The evidence is everywhere. From the synth-heavy dance bands hawking iPods to American Apparel's apparent obsession with all things skin-tight and neon, it's obvious that the '80s are back in a big way.

Fashion and music trends are notoriously cyclical, so this renewed interest in aerobics wear and Depeche Mode isn't really that surprising. Still, it's one thing when musicians/designers/etc. wink (with varying degrees of subtlety) at a decade gone by. It's quite another when an actual export from that particular decade makes a full-on comeback - without really evolving much since its heyday.

Jelly shoes are one current example. Mötley Crüe is another.

To be fair, for a glam-metal party band, the Crüe is an interesting study in longevity. After all, it has managed to not only survive - literally - but thrive. And 2008 might just be the band's biggest year yet.

At the end of June, the Crüe released Saints of Los Angeles, its first full-length record with its original lineup - Nikki Sixx (bass), Mick Mars (guitar), Vince Neil (vocals) and Tommy Lee (drums) - in over a decade.

Coinciding with that high-profile release is this summer's inaugural CrüeFest, which is currently roaring across Canada. Modeled loosely after Ozzfest, the touring festival is something the band has wanted to do for a while. It was just waiting for the right opportunity.

"We wanted it to be a celebration," Sixx told reporters during a recent phone conference. "This is our first full-length record in 10 years, and it just seemed like an important time to do a festival.

"I think we've been re-embraced by the public."

No kidding. Saints of Los Angeles, which is based on the Crüe's best-selling trashography, The Dirt (a serious must-read), debuted at a lofty No. 4 position on the Billboard 200, selling 99,000 copies in its first week of release.

The lead single from the record has also done remarkably well. The title track was released as both a single and a downloadable track for the video game Rock Band (a CrüeFest partner) in April - a smart move, as download sales through the game have easily trumped sales through iTunes.

But it's not just fans who have been receptive to a new Mötley Crüe outing. Critics, too, are responding well to Saints of..., which has been garnering its fair share of thumbs-up reviews.

As for the Crüe, the band couldn't be happier with the new album.

"It's real diverse," Mars said of the record. "It's old-school Mötley, but it's more modern."

"Anyone I've played it to says 'Wow, Mötley's back,'" Sixx said. "But it doesn't sound dated."

Still, most rock scribes would argue that it most definitely sounds dated - but in this case that isn't necessarily a negative thing. The band is the first to admit it's not about reinventing itself, which is probably why 13-year-old guys (who undoubtedly play Rock Band) can still be seen wearing Mötley Crüe T-shirts in 2008, and why greying ex-bangers can still be seen at Crüe concerts.

Saints of Los Angeles is Dr. Feelgood-era comfort food - which is exactly what the band was going for.

"We didn't want loops or samples or any of that," Sixx said. "We don't want to be Nine Inch Nails. We just wanted to be Mötley fucking Crüe."

The incomparable Nikki Sixx

Participating in an hour-and-a-half teleconference with Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and dozens of journalists (and fanboys, it would seem at times) from all over North America is an interesting experience. Here are some choice responses from the one and only Nikki Sixx.

Incoming college kids were born in '89 and '90. How does that make you feel and what do you have to say to those fans?

Sixx: "Hello son! Hello daughter! No - I'm pretty sure we wore condoms in '88 and '89."

A city councillor in Sarnia is protesting your appearance because he says your show is pornographic. What do you think about that?

Sixx: "He's right. God bless 'em (Crüe haters). They reignite our passion to hold up the middle finger to those who don't understand."

You've billed the other bands on the tour as'the next generation.' Why was it important for you to include them in the festival?

Sixx: "There's always people that say rock is dead, rock is over. People always seem to want to kill rock. But we're the one brand of music that continues to be valuable. It's not like rock 'n' roll is back - it never left."

What advice do you have for the other bands on the tour?

Sixx: "Double-wrap it and don't take Polaroids."