Man. I’ve been wanting to write about this album for a couple of weeks now but life just kept getting in the way. It was damned near about to again tonight until fate in the form of a torrential Florida evening thunderstorm grounded all plans and has granted me 30 minutes or so behind this laptop.

Scrapomatic features the Derek Trucks Band’s singer, Mike Mattison, and it could possibly be said that this is his first love. Scrapomatic was formed in St. Paul, Minnesota in the mid-90’s when Mattison and Paul Olsen started jamming together. After winning Best R&B Group in ‘97, they packed up their bags and moved Brooklyn and have since flourished in the Big Apple. In 2002 Mattison signed on as lead singer for the renowned Derek Trucks Band, but even though he plays 100+ shows a year for DTB, Mattison still manages to get some action on the side with Scrapomatic. Don’t let my poor attempts at humor via sexual innuendo mislead you, though, it’s not like Scrapomatic is just scraps. Hell no, on their third release, Sidewalk Caesars, the band is a strong as any out there.

Mattison’s voice can be described as raspy, but not the sort of raspy that makes you wanna give the man a drink of water. It’s the sort of raspy that adds a depth and richness to the songs. It lets you know he’s been there when he sings lines like, “drinking all that liquor, man I never been sicker” and that the yearning of “Long Gone” was probably lived. All of this is backed by the musicianship of Olsen’s guitars and harmonies, as well as Tyler Greenwel on drums, Ted Pecchio on bass and Dave Yoke providing a second guitar. The album manages to take Motown soul and Delta blues and make an album that blurs the lines between blues, gospel, country, soul, and folk music. Plus, there is a complete plethora of my favorite kind of song…drinking songs…scattered across this album. Great singer, swinging rhythms, and songs about drinking too much…sounds like Essential Listening to me.

Scrapomatic - Drink House
Scrapomatic - Long Gone
Scrapomatic - Killing Yourself On Purpose

Scrapomatic’s Official Site, Scrapomatic on myspace, Buy Sidewalk Caesars