Blue Monday – Indigenous

I mentioned in an earlier meme that once upon a time I tried to become one of those snobby blues purists but it didn’t work.  Turns out I like the electric guitar too much and I didn’t feel like investing in a 78 RPM turntable and a tube stereo amplifier just to look for those rare pressings.  Plus I couldn’t see myself turning my nose up at Stevie Ray Vaughan or Johnny Winter, much less Buddy Guy or Jimi Hendrix – folks who pushed the envelope of what is considered blues or blues-rock music.  

Here lately I’ve been on a kick of listening to SRV-inspired music like Los Lonely Boys, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Indigenous.  Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s newest album, “10 Days Out” is a revelation and the review shall come another day, but as a guy who once was skeptical about his future I am now a convert.  

But the guitarist who has me captured right now is Mato Nanji of Indigenous.  The guy is just plain great.  Indigenous’ latest album, “Broken Lands” is highly recommended by the preacher man.  But for today, let’s sit back and groove to the sounds of the original lineup of Indigenous (a family affair like Los Lonely Boys) and the title track from their big-league debut, Things We Do.  Mato manages to play with those Jimi-Stevie chords and fills while still sounding original, which is not easy.  Great chord progression, great melody, gritty vocals…. this track has it all.