THE REAL NORTHERN BRITAIN; TEENAGE FANCLUB NOT AFRAID TO KNOCK BRITPOP GEOGRAPHY.

Byline: Fred Shuster Daily News Music Writer

Pop-rockers Teenage Fanclub take a dig at Britpop in the title of a new album called ``Songs From Northern Britain.''

The joke is a little, well, obtuse. See, Teenage Fanclub is Scottish. And although Scotland does occupy the northern half of Great Britain, nobody would dub Scotland Northern Britain unless they were trying desperately to jump on the Britpop bandwagon.

``We thought it was quite funny,'' said singer-guitarist Norman Blake. ``I mean, Pulp is from Sheffield. Oasis and the Charlatans are from Manchester. Blur is from London. We're from Scotland. And the press ties all these groups together and calls it Britpop. A few years ago, Morrissey was chastised for being nationalistic for waving a Union Jack around onstage. Now, everybody's draping the flag on album covers.''

Scotland, with its bagpipes and sturdy folk tradition, isn't generally known for a strong guitar-pop sensibility, but Teenage Fanclub wears its chief influences on its good-natured sleeve. Those would be Neil Young, the Beach Boys and Big Star, the legendarily obscure '70s power-pop group led by Alex Chilton.

Teenage Fanclub's rich blend of loud, chiming guitar, lush harmony vocals and short, crisp songs are all in evidence on ``Songs From Northern Britain'' (Columbia), due in stores July 29.

The quartet - which also includes Raymond McGinley (guitar), Gerard Love (bass) and Paul Quinn (drums) - kicks off a monthlong U.S. tour on July 26 with Radiohead at the Wiltern Theatre.

``I like songs that are honest and personal,'' Blake said. ``The more songs I write, I try and make them more complete by having a lyric that means something and really works with the melody.''

Not such a revolutionary idea, admittedly, but you can't blame Blake for seeming a bit over-amped. After three albums for Geffen, the band recently signed with Sony Music's Columbia label, and the guitarist insists the switch has given the band an infusion of new energy.

``We were with Geffen so long that people there just weren't excited about us anymore, which is understandable,'' Blake said from a British tour stop in Manchester. ``It wasn't doing either of us any good. So we asked if we could leave, and they said yes. At Columbia, everyone seems excited about us being there.''

The new record, follow-up to the acclaimed ``Grand Prix'' (home to a track titled ``Neil Jung''), was recorded last summer at Ridge Farm, a sprawling studio in the country that's hosted Portishead, Oasis and even Pearl Jam, and at George Martin's AIR Studios, a converted church.

Unlike some recent rock arrivals from Britain, Teenage Fanclub - or the Fannies as they've been tagged by the press back home - has big touring plans.

``We're playing a lot of dates, as many as we can,'' Blake said. ``We've got the month with Radiohead and then we'll come over for a second tour at some point. We're planning to work until the end of the year.''

As for Chilton, with whom the Scots have struck up a friendship, Blake and company backed the notoriously moody Memphis singer-songwriter during a recent Glasgow gig.

``It was a couple of nights in a pub,'' Blake recalled. ``Always a blast.''

The facts

Who: Teenage Fanclub, opening for Radiohead.

Where: Wiltern Theatre, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.

When: 8 p.m. July 26.

Tickets: Sold out, try brokers.

Information: [phone].

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Photo

Photo: Pop-rock group Teenage Fanclub - Paul Quinn, left, Norman Blake, Gerard Love and Raymond McGinley - kicks off a U.S. tour July 26 at the Wiltern Theatre.