Nominee "Best
Blues Recording"--San Diego Music Awards, 2006
#3 seller on CrossCut's Blues Chart, Europe (Bear Family)
REVIEW/ INTERVIEW
"TRAIN ROLLS ON"
Mississippi Mudsharks
By Dave Good For Blues Wax E-Zine
A ROOTS MUSIC COCTAIL of testosterone and sweat, hot rod grease and
beer that compels a listener to grind all night on the dance floor:
that's what Scottie Blinn had in mind when he re-tooled his career
after the demise of his old band, the Mississippi Mudsharks. He
hired new players and launched the Tiki Torchers in San Diego.
The band rocked. Following the unsuccessful musical changes during
the Sharks last days the Torchers were, in many ways, a return
to form for the charismatic guitar player. Later, a successful
partnership with Eric Von Herzen from Social Distortion was formed
and Blinn called it Mississippi Mud. Some called it Scottie Blinn's
Mike Ness phase. The music rocked harder than ever before. And
what about that new voice?
"Cigarettes and whiskey,"
he says.
During much of the '90's the
Mississippi Mudsharks were the foundation of San Diego's blues
scene. They were a power blues-rock trio and they played two and
sometimes three gigs a day. "We spent four years," Blinn
remembers, "playin' over 300 gigs a year." In time,
they added a harp player named Billy Watson. They outgrew the
San Diego blues scene they helped to start and found tremendous
support in Europe. Europe, says Blinn, became like a second San
Diego. And then, the Mudsharks began to outgrow each other.
"There was a time in '97
and '98 that the band took a different direction," says Blinn.
Some thought the new direction a watered-down pop version of the
driving blues sound that the Mudsharks were known for. "I
wasn't really into it. Some people really liked it, but a lot
of our hardcore fans didn't really dig it." The bass player
at the time, Blinn says, brought that pop influence to the core
mix. "It's not that it was bad or that it sucked," Blinn
says. "It just wasn't me."
Last year, six years after the
original Mississippi Mudsharks disbanded Blinn reprised his partnership
with the Shark's original drummer Tommy Essa. They called it the
Mississippi Mudsharks, like in the old days, but the sound held
more to the blueprint set by Blinn with the Tiki Torchers and
with Von Herzen in Mississippi Mud.
"Tom decided he was tired
of playin' with the straight blues bands," says Blinn, "and
felt like rockin' again." Illness took Von Herzen out of
the project. Essa and Blinn carried the sound on with a number
of different bass players.
"This whole thing came about
with us being fed up with the standard blues scene that was out
there and wantin' to break out into different kind of venues
not forsaking the blues at all, but at the same time trying to
grab that younger audience once again."
Train Rolls On, recorded in 2006 in San Diego, is a blues record
in the sense that this is what happens when solid blues cats make
a roots rock record. Train Rolls On is a rock fest of blues
imagery that owes as much to rockabilly and to punk as it does
to Chicago or the Delta.
"We decided to combine the
attitude of punk with traditional roots, not just blues, but country
and surf and combine these things together," Blinn says,
"and come up with a completely different sound that no one's
doin'."
That said, the CD rocks from
the eponymous title track (Von Herzen gets co-writing credit for
this and for "Hangin' Tree.") If the feel of the record
is something that might make a Social D fan get happy, there is
also the sexual drawl of ZZ Top. "Throw It In The Hole"
has a sweet and jazzy Billy Gibbons change-up and Blinn's guitar
fries on overdrive. "30 Weight Shuffle" and "Zombie
Whip" follow with potent struts that have the same juicy
Tres Hombres feel.
There is no question that this
is a guitar player's record. "Lakeside Redneck Shindig"
is pure punk rockabilly inspired by Hellbound Hayride and featuring
a solo on pedal steel by Johnny Smokes that careens all over the
road. Blinn himself by now knows every guitar lick ever invented.
But that said, the revised Mudsharks are not a platform for his
fretboard abilities. The guitar solo on "Hangin' Tree,"
for example, is pounds of soul played in the most economical of
terms. Where guitar notes used to fly like bullets in years past,
Blinn's leads have since matured. He makes more with less.
But to hear what it was that
kept local blues fans so loyal for so many years, you have to
wait for track eight and "Can't Put Down the Drink."
"I used to be ugly," Blinn sings, "Lord there was
no helpin' me / Couple beers, shot of whisky, glass of wine, and
I'm just a pretty as can be." The song is riddled with Texas
riffs that are fat-toned and right on target. "I know it's
hard for you to see me this way / I'm just as drunk as ever /
And that's probably how I'll stay."
A new record is due out in the
spring of 2008. "I'm always big on weird instruments,"
says Blinn. "On one record, Andy Geib from Wise Monkey Orchestra
played trombone. On the acoustic record we did, we had mandolin
and washboard, shakers, and all sorts of stuff goin' on. I think
on the next record I could actually hear one or two songs with
some accordion on it, which I think would be kind of a trip."
And if the bass player was a
problem in the original band, the slot remains problematic to
this day. "We've had a couple with us," Blinn says,
"that don't work out for one reason or another. We're working
with a young guy right now that plays upright and electric. We're
putting him through Shark boot camp. We'll see how it all works
out." But if he doesn't get what he wants, Blinn and Essa
may hire from within the family.
"I've been teachin' my wife
Roxanne to play bass for the last couple of years," Blinn
says, "and she's got a great feel for that thing."
__________________________________________
The Mississippi Mudsharks
- Train Rolls On
I picked up my sister's best friend and you know she ain't no
perfect ten
By John J. Geysen | 07/02/2007
| Filed under Music Rock
****1/2
Out on the highway, the perfect
place for the Mississippi Mudsharks' new album Train Rolls
On, I push past the other cars. My old Buick swings from lane
to lane on a hot summer night. Right now with the Mudsharks on
the stereo you could say, "I'm desperate and dangerous and
I don't care if I die."
You might not be a badass like me but after a few chords of the
opening/title track of Train Rolls On you'll feel like
one. As the title suggests, there's no let up on this hard
driving album.
The Mississippi Mudsharks, led by Scottie "Mad Dog"
Blinn, are a legendary blues band from San Diego. Like a lot of
groups, they took off and burned out in the mid-90's. Train
Rolls On, along with an upcoming European tour, marks their
return. That's great news for those of you who love the blues.
They've been described as "Grease Punk," which mixes
traditional blues and country with a raw attitude. A punk mentality
does inform most of the songs on a Train Rolls On, but
the styles are varied, ranging from blues to traditional country
and even hinting at surf guitar. You've got the delta swampy sound
of "Hangin' Tree," the slow painful blues of "Can't
Put Down the Drink," the driving beat of "Lakeside Redneck
Shindig," and the western fable "Devil's Road"
all on one disc. Then comes a song like the feedback tinged "Zombie
Whip" which, with its darkly off beat lyrics, would fit in
a Quentin Tarantino film.
The Mudsharks do come at you fast and from all kinds of directions
but they really are a traditional, hard hitting blues band. It's
dirty music in all the best ways. There's no faking it. They're
a band that's actually been on the "lonely roads" and
in the "smokey saloons" they sing about.
Blinn's harsh vocals would be at home in any super cool/dangerous
local bar. Nevermind that his nickname is Mad Dog, he's got the
kind of voice that'd make you question whether or not you should
be hanging out inside a place he'd play in. Blinn sounds
like a mix of Howlin' Wolf, Tom Waits, and Chuck Berry. The rest
of the band are rock solid, laying down track after track of grimy
blues. You can tell they mean it.
Train Rolls On, put out by the independent label Double
Barrel Records, delivers the goods. Buy this album. Open yourself
up to a great band you've probably never heard before. Impress
your friends. Get down and dirty.
________________________________________________
"Train Rolls On"-Mississippi
Mudsharks August, 2007
Turn back the clock 20 years, put 'em in a small club, crank up
the grunge, add some punk heat and ZZ Top would be the Mississippi
Mudsharks. These guys mix it up heavy and rocking, blending
elements of SRV and Tom Waits into one of the heaviest sounds
to roll down a track in a long time. Psychedelia like the
13th Floor Elevators, mystery a la "Ghost Riders In the Sky",
Duane Eddy twang, driving boogie Mr. John Lee Hooker riffs and
vocals that Dusty Hill has trouble capturing these days crash
together. A power trio, Scott Blinn (G), Tom Essa (D) and
Big Mike Lars (B) have a uniquely greasy, smokingly wicked, dark
and dirty groove. This is one pounding loco of doom, rushing
down the track to Armageddon. 9 snaves ~~Dr.
Blues, Long Island
_______________________________________________
"Train Rolls On", Mississippi
Mudsharks Aug. 2007
This Powerful trio consists of Scottie "Mad Dog" Blinn,
drummer Tom Essa, and "Big" Mike Lars on bass. Mad Dog
scorches his fret board and growls his vocals on music that reminds
me as much of the Blasters and X as it does any blues I've heard.
Some call it punk blues, and Blinn called it "Grease Punk".
Blinn along with Essa started up the band in San Diego back in
1992, and have gone on to win numerous San Diego Music Awards
for "Best Blues Band". They have also had multiple European
tours and enjoy a large oversees fan base. I liked the slow blues
of "Can't Put Down The Drink" and the blues rocker "Throw
It In The Hole". If you are a "Too Slim" fan, I
think you might also enjoy the Mississippi Mudsharks.
~~Malcom Kennedy/ Washington Blues
Society
______________________________________________
Roots Music Report--
CD: Train
Rolls On
Label:
Double Barrel Records
Rating: ****
Reviewed by Brenda Barbee - RMR
Reviews Director
The Mississippi Mudsharks have put together yet another strong
showing of their gutsy, entertaining style of music. It's been
awhile since these guys have turned out a CD, but once you hear
it, you'll be most happy that they're back. It's kinda like ZZ
Top meets the Blues, but these artists have a style all their
own and it is the kind of stuff that gets you rockin'. The new
CD has 11 original tunes that ably demonstrate this South California
group's versatility and far-reaching talent. The throaty vocals
(in some cases almost Louis Armstrong-esque) are made to order
for this kind of blues.
The lyrics are gritty and gripping
and several of the tracks have some really high energy guitar
that is guaranteed to get the feet stomping. It's actually difficult
to pick a favorite from among the songs. The Mudsharks also treat
you to a couple of way cool instrumentals that are sure to fire
you up.
Don't be surprised if after listening
to this CD, you have these cool songs bouncing around in your
head for hours afterwards.~~Brenda
Barbee - RMR Reviews Director Aug. 2007
__________________________________________________
June, 2007 Blues Bytes, Phoenix
Blues Society
The Mississippi
Mudsharks developed
a huge following in the 1990's among West Coast and European fans
for their intense mix of blues, punk, rock, and roots. Releasing
several popular CDs during the decade and touring incessantly,
the band won the San Diego Music Award for Best Blues Band.
Exhaustion and the ever-popular "creative differences"
sent the members in different directions in 1999, but the members
remained active (frontman Scottie "Mad Dog" Blinn formed
the Tiki Torchers and eventually Mississippi Mud). Two years
ago, Blinn regrouped with another original Mudshark, drummer Tom
Essa and The Mississippi Mudsharks were reborn, and now have a
new release on Double Barrel Records, Train Rolls On.
The Mudsharks have an aggressively gritty sound rooted as much
in punk as it is in the blues. Blinn's grungy guitar leads
and fills, along with his blistering slide, is the key to their
sound as are his vocals, which can best be described as a guttural
snarl The rest of the Mudsharks consist of the rhythm section,
drummer Essa and "Big" Mike Lars on bass, do yeoman's
work and keep things tight in the pocket.
Johnny Smokes also appears on pedal steel guitar on the country/punkabilly
numbers "Devil's Road" and on "Lakeside Redneck
Shindig," a high-speed stepper where you might lose your
hat if you don't hang on to it. Actually, the songwriting
is consistently strong throughout Train Rolls On, whether
it's the hard rockers ("Train Rolls On," "30 Weight
Shuffle," "Zombie Whip," and "Down The Line")
or the slow burners ("Hangin' Tree," the mid-tempo
numbers ("Throw It In The Hole," "Can't Put Down
The Drink," and "Slow Rollin'").
Blinn likes to describe the band's music as "Greasy, primitive,
and raw." If you like your blues rough and nasty and
slightly chaotic, I can't think of a better place to start than
with the Mississippi Mudsharks.
__________________________________________________
June 2007 Music City Blues
Review, Nashville
TRAIN ROLLS ON
MISSISSIPPI MUDSHARKS
DOUBLE BARREL RECORDS
TRAIN ROLLS ON--CRIMSON SKY--THROW IT IN THE HOLE--30 WEIGHT SHUFFLE--LAKESIDE
REDNECK SHINDIG--HANGIN' TREE--DEVIL'S ROAD--CAN'T PUT DOWN THE
DRINK--ZOMBIE WHIP--DOWN THE LINE--SLOW ROLLIN'
Power-blues trio The Mississippi Mudsharks
have been one of San Diego's hottest commodities since the mid-Nineties.
Consisting of Scottie Blinn on guitar, Tom Essa on drums and Mike
Lars on bass, they've won just about every award that can be given
in the San Diego area. Combining elements of the delta,
rockabilly, punk, and even country, with an "in-your-face"
attitude, these guys deliver a refreshing shot in the arm to the
sound of contemporary blues.
Scottie Blinn plays a mean slide, with
a raw energy and passion that drives these grooves unabashedly
along. Add to that his vocals, which sound like a cross
between Howlin' Wolf and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, and you have
a unique combination, indeed. Check out his blistering lead
lines on "Train Rolls On." He mines some deep
slow-blues territory in "Throw It In The Hole" and "Can't
Put Down The Drink." A touch of twang drives Scottie's
ode to "pickup trucks that don't suck," cheap beer and
partying in general with "Lakeside Redneck Shindig."
Visions of delta voodoo permeate the spooky "Hangin' Tree,"
as well.
We had two favorites, too. More
of Scottie's feverish slide drives the galloping instrumental
"Down The Line." And, an eerie "Ghost Riders"
riff sets the tone for a tale of a man whom bad mojo just seems
to follow, and who's always "one step ahead on the Devil's
Road."
If you like your blues with a touch of
'tude, then you owe it to yourself to check out The Mississippi
Mudsharks and "Train Rolls On." Until next time.....Sheryl and Don Crow.
__________________________________________________
June 2007
BLUES SOURCE
On Train Rolls On (Double Barrel
Records), Southern California mainstays Mississippi Mudsharks
pump their patented mixture of rockabilly, blues, and punk full
of high-octane attitude. Scottie "Mad Dog" Blinn's gravelly
vocals are part Sleepy LaBeef, part Mike Ness, and his guitar
work will singe your speakers. "Lakeside Redneck Shindig"
revs up a Luther Perkins-style boogie; "30 Weight Shuffle"
is pure Paladins roots-rockin' blues. Things get creepy (in a
good way) on the ominous "Hangin' Tree," the Cramps-like
"Zombie Whip," and the ghost-riding "Devil's Road."
The Mudsharks - Blinn, drummer Tom Essa, and bassist Big Mike
Lars - demonstrate their expertise at straight blues on the slow,
uptown number "Can't Put Down the Drink." Owners of
black leather jackets will dig this.
________________________________________________
1/16/07
*** 1/2
Formed in 1992 by guitarist Scottie
"Mad Dog" Blinn and drummer Tom Essa, the Mississippi
Mud Sharks were favorites on the San Diego roots rock scene for
over half a decade before applying the breaks in 2000, which makes
Train Rolls On a reunion of sorts. A power trio (Mike Lars
handles the bass duties) specializing in a kind of punk blues
driven by Blinn's gruff, Wolfman Jack-like vocals and blistering
slide playing, the Sharks open the throttle here on the title
track and then never look back, blasting through an impressive
set of bluesy voodoo rock. Among the highlights are the classic
"Train Rolls On," the template for most of what these
guys do, "Throw It In the Hole," which sounds like a
rocking Tom Waits out in front of a top notch power trio, the
spooky and gliding "Devil's Road," given additional
eerie atmosphere by guest Johnny Smokes' pedal steel playing,
and the straight blues "Can't Put Down the Drink," which
shows that Blinn can gear down and play this stuff clean when
he chooses to. This is no-nonsense punk blues with pedigree and
attitude, but filled too with subtle variety and flashes of humor,
and it shows an intelligent band with clear purpose behind all
the bluster and power.
~~Steve Leggett, Allmusic.com
________________________________________________
1/01/07
Got good news for you: the Mississippi
Mudsharks are back on the scene, back by popular demand. During
the nineties, the Southern Californian band led by Scottie Blinn
was a regular on the European blues circuit. But after a couple
of years Scottie felt like he had to move forward. He started
various guitar projects. But his European friends kept asking
for a re-union of the Mudsharks. So here they are, back with a
grrreat record full of stompin' boogies, heavy shuffles, mighty
rockers and even a couple of slow blues, dark as a rainy November
afternoon in the north of Denmark. Powerful, sweaty lead guitar
work, low, mumbling vocals and a in-synch rhythm section. Awesome.
Guess fans of the Mudsharks will really enjoy this CD. If you
are not familiar yet with the band, check them out! Highly recommended.
SCOTTIE BLINN - gtr/voc, MIKE LARS - bass, TOM ESSA - drums.
~~Detlev Hoegen, Cross Cut Records
______________________________________________
Midwest Record--March 2, 2007
MISSISSIPPI MUDSHARKS/Train Rolls On: Proof of an amazing musical
underground being alive and well whether the 'industry' likes
it or not. This punk/blues/surf outfit has rolled along
over a decade in various combinations, with various over ground
pros being on board and are proverbial stars in Europe while playing
over 300 under the radar dates a year here. Sometimes you
just have to show up and keep on chugging. This is a high
octane, hotter than hot blues related romp that purists won't
know how to deal with but Gen Yers will think is blues.
Loaded with punk attitude and hard attack sound, this is the music
you want when you need to get the party started and let off steam.
Wild stuff that knows no bounds, or boundaries for that matter.
_______________________________________________
Southland Blues--April 2007
Scottie "Mad Dog" Blinn
leads the Mississippi Mudsharks with his high powered guitar and
gritty vocals in a program of original songs on this contemporary
album. With a punk rocker vocal presence that oozes fierce emotion,
Blinn and the band pound out their message with spirit. Founded
in San Diego in 1992, the band has undergone several transformations.
As this album's title relates, however, the original spirit continues
to move the band as it always has.
Blinn sings with a tight fisted ferocity that makes his lyrics
tremble. "Lakeside Redneck Shindig" finds the band pushing
it hot and fast in joyous celebration, while "Hangin' Tree"
clears the air with a slow moan about eerie ghosts waiting around
for opportunity. "Zombie Whip" geatures a highly rhythmic
band romp, while "Slow Rollin' simmers gently with a timeless
blues message about travelin' and finding peace through a change
in scenery.
The Mississippi Mudsharks like to run to hard and fast; however,
they also know how to slow it down in order to convey a sincere
message. Their genuine combination or gritty punk rock and Delta
roots blues delivers its message to a broad audience. The band's
performance, this time out, works particularly well on their instrumental
arrangement of "Down The Line" and their cowboy western
ballad approach to "Devil's Road" ~~Jim
Santella
______________________________________________
6/29/06
Mississippi Mudsharks
"Train Rolls On"
Double Barrel Records
***
Once San Diego's most exciting
blues punks, the Mississippi Mudsharks end six years of exile
by rekindling their explosive musical spirit on this CD. Using
blues as a springboard, the Mudsharks play grease-punk, a flinty
attitude that's fearless, incorporating rockabilly, country, surf
or spaghetti Western guitar into the mix. Singer-guitarist Scottie
Blinn's blazing title cut sets the tone, with slashing guitar
and Tom Essa's propulsive drumming. The twosome is joined by Mike
Lars here, and his aggressive bass is precise, whether it is take-no-prisoners
beat or the classic loping sound of the Mudsharks, who will host
a record release party at Winston's in Ocean Beach on Sunday.
MICHAEL KINSMAN, Union Tribune
_____________________________________________
6/14/06
The CD came in yesterday and
I just had a first listing REAL LOUD on my stereo, and I
liked it so much.
There's a lot variety on it and I think the people are gonna be
surprised and love what they gonna hear.
-THEO LOOIJMANS/ ROOTS 'N'
BLUES (NETHERLANDS)
____________________________________________
6/13/06
Yesterday I received the new
CD. Man, let me congratulate you with such an wonderful and amazing
sound .
Really great stuff. I can't choose the best song because they
are all even good. See you soon. Best regards, Eddy...
-EDDY VERHEVEN/ BEERSEL BLUES
FESTIVAL (BELGIUM)
___________________________________________
(From Scottie Blinn)~~And
here's one guy who just didn't get it!
Mississippi Mudsharks "Train Rolls On"
(*). This is a noisy bore lead by throaty singer "Scottie
"Mad Dog" Blinn. Bluz & Boogie numbers like the
title track & "Zombie Whip" and lumbering slow Blues
in "Can't Put Down The Drink" dripping with testosterone
but painful for the ears. Fans of George Thorogood-style slide
rock may find something to like here.~~Blues
Critic Media, June 2007
________________________________________________________________________________________
8/1/02
Mississippi Mud
Feat. Scottie
"Mad Dog" Blinn & Eric "Jailhouse" Von
Herzen
(Double Barrel Records/
66 Records)
With their live session, singer/guitarist
Scottie Blinn and harpist Eric "Jailhouse" Von Herzen
explore the Delta roots of blues. boogie woogie, and rock 'n'
roll. Theirs is a "take no prisoners" form of story
tellin' blues that can sweep an audience off its feet. No one
goes home unaffected. Dancin' in their seats, this audience is
treated to a rompin' stompin' party steeped in the history of
American rock 'n' roll. Blinn's guitar work brings back '50's
memories while his gruff singing style bites hard at the ropes.
He's an emotional rocker. Von Herzen colors each track with "old
school" Mississippi Delta low moans.
The band's thigh-slapping rhythms
and enthusiastic wails were performed live in Tijuana before an
enthusiastic audience. But that's just the first half of the album.
The remainder comes from a knockout studio session that has captured
every nuance from the band and leaders. An even balance between
fresh originals and memorable classics makes this one a delight.
"Fender Bender", "Lonesome Road", and "All
Ya Need" add just as much color and history as do "Folsom
Prison Blues", "Don't Lose Your Cool", and "Evenin'
Sun". Mississippi Mud leaves a lasting impression that spans
the years from oppressed field hollers to the kind of Saturday
night party time fun found in either century.
~~Jim Santella
(Southland Blues)
____________________________________
7/25/02
No Stranger here... in fact a
prominent force on the music all through the 90's, with San Diego
Music Award nominations from 1994-2001.
Voted Best Blues Band in San
Diego for 1995, 1996 and 1997 with The (original) Mississippi
Mudsharks.
Taking names, kicking serious
tail and leaving a trail in 1999 and 2000 with The Tiki Torchers
burning up the beach area clubs... now here it is down to 2002.
Fans, Friends and those yet to
be iniated will be glad to hear that Scottie Blinn is back on
the road again and hitting it as hard as ever with Mississippi
Mud. This combination of Scottie Blinn's blistering guitar work
and gutsy vocals, with Eric "Jailhouse" Von Herzon's
deep dark harmonica tone and rhythm that knocks you out of your
seat. Throw in this amazing tag team rhythm section and you have
a soulful energizing experience that will have you up in a flash.
The new CD is about 50 minutes
with a little sumpin' sumpin' for everyone... 13 tracks that I'm
sure will have you snappin' them fingers and tappin' those toes...
and is sure to pick up any house rent party that might be planned
in your neighborhood..
The selection of tunes heard
here blend traditional and modern styles equally well with a sincere
intensity and these fellas get started right out of the gate with
the acoustic based bottom dwelling All You Need...and just keep
rockin' like a Southern California Earthquake through the rest
of it
all. Some of my personal favorite include All You Need Is, Everything
Is Allright, The Jackson Stomp, and people... hello is this thing
on? On a little number Fender Bender "Jailhouse" is
blowin' the walls down and will be the delight of harmonica fans.
These Cats give it their all
every night and whether it's in an intimate venue such as The
Tiki, or
Etta's Place, the world famous Blue Cafe, at a Belgium Blues Festival
or the maddening rush of the San Diego Street Scene they are pouring
heart and soul (and alot of sweat) into this music.
I strongly urge you to see/hear/support
these fellas as soon as you can since they have yet another
world tour coming up later this summer (Kick Off Mid-August) and
will be travelling into fall.
Scheduled for a good ol' electrifying Mississippi Mud stomping
is Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
and Belgium.
The band will soon be rocking
them up real good, watch for the Mississippi Mud and catch this
smokin' band when you can.
~~Chet Cannon
(Blues Hall Of Fame)
_________________________________________
9/8/99
"Hoodoo
Charm"
Scottie
Blinn And The Tiki Torchers
(Double Barrel Records)
_________________________________________________________
***1/2
This is a cool record. For those of you
living in a cave down by the Crystal Pier, Scottie Blinn is an
alumnus of the Mississippi Mudsharks, one of San Diego's most
bitchin' party blues bands. With the Tiki Torchers, the spirit
of the blues is still very much around--but now the ghost of surf
rock and the shade of Herb (Ellis) join it as well. As such, Hoodoo
Charm is the perfect stew of San Diego's musical mettle. It took
me by surprise, actually. "Made In The Shade" and "Keep
On Tryin'" are just the kind of groovin' blues moves I expected
from Scottie--but then the third track kicked in and I did a double
take: was that the Belaire's "Mr. Moto"? And again,
after the very cool title track and the very nasty "Slicker
Than Grease" (both Blinn originals), comes "Japengo",
a funky little Tijuana Brass thing. Closing it all is "Brotherhood",
probably the least self-conscious social consciousness song I've
ever heard. This is a great late-night-on-the-patio-drinkin'-beer
record. If you want to raise the specter of the blues, or just
get in a Southland kind of trance, Hoodoo Charm ought to do the
trick.
--Clark Novak
(SLAMM Magazine)
_________________________________________________
Personal memo to Scottie from
Detlev Hoegen, President of Crosscut Records, Germany:
8/99
Great album! Great taste. Your
tone is thrilling!
Review to follow shortly......
_______________________________________________
10/99
The Mississippi Mudsharks won't exist
as a touring band any longer, will perform together occasionally
only, after finishing this year's tour of Europe. Guitar player
and singer Scottie Blinn has already been working with his new
format, The Tiki Torchers. The name of the band may sound strange,
but the music is familiar. Back to where the Sharks once began,
straight blues performed by a powerful yet traditional trio. Blinn's
adding some new spices like surf-inspired guitar solos, bringing
something special to his music. He plays a mean Stratocaster guitar
with a full-bodied tone and a lot of reverb. Very powerful. He's
got the abilities of becoming a GREAT one!
--Detlev Hoegen,
(President, Crosscut Records--Germany)
_____________________________________________
10/99
Scottie Blinn is the leader, guitar-player
and singer of the Mississippi Mudsharks from San Diego, California.
In 1997 and 1998 the Mudsharks caused a big sensation in Germany,
and their first two CD's headed for a long time the selling charts
of Crosscut Records (explanation: Europe's biggest blues mailorder
service). Shortly after the release of the third CD of the Mississippi
Mudsharks (see for the review on another place in this issue)
and immediately before the second big tour of the trio all over
Europe Scottie presents here now a completely different band.
It's again a trio which is bringing up various guests with lap
steel, dobro, harp, and trombone at six of the ten tracks. Stylisticly
Blinn with his Tiki Torchers isn't too far away from the Mudsharks,
even if by example "Enchanted", not least because of
the lap steel creates cool caribian sounds which are coupled with
relaxed blues. Otherwise it's a mixture of heavy Texas blues and
dangerously rumbling Louisiana groove. You cannot use famous names
by way of comparison, because Scottie Blinn is absolutely playing
his own style. Those who enjoyed the Mississippi Mudsharks will
be right here. And all of those too who prefer more rocking variations
of the blues, and who are not waiting for the 135th trial to copy
Stevie Ray Vaughan, surely are coming to the right address here.
--Dirk Fohrs
(Chief Editor, Blues News
Magazine--Germany)