SMILE EMPTY SOUL DISCOVERS GROWING OUTLET FOR EXPRESSION.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

Smile Empty Soul, suburban Santa Clarita's first entry into the ``new Liverpool'' stakes, is something to smile about.

Admirers say the trio - whose single ``Bottom of a Bottle'' just hit No. 9 on Billboard's modern rock chart - doesn't provide the run-of-the-mill head-banging fare you might expect. Although its sound draws on grunge and new metal, the group has been lauded for lyrics and vocals that mean something to listeners.

Smile Empty Soul - the name reflects the notion that most people walk around wearing fake smiles - is seeing its work ethic pay off. Formed four years ago in the comfortable community north of the San Fernando Valley, the group's reputation for exciting live shows has nurtured a loyal fan base.

``Nirvana is my favorite band ever,'' says Sean Danielsen, 21, the group's singer, guitarist and lyricist. ``They traveled everywhere and played for the same people over and over until they had a really strong following. That's our model. We like playing for people.''

Currently in the midst of a two-month coast-to-coast trek that tonight comes to the House of Blues in West Hollywood, Smile Empty Soul (which also includes bassist Ryan Martin and drummer Derek Gledhill) is the first Santa Clarita group to reach the national stage. Its self-titled album contains passionate hard rock with a melodic streak and lyrics that touch on the problems of the latchkey generation.

``There is no more 'Leave It to Beaver' family unit anymore,'' says Santa Clarita producer and broadcaster Brandon Amison. ``Out here, both parents usually work and face long commutes every day. The kids are left to their own devices - but a lot of the ones into music are amazingly focused. I've been really impressed with their attitude and work ethic. They're incredibly straight-ahead, serious people.''

Amison, who runs Yaking Cat Music Studios, as well as a Santa Clarita- centric Web site (www.scvmusic.com) and local radio show Radio Free Santa Clarita (99.1), points to a burgeoning scene that includes the young, loud and energetic bands Driven, Pale New Dawn and Surf the Black.

``What happens is, the music starts down in the (San Fernando) Valley and as people get older, they move to the outlying areas,'' Amison said. ``Santa Clarita is becoming a music mecca because so many families and musicians live here. It's not that much of a jump to live 20 minutes from Hollywood.''

In recent years, Silver Lake, North Hollywood and Calabasas all have been dubbed potential ``new Liverpools,'' shorthand for a series of recognizable musical acts, a la the Beatles, coming out of one place. Smile Empty Soul's Danielsen says his town's proximity to other musical hotbeds has only strengthened his resolve.

``There's not a lot to do around here,'' he said. ``You really can't go out because there's nowhere to go. So, bands really work hard on their music. That's their whole life. We've been working on this for almost five years. We spent all our money and all our time making this work. We weren't hanging out at Magic Mountain a lot.''

In the songs ``Bottom of a Bottle'' and ``Nowhere Kids,'' Danielsen touches on problems that plague all towns.

``I was writing about our friends in Santa Clarita,'' he said. ``Nobody thinks about their future. When most of my friends graduated from high school, they didn't do anything. They didn't go to college. Some of them got lousy jobs and are barely surviving. And those same kids, all they do is get (messed up). That's all they wait for; they live for that.''

Despite a growing Canyon Country music scene, there are few places for bands to play. Rock hangouts pop up and do well for several months and then disappear, although there are a number of coffee houses that offer live music.

``It's a very conservative atmosphere,'' Danielsen said. ``The city will see a bunch of kids hanging out and the place will shut down.

``But I'm not leaving. I like it here.''

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com

SMILE EMPTY SOUL

Where: House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.

When: 7:30 tonight.

Tickets: $13. Call [phone] or see www.ticketmaster.com.

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Photo:

Santa Clarita's Smile Empty Soul - Ryan Martin, left, Derek Gledhill and Sean Danielsen - have broken into Billboard's modern rock Top 10.