It's always cool to have some fun with the naysayers.

And so the title track of the Neon Swing X-perience's new album, "Late to the Party," takes a friendly jab at folks who've suggested the band's approach might be somewhat out of date. Let composer Mike Urick's lyrics tell the story:

"They never told me that swing was dead/ And I just couldn't get it into my head/ You see, the crowds would always jump and cheer/ Neon Swing is what they needed to hear."

The big revival of '98 may have come and gone, but it's not quite over for swing. This is timeless music, especially in the capable hands of young musicians who sound tight, focused and, above all, like they're having a grand old time with it.

If the title track contains a key word, it's not "late," but "party." Slap this disc on at your next gig, and you're bound to get a great response as your guests start snapping their fingers, tapping their feet and telling you, "This is cool!"

The album's opener, "Big Bad Wolf," sets the tone, as Mike's original evokes images of those classic Warner Brothers cartoons from the Jazz Age, both lyrically and musically: "Big Bad Wolf's he's drinkin' whiskey, takin' big swigs/ Big Bad Wolf's goin' down the house of the Three Pigs." The tune is a longtime crowd-pleaser at NSX shows, and this version is a remake of its original appearance on the limited-edition 2000 release "The Swingin'est Show On Earth."

While Mike wrote most of the originals, belting them out in his good-time baritone, keyboard player Carmen Marotta contributes an upbeat tune called "This Moment" that features some catchy barrelhouse-type piano up in the mix.

NSX also performs an eclectic collection of covers, ranging from an instrumental version of Van Morrison's "Moondance" - a classic that really lends itself to horn arrangements - to the album's closer, Brian Setzer's "Stray Cat Strut." The latter features some exceptional harmony vocals in a tribute to the many who really sparked the late-'90s swing revival. Another cover is of the jazz standard "It Had to Be You," with alto sax player Carly Litvik singing lead while having her horn featured prominently.

The band swings throughout, but it also pretty rocks on "Country Women," where guitarist Ryan Kuntz gets to show his chops on display along with the horn players and Carmen's piano. Plus some a cappella lyrical hooks add to the fun.

The album's packaging is a clever touch, with the cover emulating a newspaper's front page, dated Nov. 26, 1933. (Hey, we folks in the 'paper business need all the help we can get these days.)

Speaking of Nov. 26 (2005, in this case) - that's the date for NSX's CD release party, at the Hollow Tavern, between Latrobe and Ligonier on Route 30.

Check it out. If you think the band's disc makes for great party music, you should see 'em live. They never fail to quiet the naysayers.