Bring Yo Ass

It's Friday, so that means Deep Blues Friday, and, folks, you aint nohow gonna wanna miss this one. Trust us. Interview and tunes below.

But first, an announcement that actually pertains to our Deep Blues Friday posts. We are currently working on a limited edition Big Rock Candy Mountain t-shirt. Design will be up shortly, in plenty of time for the Holidays, and will be available at a very special discount for folks who have supported (by buying a record or checking out a show) any of the bands we've covered or will cover on our Deep Blues Thursday/Friday posts. More info to come, of course, so save your receipts, kids!

How exciting is that?

Now then, a little something about Left Lane Cruiser. They fuckin' rawk, and that aint no shoutin' at the wind.

A two-man groop, Left Lane Cruiser kicks up a howling fuzz of dirt road holler, a hard-scrabble blues-punk blast created by messrs. Freddy J IV (Guitar, Vocals) and Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck (Drums, Trash, Hollerin'), straight outta Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Somethin' aint right with these boys, and that's good. Mmmm mmmm good.

Somewhere there's a world where Left Lane Cruiser is blasting out of every '72 Chevy Nova and broke-ass VW van, the road a bleared smudge in the rear view mirror. Drums that burn down bridges full of oil and fire, a guitar fucked into submission with god shining his face across six strings of hillstomptrash skull-fuckery. Above it all a voice all cracker-ass kick and wail..."feed me, baby, and I'm yours".

It's filthy Delta swamp debris,washed ashore and hitchhiking it's way to the heart of last night's ramble.

But enough of what I have to say. Brenn from Left Lane Cruiser was kind enough to respond to an interview request, and here's what he has to say:

A Deep Blues Friday Interview With Left Lane Cruiser (In which we discuss pork'n'beans, and slabs of wax)

1. First things first, and most generically, tell us who you are, why you are, and what you do. Where are you from, and why are you from there?

We are Left Lane Cruiser from Fort Wayne, In. I was born and raised here, and Joe is from Michigan. He moved all over the place, and finally settled here with his wife about 10 years ago. I knew his wife from high school, we kept in touch. She told me her boyfriend played a mean guitar, and that we needed to get together. So we did. First time the two of us met was really our first band practice. We wrote a song that day, and just kept getting together. Eventually we became good enough friends to ride thousands of miles in a van together, and then here we are now.


2. Two-man bands have been around since cavemen first picked up sticks and rocks, but they seem to be more prevalent these days. Are there more or less challenges to playing in a 2-piece?

Both really. With 2 guys the traveling is easier, the money split is better, and there is a lot less drama. But at the same time, with only 2 people, your level of creativity has to be high. It takes a lot sometimes to fill the space. With people tuning their guitars down, and drummers expanding to other instruments, I think people are realizing how much fun a two-piece can really be.

3. Your music is a glorious mix of Hill Blues, Hillbilly, and Trash/Punk, least ways to these ears. How did you come to this style? Is any one form of music more influential to y'all, or is it the whole spectrum that hums in yr ears and through you?

When we first started playin, we were pretty straight ahead Hill Country Blues (Fat Possum style). But Joe and I have always been rockers. I have a tendency to beat the ever living shit out of the drums, and Joe loves the distortion. So as we started to really find our sound, I think we just got more comfortable with our natural playing, and adapted our styles to the songs we were writing. Joe grew up on a lot of Classic Rock, particularly ACDC and ZZ Top. I have always liked classic rock, but deep down been drawn to something a little heavier…Clutch being a huge influence. We also both discovered Fat Possum around the same time, and knew that that was the sound we had been trying to find for a long time. We have never been afraid to wear our influences on our sleeves. We consider it paying tribute to the people that have made us what we are today.

4. Have you ever "hollered goat"?

We aint no holler back boys.

5. What is the "significance" of pork 'n' beans, and why is it so goddamn good?

Joe is a vegetarian, and his mother in law doesn’t cater well to this. Every time she cooks dinner, Joe is stuck eatin' Pork and Beans. Plus it is a good cheap road food. If ya listen close to the lyrics, you will discover that about 90% of our songs are about food. We love to eat….just look at my belly.

6. We spoke briefly, when I last saw you, about the importance of vinyl records. Do you feel that Left Lane Cruiser sounds better on a big ol' platter of wax, or does it matter as long as folks are listening? What is the optimal way to hear Left Lane Cruiser?

Shit, everything sounds better on vinyl. I would love it if everybody listening to us was spinning it on vinyl, but that just aint the case. As long as their listenin, we don’t care if its cd, vinyl, digital, 8 track , or tape.

7. Cruise control or pedal to the metal?

Cruise control….gotta save gas. We're broke brother.

8. You rocked the Deep Blues Festival this past summer. How did you come to be involved, and do you have any favorite moments from the Festival?

Ah, Chris fuckin Johnson! We owe that man a lot. Chris found us on myspace a long time ago, and we started an online friendship. One weekend, he made the drive from Wisconsin to Indiana (about 10 hours) and caught one of our shows. He recorded it, and sent it to Alive records for us. Well long story short he got Alive to pick us up. Ever since then, if Chris comes callin, we answer. He has brought us up to Minneapolis a number of times, including DBF. Everytime has been amazing for us. DBF is like a big family reunion for us every year.
Most memorable moments would be meeting our now good friends The Black Diamond Heavies for the first time. Seeing those guys play the first time really gave us a lot to strive for. Also, this year I broke my hand about 5 songs into the set. It hurt like hell, so that was pretty memorable.

9. Which deity blesses Left Lane Cruiser (god, satan, Bacchus, Eros, etc.)?

I think the deity that is The Black Diamond Heavies is the one that overlooks our sins.

10. You've got a new record out, "All You Can Eat". Tell us about it. Is it edible?

I wouldn’t recommend eatin it, but I sure as hell would recommend pickin it up. We put a lot into this album, and we really proud of the finished product. We have started to evolve into a slightly new direction, one that puts us out there a little more. We opened up and let a little bit of our anger and frustrations out on this one. Also, we had legendary producer Jim Diamond in our corner for this one, and he really found the sound that we were looking for.

11. What's next for Left Lane Cruiser?

Definitely a lot of touring. We have always enjoyed hittin the road, so you can expect a lot of that this year. Otherwise, I don't know, I guess whatever comes our way.

Thanks Brenn, and if that's not enough, check out these tunes, pulled from their three records, All You Can Eat, Bring Yo Ass To The Table, and Gettin' Down On It. Every goddamned song by the band will send your hips a-swivellin' and yr fists a-pumpin' fuck yeah! Take a drive with this shit bouncing our yr wound-down window and yr the talk of the neighborhood.

The new album, All You Can Eat, is out now on Alive Records.

Left Lane Cruiser: Ol' Fashioned (mp3)

Left Lane Cruiser: Crackalacka (mp3)

Left Lane Cruiser: Pork'n'Beans (mp3)

Left Lane Cruiser: Truck Song (mp3)

Please support yr local independent cb caller and left lane speed demon.