Special live performance from July of 2023, by the garage blues duo THE MOOKS (VIC RUGGIERO / THE SLACKERS, SIMON CHARDIET / SIMON & THE BAR SINISTERS). For many years now, VIC RUGGIERO has been an indestructible thoroughbred musician who never misses an opportunity to play and sing in the studio and, above all, on stage. Known to most fans through his band THE SLACKERS and as part-time keyboardist with RANCID, he has another project with the REGGAE WORKERS OF THE WORLD and has also been playing in the duo THE MOOKS with fellow New York musician SIMON CHARDIET for several years. CHARDIET, the Cuban-Russian-Jewish guitarist, who is otherwise active with his own band SIMON & THE BAR SINISTERS, takes on the lead guitar here, while RUGGIERO plays a foot drum kit and the blues harp alongside his guitar – and both sing. What the two experienced performers bring to their live shows, full of joie de vivre and very direct with lo-fi charm, is exactly what they bring to the record: everything recorded live, no overdubs, but a lot of heart and soul. And from tight garage blues à la ANDRE WILLIAMS to melancholic soul ballads, everything fits together perfectly in a minimalist way. A wonderful interdisciplinary cocktail of Afro-American roots music!
01. HOLE IN MY HEART 02. ROUND AND ROUND 03. RIDE WITH YOU 04. BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY 05. NUMBER 9 TRAIN 06. PLEASE MR. JUNKMAN 07. I DON’T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE 08. RUDI 09. JUNKIE PARENTS 10. SHIM SHAM SHIMMY 11. THE TUNING JOKE 12. TIE MY PECKER TO MY LEG
