Mojo’s Cold Shot: Left Lane Cruiser

On one hand, Jon Spencer, in my book, has a lot to answer for. The half-baked, half-rehearsed stuff he sometimes releases is offensive to the people who work for a living for actual money to buy his records.

On the other hand, he and a few other people grafted their musical knowledge, interest and love of Mississippi Hill Country blues to their own tuneage and created an exciting new genre of music known today as Deep Blues, practiced by the folks who attend the annual Deep Blues Festival in Lake Elmo, MN (of all places).

Gotta love him for that. YAY-ess. I’ll also give Flat Duo Jets, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, and Timbuk 3 a share of the credit for the fantastic Deep Blues acts out today like the Black Keys, Black Diamond Heavies, and even the White Stripes, the latter of which the Deep Blues guys kinda ignore–I think–because Jack White can seem a little arrogant and a little too big for his britches.

This week’s electric blues duo you’ve never heard of–but should love–is Fort Wayne, IN’s Left Lane Cruiser, which belts out guitar-based blues, raucous like few others in the milieu.

I love their unofficial theme song, “Truck Song.”. And then there’s “Wash It.” Bashing, raw, primitive, electric blues. No synths, no frills, no Timbaland or Pharrell to smooth out the sonic rough spots that might offend your rose-fragile ears. If that ain’t a Cold Shot, I don’t know what is.

Jon Spencer fans, don’t think I am a hater. I am ambivalent. As a peace offering, I give you a deeply unauthorized track from Pussy Galore’s, ur, reinterpretation of the Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street. The whole album, they did, but I’m just giving you “Hip Shake.” Google the rest of it if you’re really curious.

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