Somewhere between country, folk, blues, punk, and even metal exists Texas bad boy Scott H. Biram. A cult figure for years, perhaps Biram may start benefiting from mainstream America's revived interest in Americana via far less salty acts like Mumford and Sons and the like. Where rock radio's new rootsy bands still largely go down easily digestible, though, Biram unapologetically sings, screams, and stomps about the uglier sides of life.
Take, for instance, one of his best songs: "Blood, Sweat, and Murder," with a title and content ripped straight from the old books of blues icons like Leadbelly. Here, women aren't angels to be treasured and wept over after they've left. Instead, Biram's emotions are a little mixed: "You know I wanna be with you baby/You drive me crazy, bitch!"
In other words, this is sweaty, grimy stuff from America's underbelly that, perhaps unfortunately for listeners, never gets within a football field's length of the Grand Ole Opry. All the better for fans, who can catch Biram in a superintimate setting on Monday, February 6, at Propaganda.
Interestingly, this show also marks a revival of sorts for the Monterey Club. When that Fort Lauderdale venue sadly closed its doors on New Year's Day, it still had a good slate of shows already booked. Monterey's former owners have moved all of those to Propaganda and have hinted at a continued booking/promoting partnership with the latter club. More about that on County Grind in coming days.
In the meantime, download a free Scott H. Biram song via the link below; you'll need to "like" his Facebook page to get it. It's "I Want My Mojo Back," a slice of electrified blues-rock that really should make it into an episode of True Blood.
Scott H. Biram, with Lydia Loveless. 6 p.m. Monday, February 6, at Propaganda, 6 S. J St., Lake Worth. Click here.
Download: Scott H. Biram - "I Want My Mojo Back"
