Twenty Miles

Twenty Miles & R.L. Boyce, Othar Turner, Fife and Drum Spam (Fat Possum)
by Jon Sarre

You probably know Judah Bauer from the time he’s spent in Jon Spencer’s shadow. He steps out a bit here (much as Russell Simins did last year with Butter 08) on this effort with his brother, Donovan. Twenty Miles is gonna seem different to Blues Explosion fans since a) there’s no Jon and b) the Bauers’ take on the blues rambles and shakes while the Explosion’s rolls. Given half a chance, however, Spencer enthusiasts might like the way the twang and slide of the brothers’ guitars ride bumpy over T-Model Ford sideman Spam’s snare. Then Judah vocalizes ’bout nasty preacher’s girls, home bein’ where the hell is, and wantin’ to dig graves for the whole planet. It’s different from yellin’ “Blues Explosion!,” right? Twenty Miles is a whole lot closer to bein’ simply “blues,” versus bein’ “blues-based” (like the Explosion). You won’t find hip hop beats or noise for its own sake, that stuff bein’ sacrificed for reverb and big fat twang which can sound even more psycho than a flurry of feedback in the right hands. The slide stuff is also right on the money, “I’m Not A Man,” for example, is sorta like Zep’s (well,Robert Johnson’s) “Traveling Roadside Blues” with Keith Moon in Bonham’s place (the way it was originally planned, if y’believe certain sources) hittin’ a snare (and just a snare). Bottom line is this record’s a keeper all the way through: a rough and tumble mix of trad blues and rock’n’roll sensibilities. The Bauers, Spam, Boyce and Turner are kickin’ back and playin’, but not sacrificin’ intensity for nothin’. Twenty Miles is doin’ some genuine, heartfelt stuff here and maybe you oughtta check it out before Spencer tells you to.