The newest addition to my running “Why didn’t I think of that?!” list is the fully independent compilation entitled “Are You Still With Me?! A Tribute to Huey Lewis and the News.” That’s right, the protective bubble of irony sheltering indie rock has finally burst. The darlings of the uncool-is-cool genre have gathered en mass to pay homage to the man who wrote “Its Hip To Be Square.” Yes, really.Conceived as a joke by 2 friends (their names are unknown, as all that has surfaced on this is the project’s MySpace page) in 2004, the collaborators spent the last 4 years compiling bands and now have a partial tracklist of un-mastered cuts. Among the artists featured are My Brightest Diamond, Apostle of Hustle and Austin trio Oh No! Oh My! doing an excellent cover of “Finally Found A Home.” The comp has received write-ups from coveted media outlets such as New York Magazine and Pitchfork. And all before signing the project to a label.But even with all this info, one question still remains: are these guys fucking with us?After listening to several of the album tracks, early estimates say no. Apostle of Hustle’s cover is no joke, with a funky shuffle beat and a vocal huskiness reminiscent of Huey himself. And the cloudy, atmospheric “Naturally” (My Brightest Diamond) takes the hip, cheesy shake of 80’s power pop to the next level. Rock N’ Roll is here to stay!

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