Black Joe Lewis

Radkey

Think No Think

Dec. 3, 2013

The Fillmore

Better than: Seeing him in Vancouver, apparently.

“Blues-rock” is such a thing now, such a popular style among young garage-dwelling musicians and Victoria's Secret commercials that it would seem it's lost all meaning. In fact, it may never really have had any. Rock evolved from blues, right? We all agree on this? So “blues-rock” is akin to saying “buggy-car” or “pamphlet-newspaper” or “regular phone-smartphone.” Right? Do we need to name a thing by invoking its roots? Isn't all rock “blues-rock?”

Well, maybe. Certainly “blues-rock” has more of a emphasis on the tradition from which it sprung, but the consequence of this is that, just as McCarthy saw Communists everywhere, so too does every fast-paced musical style with a hint of slangy guitar and a glance over its shoulder get called “blues-something.”