Thunderbird Motel plays the kind of blues-inspired, rootsy rock that once monopolized your father’s teenage record collection. If the band existed 30 years ago, your dad would be hanging out in his best friend’s Midwestern basement sort of stoned, trying to cue up his record player to play “Witchy Ways,” a down-and-dirty track off TM’s soon-to-be released album. When the song finally started, that smoky basement would be filled with Who-inspired basslines, Steve Miller Band-style guitars, and throaty vocals belting out lyrics like, “Let me pour some funk on you!” It’s the sort of garage rock that sounds like it was actually written in someone’s garage. But to say that TM is simply a 70s throwback band would be shortsighted: The band hails from Seattle, after all, and there slight tinges of grunge in TM’s heavy guitars and drums. There’s just a hint of 90s alternative rock, too: The lead singer–identified as “Captain Morgan” on the band’s MySpace page–sounds a little bit like Scott Weiland on songs like “Fire and Water.” It’s the perfect formula for out-of-control, sweaty rock music–and there ain’t nothing wrong with that. With the Ironclads, the Magic Mirrors.

Wed., May 27, 9 p.m., 2009