Imagine being nostalgic for the music from the year 2000. Like, you wake up one morning, and you say, "You know, I want to form a band that pays homage to those great groups of yesteryear like Creed, Matchbox 20, Vertical Horizon and Savage Garden."
Well, that's kind of the timeline to consider when we talk about The Stray Cats, formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom. Straight Outta the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York, these three rebel rousers were some of the forerunners to the Rockabilly Revival of the 1980s, harking all the way back around 24 years to the mid 1950s, when rockers like Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis ruled the roost with their unique blend of boogie woogie piano, hillbilly music and straight rock and roll.
The 1950s were big in the 1980s. Starting in the previous decade with movies like American Graffiti, and TV shows like Happy Days, this harking back to the good/bad old days eventually came to include the openings of many 1950s inspired diners, the resurgence of vintage styles and retro aesthetics, and lots of denim. So much denim. Other bands, like The Blasters and The Polecats, also contributed to the resurgence.
The Stray Cats embodied the 1950s look, and their style became a visual signature of the movement, and their image helped popularize rockabilly fashion and contributed to the rise of retro culture in the 1980s. Here's the rub, though. These cats can play. And I mean, play hard. Brian Setzer is a criminally underrated guitarist, he's one of the greats that should be enshrined right up there with Clapton and Paige, and that's a hill I will 100% die on.
The Cats blended the energy of punk rock with the traditional sound of rock 'n' roll, their fast tempos and energetic performances elevated them to be so much more than just some Atomic Age tribute band. Their sound and their spirit resonated with both the punk and New Wave audiences of the time, giving old rockabilly a contemporary edge.
Though still touring and recording, The Stray Cats' influence can be seen in subsequent generations of bands and artists who embraced rockabilly, such as Reverend Horton Heat and The Cramps. Brian Setzer later had a successful solo career, forming the Brian Setzer Orchestra, which helped popularize the swing revival of the 1990s.
If I were you, get on your leather jacket and poodle skirt, grab a brew, jump into your hot rod and start blasting The Stray Cats as loud as you can, they are a band in desperate need of some serious re-revaluation and deeper appreciation.
Oh, and I apologize for all the Squeeze fans who stumbled onto this post by accident.
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