Krist Novoselic's big day is fast approaching.

On Aug. 26, the world will finally hear what the former Nirvana bassist has been up to since that mega-grunge rock band self-destructed in April, 1994 with singer Kurt Cobain's suicide.

Unlike his fellow Nirvana bandmate, drummer Dave Grohl -- whose Foo Fighters have released two albums and graced the covers of countless magazines since Cobain's tragic death -- Novoselic has been well out of the public eye for more than three years, with the exception of some anti-censorship political action on behalf of his non-profit organization, JAMPAC (Joint Artists Music Promotions Action Committee), and a few live shows.

But all that will end when his new band, Sweet 75, unleash their odd and oddly-alluring self-titled 14-song debut at summer's end.

"I was just looking to have fun," said Novoselic during an interview with ATN. Looking dapper in a black suit, green shirt and short hair, his impossiblytall frame slumped into a chair in front of a conference table in the L.A. office of Geffen Records, Novoselic said that cooking up this strange combination of early '80s X-style punk rock and traditional Venezuelan music was more than a way to get noticed. "We're not the Monkees. We don't have an identity or a gimmick. We're a real band."

With real songs. Like the Foo Fighters' debut, Sweet 75 is bound to struggle against comparisons to the seminal work of Nirvana, who literally changed rock 'n' roll with their three-piece grunge attack. But unlike Grohl's high-energy first step, Novoselic's maiden voyage, on which he teams with muscular Venezuelan-born singer Yva Las Vegas, strikes out against convention and expectation by dipping into a variety of genres outside the punk rock wave.

"Bite My Hand" melds a punk swagger with bluesy changes and a trademark massive Novoselic bass line, while "La Vida" is shagnasty punk lounge music with a trumpet solo courtesy of A&M Records founder Herb Alpert.

"Six Years" mixes punk and Mariachi music, with Las Vegas striking a delicate balance between burnt-out lounge crooning and menacing cha-cha buoyancy, while the traditional Venezuelan work song "Cantos De Pilon" features Novoselic on accordion and a guest spot from Seattle neighbor Peter Buck on mandolin, playing a decidedly un-grungy composition.

Las Vegas, herself dapper, but in a different way with her blue spiked hair, purple nail polish, vintage leather jacket and starry platform shoes (which still leave her several feet short of Novoselic's lofty vantage point), agrees. "Whatever identity we have just happened," she said. "I've had some of these songs since I was 18 years old and Krist came into it with some of the melodies already, so it was pretty organic."

Witness the ragged sludge rock of "Take Another Stab" or new wave crash of "Poor Kitty," which the pair say they worked out in a truly collaborative fashion, with one-half supplying the lyrics, the other the melody and the rest falling into place on its own. Both songs are a far cry from the punkabilly "Ode to Dolly," a tongue-in-cheek homage to busty country star Dolly Parton that Novoselic had been kicking around for a while.

The unusual story of how the two met (they later found out that at different times they'd both attended San Pedro High School near Long Beach, Calif.), is bound to be repeated over and over in the next few months. But you'll hear it here first. Some friends arranged for Las Vegas, who was then an itinerant street musician, to perform at Novoselic's surprise birthday party in May of 1994. Las Vegas anda friend played a set of traditional Venezuelan music and the expected rendition of "Happy Birthday."

"I was just so stricken and impressed by what she did," said Novoselic, who was moved to call Las Vegas up a short time later and suggest a collaboration. The sessions they began quickly shifted from Novoselic recording Las Vegas to the two jamming and, eventually, to former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin sitting in to record what became the then-unnamed band's demo.

"Geffen liked the tape and I was encouraged by what we'd come up with," Novoselic said, "and the three of us were compelled to rehearse. It was just fun and exciting to be in a band again."

Like Grohl, Novoselic has abandoned the instrumenthe's most associated with, in this case the bass guitar, and taken up lead guitar duties, but with a twist. "I've always plinked around on guitar and I took a lot of time to get better and develop my somewhat proficiency," he said, about his full-bodied playing onthe album.

Novoselic said he chose the unconventional electric 12-string guitar as his weapon for its "fat sound," and the fact that not many bands are known for lead 12-string guitar players. The results will surprise Nirvana fans still thirsting for more of what they can no longer have.

The band has several tours under its belt and Las Vegas said the audiences they've played for so far have, for the most part, been "very patient."

As for any feelings of pressure to liveup to her new partner's storied past, Las Vegas takes an everything's Zen attitude. "Anytime you do something in public it's a challenge," she said. "You do the best you can and there is pressure from within and some of the pressure of history, but that's out of my control. Krist was part of a band that was a phenomenon. But I just feel so identified with Sweet 75 now that it makes it easier."

For his part, Novoselic, determined not to let his past determine his future, said, "Sure, it's a challenge to start over. Some of it I'm looking forward to and some I'm not, but I always knew I'd keep playing in a band. I probably always will."