It hurts to see truly talented artists go by largely unnoticed. The Flat Duo Jets, with Dexter Romweber howling in a genuine rockabilly sneer with Crow pounding away on drums, seem to be sort of a duo of musicians' musicians. They've garnered respect from artists like Kurt Cobain, Neko Case, and most importantly Jack White (who reportedly "wouldn't be Jack White without Dexter Romweber") who tout the importance of this band's affect on their music careers.

The Flat Duo Jets revived breathed new life into rockabilly at an odd time in musical history. The genre seemed largely irrelevant except for the wonderful, inspired Cramps and for when Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats decided to do blatant TeddyBoy impersonations in the 80's. Brian Setzer looked like a figure plucked directly from the 1950's. He became a 50's prototype in both style, sound, and persona. A slick, processed image although an undeniably gifted singer and guitarist. A somewhat sloppier and unadorned yet fiercely talented Dexter Romweber, on the other hand, was more interested in creating, strictly and authentically, the sound of the music. No gimmicks or anything... just a garage-y, simply recorded, honest reinterpretation of what so clearly inspired him to play music.

There's a video circulating on youtube in which Dexter proclaims his sincere love for artists like Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly. He worships the music; it means a ton to him. Upon first listening to the Flat Duo Jets, one may just dismiss them as rockabilly revivalists. Upon closer examination, it's anything but. It's fresh and done at a time - mainly the early 90's - when mainstream artists didn't really give a rat's ass about the 50's. Indie rock and grunge were about to do their own take on what was laid down by punkers and steal the attention away from cheesy glam bands, an angry and defiant reaction against bands who seemed all about a self-absorbed image.

Dexter Romweber and Crow could have cared less.

The Flat Duo Jets no longer exist as an entity, but Dexter Romweber is currently playing in the Dexter Romweber Duo - a group in the same style - with his sister Sara on drums.