Low Cut Connie

Carrying the torch for good old rock & roll sleaze -- the kind that can be heard on Jerry Lee Lewis' Live at the Star Club and the dirtiest Rolling Stones records -- Low Cut Connie separated themselves from other new millennial rock & roll revivalists by emphasizing big, danceable rhythms as much as their sharp, clever songs. They're also distinguished by leader Adam Weiner playing piano, an instrument that isn't heard much in straight-ahead rock & roll in the 2010s. Weiner's pounding piano drove such early rockers as "Shake It Little Tina" and "Boozophilia," the latter catching the attention of President Barack Obama, who included it on his 2015 Summer Playlist. Shortly afterward, Low Cut Connie's founding guitarist Dan Finnemore left the band, which allowed Weiner to pursue provocative projects like the two-part album Dirty Pictures and Art Dealers, a politically charged 2023 album.