Buckcherry lead singer Joshua Todd claims the wild party vibe of the

band's single "Lit Up" is the main reason the song is scoring big on

rock radio.

But he acknowledges that its provocative subject matter, which celebrates

his first experience with cocaine at 16, probably has something to do

with its success too.

"It's a good-time party song, and those songs have been kind of lost,"

Todd said from the Dallas stop on the quintet's current club tour. "It's

also the forbidden-fruit thing.

"You know, you're not supposed to listen to it; with the whole cocaine

connotation, your parents don't want you listening to it. I think people

are attracted to [the song] because of that as well." (RealAudio excerpt of interview)

Although "Lit Up"

(RealAudio excerpt) pivots on the line, "I love the cocaine, I love the

cocaine," it hit #2 on Radio & Records' active-rock chart last

week. It dropped this week to #3, while striking #33 on the alternative-rock

chart.

Sky Daniels, general manager of the trade newspaper Radio & Records,

said Buckcherry's fresh dose of classic-influenced rock challenges

alternative radio programmers.

"[Buckcherry] are straddling a tight line," he said. "[Alternative radio

is] wondering, can they support it or is it too pure of a rock thing? My

theory is, if you go to a club and see a band that obliterates

the audience, you better be paying attention to it."

"Lit Up," one of the oldest tunes in the Buckcherry repertoire, stood

the test of time as the band underwent changes while developing its

sound, Todd said. It arrived as the lead single off the band's self-titled

debut, released April 6. The album has sold 64,000 copies, according to

sales-tracker SoundScan.

Co-produced by Terry Date (White Zombie, Soundgarden) and Sex Pistols

guitarist Steve Jones, Buckcherry rides on a raw, live sound

driven by hard-line riffs and head-banging rhythms reminiscent of the

Rolling Stones during their '60s and '70s heyday. With his harsh, bluesy

voice, Todd embellishes his sometimes-autobiographical narrative lyrics.

On the standout "Check Your Head"

(RealAudio excerpt), Todd recalls the deaths of two high school friends.

"Everything's true about that song ... but it's really a song of hope,"

he said. "The chorus is like, check your head, and get on with it. Enjoy

your life. Be happy with the little things." (RealAudio excerpt of interview)

"Check Your Head" is expected to follow "Lit Up" as the album's second single.

Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson began making music together shortly after meeting through a mutual friend in 1995. Bassist Jonathan "J.B." Brightman joined them after overhearing the duo practice a Janis Joplin song in a Los Angeles rehearsal space. Drummer Devon Glenn then completed the initial lineup, which for a time played under the name Sparrow. Guitarist Yogi (whose real name was not available) became an official member last year.

"There hasn't been a band like this for years," wrote fan Shandi Pruitt, operator of the unofficial Buckcherry site "Absolute Buckcherry," in an e-mail. "After about nine years of Nirvana style sulking ... people are tired of being depressed. Buckcherry ... is happy music. It makes you want to get up and jump around."

Todd said the "alternative kids in their sweaters and Buddy Holly glasses" initially laughed at his band. These days, he claimed, Buckcherry attracts a wide audience.

"You see all kinds of kids now," he said. "I just think it's time. I just think people are ready for something different. The market's been saturated with really bland, I-don't-want-to-be-a-rock-star type stuff. People are ... ready to let themselves go and have a good time and be a part of something.

"We're just a bunch of dirtbags that managed to put something together that people enjoy. ... We're having as much fun as everyone else."

Buckcherry will open live dates for hard-rockers Fuel beginning June 2 in Syracuse, N.Y.