Detroit Cobras dig deeper to cover the not-so classics

Photo by Eric Ogden

Detroit Cobras

For most people the term "cover band" conjures up negative images of musicians turning out generic renditions of tired classic rock songs or silly wedding reception fare, but in the case of the Detroit Cobras, the phrase has an altogether different meaning.

The Detroit Cobras defy the cover-band stereotype to dust off some little-known songs they can retrofit to their own style.Doug Coobe

Though, strictly speaking, the Cobras are a "cover band," for more than a decade the Motor City outfit has been panning for musical gold -- digging into the bedrock of soul, gospel, R&B and garage rock -- finding overlooked gems, then recasting the material in their own fuzzed-out, sexed-up image. The group, currently on tour with retro-roots outfit the Dex Romweber Duo, will headline a show at the Hi-Tone Cafe on Wednesday.

Led by singer Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez, the Cobras lineup has changed frequently -- with a cast a collaborators including longtime Memphian Greg Cartwright -- but the band's mission has remained solid. Over the course of four albums and numerous singles, the band has helped shed light on rare Stax and Motown B-sides, Midwestern soul institutions like Fortune Records and forgotten female artists like Jackie DeShannon and Dorothy Love Coates, while creating a musical aesthetic that's all their own.

More than two years since the release of their last LP, Tied & True, the band's currently getting ready to record a new album and deciding on the songs it will select for the sessions.

Nagy says the process of finding and gathering material is a continuous one for the Cobras, whether the band is at home or on the road. "There's always new songs coming in, records we're picking up along the way while we're traveling, people we're meeting who pass along stuff to us to check out," says Nagy. "There's never one set pattern as to how we come up with stuff."

Simply finding an unknown song isn't the band's only objective. "Look, there are a million soul records out there and there's a reason why some of them didn't do anything," says Nagy. "Because they're formulaic and boring and sound like everything else. So you have to find something with a different hook or a song where the singer is doing something unique. There has to be something really tasty about it that makes you go 'ooh' and pay attention, even if you can't nail down exactly what that is."

Finding a good tune is just the first step in the process for the band. "It starts with a delicious little piece you have an itch for. The next thing I have to see is if I'm able to sing it and do something interesting with it," says Nagy. "And then it's whether the band can play it, and do something fresh with it. Usually the song changes in our interpretation or translation of it; then it takes on a life of its own."

In a real sense the Cobras' dogged pursuit of rare tracks has changed dramatically in the decade since they began recording. With the rapid expansion of the Internet, finding "dusties" has become easier than ever. Rare singles used to be the province of dedicated crate diggers willing to put in long hours at record and thrift stores. But, today, with eBay, MP3 blogs and torrent sites, you simply have to turn on a computer to find a long lost treasure.

Nagy, for one, still prefers to do things the old-fashioned way. "I'm actually loath to turn my computer on," she says, laughing, "even though I'm sure there's tons of stuff at my fingertips. But there's something in me that rails against it.

"I mean, as I've gotten older especially, I don't like being on my knees constantly going through dusty record bins -- I've put in years of that -- but at the same time, there's more of a joy to doing things that way, rather than just clicking a button on a computer."

Detroit Cobras, Dex Romweber Duo

Wednesday at 9 p.m. at the Hi-Tone Cafe, 1913 Poplar Ave.; $10. For more information, call 278-8663.

© 2009 Go Memphis. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.