Tonight at 10 p.m., the Mercury Theatre hosts Techno-Squid Eats Parliament.

Comprised of veterans of the Little Rock, Arkansas, music scene, this

self-described off-beat quartet has spent the last year “agitating club

crowds all over the mid-South.” They take their name from a fake tabloid

headline.

The band recently released its self-titled debut CD on the Memphis-based

Ardent Records label, home to Alex Chilton’s critically-acclaimed Big Star.

Techno-Squid aspires to the same “jangle/crunch guitar pop” as Big

Star.

Techno-Squid features Clay Bell and Aaron Sarlo on guitars and vocals,

Shayne Gray on drums and Mark Pearrow on bass. Produced by John Hampton,

who worked with the Gin Blossoms on their latest effort, the Techno-Squid

CD offers 12 songs penned by Bell and Sarlo. Their press materials describe

their songs as “delicate and crushing,” “manic,” and “exploding” with

“sunny bounce.” What this translates to in average-listener terms is:

late-’80s REM.

In addition to their new CD, they are releasing an interactive CD-ROM in

January through Phillips electronics and Polygram Records. Major artists

such as David Bowie and Peter Gabriel have put out CD-ROMs, but

Techno-Squid is one of the first independent college bands to venture into

this area. On the technology news front, this release will be one of the

first data/audio products that will also function as a “stand alone” audio

CD. It will cost just a few dollars more than a regular CD.

Appearing at the Mercury with Techno-Squid Eats Parliament will be the band

Scissor Girl. Admission is $5.