Indie rock is as fickle about its taste in music as the Bush administration is inconsistent about its stance on weapons of mass destruction. First it was cool to say Iraq had nukes, now it couldn't be less hip.

The same thing goes with indie rock. There was a time when Nashville was the only safe place to listen to country music. But now that artists like Wilco and Ryan Adams have come along and added the prefix "alt," everyone is listening.

But The Love Scene wants to make it clear right now, before the indie rock hierarchy finds evidence that country music is in fact lame, that they were never "alt-country" to begin with.

"I don't think we sound like that guy Ryan Adams," said Matt Horutz, drummer for the New Jersey band.

"We get lumped in with him and Wilco, but I don't think we're alt-country at all," he added.

The band's current tour includes another stop in State College at 8 p.m. Saturday at Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave.

The Love Scene isn't exactly sure how they got branded that way, but even the band's record label, Fenway Recordings, supports the notion.

According to Fenway Recordings' Website, "Although The Love Scene's music is tinged with the sounds of Buffalo Springfield, The Faces and The Rolling Stones, the strong influences of the '60s and '70s combine with musical stylings of contemporary artists such as Wilco and Ryan Adams to create a cohesive sound that makes quite an impact."

So what's the big deal? Many bands would love to be compared to that echelon of music that's received massive critical appraisal and plenty of fan approval.

"We just play rock music," Horutz said. "After this tour we'll record [a full length album] and you'll see a difference. I don't think people will lump us into alt-country anymore."

The Love Scene's first release was a 2001 EP called In A Real Country Dark.

"We were kind of still finding a sound we were happy with," Horutz said.

"[The EP] came off with a little bit of twang and a little on the slow side."

But that was still an early stage and the band has since found its hard-rocking niché.

"Our new incarnation and sound has now been a year in the making," Horutz said.

"We're a totally different band."

State College got a slight taste of the band's new direction this summer at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., when it opened for pop- rockers Broken Social Scene, a band on the fast track to indie stardom by way of the Rolling Stone hype machine.

"Their songs transferred live," said City Lights employee Tyler Kulp, who went just to see The Love Scene. "They were very energetic. I just hope for a longer set this time."

The Love Scene has also toured with other indie rock acts, including tours opening forJets to Brazil and Superdrag.

Soon after it's State College gig, the band will join alternative rock poster boy and ex-Lemonhead Evan Dando for several dates in the south.

"I think it's going be fun to play in front of that many people," said lead singer John Herguth.

Right now the band is supporting its June 2003 release, Blood Is the New Black EP.

"They're the first songs we wrote as a four piece," said Herguth, who speculates that some might make it onto its upcoming full-length."The songs are new to us. This style is new to us."

Horutz said the new style is just simply, "a lot more natural straight rock," in the way of classic rockers Neil Young and Tom Petty, but definitely not alt-country contemporaries like Wilco and Ryan Adams.

Kulp disagreed.

"If The Rolling Stones and the Faces are alt-country than I guess The Love Scene must be also," Kulp said.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $2 for over 21.