyle’s Bellucci said, “It’s hard to juggle a living and a passion such as music, but it’s always worth it to keep playing.”

Although local bands have started to gain awareness through events such as Gunn High School’s annual Battle of the Bands and clubs such as The Cactus Club in San Jose (which, unfortunately, recently closed its doors), they are still seeking increased support.

For information on Lejaro, call Kim at 559-9559 or e-mail him at poloboiusa@aol.com.

For information on Argyle, logon to www.iloveargyle.com.