The Bottletones originally planned to record its debut album, Corn Rampin,’ in the longest free-standing punk rock house in this tiny little city, Lost Cross. The house is nearing its decade of decadence, and has housed Carbondale bands since the spring of 1986. Outlined by Christmas lights, classic Elvis posters and amplifiers used for end tables, the Bottletones chose Soundcore instead of its rockabilly abode for production.

In a year’s time, the Bottletones has musically turned some corners.

The chemistry among the band members is more complete than it was in 1995. They have attacked Chicago and people are noticing, listening and rocking.

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People were surprised of the fact that we are from Carbondale, Ill., founding father Ace Bottletone said. They can think backwards all they want to, but we are here to kick your ass!

We played a show in Chicago, lead singer Scratch Bottletone said. It was Wicker Park’s version of PK’s, and they had a pool table in the way. And we were trying to figure out what they were going to do with it. We ended up turning it over and using it as a drum riser.

We can sell more beer than any band, Ace gloated. You gotta have somethin’ to be proud of other than the music.

The Bottletones does more than just play good ol’ rock n’ roll. The band puts on an entertaining performance, a show. With a fast-paced melody, the band is pulling back to the roots of what they originally wanted to do make good rock n’ roll music.

There’s a real big roots rockabilly scene in America and in Europe, stand-up bass player Thunk Bottletone, sporting a Schlitz belt buckle, said. There is a real psycho-rockabilly scene also; there is a more commercial edge to that psychobilly scene.

The thing is, we just write a song and it comes out the way it comes out, drummer Speed Bottletone added. We don’t sit down and say, we’re going to write a psychobilly song.’

The Bottletones don’t try to play psychobilly. Sometimes they will play more traditional, some nights they might feel a little more hard-edged, and don’t be surprised if they throw in a little surf as well.

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When in the studio, we think we are playing for a certain thing, or we are trying to write a certain song, Crash Bottletone said. When we get out, we sound like psychobilly, whether we like it or not.

We are working on a musicianship, Scratch explained. Our goal is a clean, crisp and cut sound. Rather than fuzzy, noisy and distorted, which a lot of people would consider psychobilly.

The missing image to the Bottletones’ rockabilly sound may have been the purchase of an upright bass to complete the puzzle to this bands’ future.

Before, I was playing my 20-year-old Rickenbocker left-handed fretless 4001, Thunk said. It was good while we were writing songs and stuff, and then last spring we decided to get an upright.

Since we’ve gotten it, it’s been fabulous, Ace said. It’s exactly what we’ve wanted all along.

An upright bass is like a loaded gun, Thunk said. If you’re going to use it, you better be prepared to use it correctly. It demands an awful lot of respect just being there and not being used at all.

It took me about two months to where I was comfortable playing out with it. And now I’ve just gotten better at it since.

Whether the members of The Bottletones are greasing their hair back, sporting Schlitz belt buckles and black leather jackets, or just playing an upright bass, it is a performance for the whole family to see.

The Bottletones will play at 9 p.m. tonight at Tres Hombres , 119 N. Washington. There is no cover charge.