HEAR TODAY DESPERATE SHERMAN OAKS DAD IS THE FATHER OF INVENTION.

Byline: Fred Shuster

Music Critic 

An album of household noise from a hair dryer, washing machine and vacuum cleaner is soothing both fussy infants and frazzled adults.

In Berlin and Tokyo, "Infant Calm" (Pre/Sony; $14.98), with its purring mechanical noise and odd syncopation, might pass for cutting-edge electronic dance music.

But that's not why Sherman Oaks producer Michael Preston made the CD, which has earned applause from sleep-deprived parents across the country.

Five years ago, Preston and his nurse practitioner wife Jocelyn found themselves being driven slowly insane by their newborn daughter's nonstop colicky screaming.

It was when the couple turned on the oven fan and saw baby Faye miraculously lulled to sleep that stay-at-home dad Preston got the idea for "Infant Calm," a collection of six gentle, expertly recorded "white noise" sounds, including clothes dryer and washer-dryer combo.

The hourlong disc (available at www.prerecords.com or various Internet retailers) is almost as good as the Grateful Dead's 1969 live album for zoning out in the middle of the afternoon.

Well-rested Torrance mom Sharri Hall's testimonial is typical: "My daughter loved this CD! The hair dryer worked every time!"

Decades ago, adventurous record producer Brian Eno made a series of much-discussed "ambient" recordings (such as the impressionistic "Music for Airports") that are reminiscent of "Infant Calm." But Preston, who spent 15 years in the music biz and even worked with famously colicky hair-metal band Motley Crue, didn't create the album to please persnickety European art types.

We reached "Infant Calm's" dad for a look behind his Kenmore washer.

Q: Why is the sound of a hair dryer so effective in calming infants?

A: When a baby is in the womb for nine months, it's exposed to all kinds of sounds. Once the baby is born, parents make the mistake of tiptoeing around as if the child must have silence at all times. That's ridiculous. Babies are calmed by soothing, gentle, repetitive noise and rhythms, and that's why "Infant Calm" is so useful.

Q: Where did you do the recording?

A: A friend of mine had all the appliances and recording equipment, so we did it at his house in Glendale. We got a good sound -- it's hard to get good vacuum cleaner and washing machine noises. With the hair dryer, we had to make it sound like it was being used to dry hair, so we had to move it around in waves. We were looking for true, authentic sounds -- the way it would sound in a household. We wanted to replicate the sounds that calmed my daughter.

Q: How did the sessions go? Was there any substance abuse on the part of the artists?

A: The sessions were relatively easy. It wasn't a Motley Crue album. But we did have to give the washing machine a large cup of Tide and some dirty clothes as a stimulant.

Q: Is there a tour planned? How about an "American Idol" appearance?

A: The problem with taking this on the road is, everyone in the audience would immediately fall asleep. And as for "Idol," Simon would say we weren't using enough energy in the performance.

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com

Here's a sample of other new releases in stores this week:

Dean & Britta's "Back Numbers" (Rounder; $17.98) is the sophomore effort from ex-Luna guitarist Dean Wareham and bassist Britta Phillips.

"Happy Music: The Best of the Blackbyrds" (Fantasy; $11.98) is a chance to get acquainted with the '70s jazz-funk outfit formed by trumpeter Donald Byrd.

Contemporary jazz guitarist/producer Paul Brown gathers pals Al Jarreau, Boney James, Bobby Caldwell and Euge Groove for "White Sand" (Peak; $18.98).

King Sunny Ade's "Gems From the Classic Years (1967-1976)" (Shanachie; $18.98) is a look at the Nigerian juju master.

Beck's 2006 "The Information" (Interscope; $22.99) gets a deluxe three-disc treatment.

Also in stores

"Try Me One More Time," David Bromberg (Appleseed; $17.98)

"The Essential John Denver," John Denver (RCA; $24.98)

"You, You're a History in Rust," Do Make Say Think (Constellation; $15.98)

"15 Degrees OffCool," Bill Engvall (WEA; $18.98)

"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," Rev. Timothy Wright (Koch; $12.98)

"Everything in Between," Matt Wertz (Nettwerk; $15.98)

"Twelve Stops & Home," the Feeling (Cherrytree; $9.98)

"Sweet Surrender," Chieli Minucci & Special EFX (Shanachie; $18.98)

"Gaining Wisdom," Donna Hughes (Rounder; $17.98)

"Definition of a Circle," Otis Taylor (Telarc; $17.98)

"Brown Street," Joe Zawinul (Heads Up; $18.98)

CAPTION(S):

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(1) no caption (Infant Calm)

(2) no caption (hair dryer)