Honey makes a buzz at Lilith.

Kate Schellenback of Luscious Jackson muses on the band's new albums and the ladies' Fair.

"We made a conscious decision to go back to the vibe of our earlier albums groove-oriented, good drum loops, and danceable pop songs," says Luscious Jackson drummer Kate Schellenbach of the band's third full-length CD, Electric Honey, on Capitol Records' Grand Royal label. "The last album was very moody. With this one we wanted to make a party album, like Lauryn Hill's. We're hoping to be the second CD in your disk changer after hers."

Not every rock group would aim to follow a rapping R&B superstar, but Luscious Jackson is hardly typical. Known primarily for its breakthrough pop hit "Naked Eye" (from the band's 1996 album, Fever In Fever Out) and a groovy Gap TV ad, this New York City-based threesome--Jill Cunniff, Gabrielle Glaser, and Schellenbach--occupy a space somewhere between introspective, particularly feminine pop and punky, dance-happy hip-hop. No wonder Schellenbach is the sole veteran of both Lilith Fair and the Beastie Boys.

The Luscious lesbian drummer acknowledges her own diverse influences. Along with female-dominated early '80s cult bands like ESG, the Slits, and the Raincoats, one of Schellenbach's first favorite bands remains crucial to Luscious Jackson's vibe: Blondie. Debbie Harry was seen dancing at one of the band's first shows, and last summer Schellenbach played drums for a Blondie tribute at Fragglerock, a spin-off monthly club nm by the folks behind the happening New York City lesbian bar Meow Mix.

Harry and songwriting partner Chris Stein were impressed enough to invite an awestruck Schellenbach to fill in one night for Blondie's drummer. The evergreen diva then returned the favor by appearing on "Fantastic Fabulous," a new Luscious Jackson song that recalls Blondie's vintage street-talking jive.

"It was like part two of my dream come true," Schellenbach sighs. "She's really sweet, really generous, an incredible singer, funny as hell, a badass, and totally awesome. I'm so glad that Blondie have come back to get the respect they deserve as a groundbreaking pop act."

After its own break from the limelight of "Naked Eye," Luscious Jackson has also bounced back, with Electric Honey now in stores and a sweaty summer jumping with live dates. "We've been trying to figure out how to play these new songs live," Schellenbach explains. "Our keyboardist and DJ run a lot of the drum loops, and I play along to them in my monitors. A track like `Ladyfingers' has three different rhythm patterns, I've been writing them out with my drum teacher to figure out what I'm going to play."

As well as sharing a small tour of its own with fellow New York eclectics Cibo Matto, Luscious Jackson is returning to Lilith Fair, the now-famous tour of female musicians organized by singer Sarah McLachlan.

This suits Schellenbach just fine. "I don't want to use a cliche, but that tour definitely has a woman's touch. Backstage is nice; there's good food; we all watch each other from the side of the stage. There were so many places in the punk and early hip-hop scenes where I felt comfortable as a girl that I didn't feel the need to seek out the safe space you'd find in a woman's music festival. But over the last few years, I've made a really strong connection with the Indigo Girls, and now that my musical tastes have grown, I'd love to play Michigan."

What's Schellenbach's other female-centric career goal? "I'd like to fulfill my dream of switching with one of the WNBA players," the part-time basketball player and full-time fan confesses. "I'd play on one of their teams, and they can play in Luscious Jackson."

Any takers?

Walters is a pop-music critic for The Advocate.