The CosmoSonics aren't ashamed to say that what they're playing is just junk.

	The CosmoSonics found their inspiration in Motley Crue and the New York Dolls. Click photo for larger image. The CosmoSonics With: Chapstick, The Atomic Drops. Where: 31st Street Pub, Strip. When: 10 p.m. Friday. Admission: $5.

In fact, the Pittsburgh band has titled its 13-song debut CD "Junk Rock ... For Lovers." The record finds the common ground between New York Dolls and Motley Crue -- or, as the band notes, it's like "a Cheap Trick on a Judas Priest or a Kiss on the Faces."

In other words, it's good ol' raunchy rock 'n' roll with guitars that buzz and squeal, occasional handclaps and songs about girls that break into choruses that you can shout along to.

"It's rock 'n' roll, baby, bombs away!" Gary D'Grave shouts on "Rave it Up."

The CosmoSonics first raved up in the summer of 2006 when D'Grave and the rhythm section of bassist Harrison Dray and drummer Angelo Amantea (of Ultimatics fame) broke off from the Science Fiction Idols and added guitarist Chaz Carter. The band carried away some of the Idols glam and added a bigger dose of bright pop sleaze.

"This is basically all the stuff I listen to, we all listen to," D'Grave says. "We try to put some hooks in there, not to just bash it out. I grew up on that Motley Crue stuff, and then when I started investigating their influences I found the New York Dolls. I love all that stuff equally. I grew up on '80s rock, and you learned what's the good stuff, what's the crap. And when I say metal, I'm definitely talking about the old stuff, not what's going on today."

Although this junk genre might seem like a rock 'n' roll staple, D'Grave doesn't think they have a lot of company in the Pittsburgh music scene.

"Not that I can think of. In our style, not really. A lot of bands have a lot of different niches in Pittsburgh, so that's kind of cool. There are bands we can pair up with, but none are like the CosmoSonics."

Along with playing locally, the CosmoSonics have been weekend warriors, pairing up with out-of-town bands like Vanity Crash (Cleveland), Prima Donnas (Philadelphia), The Saviors (D.C.) and Fishnet Stalkers (Baltimore). D'Grave says people are catching on to them little by little.

"It was hard to get our name out there for a while, but every show seems to be getting newer faces in there. We've been getting a lot of compliments, and people seem to be getting different things out of the band. We might be one guy's New York Dolls and one guy's L.A. Guns. Someone told me we sound like the Raspberries, so it seems like you can get whatever you want out of us."