It's an old-new wave of "swing" bands and music who owe as much to Cab Calloway and Louis Prima as they do to the B-52's and the Cramps. What unites them all is their Epiphone archtop guitars and their dedication to playing live, playing hard and having fun in spite of commercial radio, major record labels and cynical critics. Featured here are three of the movement's most celebrated bands-the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and the Amazing Royal Crowns.

Cherry Poppin' Daddies: Zoot Suit Riot (Mojo Records) [ Real Audio ]

With unabashed tips of their musical slouch hats to Count Basie, Gene Krupa and other Pre-WW ll big bands, the Daddies swing hard. Accomplished instrumentalists and arrangers, the Eugene, Oregon, octet covers fourteen songs on Zoot Suit Riot--ten from their three previous indie CDs and four new ones. The big Daddy is guitarist, songwriter and lead vocalist Steve Perry. He wrote all the songs except the Lerner and Lowe classic "Come Back to Me." Perry's lyrics are true to the genre but often with a contemporary social bite as on "Master and Slave" and "No Mercy For Swine."

He sings with the polish of Harry Connick and the raw edge of Louis Armstrong. Like his vocals, his rhythm guitar playing (on an Epiphone Casino and ES 295) swings with an edge of distortion. And the Daddies are relentless. Virtually all the tunes, from the title track to "Brown Derby Jump" and "Mister White Keys" are either uptempo or way uptempo. Their arrangements pay homage while being adventuresome.

Swing music for hipsters, shredders, hippies and ragamuffins whose parents sneak out to the kitchen to do the jitterbug.

Squirrel Nut Zippers: Hot (Mammoth Records)

The North Carolina based Squirrel Nut Zippers' music is, well, squirrely, nutty and always full of zip. They are slightly goofy descendants of Kid Creole and New Orleans jazz in the 1920's. Just look at their instrumentation-guitars, banjo, clarinet, saxophones, violin, cornet and even a ukelele, and their traditional harmonies and lyrics. They even have a bluesy "girl singer"-the slinky Katehrine Whalen. Her Betty Boop style vocal on "Prince Nez" is hilarious as are the horn solos on the Calypso-tinged "Hell."

The performances are charmingly rough around the edges. But their ideas always seem to work perfectly in the cheerful milieu. Outstanding tracks include ""Got a New Thing Now", "Memphis Exorcism", "Bad Businessman", "Blue Angel", and "The Interlocutor."

Epiphones are everywhere in this band: Jim Mathus plays a Sorrento and Howard Roberts, Tom Maxwell an Emperor Regent, Ken Mosher a silver sparkle Casino, and the wondrous Ms. Whalen on an Epi banjo and ukelele.

The Amazing Royal Crowns: The Amazing Royal Crowns (velvel)

The Rhode Island guitar-acoustic bass-drum quartet mixes equal parts punk, rockabilly, and country swing into a fierce blend of rave-ups. Guitarist Johnny Maguire is reminiscent of Duane Eddy and Link Wray and fills all the holes. His rhythm has a natural, rocking swing and raw energy, always driving the music on and on.

Vocalist Jason "King" Kendall has the requisite bad attitude that made Jerry Lee Lewis so powerful. His vocal on "Mr. Lucky" terrorizes the lyric. The songs cover fast cars ("1965 GTO"), prison ("King of the Joint"), macho swagger ("Wreckin' Machine"), and "lovin' all night" ("If He Can't"). What more do you want? How about the wishful male strut of living in a "Harem Caravan." There's no pretense here.

So what'cha waitin' on? Turn on your compact disc player, put in the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Squirrel Nut Zippers and the Amazing Royal Crowns and have a party and too much fun.