I can honestly say the Mississippi Alligators are the best Spanish blues band I ever heard if only because they are the only Spanish blues band I ever heard! The artists actually call their music “Punk Blues” and some tracks like “Rockstar” leans toward rock if not punk, but the dedication they have to authentic Mississippi delta blues and boogie is quite obvious.

Their CD, Babylon Boogie, is 11 tracks of pure fun. While their artistry may not equal that of R. L. Burnside or John Lee Hooker they still have lots of heart. Their arsenal of slide guitar, blues harp. violin, and drums keeps an infectious boogie beat while Looke’s slightly out-of-whack vocals keeps you grinning. They can get a cool boogie thing going as on “Boogie Number 666″ and “De Rodillas Por Detras” which is actually Hooker’s “Boom Boom”. Looke’s slide guitar and Albert’s blues harp have a well honed traditional style, Big Joe’s Violin gives the band a unique sound, and Ivan keeps everyone on time. Want some other hignlights? “Nuevo Cadillac” starts with an impressive slide guitar solo and then settles into a down and dirty boogie that would make the Rolling Stones envious. “Quiero Beber” shows off a little ska punk amongst the blues lyrics. “Early This Morning” is a slow grinder and allows everyone room to show off their chops. However the best track has to be “Me Enamora Facilmente”. It is an acoustic joy in which all participants show real rapport with each other. The bar sounds in the background on this track only adds to the fun.

The album is available in 128kbps mp3. Special mention should be given to the great album cover that begs to be burned (to CD, that is).

Update: The original website is no longer available. However the full album is still downloadable from the band’s Myspace page. I’ve changed the link to take you there.

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