While Brian Setzer never set out to reinvent the wheels of rockabilly and swing music, there is no denying that he has successfully breathed new life into both genres and created a body of work that has stood the test of time for more than three decades.
The one-time leader of the Stray Cats, who went from his hometown of Massapequa, New York, to mass popularity the world over, has thrived long since the likes of "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" hit the airwaves back in the early '80s. Countless copycat artists have tried and failed to capture audiences in these musical forms. And yet Setzer has consistently re-energized rockabilly and swing, creating new songs that would make its originators proud.
His latest homage to the rockabilly genre made famous by Sun Studio greats, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and others, is Rockabilly Riot, an album that purrs like a kitten and revs it up in the tradition of the aforementioned Memphis studio sounds. Setzer's latest release does nothing to dampen his reputation as one of the most iconic guitarists in modern rock.