POP REVIEW : Dramarama Steps Back to Youth Rebellion

The title of Dramarama’s latest album, “Vinyl,” gives away its old-fashioned focus, and at the opening of its three-night engagement at the Variety, the L.A. band dished up a set dripping with the influence of dozens of youth-rebellion bands of the last few decades to a crowd so young that many probably have never even seen a vinyl LP.

But Dramarama is about more than nostalgia. From the wry “What Are We Gonna Do?” to a sped-up version of “Haven’t Got a Clue,” the group displayed an uncommon gift for melody. John Easdale’s taut vocals cut through the din of two guitars and keyboards, as did the rhythmic bashing of former Blondie drummer Clem Burke.

The only dull moment of Thursday’s show came when the group openly saluted one of its many influences instead of paying tribute by injecting borrowed bits into its own compositions. An anemic version of David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs” sounded like something Elton John might have recorded circa 1977.