The Flaming Sideburns, a Finnish ensemble, channeled the raucous distortion and raw energy of earlier rock and roll acts ranging from Link Wray and the Sonics to the Stooges and the New York Dolls when the group assembled in 1995. Their initial aim was straightforward: "saving rock 'n' roll." The members maintained that they had emerged from a temporal displacement after supporting Little Richard in 1965. Five devoted adherents to hardcore garage rock made up the lineup, most having already performed in other groups. Guitarist Ski Williamson, also known as Jukka Suksi, had played in Isebel's Pain, while guitarist Jeffrey Lee Burns had appeared with Teenage Kicks; the two had also collaborated in Bomber. Drummer Jay Burnside previously kept time for the Lowdown Shakin' Chills, the Unhinged, and the Kowalskis, whereas singer Eduardo "Speedo" Martinez and bassist the Punisher entered with comparatively little prior experience.
A pair of 7" singles in 1997 marked the band's first recordings, one issued by Denmark's Bad Afro Records. That same label later put out the 10" EP It's Time to Testify, Brothers and Sisters in 2000 and the debut album Hallelujah Rock 'n' Rollah in 2001. Growing recognition across Northern Europe, reinforced by endorsements from the Hives and the Hellacopters, drew the attention of the American indie imprint Jetset, which issued Save Rock 'n' Roll as the group's first full-length in the States in 2002—although a 1999 single on the garage-oriented Estrus label had actually preceded it in the U.S. market. No Fun Records also released the live set Live at Gearfest 2000 that year, captured during Finland's premier garage-rock festival. Following the Hives' surprise breakthrough in America and the United Kingdom in 2002, the Flaming Sideburns were grouped with Sahara Hotnights, the Sounds, the Nomads, and the Hellacopters as Scandinavian acts poised for wider success. Their third album, the stylistically varied Sky Pilots, appeared in spring 2003. Outside these commitments, Martinez, Williamson, and the Punisher perform together as Jack Meatbeat & the Underground Society.
