LISTEN: Rock Candy Funk Party - "Spaztastic"

The title says it best, as this wild, fast-paced track moves from blasts of guitar chords to racing guitar leads to mellow breaks. Blending a mastery of funk's magnetic grooves, the pounding rhythm and energy of rock 'n' roll, and the soulful riffs of the blues, this supergroup sounds like they were born to play together. The quintet consists of guitarist Joe Bonamassa, guitarist Ron DeJesus (Tito Puente, Hugh Masakela), bassist Mike Merritt (Conan O'Brien's Basic Cable Band, Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble Band), keyboardist Renato Neto (Sheila E., Prince & the New Generation), and drummer Tal Bergman (Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart). Buckle up and hold onto something.

LISTEN: My Goodness - "Blackout Baby"

My Goodness - "Blackout Baby"


The first time I heard this song, I thought it was some lost MC5 b-side. But the MC5 were never this bluesy, and they never did sound this Southern fried. "Blackout Baby" has that raw, sort of guttural punch that sounds big and hits even harder -- like the MC5 meets Led Zeppelin. It only takes one electric guitar, a drum kit, and a howling set of pipes to stir up this storm of bluesy rock 'n' roll, and that certainly says a lot about the conviction and talent of this Seattle band. My Goodness, rock 'n' roll is alive and doing quite well (sorry, I couldn't resist).

LISTEN: Henry's Funeral Shoe - "Dog Scratched Ear"

Henry's Funeral Shoe - "Dog Scratched Ear"


Rock 'n' roll boogie. If you're going to name your band something a bit eccentric like Henry's Funeral Shoe, you either have to be wacky with your sound or rock hard. For this blues rock brother duo from South Wales, it's most definitely the latter of those two things. It all begins with singer/guitarist Aled Clifford musing over a rolling guitar riff, cooling off in the murky waters of the Mississippi Delta. Drummer Brennig Clifford then joins the mix, shifting things into first gear as they add a blast of punk rock fury. And with the snaking lines of some dirty slide guitar, "Dog Scratched Ear" can be addictive on account of just the energy it puts out. A great cut thanks to attitude, conviction, the bite of distortion, the mood of the blues, and the crunch of rock 'n' roll.

VIDEO: The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"

God I love The Black Keys.

(Yeah, I know, I know. This has been out for a week or so now.)