Hey, did you ever rock out with your c*** out? Really? Not even once, in college, after attempting a poorly thought-out keg stand and downing that pink concoction your friend Dave insisted was a real cocktail called a "Peruvian Nipple Slipper" but you knew that it wasn't but you drank it anyway? No? Me neither.

But, hypothetically, if you were to rock out with your c*** out, what music would you be inclined to use as the soundtrack to this incident?

What's that? Grizzly Bear? Pansy.

You need the Atomic Outlaws - a band seemingly designed specifically to accompany the moment when rock ‘n' roll and your c*** become acquainted. Nothing fancy is at play here, just straightforward, riff-heavy RAWK with a little eyeliner around the edges.

The Atomic Outlaws have been rock workhorses since the band's inception in 2007. As time has passed, the band has experienced several lineup changes, including shuffling through three lead singers, but the mission statement has remained constant: Through the use of guitars, drums, bass and big-old amps, the Atomic Oulaws aim to hurl rock ‘n' roll at your head. Most of it will get in your ears, but if some gets on your face, they're fine with that, too. The Atomic Outlaws do not work in light brushstrokes.

What we're talking about is an unashamed party-metal band, in the vein of groups like Van Halen, Warrant, L.A. Guns, et al. Their songs sound like perennial mainstays on stations like KISW, and they brandish bandanas in a way that acknowledges just how much time has passed since that was an acceptable accessory - with scoffing swagger that seems to laugh it off with a smirk and a middle finger.

The Atomic Outlaws have continued to rise in popularity over the past few years, in spite of the ever-changing lineup. Most recently, they split with their second lead singer, Zak Eastyn, eventually replacing him with Calvin Muma.

"The band had been going on for a while," says bassist Rob Zanassi. "With (Eastyn), we just weren't happy with the direction we were going."

Guitarist Pat Hall agrees, saying, "It was sort of mutual. I don't think he particularly cared for us and what we were doing, and we didn't particularly care for him and what he was doing. We He went down and tried out for American Idol and that was pretty much the last straw."

I have it on good authority that a lead singer auditioning for American Idol would be the last straw for just about any dignified band. It seems like no coincidence, then, to note that one of the Outlaws' newest tracks is called "Suicidal American Idol."

Another big change came recently when the Atomic Outlaws lost their long-time manager, Joey Gee (aka Joey Gingerella), a somewhat notorious figure to local bookers and journalists.

"When it was decided that we'd let go of Zak, and Zak that he was going to let go of us, we mutually as a band decided that we didn't want to be managed anymore," says Hall. "At the level we're at, there's really no need for it. We're actually doing quite a bit better at DIY versus being micro-managed constantly."

Parting ways with Gee and Eastyn and moving forward with a more DIY approach has resulted, predictably, in a different sound from the band - in recordings as well as in songwriting. A rawness has crept in, in place of the polish that can be found on their earlier releases.

"Once the weight was lifted from trying to be something I wasn't, as well as having a new person in the room, songs just vomited out of us," says Zanassi. "Within the span of about four months, we've got an album's worth of brand new material under our belts. We've just got to get it recorded.

"We're going to take it full speed once the New Year arrives," he says.

Atomic Outlaws

With:  High Noon Horizon, Mom's Rocket, Wide Eye Panic, Gebular, Dreams Jaded

Friday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m., Free

Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003