THE PHILOSOPHY OF SUGARPLASTIC : POP-ROCK'S RISE NO NEWS TO TRIO.

Byline: Fred Shuster Daily News Music Writer

Ben Eshbach, singer-guitarist with Los Angeles' good-humored pop-rock trio the Sugarplastic, got at least one thing out of his philosophy studies at California State University, Northridge - a song.

Titled ``Transworld Modal Operator,'' the number refers to modal logic, ``the symbolic logic of possibilities, possible worlds,'' Eshbach explained. ``It's really a headful.''

Not all Sugarplastic songs deal with such lofty topics. Other tracks on the trio's recently released major label debut, ``Bang, the Earth Is Round'' (DGC), touch on baby teeth, Ohio as a state of mind, and the town of Montebello. The disc opens with a bass line mimicking the Morse code signal for ``eggs in the basket.''

Disney music, nursery rhymes and animation are an influence on the band, drummer Josh Laner explained, adding that he often describes the trio's no-frills sound as ``musical interpretations of cartoon animals.''

The band's first rehearsal studio six years ago was a back room at the Appliance Doctor, a fix-it store in the Valley then owned by Laner's dad.

``When we first got together and jammed, it was pretty noisy,'' the 32-year-old Eshbach said from his home in North Hollywood. ``It was sort of like (German industrial-noise group) Can with Jimi Hendrix on guitar, but not quite as good. Then, we started writing straight-ahead pop songs and putting tunes together.''

Despite years of service playing clubs and creating a local buzz, the Sugarplastic - the odd name comes from two earlier monikers combined - didn't sign with DGC until two years ago. The band has two previous releases, a box set of three singles and an album, both on obscure indie labels.

``I didn't know if it would be just a matter of time,'' Eshbach said. ``I've never been into that attitude. I knew it would be a matter of time before people rejected grunge and all that, but there was no way of being sure people would embrace pop songs again.''

Although the trio has gigged with almost every local band and has close ties to the exploding Silver Lake pop-rock scene, the Sugarplastic - next appearing Aug. 3 at the Whisky in West Hollywood - doesn't consider itself part of any particular movement.

``Yes, there's a Silver Lake scene,'' Eshbach said. ``They're all friends and hang out with each other and go to each other's shows. As for us, I seldom leave my house unless it's on fire and/or I need a pack of cigarettes. We tend to stay to ourselves. There's no competition between the bands - it's just a matter of us not hanging together like we used to.''

At first, the Sugarplastic - which also includes Los Feliz resident Kiara Geller on bass - was one of the few local semi-underground bands playing pop songs without grunge or funk influences.

``Our first show was opening for (Silver Lake rockers) Possum Dixon,'' Eshbach recalled. ``There were a lot of grunge bands and some heavy metal and a lot of funk bands inspired by the Chili Peppers at the time. We kept doing this because we liked the Beatles, the Kinks and XTC. It wasn't just a retro thing. And then all these other bands popped up like the Negro Problem and the Wondermints who were good at doing straight-ahead pop, too.''

The obvious influence of '70s/'80s British new wave quartet XTC on the Sugarplastic sound is mentioned often in connection with the trio.

``Maybe it's the right time for that sound right now,'' said Eshbach, who grew up in the Valley. ``Maybe it just wasn't their time back then.''

In any case, Eshbach has long been a believer in the longevity of the short, sweet pop song.

``What I found out early on was there were people who simply weren't interested and those who loved the stuff,'' he said. ``The ones who loved it were always these introverted types. There weren't many hard-core pop fans six years ago, but there were always a few. At the same time, I've never met anyone who said, `I used to like Nirvana. Now, I want something more positive.' People just like melodies they can whistle all day.''

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Photo

Photo: The Sugarplastic - Ben Eshbach, left, Josh Laner and Kiara Geller - has close ties to the burgeoning Silver Lake pop-rock scene. The band's major label debut is ``Bang, the Earth Is Round'' on DGC.