Old Gray Mule
Sound Like Somethin’ Fell Off the House (Stobie Sounds)Old Gray Mule hosted an 80th birthday tribute to North Mississippi’s Junior Kimbrough at TC’s Lounge recently, a perfect pairing of atmosphere and attitude. The Lockhart duo has the dog in ’em certainly, delivering instrumental juke joint blues of the Fat Possum variety with a ass pocket of whiskey. As the liner notes boast, OGM’s hand-screened debut for Australia’s Stobie Sounds was recorded live at Round Top’s Edythe Bates Old Chapel in less than three hours. The resulting boogie recalls an alternate soundtrack to Black Snake Moan. Guitarist C.R. Humphrey unloads more riffs than an overnight shift at the Black Keys’ Rubber Factory as drummer Joe Falco nails the beat into the baseboards, most notably on the gutbucket seduction of “Send Me Your Panties” and chicken-wire hip-sway “Scrap Iron Man.” Guest vox Mississippi Gabe Carter conjures Dan Auerbach on “Rivers Up Yall,” while “Poor Black Mattie” gives a closing nod to R.L. Burnside.
This article appears in August 20 • 2010.