{{Short description|American garage rock band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Detroit Cobras | image = CobrasSantaFe.jpg | caption = The Detroit Cobras performing at the Santa Fe Brewing Co. in 2008 | background = group_or_band | origin = Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | genre = Garage rock, garage punk<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Robin |date=January 16, 2022 |title=The Detroit Cobras' Rachel Nagy Has Died |work=Clash Magazine |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/the-detroit-cobras-rachel-nagy-has-died/}}</ref> | years_active = 1994–present | label = Human Fly, Black Mamba, Scooch Pooch, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Rough Trade, Bloodshot, Third Man | associated_acts = Big Chief, The Black Crowes, Electric Six, Elvis Hitler, The Fondas, Ko and the Knockouts, Oblivians, Reigning Sound, Rocket 455, Vertical Pillows, Meg White | current_members = *Marcus Durant *Mary Ramirez *Steve Nawara *Dale Wilson *Kevin Irwin | past_members = See "Former members" section | alt = Left to Right: Joey Mazzola, Gina Rodriguez, Nick Lucassian, Rachel Nagy, and Mary Ramirez }} '''The Detroit Cobras''' are an American garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan, which was formed in 1994 by guitarist Steve Shaw, guitarist Mary Ramirez, bassist Jeff Meier, drummer Vic Hill, and singer Rachel Nagy. The group was later known (with the exception of Rachel Nagy and Mary Ramirez) for a constantly changing assortment of musicians.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cooper |first=Leonie |title=The Unsung: Remembering The Detroit Cobras' Rachel Nagy |url=https://thefortyfive.com/opinion/the-unsung-remembering-the-detroit-cobras-rachel-nagy/ |website=The Forty-Five |date=February 3, 2022}}</ref> Rachel Nagy died on January 14, 2022.
==History== The Detroit Cobras signed with Sympathy for the Record Industry and released their first album, ''Mink, Rat or Rabbit'', in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-detroit-cobras-mn0000787545|title=The Detroit Cobras|author=Deming, Mark|work=Allmusic|access-date=July 21, 2020}}</ref> After a three-year gap, they released a second album, ''Life, Love and Leaving''.
Their retro-garage rock formula proved popular in the UK and prompted the London-based Rough Trade Records<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roughtraderecords.com/thedetroitcobras/ |title=The Detroit Cobras |publisher=Rough Trade Records |access-date=2012-04-01 |archive-date=2012-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217092846/http://www.roughtraderecords.com/thedetroitcobras/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> to sign the band. They released an EP, ''Seven Easy Pieces'', in 2003 and their third album, ''Baby'', in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ahmad |first=Jamil |title=The Detroit Cobras – Baby |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/the-detroit-cobras-baby |website=musicOMH |date=November 1, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701092445/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/the-detroit-cobras-baby |archive-date=July 1, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Baby'' broke with the Cobras' tradition in that it included one original song, "Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)". ''Baby'' was picked up for release in the US by Bloodshot<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/artist/detroit-cobras |title=The Detroit Cobras |publisher=Bloodshot Records |access-date=2012-04-01 |archive-date=2012-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921161653/http://bloodshotrecords.com/artist/detroit-cobras |url-status=dead }}</ref> (who added the songs from the ''Seven Easy Pieces'' EP to the end of ''Baby''. In April 2007, Bloodshot released the band's fourth album, ''Tied & True''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Detroit Cobras, Making Old Rock New |url=https://www.npr.org/2007/07/15/11961785/the-detroit-cobras-making-old-rock-new |publisher=NPR |date=July 15, 2007}}</ref>
Nagy died on January 14, 2022, in New Orleans. News reports gave widely varying ages immediately following her death, ranging from her late 30s to her late 50s, but she was in fact 48 years old (born December 15, 1973).<ref>{{cite web|title=Rachel Nagy, December 15, 1973 - January 14, 2022|url=https://www.santeiufuneralhome.com/obituary/rachel-nagy|date=March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cocoran |first1=Nina |title=The Detroit Cobras' Rachel Nagy Has Died |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/the-detroit-cobras-rachel-nagy-dies/ |website=Pitchfork |date=16 January 2022 |publisher=Pitchfork Media |access-date=16 January 2022}}</ref>
==Members== ===Current line-up=== *Marcus Durant – lead vocals *Mary Ramirez – guitar <small>(also known as Mary Cobra and Maribel Restrepo)</small> *Steve Nawara – guitar *Dale Wilson – bass *Kevin Irwin – drums
===Former members=== {{col-begin}} {{col-3}} {{citation needed|date=May 2022}} ;Vocalists *Rachel Nagy {{col-3}} ;Guitarists *Steve Shaw<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hardeman |first1=Simon |title=The Detroit Cobras: They're the real thing |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-detroit-cobras-they-re-the-real-thing-533722.html |work=The Independent |date=November 19, 2004}}</ref> *Soup *Dante Adrian White *Dan Maister *Greg Cartwright *Mike "Hadji" Hodgkiss *Eddie Baranek *Reuben Glazer *Brad Meinerding *Joey Mazzola <small>(also bass)</small> {{col-3}} ;Bassists *Jeff Meier *Rob Smith *John Szymanski *Matt O'Brien *Jim Diamond *Eddie Harsch *Ko Melina *Carol Schumacher *Gina Rodriguez *Jake Culkowski {{col-3}} ;Drummers *Nick Lucassian <small>(also bass)</small> *Vic Hill *Chris Fachini <small>(also guitar)</small> *Damian Lang *Dave Shettler *Skeeto Valdez *Tony DeCurtis *Dave Vaughn *Johnny "Bee" Badanjek *Richie Wohlfeil *Kenny Tudrick {{col-end}}
==Discography== ===Albums and EPs=== *''Mink, Rat or Rabbit'' - LP, CD, MP3 (1998, Sympathy for the Record Industry; reissued 2004 and 2016) *''Life, Love and Leaving'' - LP, CD (2001, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Rough Trade; reissued 2004, Sinnamon Records, Rough Trade) *''Life, Love and Leaving'' - remastered CD, MP3 (2016, Third Man) *''Seven Easy Pieces'' (EP) - CD (2003, Rough Trade) *''Baby'' - LP, CD, MP3 (2004, Rough Trade, Sinnamon Records; reissued 2005, Rough Trade) *''Baby'' - Enhanced CD (2005, Bloodshot, BS 125 - includes Seven Easy Pieces and video of ''Cha Cha Twist'') *''Tied & True'' - LP, CD (2007, Rough Trade, Bloodshot, Fiveman Army; reissued 2011 Bloodshot)
===Compilations=== *''Bankstock II'' - CD (1995, 44 Caliber Records, RFD 2301) recorded at the Old Miami, in Detroit, July 4 weekend, 1995 *''The Original Recordings (Singles and Unreleased 1995-1997)'' - LP, CD, vinyl 7" Box Set (2008, Munster Records)
===Singles=== *"Village of Love" / "Marie Christina" - vinyl 7" (1996, Human Fly) *"Over to my House" / "Down In Louisiana"- vinyl 7" (1996, Black Mamba) *"Ain't It a Shame" / "Slum Lord" - vinyl 7" (1996, Scooch Pooch) *"Cha Cha Twist" / "Hey Sailor" - vinyl 7" (2004, Rough Trade, RTRADS189) *"Cha Cha Twist" / "The Real Thing" / video of "Cha Cha Twist" - Enhanced CD,(2004, Rough Trade, RTRADSCD189) *"Cha Cha Twist" - promo CD, (2004, Rough Trade, RTRADSCDP189 - cover Transcript: "Detroit Cobras, Live at Ulu, Wed 8th Sept") *"Ya Ya Ya (Looking for My Baby)" / "As Long As I Have You" - vinyl 7" (2008, Stag-O-Lee) *"Feel Good" - digital single (2015, iTunes) *"What More" / "I Can't Go Back" - vinyl 7" - digital single (2018, Third Man Records, TMR579)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website}} * {{discogs artist|The Detroit Cobras}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Detroit Cobras, The}} Category:Garage rock groups from Michigan Category:Bloodshot Records artists Category:American garage punk groups Category:Indie rock musical groups from Michigan Category:Musical groups established in 1994 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2022 Category:Musical groups from Detroit Category:Rough Trade Records artists Category:Sympathy for the Record Industry artists Category:1994 establishments in Michigan Category:2022 disestablishments in Michigan Category:Third Man Records artists