With the first throes of August we succumb once again to the oppressive heat and humidity that passes uninvited across our threshold, another telling sign that the reputation of the eastern seaboard hinges upon the dire misery of its squatters.
However, with heat comes relief, either in reality or during a final hallucinatory fadeout. Just this week, the PaisleyEmail lit up with a little gift from Tucson, AZ: A Brian Lopez bootleg delivered to our ears like a soothing elixir for the soul.
In order to verify that this album is no hallucination, I’m posting a review here for your perusal. If nothing shows up, please send help.
The Official Digital Bootleg contains a handful of earlier work from when Lopez was in the band Mostly Bears. On the final four tracks, the Bears add a honed knife’s blade worth of edge to Lopez’ smokey Southwestern style, arguably producing an even more authentic sound for the crispy-crust Tucson fringe that surrounds its squishy white-bread center. Not to bash either Lopez’ typical sound or the heart of Tucson, I love them both.
The first half of BL:ODB is heavy on originals from Ultra, recorded live at KXCI, Tucson’s Community Radio, and smack in the center of the album are a couple of slick covers: The Beatles‘ Julia, and The Hollies‘ Bus Stop.
I am a happier man for this bootleg album and I once again heavily recommend Señor Lopez’ music for not only surviving, but thriving through the next sweltering afternoon.