How do you discover new music?
In the past, I 100% discovered new music by listening to the radio. I worked in radio and I preached the power of radio to anyone who would listen. I stood by my belief that there was no better way to learn about new music than by having your favorite radio DJ tell you about it.
But, those days are gone; I can no longer lean on the radio to curate music for me. Instead, I trust the almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful Spotify algorithm.
20 Watt Tombstone was suggested by Spotify, I listened to a few songs, and immediately went on the hunt for vinyl. This record is the only one I could find.
This little EP is a split record between the band I was looking for, 20 Watt Tombstone, and a band I had never heard of, Left Lane Cruiser.
The three songs from 20 Watt Tombstone are deliciously fuzzy and heavy. The cover art calls it “Death Blues” and that is incredibly accurate. The sound is almost doom-y delta blues. Imagine that Sabbath hired the ghost of Son House to play guitar and ran everything through a fuzz box…..twice.
It’s fucking rad.
The other side of this EP, the Left Lane Cruiser side, is similar but it’s not exactly the same. The sound on this half of the record is heavy on the slide resonator guitar.
It sounds a little like a sludgy Jack White when he really jams. And everything is running through a fuzz box. The vocal work from Left Lane Cruiser reminds me of another fuzzy band I like called Brother O’Brother. The vocals have an extra later of grittiness mixed in the fuzz.
I really like it.
I know that this is an incredibly random record, but I like it a lot. The sound is different, yet familiar.
All hail the Spotify algorithm.
My favorite track: Your Man’s a Jerk
Blood For Vinyl 