King of Queens of the Stone Age goes up the country

P>Eagles of Death Metal's Peace Love Death Metal is a series of jokes, some without punchlines, the best being the title and band name. One pictures with pleasure the displeasure on the faces of urban-slum desert-metal fans, at first sucked in by a well-known name, then their noses indignant at the smell of horse piss.

Primarily, it's a rockabilly jam session with a guitarist who sounds like Al Wilson on most numbers, leaving the rest to his imitation of Lux Interior. And Josh Homme comes off as a fair ringer for Fito de la Parra, making these Eagles a screwy alternative to old Canned Heat.

The two-man, woogie-filled boogie team is fine for 30 minutes: up to and including Gerry Rafferty's "Stuck in the Middle With You," which I didn't think was possible to make enjoyable. Then there's a few-second Queens of the Stone Age riff, signifying that for all intents, the show's over. The Southern- dummkopf voice turns annoying, inanely chanting "Shit, goddamn!" just like I used to hear at beer parties 20 years back. Altogether, an excellent choice for listeners dismayed that Elvis Hitler's records are all out of print.

Eagles of Death Metal play Northsix April 3 and Mercury Lounge April 5.