I’m shocked every day at the shortage of good blues bands. I thought moving to Chicago I would have a hard time getting to hear different kinds of music, but it turns out most people my age and younger around here play everything but the blues. That’s a shame, as some of the greatest bluesmen of all time made their homes here. Of course we have The Congregation, but they’re really more of a soul outfit than blues. Buddy Guy’s still kicking, so at least we’ve got that going for us-which is nice.

So today I received this song by Nick And The Ovorols, which can be downloaded for free, and I liked it enough to throw it up here. It’s not perfect, but it’s raw and gritty. I’ve always thought that my favorite songs by the Steve Miller Band were the bluesy ones-their version of “Come On In My Kitchen” being at the top of the list. This song reminds me of them a bit, mostly in Nick Peraino’s vocals. He’s been in the Chicago area since 1998, playing in bands and going on national and international tours. He stepped up to be a frontman last year when he joined forces with guitarist Carlos Showers, bassist Vic Jackson and drummer Lance Lewis. Their debut album Telegraph Taboo is due out in January, and this is the first single: