HOMER — Horse Cave Trio finds itself somewhere between genres, between eras and on the front lines of a national movement.

The Detroit threesome plays music that began with the greaser subculture of the 1950s and early 60s. It is the music of motorcycles, cars with tail fins, girls with beehive hairdos and men in Levi jeans. It is a genre some call rockabilly.

HCT, however, is a more energized, modernized version of the beginnings of rock ’n’ roll, according to bassist-vocalist Ron DeVore.

DeVore’s band mates, guitarist Lou Simon and drummer Tony Bizon, come from the school of heavier rock. DeVore himself played for 10 years in the band The Empty Set, which played music akin to Detroit heavies The Stooges and MC5.

The musicians bring that harder training into the rootsy elements of rockabilly.

"There’s a real clique, I like to call them The Nostalgia Police, they’re the real old-school rockabilly roots crowd, they don’t call us rockabilly," DeVore explained. "But we go play in a regular bar, they call us rockabilly. There’s a weird line.

"Maybe that’s what I intended when I went out and got rock ’n’ roll guys and just said, ’Play what you feel.’"

DeVore formed the band in the fall of 2002, seeking a roots sound as a way to honor his father, who is a Horse Cave, Ky. native. After finding the right band mates, the trio set out to make roots sound with a Detroit rock chaser.

"That’s not what I wanted to do. I wanted to take the same attitude, the same ideology, the whole thing about rockabilly and give it a whole new energy," DeVore said.

The band’s music is half country, half blues reminiscent of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, only done with much louder amps and more distorted guitars. It is, except for the occasional slow love song, music you swing dance to.

"People appreciate that we work our tails off to make sure the dance floor gets packed," DeVore said.

The lyrics match the rootsy spirit of the music:

"Hot rods, girls, rock ’n’ roll, choppers- pretty basic meat and potatoes stuff," DeVore said.

HCT independently released an album of covers in 2004 and the all-original "Curb Service in 2006" on Embassy Hotel Records. It’s working now on another full-length CD, as well as a DVD of live shows.

While the band has found measurable success across the Midwest, DeVore says HCT will not seek major-label representation unless it can do things its own way.

Besides, DeVore added, the main mission of the band is to connect intimately with its audience and spread the goodwill of having a good time.

"Our audiences are our friends," DeVore said. "We’re trying to break down the barrier between the stage and the dance floor. I think people appreciate that."

Justin A. Hinkley can be reached at 966-0698 or jhinkley@battlecr.gannett.com.