Tuesday, March 13, 2012

THE BLUES AGAINST YOUTH - "PURE AT HEART BLUES"


Italian songsmith and multi-instrumentalist Gianni Serusi, known in the obscure music world by the name of his "country rock primitive one-man experiment" The Blues Against Youth, has cultivated a very specific sound for the better part of four years. "Old road flavored compositions for the long lost ones" is how he refers to it. That is actually a fair description, too, as one can listen to his songs and easily detect the musical presence of both blues and rock'n'roll, along with a touch of country. At first one might be tempted to simply insert The Blues Against Youth's sound under "roots rock," but that doesn't quite do it justice. Nearly, mind you, but not quite. With a hollow-bodied electric six-string guitar, kick drum, voice, whistle, hi-hat, and an unusual piece of stomp percussion he calls his "invisible iron snare," he has developed his sound from a slower, more organic and traditional one to what it is now -- raw, gritty blues coupled with dirty, primitive rock'n'roll and outsider country.

True to the typical one-man band practice, Gianni works all of the instrumentation simultaneously, strumming, picking, stompin', and singing. Certainly not the easiest way to play music, the one-man band approach isn't for every artist, mostly since only a select group of songcrafters and multi-instrumentalists can do it, and do it exeedingly well. With his Blues Against Youth endeavor, Gianni Serusi has proved time and again that he is one of those select individuals, indeed that he is among the other noteworthy blues punk and roots rock artists in the scene, such as Pete Yorko, Lonesome Joseph, Birds Are Alive, Scott H. Biram, Reverend Deadeye, Honkeyfinger, and the like.
In addition to a 7-inch release and a split with The Ribeye Brothers, Serusi has a full-length studio album out titled Pure at Heart Blues. Although its ten songs wouldn't exactly appeal to blues or country purists, they are undeniably "pure at heart." That is, The Blues Against Youth's sound, though a wild jumble of styles, is pure in both its conception and delivery. And with such great originals as the title track "Pure at Heart Blues," "When the City is Dead," "It Must Have Been the Devil," "Miss Another Train," "Tevere Delta Blues," and "Just Don't Call My Name," Pure at Heart Blues is a remarkably solid full-length release which suggests the very real possibility of even better material in the future.


here's the dates as follows:

14.3 - Roma (IT) @ Fanfulla
15.3 - Bologna (IT) @ Honky Tonk Bar
16.3 - Arcore (IT), IT @ Arci Blob
17.3 - Torino (IT) @ Radio Black Out w/ Mr. Occhio
21.3 - Marseille (FR) @ L'Enthropy
22.3 - Montpellier (FR) @ Le Mojomatic
23.3 - Perigueux (FR) @ Les Toques
24.3 - La Rochelle (FR) @ Le Barbarella
25.3 - Paris (FR) @ Le Rigoletto
27.3 - Paris (FR) @ La Feline w/ Sheriff Perkins
28.3 - Bienne (CH) @ UFO
29.3 - Geneve (CH) @ L'Ecurie
30.3 - Saint Etienne (FR) @ L'Assomoir
31.3 - Vevey (CH) @ L.O.C.A.L.
2.4 - Genova (IT) @ Lucrezia Bar