Club Awesome shows some splash factor at the Drunken Unicorn

Club Awesome: slang for “a group of elite alcoholics who enjoy being under the influence,” according to the Urban Dictionary. Although the Atlanta pop group of the same name may enjoy a drink now and then, its members have a more self-deprecating take on the moniker. “We decided right in the beginning not to pretend that we’re not more self-assured than we are,” says frontman Errol Crane. “To go for the awkwardness, and embrace it.”

The attitude’s evident in the band’s geek-rock anthem “Give It All Up.” The song’s jangle pop, almost ska backdrop supports Crane’s squeaky protests concerning his lack of self-worth. “This song is stupid,” he proclaims. “My life is worthless – I’m gonna end it all.”

But he and the band survive to produce pop gems for their upcoming February release, Dynamo, such as the rockabilly light “Supermagical,” which sounds like Rockpile meets T Rex. David Byrne peeks out of “Whyte Tygre’s” choppy rhythms, while “2875” channels both Byrne and Bowie backed by ? and the Mysterians of “96 Tears” fame.

And then there are the pool party shows, another nod to the band’s ’80s pop vibe. Club Awesome sets up a 12-foot-wide, 3-foot-deep pool near the stage and offers half-price admission to those who come in swimwear. “The key to a good party,” Crane says, “is to give girls a good excuse to dress scantily without their girlfriends calling them sluts.”

The band wants to reinvent pop with its own spin on what Crane calls “the good parts” of ’70s and ’80s music, meaning the eras’ driving rhythms and religious vocal fervor. “I feel like we could do that without preening or being fake,” Crane says. “I think there’s definitely a place for us.”