(A-Tone Music)

www.atonemusic.com

Jr. James is a mainstay of the Asheville, NC, indie-rock scene, and a bit of a maverick, too - as befits someone who, on his MySpace page, lists as his core influences Blind Blake and William Blake. (Take that, John McCain.) Said maverick spirit is on full display on Draw Blood!, recorded live a few years ago at the Stella Blue venue, and featuring James joined by an all-star cast of locals that includes Band of Horses members Tyler Ramsey and Bill Reynolds.

Things take a pronounced veer early in the set with James' cover of "Crimson and Clover"; what's initially a straightforward, garage-pop rendition suddenly morphs, midsong, into "Dublin," a kind of jamband take on an electric Irish jig (Pogues and Horslips fans, take note), replete with a wah-wah solo and what gets, for my money at least, the award for Best Use Of A Melodica In A Psychedelic Irish Raveup. Several songs later the club's knee deep in the blues standard "I Just Want to Make Love to You," but I can guarantee ya this ain't your mama's Willie Dixon/Muddy Waters territory the band has ventured into, as the revised songtitle, "I Just Want to Loop Beats With You," none-too-subtly telegraphs: powered by an insistent electro-pulse churn, a grunting/huffing synth and yet more wah-wah guitar, the tune sounds like - spurious-yet-colorful comparison alert! - DEVO fronted by Fred Schneider and covering Foghat.

Other fun bits of sonic folderol also go down over the course of the set, including a slinky dub number, a passage inspired by Thelonious Monk and a ramshackle snatch of "Werewolves of London" featuring guest "aaaahh-OOOO" vocals from members of The Figgs, who happened to be in the audience this night. Yet let us not overlook the original material here, as it's every bit as engrossing as the covers: "Brand New Rock" is a hi-nrg slide-guit romp through classic cowpunk territory (think Jason & the Scorchers meet The Clash); "American Dream" is a groove-laden, stream-of-consciousness slice of psychedelic funk; and "Recognize" uses as its jumping-off point the bassline and chord progression of the Only Ones' "Another Girl, Another Planet" to serve up a zinging, zooming powerpop anthem.

All in all, a brief (36 minutes) but memorable excursion into rock ‘n' eclectica, a place where some men fear to tread but where, apparently, the good Mr. James and his cohorts feel utterly at home. Let's sing it together, kids: Aaahhh-OOOOO!

Standout Tracks: "Crimson and Clover/Dublin." "Recognize," "American Dream" FRED MILLS