In the 1960s, the Beatles returned America’s lost rock, rhythm and blues soul to its native soil. In the mid-to-late 1970s, a high-energy sextet from Sydney, Australia brought the hard-throttle sounds of Detroit to the world. Sadly, there were no faithful throngs awaiting Radio Birdman at Kennedy International Airport. Led by Ann Arbor, Michigan ex-pat Dennis Tek on guitar and Rob Turner on vocals, Radio Birdman’s music recalled the intense, visceral, live energy of the MC5 and the Stooges. The band’s bread and butter (heavy guitar distortion, anthemic choruses and concise songwriting) clearly set them apart from the pack of mustachioed singer-songwriters clogging the airwaves at the time. Still, while the band’s debut LP, 1978’s Radios Appear, never troubled the charts before quickly disappearing (ahem), the record has afforded the group a healthy cult following ever since—and with good reason. Songs like “Aloha Steve and Danno,” “Murder City Nights” and “Descent into the Maelstrom” still burn with a fiery intensity some 30 years later. A compilation of Radio Birdman’s early material was released on Sub Pop in 2001 and the group reformed to release the widely hailed Zeno Beach (Yep Roc) in 2003. Australia’s newest hitmakers? Well, there’s still time. Awesome Color and Handsome Jack open the show.

Tuesday, July 3 at 8pm. Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main Street (tralfmusichall.com).

$17 presale/$20 day of show. Ticketmaster (852-5000), Tralf box office (852-2860)