Stray Cats

The Stray Cats formed in New York City in the late 1970s, a trio of Brian Setzer on guitar, Lee Rocker on bass, and Slim Jim Phantom on drums. They played rockabilly with a sharp, modern edge that felt fresh at the time. Their first album in 1981 included 'Stray Cat Strut,' which became a hit and helped bring the sound back into wider conversation.

That early success came with some friction. The band's style and attitude drew criticism from some quarters for being too flashy or commercial. There were also personal troubles that made headlines, like Rocker's marijuana arrest in 1982. Through it all, they kept playing and recording songs like 'Rock This Town' and 'Cat Fight (Over a Dog Like Me),' which anchored their live sets.

Their music wasn't a museum piece, it was loud, fast, and meant for dancing. Setzer's guitar work drove everything, while Rocker and Phantom locked in a rhythm that felt both vintage and urgent. They made several albums through the early '80s, and though the lineup eventually shifted, those first records captured a specific moment when rockabilly briefly felt like new news again.