The Blasters

Brothers Phil and Dave Alvin put the Blasters together in Downey, California, in 1979, with John Bazz on bass and Bill Bateman on drums, and from the first downstroke it's plain they were raised on a record pile the rest of the skinny-tie crowd never bothered to dig through. Phil sings and plays guitar with a big-lunged holler that sounds hauled up from some roadhouse jukebox; Dave's guitar does the snarling.

They call what they do American Music, which is also the name of their 1980 album and of its title song, and the tag fits like a well-worn work shirt. Rockabilly and early rock and roll ride up front, rhythm and blues and country stoke the engine, a little mountain music creeps in around the edges, and a punk's impatience keeps the whole thing moving at a pogo-friendly clip. It's roots music with no dust on it, and Slash Records was smart enough to sign up for the ride.

Dave Alvin stayed on until 1986, and the lineup has since stretched to take in Lee Allen and Smokey Hormel. The title track remains the calling card: a manifesto you can dance to.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.