As anyone who’s ever surfed the vast, often talentless abyss that is music on MySpace can tell you, it’s not cool to answer the “sounds like” question. If you’re in a band, the last thing you want to be caught doing is talking about what you sound like. It’s a no-win inquisition. If a band decides to touch it at all, they best employ coy sarcasm — as in, sounds like: old people screwing.



For the record, Pablo Trucker sounds like: “pulling teeth.” They’re one of the countless bands who seem to prefer not answering the “sounds like” question directly, and will be playing Bob’s Java Jive on Friday, June 13.



One of my favorite activities lately has been going to the MySpace page of Bob’s Java Jive and picking a band from the club’s lineup that I’ve never heard. Then I check them out — via the magic of the Interweb. Bob’s music schedule right now is ridiculously solid. It’s like good bands are literally lining up to play there. There’s just so much amazing stuff plugging in at Bob’s that nearly every weekend promises a show that’s not to miss.



This is how I stumbled upon Pablo Trucker.



“We find it very difficult to characterize what we do,” writes Pablo Trucker on MySpace. “So we ask you to listen. We ask you to come to a show. We invite your descriptions because we would love for our songs to inspire dialogue and conversation.”



Fair enough, I say. How about this, Pablo Trucker:



“I totally dig you. I’m so happy I stumbled upon your spacious and atmospheric heartland rock — thanks to Myspace, Pablo Trucker. I think your guitar work is beautiful, and I don’t use such a left-handed term lightly. I promise. Even though your singer kind of sounds like the dude from Counting Crows on that one song, I think you’re totally cool, at least on the Internet. And the Internet never lies. I think your show at Bob’s Java Jive should be legit.”



Let the discussion start there. And if you’re smart, head down to Bob’s Java Jive this Friday.

Pablo Trucker should deliver another winner.



[Bob’s Java Jive, Twilight Drive, Pablo Trucker, The Hard Way, Friday June 13, 8 p.m., 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]