Chili Cold Blood

Chili Cold Blood

Jesus' Comin' ... I'm the Fuck You Up Man (Bloodchili)

Chili Cold Blood is like John Lee Hooker and Black Sabbath stuck in a local elevator. Three white dudes whose gothic blues wears its American macho costume loud and proud and is made up of steel guitar, drums, and electric guitar. Disc two for the local trio is live, all guttural riffs and sandpaper vocals. Chugging opener "Baby's Poppin' Pills" is as good as raw blues gets nowadays, second only to the Black Keys' thinner three-chord debauchery. The solos are weak, but are still worth the breakdown ("Mama" and "Bangin' the Boss' Daughter"). Slow it down, pops, 'cause "Jesus' Comin'" is both buttery and rough as the noisy vocals make sense out of the scruffy guitar work. More rockist in mood, Jesus' Comin' ... I'm the Fuck You Up Man leaves basslines for the birds as drummer Bagpiper keeps the beats hot throughout. After the poor, flat boogie of "Toe-Taggin' Mama," "Me & Your Woman" gets things moving as dark, twitchy plucking and speedy, thick chords lock eyes. The blues, you realize, love fuckin' you up, man.