Verbena's not in Nirvana anymore

A lot of forgettable bands have imitated Nirvana since 1991 from Bush to Puddle of Mudd to any number of anonymous bands that had a hit or two and then went away. Nobody, however, imitated Nirvana like Verbena.\nFrontman Scott Bondy didn't just appreciate Nirvana; he sounded like he conjured Kurt Cobain up in a seance to mainline his heroin rush. He even has a Cobain-esque blonde mop hairdo. The official seal of approval came in 1999 when Dave Grohl agreed to produce the band's excellent major-label debut Into the Pink, a ferocious guitar party with a nasty wit.\nWith singer/guitarist/hottie Anne Marie Griffin leaving the band and with new bassist Nick Daviston, Verbena shocks by just about completely retooling on La Musica Negra. It has slowed down a little to allow for some pretty harmonies and more intricate guitar playing. The ballads are even less woozy.\nRob Schnapf's production is much less raw, but not too slick as the band finds a balance between straight forward rock and roll and edginess, reminiscent of Superdrag's fine Last Call for Vitriol.\nAs for Bondy's sarcasm, it remains intact. He handles the pious the same way: he makes fun of them. Like the guy in Puddle of Mudd.