Is ROCK SUGAR the new face of rock?

There is no sure thing in the music business, but Rock Sugar has as good a shot as any band that has come along in years.

It's hard to describe exactly what they're about -- you've got to hear it -- but in a nutshell the Los Angeles band combines classic pop and classic metal in the same song, morphs it all together, and sounds incredibly great while doing it.

Led by singer Jess Harnell and guitarist Chuck Duran, Rock Sugar has as much potential as Steel Panther, if not more.

And, perhaps more importantly, someone is pushing the right buttons.

Food Network did a TV show at Harnell's spacious house near Hollywood on Saturday night -- something about private Beverly Hills chefs trying out their recipes -- and the combination was the perfect excuse for a party of 50 lucky guests who enjoyed fancy appetizers and a special acoustic set by Rock Sugar.

The sound is meant to be electric metal, of course, but the group still went over great and they sang really well together while vocalizing on that part of "Bohemian Raphsody" that begiins "is this the real world, or just fantasy?"

Can't wait until Rock Sugar breaks big. I'm sure it will happen and it will be fun to know a small few of us were there from the very beginning.

Gerry Gittelson