When electronic synth-hop trio OPTI-GRAB, cranked up on Red Bulls, take the stage and belt out "Jersey Lover" (their ode to such tacky treasures of the Garden State as big hair and Camaros), the packed audiences boogies while, at the same time, cracking up uncontrollably. "We laugh our fucking heads off," exclaims Tracy Murphy (aka T$, pronounced "T-Money"), who supplies a low, smoky, sexy sound to the group. "Literally, we're in hysterics crying when we write songs." Opti-Grab took their name from a goofy contraption used to grab eyeglasses in the Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. Fittingly, their self-released debut EP, out this month, is called Feed Ya Like a Lion Make Ya Bounce Like a Bunny.

Formed a few months after 9/11 by (pictured l-r) Rick Gradone (aka Fluffy), Murphy and John Roberts (aka Flaco), Opti-Grab has always been about having a good time. "Music was a great way to take our minds off September 11th and all the horrible things that were happening," remembers Roberts. Each member (Murphy hails from Michigan; the guys are from New Jersey; all are coy about their ages) brings a unique flavor to the mix. Gradone, who sports cartoonish, old school hip-hop getups on stage, is a keyboard whiz with an otherworldly disco-diva voice. Roberts, who favors "dirtbag" outfits like ripped jeans and handmade political T-shirts, is the Slick Rick of the group with his freestyling raps. Gradone cites influences ranging from Depeche Mode to Afrika Bambattaa to Dee-Lite.

The group, who have opened for Blondie and Tom Tom Club, write and record their slamming, fat beat songs in wire-laden bedrooms at either Murphy's or Roberts' apartment in lower Manhattan. "It's a joint effort," Murphy says. "We totally riff off each other and keep it flowing." Opti-Grab's following is growing fast. As Murphy concludes: "The hustle is so worth it."

PETER DAVIS

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDER THOMPSON