Bruised blues

Plus, punk 'n' roll, and the passing of Ali Khan

by Michael Caito

Kevin Mack is a bluesman to watch, as the Massachusetts resident clocks in with a scuffling, bedraggled sinner of a 45, which contains "Seen A Light," "I'm Mad at You" and "The Other Side of Town" (Blackberry Records). All torn clothes and razor stubble, the singer/songwriter/guitarist delves into the same rich blue-black earth as Paul Geremia. What the world needs now is veiny authenticity, and whether it's through uptown grit (like the Vipers or High Rollers) or down by the slow brown river with Geremia, Mack excels. It's released by the the Somerville-based folks who are also handling the upcoming Delta Clutch full-length. Not to be confused with John "Crawlin' Snake Mac" Maciel (we'll get to his newest next week), Kevin Mack wheezes and broods and even bleeds, with quivery slidework and a memorably hardscrabble voice. A bit like Dylan -- less nasal, but no less effective or elliptical. Fine single.

Brooklyn Steamer:Rock &Roll Part Three (Beaten King Records 11-song CD)

Citing influence from the Pistols, Damned and Ramones, the Providence quartet unleash all that plus some early-flavor Social Distortion and a generous spoonful of the Jam on their full-length debut. As you read this they're knee-deep in a tour which takes them all the way to Los Angeles, ensuring finely honed chops for their upcoming record-release show with Dropdead, Land and the Double Nuthins at the Met on September 6.

When we gathered mid-May to discuss their narrow victory in this year's Reader's Poll, they said it had served to basically mystify them, but were quick to note that the past five years of rehearsing and recording for comp(ilation)s and split singles has earned them that rare benefit of staying power plus top-to-bottom strong songs. By the time Rock &Roll Part Three's finale -- the title track -- is wrapping up, they've also earned the right to maintain, as singer Malt Laxton puts forth, that "we're gonna save rock and roll." Damn straight.

In May they were shopping the demo with the intent of letting someone else pay for release if the deal was right, and if that didn't develop (it didn't) they'd release it themselves. Back during the initial Green Day/Rancid craze, many punk/pop bands which hadn't been together long at all found themselves wooed by the notorious big boys and smaller, supposedly-prescient indies. That includes the Providence-based Waterdog release on Atlantic in '95. That quartet got a deserved, yet quick look-see for a coupla their hooky punk-pop tunes, and when sales didn't immediately skyrocket they were dropped faster than Kevin Garnett can say "show me the money." The band's intentions may have been pure and the record as produced by TBuck sounded pro, but nonetheless, they ended up a footnote before you could even say "follow-up."

So what's the real difference on R&RIII? As always, it's a subtle breadbasket thing. A conviction thing, borne on waves from a time when lots of young fans, my (much younger) self included, would have rather sampled roadkill than be seen in a disco. Getting past the conviction stage to the execution stage is where bands like Brooklyn Steamer and records like this forever shine. Heroes are acknowledged, sure, and any stick-in-the-mud archivist could go to town on these newly-minted riffs, saying which ones rang out much earlier in the punk rock panoply. Before asking said naysayers exactly which rock band invented the goddamned power chord, I'd buy him a recording of the Ben Hur soundtrack and ask him which tune off Double Nickels is a direct tribute.

Brooklyn Steamer also have a family thang going, with Adam and Paul Kray pushing hard in the rhythm section. Assembled, the foursome are thicker than blood, and the playing, though tight, never sounds strangled. The testing ground lies, to paraphrase a favored Roomful of Blues tenet, in the feet, and if that's the benchmark this record can cause a toe-tapping frenzy. Credit goes to guitarist Speedbump for main melody duties. He can soar, shine and blast like a Sensible Billy Zoom in high dudgeon, etching his progressions with a punk edge plus the odd whiff of rockabilly -- careering, soaring and blasting all at once. Effective, effusive power pop flourishes with a nod to the Clash. I'll get tired of that around the same time I'll get bored with "White Riot."

Which is . . . never.

The show's on Saturday the 6th at the Met.

WRATH OF KHAN.A wondrous voice was silenced prematurely this week with the death of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at age 48. Some considered Oliver Stone a self-serving, truth-be-damned nitwit even before he pulled the ultimate lunkhead move and employed a beautiful Ali Khan song in a prison riot segment of Natural Born Killers, which glamorized sociopathic behavior. As if it needed help. Ali Khan was considerably less than thrilled, as he had only discovered the nature of the film after the thing came out.

So Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan presented spiritual qawwali tunes to the West, and that's how we thoughtful, art-craving Americans treated him. There was hope, though: the Pakistani was captivating the imaginations of increasing masses (including a triumphant, sold-out Radio City stint last year) through singing the mystical poetry of Sufism, a smallish subculture of Islam. You can hear some of his later work in the Milan catalog out of L.A., where he was included on several recent foreign film soundtracks (including the enthralling Bandit Queen), and Shanachie is planning to release more of his earlier works. Evidently his cousin Rehmat Ali is a hopeful qawwali successor. Let'shope he's half as blessed as his late uncle.

SHOWS. Musical visionary Bob Jordan appears this Saturday at AS220. Idescribe Jordan to inquisitive folk as a one-man V Majestic, and since theirs is the hands-down record of the year thus far, the shoe fits. And no inside jokes about the Wheel of Time! Progress! Bob's at OOP, Inc. on Thayer next Thursday the 28th at 7 p.m. for an acoustic set as well; eyes open for upcoming duo gigs with Angel Dean. The Worcester Arts Group (WAG) in Jordan's hometown has recently benefitted from a collaborative booking effort with some area punk rock show organizers and is, according to Jordan, working on developing a gallery for industrial-inspired artwork (read:really, really BIGart) in Worcester as well. So here's to future prosperity for Wormtown's version of AS220. Now if the P-Bruins could only beat the IceCats once in a while . . .