R.L. Burnside

Way better than the record he did with Jon Spencer, Too Bad Jim stands as one of the true blues releases recorded in the modern age. There's no shiny Robert Cray stuff here -- this is dirty, sweaty, pile-driving Delta blues. The hammering "Shake 'Em On Down" sets the tone, so just start there. The music sounds like it was recorded in the bathroom, like it should.

Mention Mississippi to blues fans, and chances are their heads will start swimming with the
raw sounds of the Delta. But not all great Mississippi blues have a lowland address. In the hill
country just to the north and east, there has always existed a bracing but unsung blues
scene. Now, thanks to the efforts of the small, Oxford-based label Fat Possum, we're finally
getting to hear some of the region's best blues talent. A good place to start is wit... More >