BS2000/John Frusciante

Simply Mortified/To Record Only Water For Ten Days

(Grand Royal)/(Warner Bros.)

Side and solo projects can serve as a creative outlet or an indication that the main band’s time together is dwindling. Based on recently weak group offerings, it’s curious to see what this means for ’80s party crews-turned-’90s alt-rock gods Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Beastie Boy Adam "Adrock" Horovitz’s BS2000 set is appropriately named. Simply Mortified, a collection of 20 short tracks recorded with longtime Beastie collaborator Amery "AWOL" Smith is the aural equivalent of ADD. Organs dance about in a tacky faux-funk shuffle punctuated by cheap beats, cheaper rhymes and frantic vocals; songs come and go about every two minutes. "Sick For A Reason" sees Horovitz milking the same distorted mic shtick that the Beasties have used since ’92. "In The Basement" is a bombastic mess of noisy drums and choppy vocals. Even looking at the album from a "funny" perspective doesn’t elevate it from the category of laughable. On the other hand, Chili Pepper John Frusciante’s To Record Only Water For Ten Days highlights the guitarist’s songwriting and instrumental strengths. "Going Inside" mixes bright acoustic rhythm guitar work with savagely passionate electric licks. Frusciante’s surprisingly throaty vocals at first work against the Corgan-esque melody of "The First Season," but build to be largely emotive. Electronic backings are occasionally incorporated — soft synth in "Remain," trip-hop beats in "With No One" — which also seem questionable but wind up working. John Frusciante’s Water shows great promise, however, if the gods are merciful, BS2000 is naught but a one-off.

—John Vettese

BS2000 will perform on Wed., April 11, 8 p.m., with The Need at the TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011, www.electricfactory.com, $10.50.