Harrisburg's Martini Brothers look like they stepped out of 1950s Brooklyn. Their animal-print shirts, pointy shoes and greased hair are a vision of the past, and much of their musical style jives well with their visual image. Yet, let the reader beware, this raucous trio doesn't live by rockabilly alone, nor do they want to be pigeon-holed as that type of band. As lead vocalist Deuce Gibb explains, "Rockabilly is different than rock 'n' roll because rockabilly is a guy with an up-right slap bass, a guy with an acoustic guitar, and a guy with an electric guitar with, usually, no drummer."

In contrast, the Martini Brothers feature Gibb on lead guitar and vocals, Mike Mead on bass and Rej Troup on drums. Gibb eschews the "rockabilly" label for his band's music stating, "True rockabilly is kind of like hillbilly country with a little more swing to it. We're definitely more than rockabilly music even though people call us that. The thing is, there's not so much 'billy' in it anymore, you know? It's just like rock 'n' roll."

What many people consider to be "rockabilly" is actually the basis of a lot of different types of music, from '60s grunge like the Chocolate Watchband to the Ramones' and the Cramps' punk sensibilities, and its roots reach deep into early country and blues. The energetic vibe of rockabilly has been alive and well for some 40 years, and the Martini Brothers have captured all of its musical incarnations. While certainly not a retro-sounding band, they borrow just enough from the past to create their own unique style.

Musicians who lean too heavily on music of another era are often accused of trying to re-invent the past--a legitimate complaint if the artist doesn't try to add something modern to his mix. Gibb is aware of this, and thinks that a certain, less-knowledgeable segment of the public might accuse him of it. Still, he says, "I think you can borrow elements from past generations and different musical styles, but I don't think you should try to be that exactly."

He continues, "Personally, I have too many influences to do that exactly. I think we're all influenced by anything we've ever heard whether we've liked it or not, you know? If you hear something on the radio which is total crap, then you're influenced not to like it. For me, I love all that old '50s stuff, but I like stuff from every era. I like the Animals and Iggy Pop and the Stooges; I like Motorhead....I don't just say I have one particular style of music I value the most."

One thing is for sure: Gibb really likes the simplicity of his band's rockabilly/rock 'n' roll style, stating, "The way we play is very basic stuff; it's primal. It's simple and stripped-down and not too hard to understand." "Primal" is a perfect term to describe the Martini Brothers, and it's a term that's often used in reference to rockabilly legend Link Ray, whom the group seems strongly influenced by.

With such a stripped down sound, a listener may wonder if there are limitations to Gibb's brand of music, but he states, "There's not much limitations on the songs we play, but there are limitations to having only three people in the band, as opposed to four or five."

Gibb describes his band as "simple" and "basic," but this doesn't mean that the art of songwriting escapes the group. Each song on their current CD, Portable, is a singular entity that's easily distinguished from the other 11 tracks. The CD is certainly not a mish-mash of chaos and thrash.

According to Gibb, he writes most of his band's lyrics, and collaborates on the music with the other members. Recently, Troup and Mead have begun writing more, which Gibb appreciates. "I'm busy, man, and I don't get the chance to sit down and write music enough. I just can't sit down and write a song. Songs come maybe in the car, maybe at work...just a melody line or something or a groove. I always write the music first."

The Martini Brothers recently underwent a songwriting spurt and have amassed enough material for a second CD. They plan to begin recording in November for an early spring release. This second CD will be very important to the band because it's the first time Troup is recording with Gibb and Mead. Although the Martini Brothers have been around for more than four years, Troup was not always the group's drummer. He followed Chad Matson, who tragically died a year ago at 32. According to Gibb, the exact reasons for Matson's death have been exaggerated and falsified by various acquaintances and naysayers. The subject of Matson is understandably sensitive and sad, but Gibb explains that he likes to report the truth of his friend's death to people who ask.

According to Gibb, Matson underwent surgery for two herniated discs in his back, and was put on strong prescription pain killers on which he eventually overdosed. I told Gibb that I didn't have to mention Matson's story in this article, but he responded by saying, "It's cool that you know. There are lots of rumors about him, and I've always been honest with people who ask me about him because people should know. There've been rumors that...you know...I've heard everything...that he overdosed on heroin...and, of course everyone's gonna say that because it's a rock 'n' roll cliche, but that wasn't the case, thank goodness...But it's not like he was a junkie in any way and died, thank God. He had lower back surgery, and he got hooked on the stuff that they [the doctors] gave him, and then two months later, he had to have surgery again, and the pills kept on comin', and he was in pain. I mean, Jesus Christ, what are you supposed to do?! It was a double-edged sword; it gets you either way. I miss the guy a lot. I miss him a lot; we had a lot in common, man. We were, you know, family. Hence the name Martini Brothers. That was what it was about, and I lost a brother, and that's hardcore."

In speaking with Gibb, it's apparent that his family is very important to him. Perhaps the terrible experience of losing a close friend has helped to change and solidify this concept. More than once, he mentioned his fond feelings for his wife and three children. While other musicians are struggling at the bit to get a record contract, Gibb is just happy playing locally and having the chance to record his band's music. "Everybody's goal is always to get signed to a major label, but I don't really give too much of a shit about that," he says. "You know, we put our own records out, anyway, and I don't want to start out having to tour the country, like, in a van with the other guys for three months at a time and have to leave my business and family. That would suck."

Gibb is the owner of a hip hair salon in the Harrisburg area which is clearly his intended livelihood. Considering his love of style and image, this profession is perfectly suited to him.

Right now, the Martini Brothers are concentrating their musical efforts on increasing a fan base in the Lancaster area, and according to Gibb, "we want to build a presence in Lancaster. Lancaster is really cool, actually, but we don't seem to pack the house there like in Harrisburg and York." In an effort not to over-saturate the market in any one area, the band has been playing in Philadelphia and Baltimore, too.

When asked where he'd most like to play, Gibb surprisingly answers the Grand Ole Opry, stating, "We can pull the real old rockabilly shit out any time we want. We can accommodate any audience, in a sense. If it's, like, older people we're playing to, we can tame it down or put a little more rockabilly flavor in our music. But if we're playing for a bunch of punk kids, we'll crank it up, and do it a little different. We're malleable, but the Grand Ole Opry would be fine; they'd understand what we're doing."

Clearly, the Martini Brothers' music is easy to understand and to enjoy in any setting, and the guys' casual approach to musical success seems to actually enhance their sound. When there is no pressure for a band to achieve a pie-in-the-sky-record contract, they seem to have more fun, and the audience often reflects this.