been a long time, been a long time...

I caught some good rock'n'roll last Thursday night: The Detroit Cobras and The Greenhornes at the Mercury Lounge. Both bands would be considered part of the late 90s-early 00s Garage Rock revival, which I happen to really enjoy. I can see how some people might see the neo-Garage trend as just that, a trend, a bit ersatz, but I think its the most refreshing thing to happen to the rock scene in years. "Indie" rock is actually fun again. These bands seem to have remembered how much fun it is to play rock'n'roll music. This isn't dour, navel-gazing, rhythm-less "rock," it's souped-up, pounding, thumping, dancing, hip-swingin' rock'n'roll! The Cobras essentially play punked-up 50's r&b, while the Greenhornes play mid-60s style rock'n'roll, clearly influenced by The Yardbirds above all (they even covered the Yardbirds' "Lost Woman"). The Cobras are the more memorable band, but both were a lot of fun.