Slangin’ his blues across the country

Lolita Harper

His voice is slow and melodic. His attitude laid back. But his

fingers on the guitar tell a different story as they jam out a

synergetic mix of “rootsy blues” and rock ‘n’ roll.

Judah Bauer, creator of the band 20 Miles, will bring his soothing

voice, busy fingers and New York attitude to Costa Mesa Sunday at the

Detroit Bar on 19th Street.

Bauer, one of the guitarists for the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion,

will sandwich his bluesy side project at Detroit between an L.A. show

and a gig in Austin, Texas. With him comes a pack of talent, “like a

little review all crammed into one van,” he said.

The owner of Detroit is a friend of Bauer’s and used to the work

with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The explosion played at the

Westside club last year.

The 31-year-old Wisconsin native, who has adopted New York as his

hometown, said L.A. crowds are usually a little “harder” to play to.

“They are a little more standoffish than what I am used to in New

York,” Bauer said. “But maybe it’s because I am from New York and I

am used to playing for the home team.”

Bauer describes 20 Miles’ sound as a combination of “that Stones-y

vain of rock blues with maybe a little more punk.” The sounds are

influenced by traditional blues music, he said.

“People say it sounds like Lou Reed if he were in a garage band or

Tom Petty,” Bauer said. “I don’t know. I’m probably not selling

myself very well.”

Bauer doesn’t have to take on that task, however, as music critics

across the board have given rave reviews to 20 Miles’ third album,

“Keep it Coming.”

The album, put out by Fat Possum, was touted as the “perfect

combination of hill-country blues an big city rock” by critic and

former non-fan Andria Lisle.

Others say the album, which was recorded in Bauer’s East Village

studio, has “an intoxicatingly woozy pedal-steel tone.”

The intrigue of blues and its almost criminal aspect drew Bauer to

the music scene, as did autobiographical tales from his trumpet- and

harmonica-playing father.

“My father tried to get me to play the sax, but it’s too much

work,” he said.