Monster Magnets

"It's basically just a collection of bands that have been influenced by the whole history of rock and roll, as opposed to any certain movements," he adds. "In other words, not bands who are fronting their sound, but those who really live their roots. Bands that are extensions of rock history, basically."

Which raises the obvious question: If the music industry has it out for rock, will there be anybody out there who will want listen to a project such as his in, say, ten years? After all, pundits have been decrying the genre's death for years. Canzonieri, however, has faith. "The labels' plans to kill off rock are already backfiring," he notes. "Instead, all the rock bands are getting bigger--bands like Buckcherry are starting to do well on the charts--so now, all of a sudden, they [the labels] are trying to save face and making it look like they support it. I've been reading that Garth Brooks is even planning on recording a rock album now. He's growing his hair out and going around in interviews telling people what a big KISS fan he is. And a lot of rap labels are starting to buy out rock band's contracts. So now everybody is saying 'We couldn't fight it, we couldn't kill it, so we might as well join it.'"

You can bet they'll have to get through Electric Frankenstein first.

Electric Frankenstein, with the Dwarves and Superbuick. 8 p.m. Saturday, July 31, Bluebird Theater, 3317 East Colfax Avenue, $10, 303-830-6700.