Root Damage is a two-disc, 49-track look at
Sympathy for the Record Industry's
blues output between 1989 and 2003. The label has long been a proud bastion of loud, raucous sounds from the
garage and anywhere else music is played with abandon. Their approach to the
blues over the years has been similar, and the fruits of their efforts make for a filthy listening experience. The artists they have recorded range from the authentic Southern sounds of
R.L. Burnside,
Junior Kimbrough, and
CeDell Davis to the classic
punk-
blues of
the Gun Club,
'68 Comeback, and
Panther Burns to the
Childish British blues of
Holly Golightly,
Dan Melchior, and the man himself,
Billy Childish, to the
country blues of
the Reigning Sound,
Mark Spitz Freestyle, and
Monsieur Jeffrey Evans to the modern supercharged
punk-
blues of
the Soledad Brothers,
Mr. Airplane Man, and
Pearlene. The highlights of the set are quite plentiful, but the best of them are former
Flamin' Groovie Chris Wilson's drunken acoustic
"Dark Haired Girl," the Kirby Grips'
country blues at the junior prom-sounding
"Needless," the Deadly Snakes' yowling
"Love Undone," Wreckless Eric's boozy
"Harry's Flat," the Gibson Brothers' manic
"Memphis Chicken," and an early
lo-fi track from
Beck,
"Leave Me on the Moon." The disc flows as easily as the cheap beer in the kind of rundown dive you can picture most of these bands playing in. Add to the great music some illuminating liner notes by label boss
Long Gone John and you end up with a package well worth the effort of tracking down by anyone with even a faint interest in indie
punk-
blues, as well as anyone who digs the winners of the
punk-
blues sweepstakes,
the White Stripes. ~ Tim Sendra