Bam!

Ever since the Fabulous Thunderbirds scored a few hits in the '80s, there have been very few bands that managed to merge tasty and authentic-sounding blues licks with mainstream rock. That is, until Ricky Gene Hall & the Goods came along with 2008's Bam! The group (comprised of singer/guitarist Hall as well as bassist Tom Martin and drummer Rocky Evans) is not a bunch of young bucks — which is something that the bandmembers actually work to their advantage. In other words, they've obviously studied the blues masters over the years, as evidenced by such spacious tracks as "Real Fine Woman," yet can also get funny and funky, as heard on the album's standout album-opener, "Way I Feel." Modern-day mainstream blues-rock has become an increasingly dicey proposition in recent times, but there a select number of acts still manage to get it right. And as evidenced by Bam!, Ricky Gene Hall & the Goods certainly know what they're doing.