Rockabilly music seems to have more spin-offs than All In the Family. Sub-genres include Psychobilly, Voodoobilly, Thrashabilly, Punkabilly, Horrorbilly, Countrybilly and numerous others. I even found one Web site that said if you want to start a Rockabilly band but haven't yet, you play "Probabilly."

With a couple of exceptions, many of these 'billy clubs are started by one band, which becomes the sole practitioner. You rap over Eddie Cochran riffs? Congratulations, you're the pioneer of Rapabilly. Your music's like Charlie Parker meets the Stray Cats? Welcome to Bopabilly -- population: you.

The sound of Northern Kentucky's Rumble Club has some elements of many of the various subgenres, but none are quite appropriate to describe the band. The foursome fuses Pscychobilly's rocket-fuel energy but retains strong ties to Rockabilly, Rock & Roll and Country tradition. There's also a little Surf thrown in. For a genre so locked into to tradition, it's refreshing to hear artists like Rumble Club find there own distinct voice. Ultimately, thanks to great songwriting and their less restrictive approach, they land somewhere all their own. Therefore, by the powers invested in me by absolutely no one, I proclaim that Rumble Club's music will now be classified as "Rumblebilly."

Rumble Club began in 2004, releasing an EP, followed by the full-length, Rumble Club Rides Tonight, a year later. The band has drawn international attention, earning radio play on variously formatted stations around the globe and scoring write-ups in publications like Rockabilly Magazine. The band's new record, In Case of Rumble ..., should facilitate even more praise. In Case is being released Friday in conjunction with an RC show at downtown's Poison Room. The fun starts at 10 p.m. and features guests Lost State of Franklin, Hotel War and local Roots music hero, David Rhodes Brown.

Each song on In Case of Rumble is like a mini-version of an old pulp novel, telling tales of juvies, hot rods, gamblers and other cool outsiders and troublemakers. The members are ace instrumentalists and their dexterous chops are one of the main reasons In Case works so well. While it sometimes seems that adrenalized Rockabilly/Psychobilly acts are started by young ruffians weaned on Punk whose admiration of the bygone-era of Rockabilly's peak doesn't translate to convincing performance skills, Rumble Club almost seems the opposite. Their deftness and command enables them to infuse "outside" elements rather naturally.

While more than capably supported by an airtight, vigorous rhythm section, it is singer/guitarist Jack Coray's guitar work and magnetic vocals that are the most instantly grabbing. He plays guitar like a cross between Carl Perkins, Junior Brown and Dick Dale and he's vocally akin to Johnny Cash and Mike Ness, making for a devastating combination. Highlights include chugging, slashing rebel anthem "The Youngers," the clickin' instrumental "Chicken Pickin'," the punky, overdriven "'59 Caddy" (which recalls The Cramps wonderfully) and the more traditional strut of "Rockin' Billy Rooster." Whether you like Rockabilly, Punk or just great, pure Rock & Roll, Rumble Club has just what you need. And more. (rumbleclub.com)

The saying goes, "Rock & Roll will never die." And, while that might be true, it depends a bit more upon who's keeping it alive, particularly when it comes to Rockabilly music. Some oldies cover acts are more embalmers than caretakers. They preserve what was once vital by repeating it ad infinitum, not taking the music anywhere new nor being influenced by any of the other music released in the last 50 years. They turn Rockabilly into a show-piece, like the original Batmobile at a car show that still looks sort of cool if you prod your memory and sense of charity hard enough.

Rumble Club will have none of that, thank you very much. Between Jack Coray's big guitar and big voice, Mike Kiley's big upright bass and Matt Walsh's physically small yet sonically large drums, they're ready to take Rockabilly into the future "like a rocket," to quote one of their song titles.

Formed over the spring and summer of 2004, Rumble Club's members took an unconventional route to get where they are today. Of the three, leader Coray seems to have "walked the walk" of Rockabilly a bit more than the other two.

"I used to be in an Elvis-type Rockabilly band," says Coray. "But I wanted to go in my own direction. So I decided to find someone who could play upright bass and someone who wanted to play some swing beats. I grew up watching my grandfather playing Chet Atkins on a Gretsch (guitar), and I listened to a lot of Rockabilly."

Walsh is a direct 180 degrees from Coray's background. "Before this band, my last experience in a Rock & Roll band was during high school," Walsh says. "And since then, I hadn't been in any kind of performance situation. And, unlike (Coray and Kiley), I didn't have any kind of appreciation for Rockabilly whatsoever. I was looking for a gig and (Rumble Club) was something new, so I thought I'd give it a try."

The band takes a mix of Chuck Berry riffs, surfin' twang (a la Duane Eddy), the big voice of Johnny Cash (Coray sounds eerily like the original Man in Black) and The Reverend Horton Heat's tempo-revving insanity and filters it all through the grit of Punk, coming out sounding like The Clash if they were American and more concerned with cars than politics. Their high-octane attacks prompt them to call themselves "Psychobilly" ("Psychobilly is just Rockabilly sped up," Coray states simply), and that kind of sets them apart from their peers in Cincinnati's burgeoning Rockabilly scene. The band even organized a Psychobilly night at Covington's Madison Theater recently.

While the Rockabilly business is beginning to not so much boom as shake and rattle here in town, the Rockabilly scenes overseas in countries like England, Germany, Japan and (of all places) Finland have sizable, rabid followings. Enter the UK's Nervous Records, with whom Rumble Club has a distribution deal for their first as-yet-to-be recorded CD. Nervous is an independent label that considers itself to be " ... the future of Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Psychobilly or whatever you wanna call it." The label's goal is to create and distribute Rockabilly so it can co-exist in the marketplace with other current recordings and not be branded with the "nostalgia" tag. That suits Rumble Club to a "T."

"We've had all kinds of people at our shows, from grandmothers to young Punk Rock kids," says Coray, "and they all seem to enjoy it, especially the younger Punk crowd. They can kind of see where their music today came from by listening to ours."

I thought I would inform you guys that 90.5 KSJS in California is rocking your CD. It is awesome, and great fun.  

Great songs! Let me know if y'all make it to the bay area. Love "The Killer"! 

You guys are very cool! I'm smack-dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, & would love it if you'd play here sometime!

hey i liked the music can i get some more info, on where i can find more more more, thanks guys!!!

you guys sound F#$!king great!!!

You guys are so great. I'm a comin' to Kentucky!

You guys are awesome! We wont miss your next show!

wow!! I love the music

Your new songs are F#$!k'n killer.. I can't wait to see a show from the new album..Keep Rock'n!

omg i really l.ike ur music it's reminds me of elvis/ johnny cash! where can i get a cd?

Sittin here with a few friends throwing back brews. Just got Rides Tonight and were crankin it. Solid stuff.

WOAH! i love your sound! i'm so suprised i haven't heard you before. where do you fellas usually play at? because i WILL be at your next show!!