These days, bands increasingly spurn genre labels and insist their sound can’t be confined or categorized. Many take shelter under the vast umbrella of “indie rock,” a term that conveys modern hipness but says little about the actual music. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing. The wealth and diversity of talented working bands performing in the post-major label era provide listeners with a healthy diet of unique and flavorful offerings. The impulse to defy convention and brand oneself as something new, fresh and different is entirely understandable—admirable, even—although claims to absolute originality are often greatly exaggerated. 

Still, there’s something to be said for the loud, unrepentant rock ’n’ roll of the 1960s and ’70s, when musicians suffered no such identity crisis, instead proudly standing and saluting under the banner of rock. 

At Fury’s Publick House in Dover on Aug. 3, that banner read “One Hand Free,” and the local band that stood beneath it made clear what they were there to do. Splashing directly into the psychedelic sea their forefathers once sailed, the group kicked things off with Traffic’s “Empty Pages,” setting the calendar back to 1970.

Although they would also garnish their set with songs by classic rockers like the Rolling Stones and Santana, One Hand Free mostly plays original material. They just released their third full-length album, following up on their self-titled 2004 debut and their 2008 sophomore effort, “Quadraphonic.” The new disc, “Sweetbreads,” is available for free at Fury’s every Wednesday night during the band’s August residency. After that, they’ll start charging. 

Following their invocation of Steve Winwood, the band members dove into one of their originals, “King by Now,” introducing the audience to their blues-based, southern rock repertoire. With Andrew Blowen on keys and vocals, John Santareli on drums, Josh Dijoseph on guitar and Geoff Taylor on bass, the Portsmouth-based quartet quickly evidenced their strong chemistry and pure rock ebullience.  

Blowen can belt out the vocals with soulful gusto, and he milked his Hammond organ and Wurlitzer for a nice variety of psychic sounds. He’s got a natural voice for the blues and a confident stage presence, often rising to his feet for vocal emphasis.

At the other end of the stage, Dijoseph offered poised and at times explosive guitar work, occasionally slipping a bluesy slide over his finger. He improvised cleanly and fluently, accurately echoing Keith Richards for his take on “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” while adding his own original fillers. 

Santareli played straight, punctuating, power drums, and Taylor noodled merrily on bass, cobbling flurries of notes to embellish the melodies. Taylor also engaged in witty banter with the crowd, at one point confessing his life-long fondness for lederhosen.  

For Taylor and Blowen, Fury’s has become like a second home. They’re also members of Jon Nolan & the Working Girls, which held a June residency at the Washington Street venue. One Hand Free will return every Wednesday night through Aug. 31.

On Aug. 3, the band played songs from throughout its seven-year catalog, mixing simmering bluesy numbers with somewhat twangier tunes in which Dijoseph pulled off a Dickey Betts-like guitar drawl. Several songs spiraled into rollicking jams and raucous crescendos, with all four players indulging their instrumental whims and bending the walls at max volume. 

The sparse Wednesday night crowd didn’t quite have the energy to match One Hand Free’s enthusiasm (and at one point became slightly distracted by Jacoby Ellsbury’s walk-off homerun in the Red Sox game). But the band took it all in stride, graciously thanking the guests who made it out and imploring them to grab a free CD and a One Hand Free lighter with built-in bottle opener. 

That new CD features five original songs, several of which they performed live in Dover. The band appeared exceedingly comfortable on stage, joyously and unapologetically bringing the old-school rock. A banner hanging over their heads asked, “What have you done for rock lately?” The band members answered their own question with an inspired and entertaining set of fine, electric vintage.  

To check out the band for yourself, head to Fury’s at 9 p.m. on Aug. 10, 17, 24 or 31. They’re also opening for Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on Saturday, Aug. 27. Other upcoming gigs include the Dover Brick House on Sept. 24 and The Press Room in Portsmouth on Dec. 2.