Many moons again, I briefly mentioned the Brit punk stylings that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club exuded, despite their American origins. Well, here is a song that upends that trend by sounding more like ZZ Top! Yeah! Go America!

Fortunately, it seems that whatever style the Club dabbles in, something pretty danged amazing will materialise: it is another bit of crunchy rock/roots that I’ve been quite digging lately.

Oh, and best be careful with the embed below: it’s a tad bit not safe for work, for numerous reasons.

Ok yes, I will admit that my interest was piqued about this group due to Dhani Harrison’s involvement (son of my favourite Beatle, George), but I will also admit that nothing that Dhani has been involved with has been particularly pleasant to listen to. For me, at least. So, I was coloured with a nice shade of scepticism before hearing what his latest efforts have borne, which are substantially more entertaining.

Harrison made comparisons to the Traveling Wilburys, and I can see why: with Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur as founding members, and a style rooted in bluesy folk, they’ve got the makings of quite a fine super group. The music feels a bit peppier and more unique than what the Wilburys released back in the day, so bring on more!

Sometimes, just sometimes, you need a song to slap you in the face, tell you ‘that was a warm-up’, then proceed to pummel your face in, while you sit there, completely blown away in awe of the experience. Funnily enough, that happens to describe this very tune!

Kings of Lowertown and their dirty blues/roots style have featured here before, and for good reason: they’re brilliant. Mississippi Flood feels very much like a ZZ Top tune (there’s more than a passing resemblance to La Grange in the guitar riff), and it should be a very good reminder of what real rock sounds like, not the namby, mincing crap that gets played today!

I’m back! Into the cupboard you go, Hugh, there’s a good lad. Man, being ill really knocks you on your ass, doesn’t it?

Anyway, I’m raring to go, if not yet fully recovered. As such, I need me a swift bit of pepper to light the world up, so here’s some rockin’ roots. Wikipedia tells me this song has become advertising and film fodder, but I’ve never heard it before so whatever! Point is, it’s fiery and wild and exactly the kind of pick-me-up needed after a week of living in my own snot.

“But AJ,” I hear you exclaim. “You’ve already posted about this song!” That is indeed the case, but this is a cover version, so that excuses me. And who is the cover version by? The exact same artist.

Allow me to explain! Mr. Grunwald managed to finagle two-thirds of Australian alternative band, The Living End (I’ll post about them soon), into a recording studio for a few days, where they proceeded to cover his back catalogue of blues and roots tunes with a hard-edged dose of rock. The result is something even more badass than the original song, a feat I would not have thought possible!

Yeah yeah, we posted about these guys recently, but shut up. There is never a time when you don’t need some dirty blues in your life, so I am merely filling a lifestyle obligation. You’re welcome.

This one’s a little more upbeat than Shotgun Preacher, but it still contains the great sound of whiskey-powered husky vocals and deliciously crunchy guitars. Mmm, delicious.

Heck yeah, dirty blues! Sometimes, I need a break from all the delicate, sentimental indie music I listen to. At those times, I turn to tunes that I can put on my shades to, wind down a window and play quite loudly. Possibly while giving everyone the finger too, because I’m just rude like that.

This is a suitably bitchin’ tune, with vocals that sound like the unholy love child of Mark Lanegan and Billy Gibbons. Pure, unadultered, rockin’ bliss.

When I first heard this tune, I (smugly) thought it was a track by The Heavy, a similarly blues/roots outfitted group. How wrong I was! Turns out it was Ash Grunwald, an Australian blues/roots artist. From my (currently limited) research, the album this tune comes from features a more punchy, electronically influenced sound than that of his previous ones. Point is, I like it: it’s thumpin’ and rockin’, and a great way of pushing the envelope of what people consider to be blues and roots. What’s more, he’s on Bandcamp: Cheap tunes for all!