ON THE VERGE; CALABASAS' INCUBUS BUILDS A WIDER AUDIENCE.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

One of the most clever and enjoyable songs getting airplay on modern-rock radio is ``Pardon Me'' by the Calabasas band Incubus.

The track, taken from the band's just-issued ``Make Yourself'' album, is the one where a squeaky-voiced kid declares himself ``at 23, on the verge of spontaneous combustion. . . . Woe is me.'' That's before the raging guitar and weird little turntable squiggles come in.

It's among several standouts on ``Make Yourself'' (Immortal/Epic), produced by Scott Litt (R.E.M., Nirvana, Days of the New) with an eye toward increasing the five-member band's visibility.

``There's a lot of real hard music out now with a lot of screaming and a hip-hop beat and that's cool,'' said Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger. ``But we don't need to go there. We made a decision to go in a more melodic direction.''

Incubus has been building its loyal fan base since 1991, when Einziger and pals from Calabasas High School launched the band. Within a year of their earliest party gigs, Incubus was playing all-ages shows in the Valley and at the Roxy on Sunset Strip.

The band's tireless gigging expanded its reach from Los Angeles and beyond. A 1997 European tour supporting label-mate Korn was capped by a show for more than 5,000 fans in Paris.

``European kids really appreciate the fact you've come all the way from America to play in their town,'' Einziger said. ``I sometimes think Americans have it better than they actually realize.''

Last year, still supporting its 1997 debut album, ``S.C.I.E.N.C.E.,'' the band played more than 200 shows with the likes of Sugar Ray, Limp Bizkit, Soulfly and Korn. Incubus - which also includes Brandon Boyd (vocals), DJ Chris Kilmore (turntables), Dirk Lance (bass) and Jose Pasillas II (drums) - also played a part in the 1998 Family Values tour.

``Back when we started, there was a funky, hard-edged sound around, but the only bands doing it were Primus and the Red Hot Chili Peppers,'' Einziger, 23, said. ``That kind of went away and punk got real big. Ever since then, we never fit in with any type of scene.''

On stage, Incubus, which appears locally in December, is known to go from a thrash anthem straight into a Jackson 5 cover, the mosh-happy audience following along. On Nov. 6, the band embarks on a five-week tour of North America supporting Primus.

``Touring is all kinds of things,'' the guitarist says. ``It can be exciting, it can be rigorous and even relaxing at times. It's an intense experience.''

For nearly a year, Einziger and company have been hanging at home, finishing ``Make Yourself'' and looking forward to getting back on the road.

``I've had nine months to sit at my house and think about how much I love touring,'' Einziger said. ``I'm ready to get back out there. But I love Calabasas. It's quiet and pretty. I could hang out there all day and be very happy. I didn't appreciate it growing up, but I think everybody in the band appreciates it now.''

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Photo

Photo: Mike Einziger, left, DJ Chris Kilmore, Brandon Boyd, Dirk Lance and Jose Pasillas II form the Calabasas-based Incubus, which just released its ``Make Yourself'' album. The band embarks on a five-week tour Nov. 6.