Back recently from a brief overseas tour with one of their influences, the Jungle Brothers, and preparing for a set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in October, Ugly Duckling has found just how difficult it can be for an up-and-comer when you can't be easily categorized.

"We don't even know what we are, or where we're supposed to fit in," Andycat says with a smile. "So finding that niche is like, 'Uh, OK, do hip-hop kids like us or do other kids like us?'"

Though they do get some spins on KCRW, Andycat and his crew admit to some resistance elsewhere.

"You go to KROQ," he begins, "and they're like, 'That's too hip-hop,' and then you go to the hip-hop stations..."

Dizzy Dustin, the band's other rapper, chimes in, mimicking a dreaded radio station programmer. "'It's not enough hip-hop!'"

DJ Einstein, who says little during the interview, contributes his own, wry impression. "I would have played it EIGHT YEARS AGO..."

With its EP "Fresh Mode," the trio, while not necessarily reinventing its little corner of the rap world, brings back the sensibilities of a gone-too-soon era. Their album, made for fans of the period by fans of the period, proudly suggests a breezy, intelligent alternative to the current guns/drugs/bitches/money fads in hip-hop.

"That's why we think there's an audience for what we're doing," Dizzy says, "for the people who are lost [without] the fun or the positivity."

Andycat has a grin on his face. "Either that," he replies, "or our generation of people just grew up and don't care anymore [about rap music]. And we're lost."

Though acts like Eminem demonstrate that white performers can make an impact on the art form, Ugly Duckling has opted not to play up its whiteness as a PR gimmick. Pointing to idols such as KRS-One and De La Soul, the band chooses to build its fan base through albums, live shows, good reviews and positive word of mouth, rather than through clever marketing. Of course, this slow-but-steady process can prove frustrating.

"People who do like what we do really like it," Andycat says. "We always touch base with a group of people who really understand what we do and really like it."

He pauses and laughs again.

"It's just sometimes like finding a needle in a haystack. I was joking that we have a 'mediocre' fan following all over the world. Where other groups have a big one here or there, we do 'OK' here; we do 'OK' there. We do 'OK' everywhere."

"I like performing for a group of people who really don't know what we're doing," Dizzy says. "Maybe we can grab those ears also. That's probably why we've got a 'mediocre' following everywhere--because when we play at places we're grabbing people who are hardcore punkers, or hip-hop heads, or people who love disco.They all come together."

Soon they will return to the studio for their first full-length album, continuing to write and produce everything themselves. Talk abounds of putting together their first stateside tour, but they'll have to see. Despite the perks of traveling around the world and doing what they love

for a living, the band says that the financial aspect still presents difficulties, especially here at the beginning. "It's like having an OK job [money-wise]," Andycat comments.

"Barely enough to survive," Einstein only half-jokingly responds from the background.

Looking long-term seems to have kept them optimistic as they attempt to carve their niche. "Being this age [23], there are two ways to look at it," Andycat says. "You can get all depressed and go, 'Jeez, I don't even know what I'm going to do [if this fails],' or 'This can't get me through the rest of the year. I don't know if I'm going to make enough money.' And that's true."

Still, Andycat has that smile. "But the positive side is that, you know, there's a little adventure in it. And you can say, 'Jeez, who knows what's going to happen in a year? I don't know, but it's fun.'"