When the debut disc from The Lordz of Brooklyn arrived, I decided to give it a spin despite the fact that they dropped my native borough from the band name. Sure, they're now just The Lordz, but at least the disc is called "The Brooklyn Way."

If you'd have asked me, I'd tell you the Brooklyn way is the way of the cut 'n' paste. Just ask the Beastie Boys about musical pastiche, for example. That's because Brooklyn is the real American melting pot, with more languages spoken and more dances danced than anyplace else in the country, I bet.

So, it's no surprise that this disc, which is based in buzzy post-punk rock and roll ("Outlaw" recalls that great British band The Members), keeps an open mind. There are tinges of classic rock ("Rollin" conjures The Yardbirds classic, "For Your Love"), hip-hop (the title track, with a guest appearance by rapper Everlast) and the indescribable but exotic sound of "Soundboy" (which features Bedouin Soundclash).

They even pay tribute to Kiss' Ace Frehley in "New York Groove," which interpolates the chorus of Frehley's 1978 hit of the same name.

But, The Lordz don't suffer an identity crisis. This is a poppy punk band with uptempo tunes, gritty guitars and all the right guest stars (Tim Armstrong from Rancid is here, too).

The band hits the road with Rancid in August but won't make it west of Cleveland on this leg. Maybe next time.

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