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out now on CD Digipak, Vinyl & Download
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CD DIGIPAK
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VINYL
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get the CD here
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ltd. edition orange vinyl
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Painkillers PRESS
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Two blues rock duos, one from Fort Wayne, Indiana and the other from Nashville, meet up in Detroit and, with some help from Harmonica Shah, record a set of covers by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix. Muddy but not sloppy, fierce but somewhat respectful of its sources, its subtleties are loud and lived-in as they exceed the speed limit on the expressway to your heart. Blues as attitude more than ritual, this oneoff provides the relief its title promises. – Rock & Rap Confidential Painkillers is sunburn, moonshine, six-day stubble and hillbilly breath. Just be warned: once you’ve finished that whiskey, you may need a paracematol. – Henry Yates / Classic Rock UK Painkillers is drenched in distortion and has a great live feel. Nothing is over-done or over-produced, and the songs although covers feel their own. They really used the cover record to their advantage. – Stereokiller Painkillers suggests an overdriven, punk-infused variation on Canned Heat’s old formula, and if they’re never going to get to cut an album with John Lee Hooker, at least they have the good sense to see that their boogie isn’t endless, and for 35 minutes, this is a house party worth a visit. – All Music Guide The main draw of either Left Lane Cruiser or James Leg aren’t so much the songs they write, it’s the ragged, rough way they deliver them. All the same, Painkillers makes its case because they tackle the covers in the same way. – Something Else A combination of reverence toward the progenitors of the blues and a spirit of pure enjoyment that is rare to find.This is a fun record for anybody with a taste for the blues. – When You Motor Away If Robert Johnson took a midnight stroll to meet the devil at the crossroads and exchange his soul for the blues, this collaboration between punk-blues label-mates Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg sounds like they’ve got a direct line to the fiery pits of hell. – Happening Magazine It is a pretty great trip. Part of the reason why Painkillers works so well is that the players clearly have a reverence for the material they’re taking on, but not so much that they’re out to merely give rote readings of the songs. – Popmatters Left Lane Cruiser and James Leg have released a snarling little cur dog (balls intact) of a party album called Painkillers. Ten wicked cover songs. Mama told Papa…This is the summers rock n’ blues wigout, man…got to boogie! |
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The songs take a life of their own on Painkillers as the in your face rock out of Taj Mahal’s "Chevrolet" is a true winner and the almost unrecognizable "When The Levee Breaks" will have you hitting repeat to hear their interpretation again. The crazy sick harmonica playing by 66 year old Harmonic Shah is nuts on the Willie Dixon classic "Red Rooster" which is an album highlight. – The Fire Note The crew make their way through raw, loud-ass covers of blues standards such by folks like John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, HOwlin’ Wolf, and Robert Johnson and throw in some classic rock covers by Seger, the Stones, Hendrix, and Zeppelin for good measure. Blues standards never go out of style. And volume is the booze that makes it go down real smooth. Now mixing real pills and booze is a ticket to the bone yard. But there is a way you can combine the two and not flatline. I prescribe Painkillers on Alive Natural Sound records. You’ll be in the pink in no time. – The Record Changer Painkillers is a ten-track journey through the blues and the blooze that features the collaborators taking on some obscure and not-so-obscure gems. – Fort Wayne Reader Wanton, ribald, reckless, and uninhibited, Painkillers will have you slam dancing and pissing off the neighbors. – Saving Country Music Some blues rock classics, dismantled, regeared and throttled up by James Leg of Black Diamond Heavies and Left Lane Cruiser. If you’re not into that sort of thing, check your pulse immediately. Hit play now, cuz Painkillers is guaranteed to cure what ails ya. – Canibal’s Cave The reworkings of the songs reflect the distinct sounds of the artists covering them, giving each one a little something new. And second, the artists managed to put together a pretty great selection of cover songs. – Examiner Painkillers doesn’t fully take away the throb of one’s aches and pains, but it’s a refreshing little platter that should introduce a new audience to some really great material. – Capsule Reviews By infusing blues rock with heavy doses of punk sensibility, separately both the works of James Leg or Left Lane Cruiser are incredibly compelling, but as a Deep Blues supergroup on Painkillers, James Leg and Left Lane Cruiser churn out 10 fitting tributes to their influences. – Boston Blues Society |
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